Category
Event Planning
67 articles in Event Planning.
B2B Event Trends 2027: What Changes for Conferences and Trade Shows
Six B2B event trends for 2027, each with its source: smaller formats, exhibitors who keep fewer shows, AI search, registration data, unchanged privacy rules and Plan B budgets. And what organisers should do before the doors open.
Invite-Only B2B Events: How to Manage Invitations, Approvals and Guest Lists
An invite-only event is exclusive because of its rules, not its guest list. How to set nomination rights, approvals, quotas and substitutes, then invite in waves.
Distributor Training Events: How to Schedule Supplier Appointments
How distributors and buying groups add a supplier floor to the training event for their staff or members: protected appointment blocks, matching by role and product line, what vendors pay for, a timeline and what to report.
Vendor Golf Outings: How Buying Groups Pair Vendors and Members
How buying groups and associations plan a vendor golf outing that pays off: one vendor per foursome, pairings chosen by purpose, sponsor packages that sell time, a plan for members who do not play and follow-up appointments booked before the round ends.
The Biggest Trade Shows in the World and in Europe in 2027
The largest trade shows taking place in 2027, worldwide and in Europe: dates, exhibitors and attendance of the latest edition from the organisers, how to read the numbers and which giants skip 2027.
Year-Round Trade Fair Community: How to Stay Connected Between Shows
What a trade fair community has to do between two editions: profiles that carry over, dated meeting days, expert content with bookable conversations and lead care for exhibitors. With a sample calendar and the numbers that show whether it supports rebooking.
Product Launch Events for B2B: How to Plan a Launch That Books Demos
Plan a B2B product launch around the meetings it should create: demo slots with key accounts, partner briefings before the announcement and press interviews under embargo. With a twelve-week timeline, a sample launch day and the figures that show whether it worked.
Poster Sessions and E-Posters: How to Plan the Slot, the Screens and the Judging
A planning guide for congress organisers: when e-posters beat printed boards, what to put in the author guidelines, how many screens and chairs a presented e-poster session needs, how to judge a poster prize and how to turn a five minute slot into a real conversation.
Science Slam at Conferences: Rules, Format and How to Run One
What a science slam is, how it differs from lightning talks and the Three Minute Thesis, when it suits a conference, and how to plan the call, the coaching, the audience vote and the conversations that follow.
Birds of a Feather Sessions: How to Let Attendees Run Their Own Topic Meetings
How to add birds of a feather sessions to a conference: choose a proposal process, prepare hosts, allocate rooms and help participants continue the discussion afterwards.
Conference Planning Timeline: A 24-Month Checklist for Association Congresses
A 24-month planning guide for association congresses, covering venue decisions, committees, abstracts, sponsors, registration and follow-up, with a checklist for assigning tasks.
World Café Method at Conferences: How to Run Table Rounds and Keep the Results
Plan a World Café for a large conference: calculate tables and hosts, write useful questions, guide the table changes and turn the discussion into a shared record.
Advocacy Day, Hill Day, Lobby Day: How Associations Plan Legislator Meetings for Their Members
How associations plan an advocacy day: match every member to the offices that represent them, book the meetings, brief the teams in the morning and follow up within days, with a timeline, the rules to check and the numbers worth reporting.
Ideathon, Makeathon, Designathon: Which Hackathon Variant Fits Your Goal?
Ideathon, makeathon, designathon, datathon or classic hackathon: what each variant produces, who has to be in the room, what it needs and how to choose the format by the result you need on the Monday after.
Event Seating Styles: Theatre, Classroom, Cabaret and Meeting Zones
Theatre, classroom, cabaret, banquet, U-shape, boardroom or a meeting zone: which seating style suits which session, how much space each needs per person, a room capacity calculator in square feet and square metres, and how to plan tables for one-to-one meetings.
How to Organise a Datathon: Data, Teams, Judging and What Happens After
A practical guide for accelerators, universities and corporate data teams: choose the right datathon format, check and clear the data, plan eight weeks, build mixed teams, judge the insight and organise the meetings after the event.
