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Eventdex

Event Planning Checklist

What goes on an event planning checklist?

An event planning checklist lists every task between deciding to hold an event and reporting on it afterwards, in the order they need doing. Most checklists are organized by time: what to settle six to twelve months out, what to open three to six months out, what to confirm in the last month, what happens on the day, and what to do in the week after.

The timeline below suits a conference, trade show or corporate event of a few hundred to a few thousand people. A smaller event compresses it; a large trade show starts earlier, because booths are sold months ahead. Each stage links to the part of the Eventdex platform that handles it, so the checklist can double as a plan for your event technology.

Updated by the Eventdex team

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An event floor plan, a badge creator and a gala seating chart in the Eventdex planning tools

6 to 12 months before: goals, budget and venue

The decisions made first constrain everything after them, so make them deliberately and write them down.

  1. Set the goal and how you will measure it

    Revenue, leads for exhibitors, member renewals, pipeline, or attendee satisfaction. Pick the numbers you will report afterwards now, so you collect the data that proves them.

    How to measure event ROI

  2. Agree the budget

    Venue, catering, AV, technology, staff, travel, marketing and a contingency line. Set ticket, sponsorship and booth prices against it.

  3. Choose the date and format

    In person, virtual or hybrid. Check the date against holidays, industry events and your audience's busy season.

    Hybrid event platform

  4. Book the venue

    Capacity, breakout rooms, exhibit space, accessibility, Wi-Fi and load-in times. Get the floor plan as a file you can build on.

    Event floor plan software

  5. Choose your event technology

    Registration, the event app, check-in and badges, lead retrieval and matchmaking. One platform means one attendee record instead of exports between tools.

    Event management software

3 to 6 months before: registration, speakers and sponsors

This is when the event becomes public. Registration opens, the program takes shape, and the people who pay for the event - sponsors and exhibitors - sign up.

  1. Build the event website and registration

    Ticket types, early-bird and group pricing, promo codes and the questions you need answered at registration.

    Event registration software

  2. Confirm speakers and the agenda

    Sessions, tracks and rooms. Publish a draft agenda early; it sells tickets.

  3. Sell sponsorships

    Packages with clear benefits: logo placement, sessions, app visibility, badge branding.

    Event sponsorship

  4. Open booth sales

    Let exhibitors choose and book their booth on an interactive floor plan rather than by email.

    Trade show software

  5. Start promotion

    Email campaigns to past attendees and prospects, partner promotion and social media, with each channel tracked to registrations.

1 to 3 months before: the attendee experience

With registration running, turn to what attendees will see and use, and to the logistics behind it.

  1. Launch the event app

    Agenda, speakers, exhibitors, maps and push notifications, branded for your event.

    Event mobile app

  2. Open meeting scheduling

    For business events, let attendees, buyers and exhibitors book one-to-one meetings before they arrive.

    Business matchmaking

  3. Design badges and plan check-in

    Badge layout, badge types by ticket, and whether badges are pre-printed or printed on demand at check-in.

    Event badge designer

  4. Plan seating

    For galas and dinners, assign tables and seats so guests can find them on arrival.

    Event seating software

  5. Brief exhibitors

    Move-in times, booth rules and how lead retrieval works, so exhibitors arrive ready to scan.

    Lead retrieval app

The final two weeks: confirm and rehearse

Little should be new now. The job is confirming that everything booked is still happening, and testing what could fail on the day.

  1. Send the know-before-you-go email

    Venue, times, the app download, the QR code for check-in and what to bring.

  2. Confirm suppliers and staff

    Catering numbers, AV, security, volunteers and who is responsible for what on the day.

  3. Test check-in and printers

    Run real badges through the printers you will use, at the venue if possible, and plan for poor Wi-Fi.

    Printers and devices

  4. Rehearse sessions

    Speaker run-throughs, slides loaded, and for hybrid events a test of the stream.

On the day

Arrive early, keep the registration desk moving and watch the event as it happens rather than finding problems afterwards.

  • Check-in

    QR check-in on phones, self-service kiosks and badges printed as attendees arrive, with walk-ins registered on the spot.

    Onsite event management

  • Sessions and engagement

    Track session attendance, and take questions and polls from the audience.

    Live event Q&A

  • A live view

    Arrivals, session numbers, meetings and leads as they happen, so the team can react while there is still time.

After the event: follow up and report

The week after the event decides whether it is remembered and whether people come back.

  1. Send the survey

    Within a day or two, while the event is fresh. Keep it short.

    Event survey software

  2. Share recordings and slides

    For attendees who missed sessions, and as content for the next event's marketing.

  3. Report to sponsors and exhibitors

    Leads captured, meetings held and visibility delivered - the evidence they need to renew.

  4. Report against your goals

    Compare results with the numbers set at the start, and note what to change next time.

    Event ROI

The Eventdex platform

Run the whole checklist from one platform

Further reading

4.7/ 5From 39 reviews on Software Advice, Capterra and GetAppCustomer Support 4.8Value for Money 4.8Features 4.7Ease of Use 4.6
“It's easy to use and interfaces very well with our needs. The scheduling function is awesome. It allows our companies and partners to schedule their meetings with no assistance thus reducing time and resources. In addition, if there are any snags in scheduling, the Eventdex staff takes care of your needs immediately.”
Georgia Institute of Technology - Donna E. Project Director
  • University at Buffalo
  • Eversource Energy
  • Georgia Tech
  • Influence Communications

FAQ

Event Planning Checklist: common questions

What should be on an event planning checklist?

Goals and how you will measure them, the budget, date, format and venue, event technology, registration and ticketing, speakers and agenda, sponsors and exhibitors, promotion, the event app, badges and check-in, supplier and staff confirmations, the event day itself, and the survey and reports afterwards.

How far in advance should you start planning an event?

Six to twelve months for a conference or trade show, so the venue, sponsors and exhibitors can be secured; three to six months for a smaller corporate event. Booth and sponsorship sales usually set the earliest deadline.

What is the first step in planning an event?

Decide what the event is for and how you will measure it - revenue, leads, attendance or satisfaction - then set the budget. Every later choice, from the venue to the technology, follows from those two.

What is on an event day checklist?

Staff briefed and in place, check-in and badge printers tested, walk-in registration ready, sessions and AV checked, the app and notifications live, and someone watching arrivals and session numbers so problems are fixed as they happen.

What should you do after an event?

Send a short survey within a day or two, share recordings and slides, give sponsors and exhibitors their leads and results, and report on the goals set at the start.

Can event software manage the checklist?

Most of it. Eventdex covers registration, ticketing, floor plans and booth sales, the event app, check-in and badge printing, matchmaking, lead retrieval and surveys from one platform, and responds to support requests within 6 hours.

Plan your next event on Eventdex

Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.

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