The right lead time depends on scale and format — here's a realistic guide, not a generic rule of thumb.
'How early should we start?' is one of the first questions every client asks, and the honest answer varies a lot by format and scale. This is the lead-time guide we actually give clients.
Large exhibitions and multi-day conferences: 3-6 months
Hall bookings, exhibitor onboarding, government or protocol approvals and large-scale AV fabrication all need this runway. Anything involving dignitary movement or security clearances should start even earlier.
Multi-day weddings and destination formats: 4-6 months
Venue holds across multiple functions, décor fabrication, guest travel coordination and vendor contracting for outstation locations need comfortable lead time — rushing this stage is where most wedding-planning stress originates.
Corporate offsites and product launches: 6-8 weeks
Smaller-scale corporate formats can move faster because the vendor ecosystem involved is narrower, but custom staging or a scripted reveal moment still needs enough time for fabrication and full rehearsal.
When timelines compress
If you're starting later than ideal, prioritise locking the venue and the core AV/production partner first — those are the two hardest things to secure on short notice, and everything else can move faster once they're confirmed.
