planning
A great event isn’t just well-run—it’s well-planned. A comprehensive, living checklist is your single source of truth that orchestrates goals, people, processes, and technology from the first brainstorm to the post-event debrief. Industry exemplars show that disciplined checklists reduce rework, control budgets, and improve attendee experience by weaving in essentials like safety, accessibility, and measurement.
Start with clarity. Your early decisions lock in the rest of the plan—objectives, audience, budget, and timeline.
Purpose: Choose a north star (community building, revenue, education, product launch).
KPIs: Attendance, registration conversion rate, sponsorship revenue, NPS, repeat attendance, media reach.
Success definition: What does “great” look like by 30/60/90 days pre-event and by the wrap-up?
Personas and segments: Who’s attending and why? Define roles, seniority, industries, and motivations.
Value propositions: Align agenda tracks, speakers, and networking to each segment’s goals.
Map major revenue and cost lines early, then pressure-test with a 10–15% contingency. Track cash flow against milestone payments.
Revenue: Tickets, sponsorships, exhibits, grants, donations, ancillary sales.
Expenses: Venue, F&B, AV/production, staffing, marketing, travel, décor, security, insurance, permits, contingency.
Avoid conflicts: Check holidays, large local events, and venue blackout dates early to reduce costs and availability risks.
Audience-first timing: Consider time zones, commute windows, prayer times, and accessibility needs.
RACI: who decides, who executes.
Cadence: weekly WIP; risk review; budget burn review.
Single Source of Truth (SSoT): shared doc or board with owners, dates, DoD.
Lock the foundations early—venue, vendors, permits, and insurance—so safety, accessibility, and compliance are built in, not bolted on.
Shortlist and inspect: Compare capacity, room sets, breakout ratios, load-in/out, and accessibility.
Tech and services: Power, rigging, Wi‑Fi SLAs, in-house AV policies, sustainability practices, preferred vendor lists.
Negotiate: Clear service levels, attrition, force majeure, union rules, exclusivities, and itemized pricing.
Permits: occupancy, street closures, tenting, pyrotechnics, amplified sound, liquor.
Insurance: general liability, event cancellation, non‑appearance, worker’s comp.
Compliance: data privacy, child safety, vendor W‑9/ABN, tax compliance.
AV/Production: staging, lighting, audio, projection/LED, show caller.
F&B/Catering: menu selection, dietary workflows, sampling permits, waste plan.
Décor/Scenic/Florals; Exhibit services; Security/Medics; Transport/Shuttle; Photography/Video; Cleaning.
Zoning: registration, sponsor expo, F&B, quiet rooms, prayer room.
Flow: arrival, queuing, crowd density, accessibility routes.
Signage: brand, directional, ADA/compliance, emergency, sponsor recognition.
Event page: hero copy, agenda highlights, FAQs, travel info, accessibility statement.
Price strategy: early‑bird, GA, VIP, student, group, day‑passes; tiered pricing and timed drops.
Promotions: promo codes, referral links, affiliate tracking, influencer/partner portals.
Payments: cards, buy‑now‑pay‑later, invoicing; taxes/fees display; payout schedule.
Seating: seat maps, holds, sponsor blocks, ADA sections.
Upsells: workshops, merch, parking, donations.
Waitlists & Sell‑out strategy: auto‑release, capacity alerts.
Form fields: pronouns, dietary, accessibility, emergency contact, consent boxes.
Confirmation: calendar file, barcode/QR, venue map, code of conduct.
Onsite: self‑service kiosks, badge print, RFID/QR scanning, lead retrieval.
Check‑in rehearsal: throughput test, fallback (offline mode), lost‑badge policy.
Pre‑event comms: know‑before‑you‑go, travel tips, weather, app download.
Wayfinding: maps, signage, volunteers.
Services: quiet room, nursing room, prayer space, hydration, charging, cloak.
Accessibility: step‑free routes, seats with clear sightlines, interpreters/CART.
Value proposition per segment; headline + 3 proof points; social proof.
Brand kit: logo lockups, color, type, image guidelines, templates.
Website/landing with clear CTA; SEO checklist; schema markup.
Email: teaser → launch → nurture → last‑chance; abandoned‑checkout recovery [Loopyah].
Blog & resources: speaker spotlights, how‑to content, partner features.
Paid: search, social, display, retargeting, programmatic, out‑of‑home.
Influencers/Promoters: unique codes & dashboards [Loopyah Promoter Tools].
PR: media list, press release, media lounge, interview slots.
Calendar: themes, assets, UGC prompts.
Engagement: polls, AMAs, countdowns, giveaways (legal T&Cs).
Live coverage: real‑time clips, quote cards, highlights, social wall.
Inventory: stages, lounges, lanyards, app banners, Wi‑Fi SSID, session ownership, lead retrieval.
Tiers: Diamond/Platinum/Gold or outcomes‑based bundles (thought leadership, demand gen, brand).
Prospectus & rate card.
Pipeline: ICP list, outreach sequences, meeting tracker.
Contracts: deliverables, SLAs, branding specs, lead sharing terms, data privacy.
Invoicing & collections schedule.
Manual: booth specs, electrical, rigging, freight, deadlines, badge allotments.
Lead capture: scanners, QR codes, integrations to CRM [Loopyah Exhibitor Lead Retrieval].
Move‑in/move‑out schedules and marshaling.
Command: event director, ops lead, show caller.
Front‑of‑house: registration, ushers, info desk, speaker wranglers.
Back‑of‑house: stage managers, AV techs, runners, loading dock.
Job descriptions, shift planner, check‑in/out process.
Training: service standards, accessibility etiquette, incident reporting.
Briefing packs: maps, radio call‑signs, escalation tree, FAQs.
A flawless event starts long before doors open. When your plan lives in a single, shared checklist—with owners, deadlines, and clear definitions of done—you move with clarity, control, and confidence. Bake in accessibility, safety, and measurement from day one, and you’ll reduce rework, protect your budget, and elevate every attendee touchpoint.
Ready to turn this checklist into registrations and revenue?
Launch your event on Loopyah: set up tiers, seat maps, promo codes, and secure checkout in minutes.
Invite your team to collaborate in real time—assign owners, automate reminders, and monitor live dashboards.
Book a quick walkthrough if you’d like us to tailor ticketing flows, promoter portals, or sponsor lead capture to your goals.
Your roadmap is set—let’s open ticketing and make this your highest‑impact event yet.