Planning an offline event—whether it's a company exhibition, product launch, industry seminar, or team building—often brings both excitement and anxiety.
The excitement comes from the opportunity to showcase achievements and expand resources. The anxiety comes from the overwhelming number of tasks: venues to book, materials to prepare, guests to invite, schedules to arrange... any oversight could affect the entire event.
What's even more challenging is that event preparation involves extensive coordination: confirming booth details with organizers, coordinating materials with designers, dividing work with colleagues, following up on deliveries with suppliers... These communications are scattered across messaging apps, emails, and meeting notes, making them easy to miss.
With the FLO.W Notion template, you can centralize all event preparation tasks. It's not a team collaboration tool (coordination still happens in messaging apps), but rather your "command center" as the person in charge—helping you clarify what needs to be done, track progress on each item, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Overall Approach to Event Planning
In FLO.W Notion template, an event can be organized like this:
| FLO.W Notion template Module | Corresponding Content | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-Area | Work direction the event belongs to | Marketing, Brand Building |
| Project | This event | 2026 Shanghai Consumer Electronics Show Exhibition |
| Task | Specific preparation items | Confirm booth setup plan, Follow up on material printing |
| Note | Event proposals, retrospectives | Exhibition retrospective, Supplier evaluation records |
As the event organizer, your core responsibility is: ensuring every aspect has someone following up and progressing on time. FLO.W Notion template helps you put this responsibility into practice.
First Step: Identify the Dimensions Involved
Before creating tasks in FLO.W Notion template, we recommend first creating an "Event Planning Note" to outline the aspects this event involves.
Use the 【Note】 button on the homepage to quickly create a note
The title should include the event name, for example "2026.03 Shanghai Consumer Electronics Show - Planning Ideas"
In the note body, use a table or outline to list the dimensions, specific items, and coordination contacts involved in the event
Why write a planning note first?
The biggest fear in event planning is "missing something." Listing all dimensions first, then converting them into tasks one by one, is much more reliable than creating tasks as you think of them. This note can also serve as a reference for retrospectives—comparing "original plan" with "actual execution."
Taking "attending an industry exhibition" as an example, it typically involves these dimensions:
| Dimension | Specific Items | Coordination Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Work backwards from exhibition date, deadlines for each phase | Internal team |
| Booth | Registration, location selection, setup plan, dismantling | Organizer, setup contractor |
| Materials | Display stands, posters, brochures, business cards, giveaways | Designer, printing supplier |
| Personnel | Who attends, shift scheduling, travel arrangements | Exhibiting colleagues, administration |
| Content | Products/services to display, talking points preparation | Product/marketing team |
| Budget | Cost estimates, reimbursement | Finance |
| Follow-up | Lead follow-up, effectiveness retrospective | Sales, team |
Different types of events will have different dimensions. But this "categorize first, then act" approach is universal—it helps you avoid oversights that come from doing things as you think of them.
Create the Event Project
After thinking through the dimensions involved, you can create the project in FLO.W Notion template.
Enter the 【Project】 center from the top navigation bar
In the 【Project Category - Work】 view, click 【New】 to create a new project
Fill in the project name. We recommend including the event type and date, for example "2026.03 Shanghai Consumer Electronics Show Exhibition"
Set the 【Schedule Date】: Start date can be when you began preparations, end date is when the event ends (or when wrap-up work is complete)
Set 【Project Type】 to "Work" and associate it with the corresponding sub-Area (such as "Marketing")
Link the planning note you wrote earlier to the project: In the project page's 【Related Notes】 field, add the planning note you just created. This connects your planning thoughts with the execution project
Break Down Preparation Tasks
After creating the project, you can break down the dimensions you outlined earlier into specific tasks.
Three Key Elements of a Task
Each task should clarify three things:
| Element | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What to do | Specific item to complete, starting with a verb | Confirm booth setup plan |
| Who to coordinate with | Who needs to be involved | Contact: XX Setup Company |
| When to complete | Deadline, set by working backwards | 30 days before exhibition (February 15) |
About setting deadlines: Work backwards from the event date, leaving sufficient buffer time for each phase. For example, material printing should have at least 2 weeks lead time (considering design revisions, delivery delays, etc.).