Local Organising Committee: What the LOC Does at an Association Congress and How to Work With It
What a local organising committee does at an association congress, three models for sharing money and work with the association and its PCO, and a working rhythm from bid to handover.
Session Capacity and Waitlists: Workshop Sign-ups Without Meeting Clashes
Five operating rules for capped conference sessions: three capacity numbers, overbooking from your own show rate, a waitlist with a claim window, a fixed release minute and one calendar for sessions and 1:1 meetings.
Hotel Attrition Clauses and Room Blocks: How Conference Organisers Avoid Penalties
Understand room-block commitments and potential attrition charges. Compare measurement methods, estimate demand, track hotel pick-up and review the terms before signing.
Gala Dinner, Dine-Around or Reception: How to Plan the Conference Evening
Compare gala dinners, dine-arounds, receptions and a free evening. Choose the format for your goals, arrange useful introductions and coordinate restaurants, hosts and local partners.
MC Script for a B2B Conference: What the Host Says, When, and How to Brief Them
Write a B2B conference MC script with clear welcomes, speaker introductions and meeting announcements. Includes adaptable script blocks, suggested timings and a host briefing checklist.
Conference Programme Committee: Roles, Timeline and How Abstract Selection Works
Define programme committee roles, recruit enough reviewers and set clear selection criteria before opening the call. A guide to deadlines, abstract review, conflicts and session planning.
Customer Advisory Board Meeting: How to Plan the In-Person Session
Plan an in-person customer advisory board meeting with focused questions, the right participants and time for discussion. Includes an agenda, ground rules and a practical follow-up plan.
Customer Appreciation Events for B2B: Goals, Formats and Guest Lists
Choose a clear goal for your B2B customer appreciation event, build the guest list by account and prepare useful introductions. Includes formats, hospitality considerations and follow-up.
Sales Kickoff Planning: How to Run an SKO That Changes Behaviour
Plan a sales kickoff around observable changes in the team's work. Set clear goals, build in practice, prepare managers to coach and schedule 90 days of follow-up.
What Is Event Management? Definition, Disciplines and Process
Event management is the planning, delivery and evaluation of an event so that it reaches a defined goal. The definition, main disciplines, five phases and what changes for B2B.
What Is a Plenary Session? Meaning, Keynotes and Conference Session Types
What a plenary session means, what a keynote is and where it belongs, and how plenary, parallel, workshop and poster sessions fit together into a conference programme, with room maths and an example day.
Corporate Event Planning: From Business Objective to Follow-up
A corporate event is approved and judged by people outside the event team. This guide shows how to plan one event from the business objective to the sales follow-up: an objective chain, a stakeholder map, a one-page brief and five approval gates.
Event Proposal: How to Pitch an Event Internally or to a Client (With Template)
What an event proposal is, how it differs from an event RFP, the nine sections of a proposal that gets approved, what changes between an internal pitch and a client proposal, and how to make the return of a B2B event concrete.
Event Strategy: How to Decide Which Events to Run and What Each One Is For
Build an event portfolio with a clear purpose, target audience and success measure for each event. This guide shows how to compare formats fairly, identify gaps and overlaps, and decide which events to keep, merge or stop.
Lightning Talks at Conferences: Format, Timing and How to Run a Session
What a lightning talk is, where the format comes from, how it differs from Ignite and PechaKucha, how many talks fit into one slot, how to brief speakers and run the clock, and how to turn five minute talks into conversations after the session.
What Is a Trade Show? Meaning, Types and Trade Show vs Expo
What a trade show is in one sentence, how it differs from an expo, an exhibition and a trade fair, the main formats, current market figures and how organisers run one, including why more shows now schedule meetings.
Conference, Congress, Symposium, Convention: What Is the Difference?
Conference, congress, symposium and convention compared in one table: size, duration, programme logic, call for papers and networking share, plus summit and seminar defined and a decision guide to pick the right label for your event.
