Business event checklist

Planning a major business event can be a little overwhelming. That’s where this checklist comes in. It has been designed specifically for marketing professionals so that they can easily plan their upcoming live event with peace of mind, whether that is a small customer appreciation event, a big annual trade show, or a seminar.

While this checklist is probably far from being an exhaustive list, it should help you identify your event readiness and provide some insightful suggestions. Good luck!

Event objective

1. Establish and prioritize your goals

  • Product launch
  • Lead generation
  • Lead nurturing
  • Strengthen relationships with existing customers
  • Training/education
  • Recruit channel partners
  • Publicity
  • Other:

2. Define your target audience

  • Industry/vertical:
  • Size of organization:
  • Role (i.e. business decision maker vs. technical decision maker; existing
    customer vs. prospect, etc.):
  • Title or professional designation:
  • Other:

3. Decide whether you want to leverage an existing trade show/conference or if you prefer to develop your own business event

  • Research industry events
  • Obtain feedback from the sales team
  • Compile suggestions from existing customers and prospects

4. Decide on your metrics

  • Number of registrants:
  • Number of attendees:
  • Number of contacts added to lead nurturing database:
  • Number of qualified leads:
  • Cost per qualified lead:
  • Number of partners recruited:
  • Return on investment:
  • Number of customer adds:
  • Attendee satisfaction:
  • Other:

5. Establish budget and review it periodically

a. Potential sources of revenue:

  • Sponsorship:
  • Event fees:
  • Other:

b. Costs

  • Speaker/master of ceremony fees:
  • Rented/purchased list:
  • Event promotion (mailing, outbound calls, advertising, etc.):
  • Audio-visual requirements:
  • Collaterals:
  • Giveaways and prizes:
  • Entertainment:
  • Booth:
  • Signage, posters:
  • Venue, decoration:
  • Food/beverages:
  • Shipping/transportation:
  • Fulfillment materials (post event):
  • Other:

6. Develop an event timeline

  • The audience’s preferences
    • Conflicting events
    • The time of the year (holidays, etc.)
    • The required preparation time
  • Identify event key dates & milestones
  • Assign task ownership

Invitation or pre-show mailing1

1. Draft the agenda

  • Develop primary and secondary messages, taking into account the attendees’ expectations, based on:
    • Their areas of interest/pain points
    • Their perceived value of the event
    • Their knowledge of the issue (basic or expert)
    • Their technical expertise
    • Previous events’ evaluations
    • Your sales team’s input
  • Decide on the length of the event and select the appropriate medium:
    • Less than one hour: live or recorded podcast, webinar, webcast, speaking engagement at third party event, etc.
    • A couple of hours: breakfast, lunch, cocktail
    • Half-a-day event: seminar, conference, workshop
    • Two- three-day event: conference, trade show
  • Determine event schedule, including:
    • Registration & greetings
    • Socializing time
    • Meal time
    • Breaks
    • Entertainment portion (if applicable)
    • Q&A
    • Time to fill out evaluation form
    • Time for prize draws
  • Select one or more speakers, based on:
    • Their knowledge/expertise
    • Their name recognition and ability to attract quality attendees
    • Their presentation skills (an expert is not always a good speaker)
    • Their style/tone
    • Their availability
    • Their fees
  • Identify a Master of ceremony
  • Secure venue and date, considering:
    • Access to public transportation and/or parking space
    • Sleeping accommodations (2-3 day event)
    • Additional room requirements for media/speakers
    • Decorations requirements

2. Draft the agenda

  • Who should attend
  • Benefits of attending (use testimonials whenever possible)
  • Special offer (if applicable)
  • Succinct agenda
  • Speaker intro/bio
  • Event details (date, time, place)
  • Cost (if any)
  • Registration options (Web, phone, e-mail)
  • Map/directions
  • Third party endorsement or sponsors
  • Proof read copy for typos & grammatical errors
  • Copy reviewed and approved by legal department
  • Develop printed and online versions

3. Work on the invitation design

  • Develop new creative/adapt existing creative that supports the primary message
  • Ensure the invitation follows brand guidelines as well as look & feel
  • Confirm image rights

4. Establish your distribution list

  • Internal database
  • Rented or purchased list
  • 3rd party distribution on your behalf
  • VIP invitations
  • Personal invitations
  • Press invitations (if applicable)
  • Eliminate non-prospects (students and consultants, competitors), and eventually existing customers from your distribution list

5. Establish your distribution list

  • Direct mail (postcard, letter, 3D mailer, flyer, etc.)
  • Web
  • E-mail
  • Outbound calls
  • Fax
  • Print ad
  • Online ad
  • Social media
  • Other:

6. Schedule event reminders

  • E-mail reminders
  • Follow-up calls

7. Schedule registration confirmations

  • Automatic e-mails
  • Phone confirmation
  • Other:

Event promotion

1. Publish event information on referral web sites

  • Business partner web sites
  • Industry web sites, newsletters, & blogs
  • Local associations
  • Speaker’s web site
  • Other:

2. Maximize viral marketing by involving other departments

  • Sales for personal invitations
  • Webmaster to promote the event on the corporate site/blog
  • Other:

3. Pre-event publicity in

  • Targeted publications and Web sites
  • Trade show magazine and Web site
  • Other:

4. Press releases

  • Decide whether you want to handle in-house or outsource to PR firm
  • Write press release
  • Establish list of media contacts

Event preparation

1. Registration

  • Test phone/Web registration capabilities
  • Send the registrants list to all applicable personnel (sales team, event staff, etc.)
  • Prepare name tags if applicable

2. Speakers

  • Confirm audio visual requirements
    • Microphone(s)
    • Computer
    • Screen
    • LCD projector
    • Switch box
    • TV
    • VCR/DVD player
    • Cameras and/or video equipment
    • Flip chart, easel, and writing materials
    • Podium or additional furniture
    • Extension cords
    • Other:
  • Rehearse speakers a couple of weeks prior to the event

3. Speakers

  • Order audio visual equipment
  • Make decorations arrangements
  • Make catering arrangements
  • Check venue policy:
    • Minimum quantity requirements
    • Cancellation policy
    • Access hours
    • Signage display
    • Alcohol policy
    • Security
    • Janitorial services
    • Liabilities & insurance (loss, damage, theft, etc.)
    • Governing laws (especially for events abroad)
  • Visit the venue prior to the event
  • Ensure on-time delivery of materials a few days prior to the event

4. Booth readiness

  • Booth size and design
  • Booth layout: open or closed?
  • Booth graphics and alignment with your branding guidelines or theme
  • Booth signage
  • Assign responsibilities for booth set up/breakdown

5. Giveaways and prizes

  • Determine purpose
    • Collecting information
    • Brand awareness
    • Securing attendance until the end of the event
    • Thank you
    • Other:
  • Decide on quality & quantity
  • Decide on timing
    • At registration
    • During breaks
    • End of event

6. Collaterals

  • What to bring?
    • Literature
    • Brochures
    • Case studies
    • Article reprints (with appropriate rights)
    • Videos
    • Product samples or evaluation versions
    • Other:
  • Best format?
    • Printed
    • Online
    • CD/DVD
    • USB key
    • Other:

7. Shipping

  • List of items that need to be shipped in advance
  • Color code for multiple boxes
  • Check customs requirement for shipment abroad

8. Lead form

  • Format: electronic or printed?
  • Kind of data you want to capture:
  • Lead rating system
  • Assign responsibilities for follow-up

9. Evaluation form

  • Assess usefulness of content
  • Assess presenter’s communication skills
  • Assign responsibilities for collecting and processing completed evaluation forms

10. Post-event call to action

  • Special offer:
    • Free trial
    • Free business assessment
    • Discount for a limited time
    • Other:
  • Indicate where to sign up, who to contact, deadline, etc.
  • Assign responsibilities for timely follow-up

11. Event staff

  • Staff selection
  • Staff training
  • Travel plans and back-up plans
  • Last minute information session
  • Contact list including cell numbers
  • Dress code
  • Break rules
  • Reminder to bring business cards

The day of the event

  • Check the venue/booth display
  • Ensure all doors are open, including coat room
  • Verify seating arrangements
  • Monitor temperature
  • Adjust lighting
  • Test audio visual equipment, including phone and Internet connections
  • Ensure food & beverage have arrived
  • Provide water for speakers
  • Registration desk
    • Greetings and guidance
    • Attendance list or appointment book
    • Name tags
    • Hand outs, company brochure, etc.
    • Business card scanner if need be
  • Extra items
    • Aspirin
    • Breath mints
    • Energy bars
    • Bandages
    • Trash bags
    • Duct tape, stapler, scissors, etc.
    • Extra pair of shoes

Post event follow-up

  • Implement follow-up plan
    • Separate hot leads, from warm leads and nurture leads and clearly assign responsibilities for follow-up
    • Send Thank You notes, including the post-event call to action
    • Follow-up with “No shows” (next event date, etc.)
    • Compile evaluation form results
  • Post-analysis session including all participants
  • Press release with photos from the event
  • Update the company database
  • Measure results:
    • Right after the event
    • 1 month after the event
    • 3 months after the event
    • 6 months after the event

Reminder!

If your event is held in the Province of Quebec, consider the need for French materials (simultaneous translation, etc.) and special regulations (Régie des alcools et de jeux for contests). We suggest that you pass through the checklist twice: once for English and once for French.

1. If you have a trade show booth, you can either work on a pre-show mailing where the call to action would be to set up appointments with qualified visitors or to attend a presentation at a specific time.

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