Add Tasks to the Project
In the project page, find the 【Related Tasks】 section
Add tasks one by one, with clear and specific task names. If external coordination is involved, note it in the name, for example "Confirm setup plan (Contact: XX Setup Company)"
Set the 【Schedule Date】 for each task, filling in the deadline. This way you can clearly see which tasks are approaching their due dates
If you want a more visual view of task time distribution, you can switch the task view to Timeline or Calendar view. Timeline view is particularly suitable for event preparation—you can see at a glance which tasks are concentrated in the same time period and identify scheduling conflicts early
Distinguishing Scheduled Events and Todos
Tasks in event preparation can be divided into two types, requiring different approaches when setting schedules:
| Type | Time Characteristic | Flexibility | Examples in Event Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Event (Appointment) | Fixed time point | Cannot be adjusted | Exhibition dates, meetings with suppliers, setup time |
| Todo (Assignment) | Deadline | Can be arranged flexibly | Confirm design drafts, place printing orders, prepare materials |
A Scheduled Event is something that "must happen at that specific time"—miss it and it's gone. A Todo is something that "just needs to be completed before the deadline"—you can arrange when to do it yourself.
In FLO.W Notion template, both are set through the 【Schedule Date】 field. The difference is that you need to be clear in your mind: which are "hard deadlines" that cannot be changed, and which can be flexibly adjusted.
For more information about task scheduling, please refer to Task Properties.
Tips for Task Naming
Good task naming lets you see at a glance "what this is and who to contact" without having to click in. Recommended format:
[Action] + [Item] + (Contact: [Coordination Contact])Examples:
- Confirm booth setup plan (Contact: XX Setup Company Manager Zhang)
- Follow up on brochure design draft V2 (Contact: Design Dept. Li)
- Book flights and hotels for exhibiting staff (Contact: Admin Wang)
- Prepare product demo (Contact: Product Dept.)
Track Task Progress
After tasks are created, the key is tracking progress—especially for tasks that require others' cooperation.
The difficulty in event preparation isn't "not knowing what to do," but "having too many things and not knowing which ones are stuck." Using the task body area well lets you know the latest status of each item at any time.
Record Communication Progress in Task Pages
Click on a task to enter the detail page, and record the communication timeline in the body area. Recommended format:
[Date] [What was done] [Result/Next step]Spend 30 seconds adding a record after each communication with the other party. Benefits of doing this:
- Anytime you open this task, you'll know "where things have progressed to"
- No need to scroll through chat apps/emails to review communication history
- When handing off, you can directly share the task link with colleagues
Complete example:
Task: Confirm booth setup plan (Contact: XX Setup Company Manager Zhang)
Deadline: 2/25 (30 days before exhibition)
--- Communication Record ---
2/15 Sent email to Manager Zhang, asking for quotation and availability
2/17 Received quotation ¥28,000 (includes setup + dismantling), price is within budget
→ Forwarded to boss for approval
2/18 Boss has questions: Want a larger logo wall, does it cost extra?
@remind Feb 20 If haven't received plan image, follow up proactively
2/20 Received revised plan image, larger logo wall at no extra cost
→ Forwarded to boss for confirmation
2/21 Boss confirmed OK, replied to Manager Zhang we can sign contract
2/22 Contract signed, paid 50% deposit
→ Task completed ✓
--- Key Materials ---
Quotation: [Cloud drive link]
Plan image V2: [Cloud drive link]
Contract: [Cloud drive link]Use @remind to Set Follow-up Dates
Type @remind plus a time in the task body to set a date reminder. This is particularly useful for "waiting for someone's reply" scenarios—if the other party doesn't reply, Notion will remind you on the specified date to follow up proactively.
Important note: Notion's reminder command only supports English, even in Chinese interface.
