Event Launch Checklist: 30 Days Out to Curtain

Thirty days feels like plenty of time until you're suddenly ten days out with no seat map, no promotional posts, and a volunteer who forgot to confirm the piano tuner. Community venue events don't need Hollywood timelines, but they need a structured countdown that keeps the five people doing all the work on the same page.

This checklist runs from 30 days before your event through the day after.

30 Days Out: Foundation

Lock your details. Date, time, venue, ticket prices, and seat layout — all final. Changing prices after tickets go on sale creates confusion.

Build your seat map. Count chairs. Measure rows. Mark accessible seating, obstructed views, and held seats. Check our interactive seat map checklist.

Set up your event page. Title, description, dates, pricing, refund policy, accessibility info, and parking directions. Don't publish half-finished. Your first visitors are your warmest audience.

Draft your promotional plan. Who's posting what, where, and when. Newsletter, social media, bulletin boards, church bulletins, school newsletters.

25 Days Out: Soft Launch

Open sales to your inner circle. Board, volunteers, cast buy first — building momentum and testing the purchase flow for you.

Test checkout yourself. On your phone. Pick seats, pay, receive the ticket email, check the QR code.

Confirm door scanning. Who's scanning? Do they know how the phone scanner works?

21 Days Out: Public Announcement

Announce publicly. Email list first, then social media, then physical posters. Link directly to the ticket page — minimize clicks between interest and purchase.

Start countdown content. Rehearsal photos, cast spotlights, behind-the-scenes. Our countdown content guide has a framework.

Verify email delivery. Send yourself a test ticket. Check spam folders.

14 Days Out: Momentum

Check sales numbers. On pace? If not, push now — not three days before. Personal invitations to regulars, reminder to cast to share with family, second newsletter push.

Confirm production logistics. Venue reserved, performers committed, tech needs covered. If you reschedule, refunds and communications become urgent.

Finalize volunteer schedule. Box office, ushers, scanners, lobby. Write it, send it, confirm receipt.

7 Days Out: Final Push

"One week left" messaging. If sections are selling out, mention it: "Balcony rows A–B sold out — orchestra still available."

Brief volunteers. Scanner operation, where to stand, how to handle tickets that don't scan, escalation path. Ushers need accessible seating locations and house rules.

Prepare day-of email. Draft what you'll send ticket holders show morning. Parking, doors-open time, anything that's changed. See day-of-show communications.

3 Days Out: Confirm Everything

Scanner check. Open the scanner on the volunteer's actual phone. Scan a test ticket. Confirm it works on that device and network.

Print backups. Paper attendee list, printed refund policy, volunteer quick-reference sheet with door time, scanner URL, and emergency contacts.

Confirm house count. Sold, held, available. Distribute comp tickets now so final count is accurate.

Show Day

Morning email to buyers. Short, friendly. "Tonight's the night. Doors at 7:00, curtain at 7:30. Bring your ticket email on your phone. See you there." Include parking reminders and any last-minute changes.

Arrive early. Two hours before doors for most community shows. Set up the scanner station. Put up directional signage. Unlock accessible entrances. Test the sound system. Walk the house and confirm seat numbering matches your map.

Open doors on time. Late openings create bottlenecks, frustrated volunteers, and a stressed audience. Curtain can flex a few minutes — door time should be precise.

Handle walk-ups. Know your plan. If seats remain, can people buy at the door? A phone or tablet at the door can pull up your event's ticket page for point-of-sale purchases. Brief the lobby volunteer on this before doors.

Day After: Wrap

Check numbers. Log into your dashboard. Tickets sold, tickets scanned, no-shows, section breakdown. These numbers inform pricing, marketing timing, and capacity decisions for your next event.

Thank volunteers. Send an email or group text. Takes two minutes. Matters more than you think for retention.

Note what broke. Scanner lag? Confused buyers? Missing information on the event page? Write it down while it's fresh. Next time will be smoother because you documented this time.

Await payout. Revenue arrives in your bank account approximately 7 days after the event via Stripe Connect. No invoice to send, no follow-up needed — it arrives automatically.

Adapting the Timeline

Multi-night production? Start at 45 days. One-off fundraiser? Compress to 21. The structure stays the same.

For more planning tools, browse our resources library. Create your event on EventTicketGo — flat $0.79 per ticket, reserved seating, and everything you need to follow this checklist. Connect with other community organizers running similar timelines.