FinovateFall, New York Marriott Marquis
A fintech exhibitor wanted a reason for visitors to stop at its booth. We shipped a branded cockpit to Times Square and ran it all three show days.
480+ corporate events · 5 years
Conference Event Planning Services with Engagement Built In
Our conference planning services cover the venue, the program and the AV, plus AI Networking introductions and staffed simulators that keep attendees talking between sessions.
Conferences we've worked
Show floors, hangars and studio lots each come with their own access rules. These are four conference programs we've delivered and run.
ADLM client evening, Hangar 21
During the ADLM conference, the agency TBX hosted Sysmex customers in an aviation hangar. Our operator dressed as a pilot to match the theme.
TEC6, Sony Pictures Studios
An industry launch for event professionals on a working studio lot, where our crew needed cleared access before load-in.
A seated presentation program
A hall with high ceilings and hard walls swallows a presenter's voice. We placed speakers along the rows and the side seating, then ran a sound check before doors.
Conference planning that starts with the attendee
A conference pays off when people leave with new contacts and remember what they heard. Good conference event planning builds the days around that.
Most of the work is logistics: the venue contract, room blocks, registration, the agenda, speakers, signage and AV. It has to be right, and attendees only notice it when something breaks.
What they do notice is the time between sessions. Breaks, receptions and the expo floor are where deals and hires start. If those hours feel empty, people check email in the hallway and skip the afternoon track.
So we plan the breaks as carefully as the keynote. If you only need help with a smaller gathering or a board session, our meeting planning page covers that format.
Conference event management on site
On show days, you get one team that runs the rooms, the tech and the guest activities, and one person who answers your calls.
Program and run of show.
We build the schedule with you, then manage room changes, speaker timing and the break flow.
Introductions with a purpose.
AI Networking asks each guest what they offer and who they want to meet, then sends suggested meetings to their phones.
AI NetworkingActivities for the breaks.
Racing, flight and surf simulators with an operator and a live leaderboard. More options are on our conference entertainment page.
Conference entertainmentSound and screens.
QSC speakers, wireless microphones, mixers and displays, with a technician in the room.
What's in our event and conference planning
- Venue search and contracts. We compare venues against your dates, room count and budget, and check the load-in rules before you sign.
- Agenda and speakers. We shape the sessions with you.
- Registration and guest flow. Check-in, badges, signage and the route from the general session to breakouts.
- Stage and sound. Microphones, speakers and screens for the main room and breakouts.
- Engagement. Networking matches, simulators and photo booths placed where attendees gather.
You can hand us the whole conference or one piece of it, and each piece comes with the people who deliver it.
For a headline name, see keynote speakers booking. Our AV rental page lists the equipment.
What shapes your conference quote
You get a quote built for your exact program, with each part listed.
We don't publish a price list. These things move the number:
- Days, rooms and expected attendance.
- Which parts you hand to us: full planning or single services.
- Your city. Our team and equipment travel from one of our two bases, Los Angeles or Orlando.
- AV for the general session and the breakouts.
- How many interactive stations, and for how many hours.
- Branding on stations, screens and signage.
Read more about how we build a quote.
Case studies from conference weeks
Each case below shows a schedule that held under real conference pressure.
Trade show booth
Branded Racing Simulator for i2c at FinovateFall, New York
Exhibiting at a multi-day show? We installed and tested on September 8, the day before FinovateFall opened, and ran the booth from 8 AM to 6 PM on the first two days. Over three days, i2c's staff saved about 51 scanned contacts from outside visitors.
New York, NY
Client evening
Flight Simulator for "Take Flight with Sysmex" at Hangar 21, Fullerton
This was an evening event inside a conference week. We arrived at 1:30 PM, had the station ready by 4:30 PM and ran it from 6 to 10 PM. Afterward, TBX wrote that its team and its client were pleased with the product and our professionalism.
