Event Preparation Checklist

Meet with your team to discuss the vision and logistics of the event. 

Confirm location and date of the event.

Plan how you will advertise your event.

Know the target audience and expected number of participants.

Select the platform you will use during the event and consider desired features of the selected platform.

Determine the roles that each team member will play during the event.

Schedule a practice session/dry run with the host, cohosts, and presenters prior to the day of the event. 

Test the equipment in the location and the platform.

Share the registration link to target audience for the event, if not already completed.

Identify a person as a contact for participants to reach with questions or concerns before or during the event.

Host a practice session/dry run rehearsal with the event host, cohosts, and presenters. Practice often until all are comfortable using the platform.

Send reminder email to all presenters and registered attendees. Check if your platform can do this automatically.

Do a dry run using the platform – even if you have used the platform before.

Test your equipment.

Ensure that you have the latest version of the platform installed on your desktop.

Think about the content that you will display. Will you use PowerPoint slides, PDF or videos?

Consider having a moderator for the chat box. Talk ahead of time about how the moderator should inject any questions or comments posted in the chat into the conversation.

Consider providing the participants with the name and email address of someone on the team who will monitor their email during the presentation. This person will serve as a contact to address any questions or concerns of the participants.

Provide directions on how participants should communicate during the session:

• Unmute self to talk

• Use Raise Hand feature

• Use the chat feature

• Q&A (if using webinar)

Provide instructions on how to mute and unmute your audio

If there is a waiting room, assign someone other than the host/creator of the meeting to monitor the waiting room and admit participants.  

In the calendar invite to the session, make sure that you tell people the specific time when people should get onto the call ahead of the session starting and what time you will admit the participants into the session. This can be two different times.

In the calendar invite to the session, include the slides that will be presented to anyone that is not going to be on the video platform.

In the calendar invite to the session, include any documents (plans, references, placemats) that the participants need to refer to during the session.

Consider including additional "buffer" time at the beginning of the session to allow time for participants to check their audio and video before the session begins.

If participation and attendance tracking is required for the session, provide instructions on how participants can rename themselves on the platform.

Set the option to mute all participants as they join the platform. 

Let people know if you plan to mute them and that they will need to unmute themselves when they want to speak (if this is the process that you use).

Remind people to mute themselves throughout the session while they are not speaking.