Regional Conferences | Timelines and Milestones

Did you get approved to host a Regional Conference? Awesome! This list is your new best friend. : )

TIMELINES AND MILESTONES

These milestones will give you guidance and will hold you accountable at the same time. They are required steps and you will need to provide regular updates to your community manager about your progress. Get ready to create something amazing!

Note that Startup Grind reserves the right to cancel the event at any point if HQ team comes to the conclusion that you cannot deliver on your promises. We strive to do great events around the world and keep a consistent experience.

6 months before the conference

Venue determined
Ticket pricing and strategy determined; event draft set up on our dashboard
Top 10-potential sponsors lead list created
Top 30-speakers list created
Request Branding & Art Assets from HQ
Email a report of your progress in these areas to your community manager 6 months before your event

5 months before the conference

Sponsor negotiations taking place *ideally first sponsor signed by now
Top 3 speakers confirmed
Event published
Identify partners for media, PR and government support
Email a report of your progress in these areas to your community manager 5 months before your event

4 months before the conference

Venue booked
>5% (of ticket goal) tickets sold (this excludes free tickets)
At least 2 main sponsors committed
6 speakers confirmed
All Art Assets completed
Media coverage plan prepared
Advertising on Social Media & Newsletters begins *include call for volunteers
Email a report of your progress in these areas to your community manager 4 months before your event

FINAL APPROVAL ISSUED ONLY IF ALL 4 (+5&6) MONTH MILESTONES ARE MET

2 months before the conference

>35% (of ticket goal) tickets sold
75% of speakers confirmed
Volunteer program prepared *get a volunteer team captain to own this role!
Catering ordered
Email a report of your progress in these areas to your community manager 2 months before your event

1 month before the conference

Livestream/video coverage taken care of (if needed)
VIP guests & media invited, free tickets distributed to special organizations/groups
Team identified/hired (volunteers, operations, etc.)
HQ travel organized *if community team, Derek Andersen and/or Karlie Krieger are included in attending, supporting on-site, or speaking
Badges & wristbands designed (wristbands optional)
All signage, marketing materials designed and prepared for print
If doing t-shirts etc, all designed and sent to printer and ready to go
Speaker packets sent out confirming time, location, on-site needs/directions, guest name/info, registration, and issuing deadlines for any presentation materials
Sponsor packets sent out with any additional information they need
Conference calls between moderators + speakers set up *Startup Grind directors should participate / organize the calls
Email a report of your progress in these areas to your community manager 1 month before your event

2 weeks before the conference

Rehearsal with the venue & the crew (audio, video, VIP rooms, etc.)
Confirm all vendors - catering, on-site support, volunteers, etc.
Speaker registration & logistics (make sure all speakers and guests are registered, collect all materials for any presentations *try to avoid them bringing their presentations on-site)
Speaker intro slides / conference stage slides created
Send everything off to print
Send ford@startupgrind.com a list containing 5-10 tweets that you'd like sent from the SG main acct, along with approx date/times for the tweets and all text + artwork
Prepare show-flow (run of the day for you and AV team to go off of)

1 week before the conference

Receive final presentations from all speakers (hopefully)
Completed training and info sessions with volunteers *host a volunteer orientation or google hangout
Final prep calls with speakers & moderators
Host a team meeting to walk through every little detail and ask as many questions as possible
Speaker contact sheet - Compile a list of speaker phone numbers to have on hand at registration - it is helpful to have this organized by arrival time just in case they are running late and you can call
Double check your registration list to be sure you have ALL VIPs - speakers, guests, sponsors, etc.
Receive printed banners + program + direction signs, wristbands, etc.
Security confirmed
Volunteers re-confirmed
Name tags / Badges printed
Walk your venue, go on-site to familiarize yourself even further with the space / flow
Prepare “See you tomorrow” pre-event email to send to all attendees for next week - include basic on-site details to get them ready and excited

>2 Days before the conference

Check-in any shipments sent to the venue + label them so it’s easy day of
Create a WhatsApp / Group Chat with your team (+ volunteers) to make communication easy day of
Prep teammate who is running speaker registration - they should be familiar with faces + order of arrival
Double check all slides + presentations / make sure AV team has most recent copy downloaded
Have a music playlist on hand to play during breaks on the mainstage
Print out extra copies of Showflow + Floorplan
Prepare any remaining attendee emails that are not done (pre, live, post) - you don’t want to be doing this last minute!
Send final showflow to AV team and give a copy to your team as well

On the day (Woo-hoo it’s event day!)

Say hi to everyone with a smile on your face. Your mood sets the tone! Coffee helps.
Have any sponsor shipments brought to their booth space
Set out all conference signage
Venue walkthrough with volunteers so they know the space *ideally someone one your team other than you can do this (be sure to show restrooms, mainstage, where food/coffee will be, etc.)
Registration set :30 minutes earlier than you plan. There will always be attendees who arrive early. Prepare for lines when the crowd comes
Green room set for speakers - make sure a member of your team will be free to escort speakers here after they check-in
Know when sponsors will arrive - make sure to introduce them to their on-site contact who can help with anything they need (giving them a mobile # to text is always a nice touch!)
Have a few volunteers available to support sponsor setup needs + have them plan to bring sponsors lunch during break - this is a big networking hour for them, want to make sure they get food and they really appreciate it.
Final run through with AV team - bring printed out show flows
Quick stage rehearsal before doors open
Stay calm + enjoy the amazing event you put together!