Fullerton, CA
Industry launch
AI Networking Matchmaker and Racing Simulator at TEC6, Culver City
The organizers picked AI Networking from several ideas we proposed. We built the matches from registration data and a short questionnaire, then added a racing simulator for informal time. In its September 30 follow-up, the organizer thanked us for both.
Culver City, CA
Photos from conference programs
These shots show where we put stations and speakers so they serve the room without blocking it.
Venue paperwork and load-in
Your venue gets our documents before show day, so nothing stops the crew at the dock.
We send insurance documents to venues and organizers on request. For the Sysmex evening, we cleared airfield-side access and insurance with the organizer and Hangar 21.
Convention hotels set their own labor rules. Some are union houses, where certain setup work must go through the venue's crew. We ask about these rules before we quote, together with dock times, freight elevators and power.
Where conferences lose attendees
Most conference problems show up in the room, but they start weeks earlier. Here are the ones we see and how we prevent them.
- Breaks with nothing to do. People drift to their laptops and miss the next session. We give the break area a reason to gather: a race, a flight or a networking match.
- Networking left to chance. Introverts and first-timers leave without meeting anyone. Matched introductions give them a name and a reason to talk.
- Sound that doesn't reach the back. A hard-walled hall needs speakers along the rows, not only at the stage. We place them and test before doors open.
- Too many vendors. Split planning, AV and activities across three conference management companies, and nobody owns the gaps between them. With us, the people who plan the program also run the stations.
How we plan your conference
From your first message to teardown, you'll know what happens next and who owns it.
Your conference event planner and crew
You get named roles, each with a clear job on show days.
- Event lead. Your conference event planner from the first call. Plans with you and the venue, then runs the floor.
- AV technician. Sets up and checks sound and screens, then stays in the room for cues.
- Operators. Run each interactive station, brief guests and keep the line moving.
- Registration and floor staff. Check attendees in, hand out badges and send people to the right room.
Convention planning across the U.S.
Your conference can be anywhere in the country. Our team and equipment travel from one of our two bases (Los Angeles or Orlando), and we arrange transport, setup and staff together. We've worked in the New York Marriott Marquis, at Hangar 21, on the Sony Pictures Studios lot and at Paramount Event Venue near Raleigh. Local convention and visitors bureaus offer free help with venue lists and RFPs, and we use it when it saves you time.
Two bases
Los Angeles and Orlando
West CoastEast CoastAll 50 states
Our Orlando office and warehouse is at 310 N Orange Ave. Orlando's Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is one of the largest convention centers in the U.S. and hosts shows such as IAAPA Expo and the PGA Show, so a Florida conference is as close to our equipment as one in California.
Orlando office: 310 N Orange Ave, STE. 201, Orlando, FL 32801Conference planning questions
What does a conference management company do?
It plans and runs the event for you: venue, agenda, speakers, registration, AV and staff. We also bring our own engagement stations and the operators who run them.
What are the 5 C's of an event?
Planners often name concept, coordination, control, culmination and closeout. In our process, that's the scope and quote, the venue and program, the setup checks, the show days and the teardown with results.
How much do conference planning services cost?
Every conference gets a custom quote. It depends on days, attendance, city and which services you need.
Can you take only part of our conference?
Yes. You can hand us the full event, or book only AV, a networking program or break-time activities for a conference your own team plans.
Do you plan association conferences?
Yes. Association programs follow the same steps, with more attention to member registration, sponsors and the expo floor.
Can you run an attraction at our trade show booth?
Yes. We bring a branded station and staff it for every show day. Tell us your booth size and the hall's rules.
Is there an app for attendees?
AI Networking runs on guests' phones and suggests meetings, so you don't need a separate conference planning app. For registration, live polls or hybrid streaming, see our event technology page.
Can you send insurance documents to our venue?
Yes, on request. Add your venue's requirements to your inquiry so we can check them early.
Check your conference dates
Send us the dates, the city and the expected attendance. We'll check availability right away and come back with one quote for planning, AV and interactive. Tell us the event type, dates, city, expected attendance and budget. Add which parts you want us to handle and whether the venue is already booked. Or call +1 213 912 1010
