Cambridge
Academy
In London

Introduction

Conferences and exhibitions require strong planning, clear coordination, and disciplined execution to deliver great attendee experiences and measurable business results. This practical program equips participants with simple tools to plan, organize, deliver, and evaluate conferences and exhibitions—covering budgeting, vendors, logistics, marketing, and on-site management.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

·        Plan conferences and exhibitions using clear timelines and checklists

·        Manage budgets, vendors, and contracts effectively

·        Design attendee/exhibitor experiences and event journeys

·        Run smooth on-site operations and issue handling

·        Measure results and capture lessons learned

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

·        Event coordinators and conference/exhibition teams

·        Marketing and communications staff supporting events

·        Administrative staff managing logistics and vendors

·        Partnership teams coordinating exhibitors and sponsors

·        Anyone involved in planning and delivering events 

Course Outlines

Day 1: Event Planning Foundations

·        Event types and objectives

·        Stakeholders: attendees, exhibitors, sponsors

·        Event plan and timeline basics

·        Roles and task assignment

·        Activity: Build a simple event charter 

Day 2: Budgeting and Vendor Management

·        Event budget structure

·        Requesting quotes and selecting vendors

·        Contracts and basic SLAs

·        Payment schedules and controls

·        Workshop: Build a budget and vendor plan

Day 3: Logistics and Operations

·        Venue selection and layout basics

·        Registration and access control

·        Booth/exhibition coordination

·        On-site staffing and schedules

·        Activity: Create an operations checklist 

Day 4: Marketing and Attendee Experience

·        Event branding and communications

·        Promotions and invitations

·        Agenda design and speaker coordination

·        Customer journey and service recovery

·        Case study: Fixing a low-registration event

Day 5: Delivery, Risk, and Evaluation

·        On-site delivery plan and command center

·        Risk management and contingency plans

·        Health and safety basics

·        Post-event evaluation and reporting

·        Final project: Event delivery playbook