Develop a checklist with the steps to be done. Timeliness is everything. A person who is late in making arrangements will soon gain the image of being poorly organized. Events almost never go exactly as planned. Changes in your plan require time to work out.
Decisions made under pressure of time have a greater chance of being poor decisions.
Lead-time is important. Contact the VIP's at appropriate times. Start with an open discussion with staff, but when volunteers are involved, listen to them. Extension workers must become experts at involving others. Do a budget.