View Overall Progress
Event preparation involves many items, so you need to regularly "look at the big picture." Recommended viewing methods:
| Viewing Scenario | Recommended Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Quick daily scan | Homepage Dashboard | Check "Today's Tasks" and "Upcoming," know what to push today |
| Weekly schedule check | Project → Timeline view | See task distribution for this week and next, identify scheduling conflicts |
| Report to supervisor | Project page | See progress bar and task completion rate for quantified reporting |
| Preparation retrospective | Project → Task list | See which tasks were delayed and why |
Tip: Spend 10 minutes every Friday checking next week's task distribution in Timeline view. If you find tasks piling up on a certain day, adjust schedules or coordinate resources in advance.
Collect Related Materials
Event preparation generates lots of materials: booth floor plans, contractor quotations, material designs, venue information... These materials are scattered across emails, messaging apps, and websites.
Collecting them in FLO.W Notion template means you don't have to search through multiple apps to find materials next time.
Material Storage Principles
| Material Type | Recommended Storage Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Web information | Clip to Information Hub | Exhibition website, venue info, competitor booth references |
| Documents | Cloud drive + link | Store quotations, designs, contracts in cloud drive, paste links in Notion |
| Image materials | Paste directly or link | Small images can be pasted directly in tasks, large collections use album links |
| Communication records | Task body | Only record conclusions and todos, no need to copy chat logs |
Web Materials: Clip with Information Hub
For materials on websites (exhibition website, venue info), you can use the Web Clipper extension to save them to FLO.W Notion template's "Information Hub," then associate with the project.
Content suitable for clipping:
- Exhibition website (registration requirements, booth map, schedule)
- Venue information (hotels, restaurants, transportation guide)
- Competitor exhibition materials (reference their booth design)
- Industry news (related reports, trend analysis)
Document Materials: Paste Links
For quotations, designs, contracts and other files, we recommend storing them in cloud drive (like Nutstore, iCloud, Google Drive), then pasting links in Notion.
Why not upload directly to Notion?
- Notion's file management is weak, not convenient for batch downloads
- Large files slow down Notion pages
- Cloud drives can set permissions, version management, collaborative editing
Create an event-specific folder in cloud drive, for example "2026.03 Shanghai Consumer Electronics Show"
Store all received files (quotations, designs, contracts, etc.) in this folder, get sharing links
Paste links in relevant task bodies. Recommended format:
--- Key Materials ---
Setup contractor quotation: [Cloud drive link]
Material design draft V2: [Cloud drive link]
Booth floor plan: [Cloud drive link]If there are many materials, you can create a "Materials Summary" section in the project page body to centrally store all links
Event Day: Execution Checklist
The event day is often the most hectic. Complex on-site environment, many unexpected situations, easy to miss items.
We recommend creating an "Event Day Execution" task in advance, listing the day's Checklist in the task page. On the day, check items off one by one to ensure nothing is missed.
Create On-site Execution Checklist
In the project's 【Related Tasks】, create a task: "On-site Execution Checklist"
Set 【Schedule Date】 to the event day (or setup day)
In the task body, use Notion's To-do list (type [] or /todo) to create a checklist
Exhibition On-site Checklist Example
Taking an exhibition as an example, the on-site execution checklist can be written like this:
## Before Opening (Setup Day)
- [ ] Arrive at venue, confirm booth number and location
- [ ] Check if setup is completed according to plan (compare with plan image)
- [ ] Power and network working? (test demo equipment in advance)
- [ ] Place materials (arrange brochures, business cards, giveaways according to plan)
- [ ] Test demo equipment (computer, screen, product demo)
- [ ] Take photos (booth photos after setup complete, send to work group to report progress)
- [ ] Confirm next day's exhibiting staff shifts and arrival times
## During Exhibition (Daily Repeat)
- [ ] Arrive 30 minutes before opening each day, check if materials are sufficient
- [ ] Prepare customer registration form/business card collection box
- [ ] Record key customer information (organize into CRM that evening)
- [ ] Take on-site photos/videos (for later promotion)
- [ ] Evening retrospective on day's situation, what to improve tomorrow
## Dismantling
- [ ] Count remaining materials, pack what needs to go back to company
- [ ] Confirm dismantling time and handoff items with setup contractor
- [ ] Take important items (product samples, equipment, customer data)
- [ ] Check if booth is cleaned up, avoid leaving items behind
- [ ] Final photos for recordsUsage tip: Open this task page on-site, check items off as you execute. Check one off when completed, feel secure.
