Planning a corporate event can be stressful, complicated, and overwhelming. There are lots of decisions to be made and items to keep track of - all while trying to stay on budget. To help keep you organized, and ensure you don’t forget any important details, we’ve put together this checklist for you to use while you plan your next event.
Corporate Event Planning Checklist
Download a printable version of this checklist here!
6 - 12 Months Before The Event
You want to start planning your event early, as venues get booked about a year in advance, and have a good idea of the purpose of your event and what your measures for success look like (is it revenue, brand awareness, ect)
. Include all costs such as venue, AV, travel, F&B, supplies, marketing, ect. and revenue from ticket sales, sponsorships, etc.
Ο Establish Revenue Stream Pricing (Ticket Sales/Sponsorships)
Ο Pick a Location & Contract an Event Venue
Ο Secure Hotel Room Block (if needed)
4 - 6 Months Before The Event
This is when your event should really come together and you should begin promoting to start getting attendees (don’t feel like you need to have 100% of your event planned to start promoting, but you should have an outline of what attendees can expect)
Ο Create your event website and registration page
. Include date, location, registration information, hotel information, agenda, speakers, sponsors, and contact information
Ο Start promoting your event & selling registrations
. Create a spreadsheet to track sales each week
Ο Get a finalized event agenda (or finalize event structure and timing)
. Secure speakers and start coordinating their travel arrangements
Ο Start researching any outside vendors or service providers needed and get quotes
2 - 4 Months Before The Event
This is when you’re going to start wanting to get vendors booked, and start getting an idea of how the event timeline will look including set up/tear down.
Ο Finalize and book any outside vendors
Ο Create exhibitor kits for exhibitors/sponsors with deliverable deadlines
Ο Create a spreadsheet and track received exhibitor deliverables (logos, company descriptions, registrations, booth needs)
Ο Request rooming lists and pick up reports from the hotel to track room block pickup
Ο Determine attendee flow for venue and start thinking about signage needs, branding
1 - 2 Months Before The Event
With your event fast approaching, you should have a good idea of how many attendees to expect, so you can start finalizing staffing, hotel reservations, and onsite materials.
Ο Finalize your staffing needs
Ο Send any staff and speaker reservations to the hotel
Ο Request a room audit from the hotel
. This helps you keep track of any attrition
Ο Book travel (if any)
. Flight pricing is typically lowest six weeks out
Ο Request and proof artwork needed for any signage, badges, onsite branding
Ο Put together an onsite program (if applicable)
Ο Put together final meeting specifications for BEOs and send them to the hotel
. Include final menu choices, audiovisual needs, room setups
1 Month Before The Event
All of the details should be close to the final - you should be focusing on ensuring you have everything you need and that everything will show up at the venue. You’ll want to start communicating logistics to vendors, staff, and attendees.
Ο Send hotel confirmations to staff, speakers
Ο Request hotel to run a room audit against your attendee list before the cutoff date
. Make sure you are getting credit for all rooms booked for your event
Ο Order any signage, branded items to be delivered to the venue
Ο Finalize details with vendors (if applicable)
Ο Build out mobile app and share with attendees
. Make available before the event if possible
Ο Create an onsite guide for staff (remember, they don’t know as much about everything happening during the event like you do)
. Include responsibilities, timing, FAQ attendees might have
1 Week Before The Event
Should be communicating any last-minute details, and answering any questions on day-of logistics.
Ο Schedule internal pre-conference meetings with onsite staff and stakeholders
. Make sure everyone knows their roles, answer any questions, let them know where to meet and when
Ο Review BEOs, adjust any food and beverage numbers, list any dietary restrictions, make sure all information and timing is accurate
Ο Send attendees a pre-event email reminding them about the event
Ο Pack and ship event supplies
Ο Create a post-event evaluation
Ο Print badges (if not printing on demand or ordering)
Ο Make sure you have all phone numbers and contact information in one place for staff, vendors, hotel, etc.
Ο Send venue tracking information of all boxes being shipped
Ο Check-in with the venue to make sure there are no questions, or surprises when you arrive; set up an onsite pre-con meeting with hotel staff when you arrive
Ongoing
Be sure to keep these items updated and front of mind while you plan your event.
Ο Be mindful of upcoming deadlines (room block cutoff, final menu selections, early bird registration deadline, etc.)
Ο Communicate with the venue, vendors, internal stakeholders, exhibitors, and attendees
Ο Track and report metrics
. Registration trends
. Revenue (exhibitor/attendee)
. App downloads
Ο Manage, update, and track budget
Post Event
Once the event is over, your focus should be on collecting feedback, reconciling your event costs, and updating all of your event data to help you plan for your next event.
Ο Collect Feedback
. Collect post attendee survey data
. Collect feedback from internal stakeholders and event team
. Collect feedback from onsite staff
. Collect feedback from vendors
. Collect feedback from sponsors
Ο Schedule post mortem with the event team
. Discuss best practices, any issues that arose, things that worked well, and things that could use improvement
. Share post-event feedback collected
Ο Schedule post mortem with Venue (optional)
Ο Share resources with attendees
. Send post-event email with how to access presentations and other resources
. Include next year’s dates if possible
Ο Update Event Website with next year’s information
Ο Finalize Budget - Reconcile Event Financials
. Review final hotel bill for accuracy
. Review final invoices from vendors
. Make any outstanding final payments
. Record all final costs against estimated costs for budget
. Record any rebates/commissions from hotel against expenses
Ο Analyze Event Data
. The final number of registered attendees v. who attended the event
. Final room block pick up
. Final F&B numbers (did you need to order more food/was there too much?)
. Number of app downloads/presentation downloads/survey responses
Ο Make sure packages shipped from the venue make it back
Download a printable version of this checklist here!
