Use the first weeks to settle the business question, operating structure and venue; the middle to localise, design and procure; and the final weeks to build demand, train, install and rehearse. When the schedule compresses, reduce scope before removing the checks that make opening safe.
BEFORE THE CLOCK STARTS
A schedule only works when the start is real. Name one decision owner at headquarters and one local owner in Seoul. Confirm the working budget, launch question, products and any immovable dates.
If a venue, product import or major global approval is still hypothetical, mark it as a dependency rather than pretending production has started.
WEEKS 12–10: FRAME THE LAUNCH
Turn the ambition into a brief that can be costed and operated. Keep it short enough that every supplier can understand the same project.
- Define the business question and primary audience
- Confirm products, selling or sampling and the desired customer action
- Set working budget, dates and approval owners
- Identify legal, tax, import and category questions
- Build the initial district, venue and format criteria
WEEKS 10–8: CHOOSE THE ROOM AND STRUCTURE
Compare venues on total usable cost, access and operational fit—not photographs alone. At the same time, decide who will contract, import, staff, take payment and hold local responsibility.
- Site visits, route checks and live cost comparison
- Venue terms, deposit, access dates and landlord approvals
- Seller, importer, staffing and payment structure
- Survey, measurements, power, loading and storage
- First risk register and decision calendar
WEEKS 8–5: DESIGN AND PROCURE
Localise the proposition before detailing the room. Then develop the customer journey, drawings, copy, materials and production plan around the actual building.
Approve long-lead items first. Protect a clear change-control date so late global feedback does not quietly move into installation week.
- Korean message hierarchy and product story
- Visitor flow, plans, renders and production drawings
- Fabrication quotes, samples and technical checks
- Website or landing page, tracking and Korean channel setup
- Staff roles, stock flow and opening-day operating plan
WEEKS 5–3: BUILD THE AUDIENCE AND OPERATION
The campaign and the room should now tell the same story. Begin the Korean audience work early enough that people can plan to visit.
Recruit and schedule staff, write Korean scripts and test the difficult moments: queue, product explanation, payment, sampling, replenishment and complaints.
WEEKS 3–1: FINISH, TRAIN AND REHEARSE
Close artwork, confirm freight and organise every item by installation order. Training should cover the product and the daily operation—not only the campaign message.
- Final files, print checks and production quality control
- Delivery, stock count, storage and replenishment plan
- Staff training, scripts and escalation contacts
- Media, creator and paid campaign confirmation
- Measurement dashboard and daily reporting template
- Installation plan, cleaning, safety and handback checklist
OPENING WEEK: RUN THE ROOM
Install early enough to test lighting, screens, payment, links, stock and the full visitor journey. Rehearse before the public arrives.
During opening, review traffic, questions, product response, stock, team issues and campaign performance every day. Fix what can still improve the result. Do not wait for the final report.
AFTER CLOSING: TURN ACTIVITY INTO A DECISION
Hand back the space, reconcile stock and costs, then compare the evidence with the original Korea question. Separate observed facts from interpretations and recommendations.
A useful debrief decides what to stop, what to repeat and what the next Korean investment should be.
What to do with this
Work backward from the first public minute. If time disappears, simplify the experience before cutting training, rehearsal or operational checks.