How to Run Mentor Office Hours Without Overbooking Your Best Mentors
How to plan mentor office hours at a startup conference or accelerator: choose between one-to-one and group formats, cap the slots of your most requested mentors, plan for cancellations and organise the second meeting that turns a contact into a mentor.
Panel Discussion Format: Panel Size, Set-up and Moderation + Free Moderator Guide
A panel discussion is a moderated conversation on stage between three to five speakers with different views. How the format works, how many panellists fit into a slot, how to set up the stage, brief and moderate the panel, and a free moderator guide with a run sheet, a script and 30 questions.
Types of B2B Events: Which Format Fits Which Goal
A practical overview of B2B event types, sorted by goal instead of alphabet: what each format is, how big it usually gets, who organises it and how much it relies on planned one to one meetings.
Event RFP: What to Put in a Request for Proposal So Venues and DMCs Can Quote Properly
What an event RFP is, the ten sections every request for proposal needs, what to ask about food and beverage, how the brief changes for a venue, a DMC or a site selection company, and how to review and compare the venue proposals that come back.
How to Host a Hackathon: A Guide for Startup Programmes and Corporate Innovation Teams
What a hackathon is, which of four types fits your goal, how to plan one in eight weeks, how to build teams and set judging criteria, and why the 30 days after the event decide whether any project survives.
Association Event Management: Run the Annual Meeting, the Congress and the Regional Days as One Programme
Association event management is not three separate projects. How to plan the annual meeting, the congress, regional days and special interest groups as one programme: one calendar, clear roles and member data that carries from event to event.
Run of Show Template: How to Build One for a B2B Conference
What a run of show is, how it differs from the conference agenda, and a full day run of show template for a B2B conference, with 1:1 meeting blocks and networking as their own lane, owners and cues.
What Is a Fireside Chat? Meaning, Format and 40 Questions to Ask
A fireside chat is a moderated conversation on stage between a host and one guest, without slides. What it means in business, when it beats a keynote or a panel, how to brief the host, a 30 minute run sheet and a free template with 40 questions.
What Is a Roundtable Discussion? Meaning, Format and a Free Host Kit
What a roundtable discussion is, how it differs from a round table meeting and a panel, how many people belong at one table, which seating works and how to run one. With a free roundtable host kit for Word.
What Is an Unconference? How to Run One for Your Members or Community
What an unconference is, how it differs from a barcamp and open space, when the format suits an association or community, and how to plan the grid, the session board, the moderation and the one to one meetings that follow.
Event Budget Template 2026: What a B2B Conference Really Costs
Most event budget templates are built for a company party: venue, catering, a line for decoration. An organiser-run conference or trade show has a revenue side, comped tickets, a sponsorship pipeline and, if meetings are the product, a meeting programme that deserves its own block. This guide builds the budget in the order your board reads it, with benchmarks for every line and a free Excel template.
How to Plan a Conference Agenda That Makes Time for Networking
61% of attendees come for networking, yet most programmes fill every hour with sessions. How to plan an agenda with meeting windows, white space and one personalised schedule per attendee.
Event Planning Checklist 2026: Every Phase from First Goal to Follow-up
A phase-by-phase event planning checklist for B2B organisers: what to do six months out, three months out, in the final four weeks and after the event. Including the meeting track and the 2026 compliance items that generic templates leave out.
What Is MICE Hospitality? A Guide for Event Organisers
MICE hospitality is the supply side of business events: the hotels, venues and convention infrastructure that host structured meetings. A guide for DMOs and trade show organisers, with a three-tier partner framework and fresh 2026 data.
The 90-Day Checklist Before Your Trade Show: A Guide for Tourism Boards
Ninety days before a tourism trade show, the venue plan is largely contracted and the critical path shifts to meetings: closing buyer applications, opening matchmaking, locking agendas and preventing no-shows. This countdown playbook gives organisers four phases with deadlines, benchmarks and KPI checkpoints.
