Conference Planner

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Plan a multi-day conference with multiple tracks and speakers
• Manage logistics including venue, catering, AV, and attendee flow
• Create speaker management processes and content curation systems
• Design the full attendee experience from registration to post-event follow-up

DO NOT use this skill for single workshops, webinars, or small meetups. This is for conferences with 100+ attendees, multiple sessions, and complex logistics.

Core Principle

A CONFERENCE IS NOT A COLLECTION OF TALKS — IT IS A CURATED EXPERIENCE WHERE CONTENT, NETWORKING, AND LOGISTICS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE VALUE THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED BY WATCHING RECORDINGS.

Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.

Phase 2: Architecture

Conference Structure

## Day 1
**Morning:** Opening keynote (60 min) → Breakout sessions Track A/B (2 x 45 min)
**Lunch:** Sponsored lunch + networking (90 min)
**Afternoon:** Breakout sessions Track A/B (2 x 45 min) → Panel discussion (60 min)
**Evening:** Networking reception (2 hours)

## Day 2
**Morning:** Keynote (60 min) → Breakout sessions Track A/B (2 x 45 min)
**Lunch:** Roundtable discussions (90 min)
**Afternoon:** Workshop sessions (90 min) → Closing keynote (45 min)
**Close:** Wrap-up + next steps (15 min)

Track Design

| Track | Focus | Audience | Sessions |
|-------|-------|----------|----------|
| Track A | [Topic] | [Beginner/Intermediate] | [X sessions] |
| Track B | [Topic] | [Intermediate/Advanced] | [X sessions] |

Speaker Plan

## Speaker Targets
- Keynotes: [2-3 names or profile descriptions]
- Breakout speakers: [8-12 speakers needed]
- Panelists: [4-6 per panel]
- Workshop facilitators: [2-4]

## Speaker Package
- Compensation: [Fee, travel, hotel, free ticket]
- Requirements: [Slide deadline, bio, headshot, AV needs]
- Communication timeline: [Outreach → confirm → prep → event]

GATE: Present the conference architecture for approval.

Phase 3: Build

Master Planning Document

1. Venue and Logistics

## Venue Requirements
- Main stage: [capacity, AV needs]
- Breakout rooms: [number, capacity each]
- Networking area: [space requirements]
- Sponsor area: [booth/table space]
- Registration area: [check-in stations]
- Catering: [meals, breaks, dietary accommodations]

2. Timeline (Working Backward)

6 months out: Venue booked, theme finalized, speaker outreach begins
4 months out: Speakers confirmed, sponsorship sales open, early bird tickets launch
3 months out: Schedule published, marketing ramp-up
2 months out: Sponsor materials due, AV confirmed, volunteers recruited
1 month out: Final schedule, attendee communications, run-of-show draft
2 weeks out: Final logistics confirm, speaker prep calls
1 week out: Print materials, signage, swag bags prepared
Day before: Venue walkthrough, tech check, team briefing

3. Budget Template

| Category | Estimated | Actual | Notes |
|----------|----------|--------|-------|
| Venue | $[X] | | |
| Catering | $[X] | | |
| AV/Tech | $[X] | | |
| Speaker fees/travel | $[X] | | |
| Marketing | $[X] | | |
| Printing/signage | $[X] | | |
| Swag/materials | $[X] | | |
| Staff/volunteers | $[X] | | |
| Contingency (10%) | $[X] | | |
| **Total** | **$[X]** | | |

4. Attendee Experience Map

Registration → Welcome email → Event app download → Day 1 check-in →
Welcome session → Content tracks → Networking activities → Day 2 content →
Closing session → Thank-you email → Recording access → Feedback survey →
Next year early bird offer

Phase 4: Polish

1. Pre-Event Checklist

## 1 Week Out
- [ ] All speakers confirmed and prepped
- [ ] AV tested at venue
- [ ] Volunteer team briefed and assigned
- [ ] Attendee communications sent (schedule, logistics, parking)
- [ ] Signage and materials printed
- [ ] Emergency plan in place (medical, weather, tech failure)
- [ ] Run-of-show document finalized and distributed

2. Day-Of Operations

## Day-Of Team Assignments
- Registration: [X people]
- Stage management: [X people]
- Speaker liaison: [1 person per track]
- AV tech: [1-2 people]
- Sponsor support: [1 person]
- Attendee support: [X people]
- Photography/social: [1-2 people]

3. Post-Event Plan

## Post-Event Timeline
Day 1: Thank-you email to all attendees
Day 3: Speaker thank-you + payment processing
Day 5: Attendee survey distribution
Week 2: Recording editing and distribution
Week 3: Sponsor impact reports delivered
Week 4: Team debrief and lessons learned
Month 2: Early bird announcement for next year

Example 1: 200-Person Business Conference (2 Days)

Theme: "Scale Without a Team" — tools and strategies for solopreneurs
Tracks: Systems & Automation, Marketing & Sales
Keynotes: 2 (opening and closing each day)
Breakouts: 8 sessions across 2 tracks
Budget: $45,000 (offset by $20K sponsorship + $30K ticket sales)

Example 2: 500-Person Industry Summit (3 Days)

Theme: "The Future of [Industry]" — trends, technology, and transformation
Tracks: Strategy, Technology, Leadership
Keynotes: 3 (one per day)
Breakouts: 18 sessions, 3 workshops, 2 panels
Budget: $120,000 (sponsored heavily, premium ticket pricing)

Anti-Patterns

• Too many sessions — quality over quantity. Attendees cannot attend everything, so curate ruthlessly.
• No networking time — back-to-back sessions without breaks prevent the connections that make conferences valuable.
• Ignoring the attendee journey — if someone cannot figure out where to go, what to attend, or how to connect, the experience fails.
• Underbudgeting AV — bad audio ruins every session. Invest in professional AV or do not do in-person.
• No contingency budget — something will go wrong. Budget 10-15% for surprises.
• Starting planning too late — a 200-person conference needs 4-6 months minimum lead time.

Recovery

• Budget is too small for the vision: Scale back attendance, reduce to 1 day, or increase sponsorship targets. Do fewer things well.
• Cannot fill speaker slots: Open a CFP (call for proposals) to your community. Peer speakers are often more relatable than celebrities.
• Ticket sales are slow: Add urgency (early bird deadline), increase promotion, offer group discounts, or give existing registrants a referral incentive.
• Venue falls through: Have a backup venue identified from the start. For emergencies, pivot to virtual with 30+ days notice.