B2B Event Planning Checklist

Use this checklist when planning a B2B event, whether you are hosting your own (field dinner, roundtable, user conference) or sponsoring/exhibiting at a third-party conference. The timeline assumes a medium-sized event (50-500 attendees). Scale the lead times up for large events (1000+) or down for intimate dinners (10-30).

12 Weeks Out: Strategy & Planning

• Define event goal: pipeline generation, customer engagement, brand awareness, or product launch
• Set target metrics: registrations, attendance, meetings booked, pipeline generated, cost per attendee
• Define target audience: personas, titles, company sizes, industries
• Choose event format: in-person conference, virtual, hybrid, dinner, workshop, roundtable
• Set budget (see Budget Template below)
• Select date — check for conflicts with industry events, holidays, and company calendar
• Select venue (for hosted events) or confirm sponsorship level (for third-party events)
• Identify speakers: internal executives, customers, industry experts
• Create event brief document: goals, audience, format, messaging, key asks
• Assign roles: event lead, content lead, design lead, SDR lead, logistics lead

8 Weeks Out: Content & Promotion Setup

• Finalize event name, tagline, and visual identity
• Build event landing page with registration form
• Write event description and agenda for the landing page
• Create email invitation sequence (3-4 emails over 6 weeks)
• Plan social media promotion: 8-10 posts over 6 weeks using your social content calendar
• Brief the SDR team on target accounts to invite personally
• Set up event tracking: UTM parameters, registration source tracking, CRM integration
• Create speaker preparation packet: talk length, slide template, key messages, deadlines
• If sponsored event: submit booth assets, schedule lead scanner setup, order swag
• Begin speaker outreach for external speakers (if not confirmed)

6 Weeks Out: Promotion Launch

• Send first email invitation to target list
• Launch social media promotion (company page + employee advocacy)
• SDR team begins personal outreach to target accounts using pre-event outreach sequence
• Activate paid promotion if budget allows (LinkedIn Sponsored InMail, targeted ads)
• Publish blog post or thought leadership piece related to event theme
• Reach out to media/analyst contacts for potential coverage
• Confirm all speaker commitments and collect bios/headshots

4 Weeks Out: Logistics & Content Finalization

• Send second email invitation to non-registered targets
• Review registration numbers against target — adjust promotion if behind
• Finalize agenda and session descriptions
• Confirm AV requirements: microphones, projectors, screens, recording equipment
• Confirm catering: dietary restrictions, headcount, timing of meal service
• Order printed materials: name badges, agendas, signage, handouts
• Order swag/giveaways if applicable
• Set up meeting scheduling for sales team (Calendly or Chili Piper links for on-site meetings)
• Create attendee prep email (logistics, parking, agenda, what to expect)
• Brief CS team on existing customers attending (expansion opportunities)

2 Weeks Out: Final Preparations

• Send third email invitation (last call for registration)
• Send confirmed attendee list to sales team — flag priority accounts
• Run through event day timeline minute by minute with the team
• Test all presentation equipment and internet connectivity at venue
• Finalize slide decks and get approval from speakers
• Prepare lead capture process: badge scanners, QR codes, or manual forms
• Create post-event follow-up email sequence (draft now, send after event)
• Set up social media live coverage plan: who posts, what hashtag, photo schedule
• Print final attendee list and emergency contact sheet
• Confirm headcount with venue and catering

1 Week Out: Final Countdown

• Send attendee confirmation email with logistics, parking, agenda
• Final walkthrough of venue (in-person events)
• Test virtual event platform end-to-end (virtual/hybrid events)
• Charge all devices: cameras, batteries, backup laptops
• Prepare check-in area: badges, welcome signage, registration desk supplies
• Brief all team members on their roles and schedule for event day
• Prepare social media posts for real-time coverage
• Load all presentations on event laptops (plus USB backups)

Event Day

• Arrive 2 hours early for setup
• Test AV one final time
• Brief registration desk staff on check-in process
• Greet VIP attendees and key accounts personally
• Post opening social media content with event hashtag
• Take photos throughout (candid shots, speaker shots, crowd shots)
• Capture attendee feedback and testimonials in real-time (quick interviews or feedback cards)
• Sales team collects business cards and logs conversations in CRM
• Record sessions for post-event content repurposing
• End-of-day debrief: what went well, what to improve, initial lead count

Post-Event (48 Hours)

• Send thank-you email to all attendees within 24 hours
• Upload all leads to CRM with event source tag
• Launch post-event follow-up sequence for warm leads
• SDR team begins personal follow-up with priority contacts
• Share session recordings or slides with attendees (gated or ungated)
• Post event recap on social media (key takeaways, photos, attendee quotes)
• Publish blog post recap of key themes and insights
• Send internal debrief: attendance numbers, lead count, initial pipeline estimate
• Calculate event ROI within 2 weeks

Budget Template

Category	Estimated Cost	Actual Cost	Notes
Venue rental	${{X}}
Catering (per person)	${{X}} x {{headcount}}
AV equipment	${{X}}
Speaker fees/travel	${{X}}
Printed materials	${{X}}
Swag/giveaways	${{X}}
Photography/videography	${{X}}
Paid promotion	${{X}}
Sponsorship fee (if applicable)	${{X}}
Travel & accommodation (team)	${{X}}
Miscellaneous (10% buffer)	${{X}}
Total	${{X}}

Cost per attendee target: Total budget / expected attendees = ${{X}} per person

Attendee Tracking

Name	Company	Title	Priority (1-3)	Registered	Attended	Follow-Up Owner	Notes
				Y/N	Y/N

Sync this data to your CRM and flag it in your weekly GTM report under the events section.

How to Customize

• For small executive dinners (10-30 people), compress this to a 4-week timeline and focus heavily on the SDR personal invitation phase. Executive dinners are won or lost on the quality of the guest list, not the venue or content. Every attendee should be a VP+ at a target account.
• For virtual events, replace all venue logistics with platform setup (Zoom, Hopin, Goldcast). Add a dedicated “technical rehearsal” checkpoint 3 days before the event. Virtual event drop-off rates are 40-60%, so over-register by 2.5x your attendance target.
• For annual user conferences (500+ attendees), start planning 6 months out instead of 12 weeks. Add workstreams for sponsorship sales, partner coordination, and a dedicated content/agenda committee. Use the event marketing features to coordinate across all workstreams.