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Planner’s Checklist

Conference Arrival Date: __________

Check off each item below as they are completed:

12+ Months in Advance

  • Determine a practical budget for the type of conference you would like to plan.
  • Set preferred and optional conference dates.
  • Realistically determine how many participants you anticipate and how many will need housing. Keep in mind, overestimating these numbers could become very costly.
  • Ascertain the number of meeting rooms and what sizes you will need. Include all breakouts and catered functions.
  • Submit your inquiry to Berkeley Events and Conferences. 

6-12 Months in Advance

  • Provide all appropriate billing and contact information.
  • Schedule a site visit with your coordinator.
  • Review our Terms & Conditions.
  • Submit deposit payment 2 weeks after deposit invoice received.
  • Submit Signed Contract 2 weeks after contract received.
  • Provide a copy of conference marketing materials to your coordinator.

2-3 Months in Advance

  • Discuss catering/special meal needs with your coordinator.
  • Submit Major Event Policy Form, if applicable.
  • Provide a preliminary program schedule.
  • Send correspondence to your guests, speakers, and staff about any parking needs they may have.
  • Send correspondence to your guests, speakers, and staff about any dietary restrictions they may have. Please communicate this information to your coordinator.
  • Start thinking about the audio visual equipment you’ll need. Include the needs of any guest speakers and/or exhibitors at your event.

30 Days in Advance

  • Submit catering/special meal requests and menus.
  • Provide finalized meeting space setup needs, including diagrams.
  • Communicate all parking needs to your coordinator.
  • Submit all audio visual requests (unless you’re bringing your own equipment).
  • Determine a date for the pre-conference briefing with your coordinator. This briefing will occur after the Housing and Rooming Lists have been submitted, but before the group move-in date.
  • Submit a Certificate of Insurance to your coordinator.
  • Confirm housing check-in and check-out times and locations with your coordinator.

2 Weeks in Advance

  • Submit your Housing and Rooming Lists.
  • Final accommodations pre-payment due. Prepayment charges are based on the number of people on the Housing List, or 80% of your final contracted number of people (whichever is greater) multiplied by the accommodations package rates, less the deposit.
  • Include Early Arrivals and/or Late Departures on your Housing and Rooming Lists.
  • Provide final list of commuting guests that will need Commuter meal cards. This number can increase, based on availability, but it cannot decrease.
  • Provide accurate count of single-use guest meal cards for the duration of your conference. Please consider how many meals you will be providing for each of your non-resident guests.
  • Provide your coordinator with a final conference itinerary.
  • Submit all Berkeley Catering To-Go orders to your coordinator.

4 Days in Advance

Limited additions and deletions to the Housing List can be made 3 days prior to move-in. To avoid No Show charges, all cancellations must be communicated to your coordinator.

Conference Departure Date: ___________

*Full payment of the conference account is due approximately 3 weeks after you receive your final bill.