Checklist · free
Conference app launch checklist
A 36-point checklist to take a conference app from signed scope to a calm first morning: accounts, agenda, speakers, notices, polls, sponsors and the hand-over to the on-site team. Dates are written as weeks before the opening session.
No sign-up needed.
Who it is for
- Association secretariats launching an annual conference app
- Corporate event managers handling a delegate-facing conference
- PCO teams loading agenda and speaker data into an app
How to use it
- Copy the list into your project tracker and add dates relative to the opening session.
- Make the secretariat lead the owner of agenda and speaker lines and the app vendor owner of build lines.
- Run a mock day with real session data one week out.
- On the first morning keep the last section open on a tablet at the help desk.
The contents
Eight weeks out
- Confirm scope, modules and responsibilities in writing
- Agree who creates the store accounts
- Collect brand assets: logo, colours, fonts
- Choose the login method for delegates
- Draft the list of session types and tracks
Six weeks out
- Import delegate list with category and organisation
- Create groups for categories and committees
- Collect speaker bios and photos
- Build the first agenda version
- Prepare information pages: venue, travel, FAQ
Four weeks out
- Submit the app to the stores
- Set up poll and feedback questions
- Agree sponsor placements and creatives
- Create the notice and announcement calendar
- Test the registration and QR flow
Two weeks out
- Freeze agenda version two with rooms
- Run a full test with five real delegates
- Train secretariat and volunteer staff
- Send the first app invitation to delegates
- Check accessibility information is present
Event week
- Verify every speaker has a session link
- Check scheduled announcements and times
- Load the final sponsor assets
- Prepare printed QR cards for the help desk
- Brief session chairs on polls and Q&A
- Check that venue screens show the join QR
On site
- Open the help desk 30 minutes before registration
- Push the welcome notice
- Monitor feedback and questions during sessions
- Log changes and notify affected delegates
- Export attendance each evening
- Plan the closing and feedback prompt
Where it has been used
Based on how association and conference apps were prepared for an annual conference and a member-network meet, each with parallel sessions and mixed audiences.
Questions people ask
How early should the agenda be final?
Aim for two weeks before the event. Parallel-track conferences change often, so publish a version with times and rooms early and plan a notice for any move after that date.
Do speakers need their own logins?
Speakers should be members like everyone else, with a profile and a link to their session. Give them a short instruction card, because they are often the first people asked how to use the app.
How do we get delegates to download the app?
Mention it in every pre-event message, put the QR on badges and slides, and let people join a poll through the web. Many download when they see a practical reason, like the schedule.
Want this running inside your event app?
Sociana turns lists like this into live screens, requests and reminders for your guests and your desk. A 20-minute walkthrough shows how.