How I Coordinated a Week Long Event Without Losing My Mind
Coordinating an event with hundreds of people is already hard. Coordinating a 5-day university showcase with judges, sponsors, student presenters, and public guests? That’s another level.
Back in 2023, I helped lead the CDU IT Code Fair—a week-long series of workshops, exhibitions, and competitions. Panic could’ve easily taken over. The to-do lists were endless, and the expectations were high. But with a calm, strategic mind (and a few “what-if” plans in my back pocket), we made it through. Here's how.
Plan So Thoroughly You Have Time to Breathe Later
The event was in October. But our planning began at the end of August—because if you don’t want your nerves to snap by the final week, you plan the heck out of it in advance.
First, we drafted the sponsor prospectus and started reaching out immediately. Knowing our potential budget early helped us map out prize tiers, logistics, venue options, admin systems, and allocate funds realistically. By early September, we began sending invitations to judges, participants, high school groups, and VIPs. We kicked off a mixed strategy of offline and online marketing, which we ramped up again during the first two weeks of October with targeted ads and RSVP follow-ups. The final two weeks? All about logistics: designing the venue layout, coordinating sound and light systems, ordering trophies and certificates, preparing catering, and assembling gift bags for guests.
The thing with VIPs is, they plan their time months in advance. If you don’t lock them in early, it’s either a polite “Sorry, I’m booked” or a silent “Why did you leave this so late?” Plus, by starting early, we left ourselves space to adapt to unexpected curveballs—which, spoiler alert, absolutely came.
Clear Roles + Consistent Touchpoints + The Right Tools
We used Monday.com as our main task management platform. The best thing? Once you’re assigned a task, it sends you an email reminder right away, so you’re never “out of the loop.” Tasks are tracked, deadlines are visible, and updates are easy to follow.
Using Monday.com allows me to assign specific task to each member, set priority, status, deadline and take notes if I need to.
For communication and file storage, we used Microsoft Teams—housing everything from creative drafts to meeting minutes. Every team had their own internal sync-ups, but I made it a point to personally check in once per week. I’d gather updates, note blockers, and consolidate the info for our weekly leadership meetings with professors and higher-ups. After each meeting, we sent out a meeting summary with key decisions and next steps.
Working in a group isn’t like a formula (A + B = C), it should feel more like keeping an orchestra in rhythm. Each team work on their own—but I made sure we all played in time when it mattered most.
Expect the unexpected
The message hit my phone at 6 a.m. I had luckily woken up at 5:45 a.m. Our MC, who we’d booked externally, messaged that she couldn’t make it. Her child was suddenly sick, and understandably, she had to stay home. Cue panic. The event was starting in 3 hours.
We immediately tried to find a replacement. A few team members messaged people they knew, but no one was available on such short notice. Then someone on the team said, “We’ve already got a solid script, right? We’ve talked about backup plans—maybe it’s time to just go with what we have.” She was right. We had prepared a detailed MC script, complete with transitions, timing, and notes. We’d even brainstormed what we’d do if this exact situation happened.So our professor stepped up and became the MC herself—and absolutely nailed it. That morning, preparation became our parachute.
Track Tasks—But Also Track People
I still remember this clearly—it was right after the fourth workshop of the week. The energy was high, the audience was buzzing, and everything on paper was looking great. The following week, during my regular team check-ins, I decided to ask something different: “How are you actually feeling lately? Not work-related—just in general.”
One team member paused. Then she said she hadn’t slept well in days. Between this event, part-time jobs, and coursework, she was stretched thin. None of that had shown up on her “task status.” But if I hadn’t asked, her stress might’ve come to the surface after something slipped. We redistributed some of her tasks quietly so she didn’t have to carry it all. The event stayed on track. But more importantly, she felt seen. Managing events isn’t just about managing tasks—it’s about managing people’s energy before it runs out.
BUT MOST IMPORTANT…
At the end of it all, my professor said something that stuck with me:
“Things should run smoothly because we represent CDU. But we shouldn’t expect perfection. Sometimes perfection isn’t always the best outcome. This event was created by students—let the imperfections tell the story of how you’ve grown. Those awkward moments on stage might be what people remember most fondly.”
She was right. We didn’t pull this off because everything went perfectly. We pulled it off because we showed up, supported each other, stayed flexible, and made space for people to be human.
And that’s what made the IT Code Fair not just a successful event—but a meaningful one.
