Put yourself in the role of a project manager collaborating with MTD, an events company.
Considering the difficulties and problems that MTD encounters in their projects, what insights have you gained this week that could offer assistance?
If an iterative approach were employed in organizing an event as a project, what would be the consequences? Similarly, what are the implications of adopting an agile approach? If the company sought your advice, what would you recommend?
Contribute your thoughts and ideas to the discussion.
From the things that I learned one of the most powerful tool is flexibility or agility. Events are in high pressure, certain deadlines are there. Breaking a project into smaller parts or delivery with feedback helps in detection of the problem. In a complex world PM has to recognize the values of both iterative and linear method. An iterative approach would be plan events in cycle highlighting the problem and getting feedback while more review might cause over consumption of the budget. A linear approach will be to work in a stable environment. So, my advice would be to use hybrid model that combines the structure of linear and iterative approach. This will maintain stability in critical areas while being flexible to changes that might occur
1. Thinking of MTD’s Challenges – What I’ve Learned This Week That Could Help
One of my biggest takeaways this week is the value of flexibility in project management. MTD’s events often involve many moving parts—vendors, performers, venue logistics, and last-minute client requests. Strengthening stakeholder communication, improving task tracking, and planning realistic contingencies can all help reduce last-minute surprises. I’ve also learned that breaking a project into smaller, manageable phases makes it easier to spot potential issues early and make adjustments before they become big problems.
2. Implications of Taking an Iterative Approach to Setting Up an Event
Using an iterative approach means we wouldn’t aim for perfection in one single step. Instead, we’d plan, test, and refine in cycles. For example, we could trial a stage layout early, share it with the client for feedback, and adjust before the final setup day. This approach’s main strength is that it helps catch issues early. The trade-off is that it requires more frequent reviews and coordination—demanding discipline and strong time management from the whole team.
3. Implications of an Agile Approach
Agile takes the iterative mindset further by focusing on continuous collaboration and rapid adaptability. For MTD, this could mean short daily check-ins, constant communication with the client, and readiness to adjust plans when unexpected changes happen—like a sudden weather problem for an outdoor event or a last-minute performer cancellation. The benefit is being able to respond quickly and effectively; the challenge is that everyone must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, flexible environment.
4. My Advice to MTD
I’d suggest a blended approach—combine the structure of a clear project plan and timeline with the adaptability of Agile principles. Keep the plan detailed enough to make sure nothing gets overlooked, but also schedule checkpoints where the team and client can review progress and make necessary adjustments. This way, MTD can stay organized yet flexible—delivering events that run smoothly and delight clients, even when the unexpected happens.
Agile and iterative approach help manage complexity and uncertainty, which are very common in event planning and allow flexibility, quick adjustments, and continuous feedback which is key for MTD’s success.
An iterative approach helps to planning events in phases, testing ideas before execution, and also make ajustment where neccessary based on feedback. This reduces risks and ensures the customer satifaction on the project.
Patrick Jesse Team 6
If I’m the PM at MTD event company i would go with iterative, we would set up the event in stages, test things early, fix problems as they go, and keep clients involved along the way. That’s great for catching mistakes early, but it could take more time and money, and people might keep changing things right up to the last minute.
If we went with agile, we’ll be super flexible — able to pivot fast if something changes, like a performer canceling or bad weather hitting. Teams would make decisions quickly, and clients would stay in the loop the whole time. The trade-off? It’s harder to stick to a strict timeline, and it would mean shifting how the whole team works.
My advice? Mix both. Lock in the must-have things early — like venue bookings and permits — but keep the creative side flexible. Set a clear cut-off date for big changes, work in small teams that can decide fast, and check in with clients regularly so nothing’s a surprise on the big day.
Alexander Emene-ijekeye Team 10 COHORT 27
This week I learnt that clear communication, breaking work into small deliverables, and regular feedback can reduce project risks.
An iterative approach to events allows gradual improvement and early issue detection, while an agile approach increases adaptability and empowers the team to respond quickly to change.
I recommend MTD makes a hybrid method iterative for core planning and agile for flexible elements supported by regular check-ins and continuous learning after each event.
As a Project Manager, I must first of all study my environment before going into any project.
I must also learn to be adaptive and be flexible in my approaches and not to rigid.
Chukwuma Favour Nmesoma
Cohort 27, team 3
As a project manager working with MTD, an events company, here’s what I have noted from this week’s learning:
MTD’s biggest challenges often involve shifting client requirements, last-minute changes, and coordinating multiple vendors under tight deadlines. One key insight from this week is that flexibility in planning and continuous stakeholder engagement are essential. This ensures that changes are addressed early, reducing stress and rework.
If an iterative approach were used, Organising the event in stages (design, partial execution, feedback, refinement) would allow MTD to identify issues before the final event day. However, it might require more time and resources upfront for repeated review cycles.
If an agile approach were used, MTD could work in short, focused sprints with regular feedback from clients, enabling them to adapt quickly to changes. This promotes creativity and responsiveness, but it would require a highly collaborative culture and disciplined communication with stakeholders.
My recommendation:
A hybrid approach—planning the core elements of the event in detail (venue, budget, critical vendors) while using agile practices for flexible components (theme design, guest experience, entertainment)—would give MTD both stability and adaptability. This way, they maintain quality and can still delight clients when last-minute inspiration strikes.
Njoku Chiwun️ma Colette
1️. Thinking of MTD’s challenges – what I’ve learned this week that could help
From what I’ve learned this week, one big takeaway is the importance of flexibility in managing projects. MTD’s events often involve moving parts—vendors, performers, venue logistics, and last-minute client requests. By using stronger stakeholder communication, clearer task tracking, and realistic contingency planning, we can reduce last-minute surprises. I’ve also learned how breaking the project into smaller, manageable phases makes it easier to spot problems early and adjust before it’s too late.
2. Implications of taking an iterative approach to setting up an event
If we set up an event using an iterative approach, it means we wouldn’t try to get everything perfect in one go. Instead, we’d plan, test, and refine in cycles. For example, we could test a stage layout early, get feedback from the client, and adjust before final setup day. The main benefit is catching issues early, but it also means more coordination and possibly more small reviews along the way—which takes discipline and good time management.
3. Implications of an Agile approach
Agile would take that iterative mindset further, focusing on continuous collaboration and quick adaptability. For MTD, this could mean holding short daily check-ins, keeping close communication with the client, and being ready to pivot plans if something changes—like a weather issue for an outdoor event or a last-minute performer cancellation. The upside is agility and responsiveness; the challenge is that everyone needs to be comfortable working in a fast-moving, flexible way.
4️. My advice to MTD
I’d recommend blending structured planning with Agile principles. Keep a clear project plan and timeline for the event (so nothing is missed), but also build in checkpoints where the team and client can review progress and make adjustments. That way, MTD can stay organized while still being flexible—delivering events that run smoothly and impress clients, even when unexpected changes pop up.
From what I have watched and undestood about MTD , they used the hybrid project lifecycle, which was very good for their context, an initial linear cycle then followed by iterative life cycle which helped them to meet the product specifications, allows for testing and feedback input which was good for refining the process to give satisfaction to their customers, event organisers,and improve engagement with stakeholders. The sprints helped them to focus on one goal or improvement at a time and helped them to scale all hurdles or envisaged issues that may come up later after project delivery.
My advice to MTD team is to keep up the good work and be responsive to changes as they evolve
As the project manager, I recommend adopting an iterative approach to MTD event planning, which would allow us to break the project into smaller, manageable phases and gather early feedback, make continuous improvements, and reduce risks along the way. I believe implementing an Agile methodology would lead to higher customer satisfaction.