After the Event: Retrospective and Archiving
Event ending doesn't mean project ending. There are still several important wrap-up tasks—don't let them fall through.
Complete Wrap-up Tasks
We recommend creating wrap-up tasks when creating other tasks, setting "X days after exhibition" deadlines:
| Wrap-up Task | Deadline | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Organize expense details, submit reimbursement | 7 days after exhibition | While receipts are still at hand, organize quickly |
| Organize customer leads, hand off to sales | 3 days after exhibition | While memory is fresh, add notes |
| Return borrowed equipment or items | 3 days after exhibition | Don't make colleagues chase you |
| Write retrospective note | 7 days after exhibition | See next section |
| Thank you emails (suppliers/partners) | 3 days after exhibition | Maintain relationships |
Write Retrospective Note
After the event, while memory is still fresh, write a retrospective note. This is the step most easily skipped but most valuable—next time you organize a similar event, this note will help you avoid many detours.
Retrospective Note Framework:
# 2026.03 Shanghai Consumer Electronics Show - Retrospective
## Basic Information
- Event dates: 2026.03.15-17
- Exhibiting staff: XX, XX, XX
- Total cost: ¥XX (Budget ¥XX)
## Goal Achievement
- Goal: Collect 100+ valid leads
- Actual: Collected 127 business cards, including 32 A-tier leads
- Evaluation: Exceeded target, but A-tier lead ratio could be improved
## What Went Well
- Materials arrived two weeks early, no last-minute rush
- On-site demo effect was good, attracted many people to stop
- Setup contractor XX Company cooperated well, responded quickly
## Areas for Improvement
- Brochures ran out on first day afternoon, should print more
- Booth location was in a corner, foot traffic less than expected, choose location closer to main aisle next time
- Customer registration form design was poor, took long time to organize later
## Supplier Evaluation
- Setup contractor XX Company: ★★★★★ Recommended, quick response, good results
- Printer XX: ★★★☆☆ Average, delivery was 2 days later than agreed
- Hotel XX: ★★★★☆ Good location, but poor sound insulation
## Improvement Checklist for Next Time
- [ ] Double the brochure quantity
- [ ] Prioritize locations near main aisle when selecting booth
- [ ] Change customer registration to electronic formClick the 【Note】 button on homepage to create a new note, title like "2026.03 Shanghai Consumer Electronics Show - Retrospective"
Write retrospective content following the framework above, be as specific and data-driven as possible
On the note page, associate the note with the event project (through 【Related Project】 field)
Return to project page, change project status to 【Completed】 or 【Archived】
Archive the Project
After archiving the project, it will disappear from the "In Progress" view, but all content will be preserved. This is FLO.W Notion template's value—your experience won't disappear when the event ends.
Next time you plan a similar event:
- Search or browse previous retrospective notes, review lessons learned
- Reference previous project task lists, quickly build task framework for new project (don't start from scratch)
- Reuse supplier information, directly contact setup contractors, printers you worked well with
- Compare budget and actual costs, is this quote reasonable
FAQ
Related Features
- Project Management - Learn about complete project features
- Task Properties - Learn about task scheduling, status and other properties
- Web Clipper - Tool for collecting web materials
- Note Properties - Learn how to organize retrospective notes
💬 Join the FLO.W Community
Connect with 1000+ productivity enthusiasts to share experiences and get more inspiration and tips. Whether you're a beginner or power user, you'll find like-minded companions in the community.