How to Prevent Investor Overload at Demo Days
Four operational levers organisers can pull to distribute pitch requests across the room: tiered invites, hard caps, three-axis fit scoring, long-tail deflection.
How to Choose a Virtual or Hybrid Event Platform in 2026
A buyer's guide for B2B trade shows, hosted-buyer programmes and hybrid associations. Five decision criteria, a comparison by event type, a realistic 500-attendee pricing model and a migration checklist.
Event Sponsorship Packages: How to Build Tiers, Price Them and Prove the Value
Build sponsorship packages from what your event can deliver: list benefits, estimate costs, set tiers and agree how sponsors will receive evidence of the results.
Best Practices for Healthcare B2B Matchmaking
Discover how to prepare for, communicate at, and leverage technology for healthcare B2B matchmaking events so you can build meaningful partnerships and grow your network.
Ticket Pricing Strategies for B2B Events: How to Set the Right Price
How to price tickets for a B2B conference or trade show: cost floor, value anchor, early bird depth, price tiers, discounts and how to tell whether the price worked.
Returning To In-Person Events? Here’s How You Can Transition Safely
Offline events are back, but the on-site landscape has changed. From proof of vaccination to flexible contracts and exposure plans, here is how to pivot to in-person events safely.
Virtual Matchmaking Events: What They Are and How They Work in 2026
A virtual matchmaking event turns registrations from twelve time zones into pre-booked 1:1 video meetings. Here is how the format works in 2026, what changes compared with the trade show hall, which benchmarks apply online, and what a platform has to deliver.
Gamification: How Much Sense Does It Make for Business Events?
What is behind the mega trend of gamification and is it even worthwhile for B2B events? We look at leader boards, real examples and the limits of playful elements.
Self-Motivation for Event Managers Working from Home
More and more freelancers and mobile employees work in the event business. Ten practical tips to stay focused and productive while working from home.
YouTube for Event Managers: How to Draw Inspiration, Know-how and Reach from the Video Platform
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. We show how event managers can use the video platform as a content channel, a training resource and a source of inspiration.
New Business Models for Traditional Trade Fair Organisers
Selling square metres alone has its limits. Five mostly digital business models that help trade fair organisers unlock new revenue streams.
Are Event Managers 'Multiple Personalities'? The 9 Roles of Event Managers
A day in the life of event manager Julia shows how many hats the job demands: from finance manager and experience designer to social media manager.
What Should It Cost? Pricing Models for Trade Fair and Congress Tickets
Paid tiers, member rates, free entry, freemium, pay what you want, meeting packages, hosted buyers or online passes: which ticket pricing model fits a trade fair or congress depends on who pays for the event. Eight models with 2026 examples and a decision guide.
Chatbots, AI, Voice Recognition: Just Hype or Very Relevant for Event Managers?
Artificial intelligence, bots and voice assistants are reshaping marketing and communication. What does this mean for the events industry, and where is the value already today?
New Event Formats and What They Mean for Business Networking
Participative event formats and meeting design are hot topics, and even B2B events rely on interactive elements. We look at what this means for business networking and matchmaking.
What is the Ideal Timing for Pre-Event Matchmaking? Tips from Linda Hull, Silicon Valley Telecom Council
Linda Hull of the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley shares why timing is crucial for B2B matchmaking and how she condenses the matchmaking process for the TC3 Summit into just three weeks.
CO-BRANDS: Cooperation Speed-dating for Brands and Media
Since 2009, the CO-BRANDS event in Hamburg has brought marketing decision makers together for cooperation speed-dating. Organizer Nils Pickenpack explains the concept and the role of the Converve platform.
Interactive Events: What Audience Response Tools Can (and Can't) Do
Live polls, Q&A with upvotes, word clouds and quizzes: what audience response tools really deliver at conferences in 2026, where they stop helping, and what organisers need to settle on accessibility and data protection.
Web Apps vs. Native Event Apps: What are the pros and cons?
Is a downloadable native app worthwhile or is a web app enough? We compare both approaches and explain why Converve relies on web-based event apps.