Conference recovery: ownership, budget and programme
When the main approver is not responding
Three messages have gone unanswered, and a supplier hold expires in nine days.
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The short answer
Check first whether the approver has received and understood the request. Then make it easy: one page, one decision, one date, with a default if no reply is possible.
If silence continues, go to the person your governing documents name as an alternate. Do not approve on their behalf, and do not treat silence as agreement.
What is known and what is not
Before escalating, confirm what has actually been sent and what has been replied. Silence is not a decision.
| Known | Not yet known | Who can answer |
|---|---|---|
| Dates and channels of each message sent | Whether the approver received and read them | Secretariat head; check sent items |
| The decision requested and the date it is needed by | What happens at the supplier if the date is missed | Supplier, asked in writing |
| The approver's role and what it covers | Whether a delegate or alternate is named in writing | Governing documents; honorary secretary |
| Whether the approver is travelling or unwell, if the organisation knows | When the approver can respond | Executive assistant or chair, as appropriate |
Who has authority to decide
Only the person or body named in your governing documents or delegation of authority can approve. If a delegate is named, confirm in writing that the delegation covers this decision and ceiling.
A secretariat head or project lead cannot approve for the approver, however sensible the decision seems. Ask the chair or the honorary secretary what the alternate route is.
- Primary approver: as set in governing documents or a signed delegation.
- Alternate: the person named there, confirmed in writing.
- Supplier hold extension: supplier, asked by the secretariat head.
- Escalation route: chair, then board or council.
The realistic options, including stopping or scaling down
Silence leaves you with a deadline, not a decision. Choose which risk you are willing to carry, and let the right person confirm it.
| Option | What it involves | Consequence to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Send a one-page decision request | State the decision, the options, the date and what happens at each outcome. | May still go unanswered; keeps a clear record. |
| Use the named alternate | Ask the alternate to approve under the delegation, in writing. | Needs confirmation that the delegation covers the decision. |
| Ask the supplier to extend the hold | Request a short extension in writing. | Supplier may decline or charge; check terms. |
| Let the hold lapse or postpone | Accept that the venue or date may be lost, or move the decision date. | Avoids unapproved commitments; may need a new venue or date. |
Communications: who says what to whom
Make each message stand on its own. Name the decision, the options in one line each, the date and the consequence of no reply. Send it by the channel the approver actually uses, and copy the chair.
Tell the supplier only what is needed: that the decision is pending and by when you expect to confirm.
- To the approver: decision needed by [date]: [decision]. Options: [A], [B], [C]. If there is no reply by [date], [what will happen, for example the hold will lapse]. Please reply with A, B or C, or name an alternate.
- To the chair: the approval for [decision] is outstanding after [number] messages. Please advise on the alternate route under the governing documents.
- To the supplier: we are awaiting an internal decision and expect to confirm by [date]. Please tell us whether the hold can be extended and on what terms.
Follow-up and preventing a repeat
- Keep a log of every request and reply in the decision log so the record is visible.
- Run the readiness diagnostic to find other decisions that depend on this approver.
- Ask the approver and chair to agree a named alternate and a reply time for future decisions.
- Review at the next meeting whether too many decisions sit with one person.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional president is out of contact
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
The president of the Fictional Association of Plant Engineers must approve the final programme before a venue hold expires in nine days. Three messages over eight days have not been answered.
The secretariat head sends a one-page request to the president and copies the chair. She checks the governing documents with the honorary secretary, who confirms that the deputy president may approve in the president's absence. She asks the venue in writing about a short extension. The deputy approves one option, recorded in the decision log, and the venue grants an extension for the remaining details.
Use this yourself
Approval chase tracker
Copy into a spreadsheet or document and update at each contact.
- Decision needed and date required:
- Approver and role:
- Alternate under governing documents, confirmed in writing (yes/no):
- Message 1: date, channel, summary:
- Message 2: date, channel, summary:
- Reply received (yes/no, date):
- Supplier deadline and consequence of missing it:
- Supplier extension asked, answer:
- Escalation to chair (date):
- Final decision, by whom, date; log entry made (yes/no):
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The approver replies when the request is short and clear.
- An alternate is named and willing.
- The supplier can extend the deadline.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- The deadline is close and no alternate exists.
- Several decisions are stuck with the same person.
- You need to prepare a clear one-page decision pack quickly.
Want a clearer route for approvals?
A planning diagnostic can review which decisions need which approver, where a delegate or deadline is missing, and what is due soon, then give your secretariat a prioritised list with owners. Authority rules stay with your governing documents. A conference project lead can also prepare decision packs for your approver as an agreed task.
Questions organisers ask
Can we proceed if the approver does not reply?
Not on the approver's behalf. Use the alternate named in your governing documents, or hold the decision. Silence is not approval.
What if no alternate is named?
Ask the chair or the board how to proceed, and record the answer. Then agree an alternate for future decisions.
How many times should we chase?
Chase through the channel the person actually reads, with a clear date. After a second unanswered message, copy the chair.
Should we lose the venue rather than commit?
That is the approver's choice. Show the cost of losing the hold and the options, and let them decide.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.