Onboarding a new client as an event agency

For the first event you organise for a new client, you want to establish what is needed, who makes decisions and when registration must be ready. A well-planned start gives your agency a clear timeline and helps you guide the client through the choices ahead.

As a project manager, you are also getting to know the organisation. What should the event look and feel like, how will guests be invited and how much does the client want to manage themselves? An event partner who works with you helps turn those expectations into a practical plan for registration, communication and reception.

Start with your client's expectations

Use the initial meeting to discuss what the event should achieve and who will attend. An invitation-only client event calls for different choices from a staff event with workshops. Establish what attendees need to be able to do and what the client wants to monitor during the process.

Ask about previous experiences too. What worked well and what deserves extra attention? Turn that information into specific arrangements. If many attendees previously asked how to change their registration, for example, discuss which details they may update themselves and who handles other queries.

Agree who does the work and who approves it

Your agency can remain the client's main point of contact. Agree when Activo joins meetings and how we work on behalf of or alongside your agency. Keep the division of responsibilities clear:

• Who collects the copy, brand assets and decisions from the client?
• Who gives final approval for the design, registration and communication?
• Which tasks will your team handle and which will Activo carry out?

Also confirm the agreed deliverables and revision rounds, and how additional requests will be assessed. This helps you give the client a realistic timeline and a clear breakdown of costs.

Develop the initial discussion into one current brief

The initial meeting establishes the direction. Develop the details afterwards in a briefing document that you complete with the client. List outstanding points with a person responsible and a delivery date. This makes it easier to obtain the right information from marketing, HR or another department involved.

Include at least the decisions that determine the setup:

• Attendee groups, the invitation process and any session choices or capacity limits.
• Brand guidelines, copy and the preferred sender for attendee communication.
• Mailing dates, the registration deadline and required approvals.
• Who uses attendee data, which reports are needed and how access is arranged.

Consolidate feedback through one contact and work from one agreed version. Together, we establish what information is needed to start and which decisions can follow later. The event website and invitation process are developed around those arrangements.

Let the client review the attendee journey

A working example makes the choices easier to understand. Show the client how an invitation, form and confirmation fit together. Seek focused approval of the proposed approach before completing the remaining content. This keeps feedback manageable.

Before registration opens, walk through the full process with test registrations for the relevant attendee groups. Check the fields, available choices, confirmation and e-ticket, where these form part of the event. Include a registration change or cancellation and test the journey on a phone. Check-in and badge distribution need their own practical test.

Record findings in one place, apply the agreed corrections and have the designated decision-maker approve the final version. If new requests follow, we first discuss their impact on the setup, timeline and costs.

Make event day support specific

Discuss which tasks your team will handle and where support is needed. Activo can help with check-in, badge distribution and queries at reception, for example. Agree the work, hours, staffing and how the team will be presented in advance. Identify who will be available to make decisions during the event.

For the practical handover of attendee details, venue information and the run sheet, read more about preparing for event day as an event agency.

Record what you can reuse for the next project

After the event, discuss which choices worked well and what you want to adjust. Keep the approved branding, useful form structure and working arrangements somewhere easy to find. Record why a particular approach was chosen too. This helps if a colleague takes over the next project.

For a new event, review the attendee groups, content, timeline and support required. Testing and approval remain part of the preparation. Treat reuse of attendee data as a separate matter to agree; a previous registration setup primarily provides a starting point for how you work.

Sports Business Center is one example of working with an agency. Activo collaborated with Interaction Matters to create a central event platform, combining self-service management with additional support as needed. Explore the Sports Business Center case study.

Frequently asked questions about onboarding a new client