<aside> <img src="/icons/tree_green.svg" alt="/icons/tree_green.svg" width="40px" /> You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
James Clear, Atomic Habits
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There are a lot of repetitive tasks with events. There are a lot of events. Lots of tasks x lots of events makes it time consuming to manually input the due date for each task.
Because there are a standard set of tasks that need to be completed for each type of event, and each of those tasks should occur at a standard cadence across all instances of that event type, the due date for a task can be calculated based off of the number of days from the date of the event to when the task needs to be completed. Surely just a simple formula would do the trick…
<aside> <img src="/icons/playback-next_blue.svg" alt="/icons/playback-next_blue.svg" width="40px" /> This article explains my process in how I figured out what to do. Click here to skip ahead to step-by-step instructions on how to do replicate it your own workspace.
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The Events workspace runs out of two databases and with a relation between them. Rollups are used to share information across the two databases.
Where of the planning documents, categorical information, and statuses of each event are kept.
Where each individual task for each event is tracked.
The event date is stored in the Marketing Events database. With a rollup, I can bring that date over to the project tracker database.
Here’s a simple example of how relations and rollups work. Play around with properties Relation to Items and Relation to Summary to see how the rollup changes.
<aside> ℹ️ This architecture can be replicated for a variety of applications! I’m currently using a similar structure to build out a recipe book + meal planning tool for myself.
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The first step is to identify the standardized tasks that you want to automate. I have three primary event types, each with their own set of associated tasks. Each of those tasks need to happen a set number of days in advance of the event.
Below are the tasks and days out that I use for each event type.
Conferences (attending or sponsoring an industry trade show)
| Standard Task | Days |
|---|---|
| Determine Presence | 63 |
| Decide Who Attends | 63 |
| Purchase Sponsorships/Registrations | 56 |
| Book Travel | 56 |
| Send Prep Materials to Reps | 28 |
| Build Sponsorship Materials | 42 |
| Outreach to Attendee List | 28 |
| Mail Conference Materials | 7 |
| Last Looks | 2 |
| Post-Event Recap | -2 |
Webinars (a hosted presentation about a product or topic)
| Standard Task | Days |
|---|---|
| Choose Topic and Presenters | 21 |
| Outline First Draft | 21 |
| Create Registration Page and Marketing Package | 21 |
| Begin Outbound Marketing | 14 |
| Complete Slide Deck | 5 |
| Dress Rehearsal | 2 |
| Presentation Day | 0 |
| Post-Event Recap | -2 |
The Brief (our quarterly virtual product launch event)
| Standard Task | Days |
|---|---|
| Kickoff Planning | 45 |
| Launch Marketing Sequence | 30 |
| Table Read | 28 |
| Teaser Trailer Drop | 21 |
| Technical Rehearsal | 7 |
| Presentation Day | 0 |
| Post-Event Recap | -2 |