ASM Training
Event Production

Event Production

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Conference Production Strategy
How to design and structure a conference program that attracts the right audience, supports commercial objectives, and positions the event as a must-attend experience in its market.
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About this program

A conference succeeds or fails at the production stage. The topics chosen, the structure of the program, the balance of sessions, and the narrative that runs through the event from opening to close — these decisions shape everything that follows. A poorly produced conference creates problems that no amount of sales effort or marketing spend can fix. A well-produced conference makes every other commercial activity easier and more effective.

This program covers the full strategic role of the conference producer, from researching industry trends and identifying commercially relevant topics through to developing a program that attracts the right audience, supports organizational objectives, and creates the conditions for strong sponsorship, exhibition, and delegate sales. It treats conference production not as a creative function separate from the business, but as the commercial foundation on which the entire event depends.

The objective is to develop conference producers who think strategically as well as creatively, who understand the commercial implications of every content decision they make, and who can consistently produce events that attract the right audience, deliver genuine value, and meet their financial targets year after year.

What this covers
  • Researching industry trends, emerging challenges, and competitor events to identify topics that resonate with the target audience and differentiate the event
  • Developing compelling and commercially relevant topics that differentiate the event and make it a priority for the target audience
  • Developing a comprehensive program structure that balances keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking to maintain audience engagement throughout
  • Aligning program content with the organization's commercial objectives, including sponsorship categories, delegate target markets, and exhibition opportunities
  • Understanding how topic and session choices directly affect sponsorship revenue potential and delegate acquisition results
  • Managing the production timeline and coordinating with sales, marketing, and operations to keep the event aligned commercially and operationally
  • Preparing and delivering the sales brief that gives the delegate and sponsorship sales teams the commercial intelligence they need to sell effectively
  • Evaluating program performance after each event to improve topic selection, structure, and commercial alignment for future editions
Who this is for
Conference Producers Production Directors Event Directors Content Director Association Event Managers Corporate Event Directors Anyone responsible for conference program development
Sales & Influence Skills for Conference Producers
Conference producers sell every day, whether they realize it or not. From securing speakers and developing content to influencing stakeholders and overcoming objections, this program develops the sales and influence skills that strengthen every stage of the production process.
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About this program

Most conference producers do not see themselves as sales professionals. Yet much of their role depends on their ability to influence decisions, create interest, overcome resistance, and secure commitments from people who are often busy, senior, and difficult to access. Whether securing a speaker, developing content, gaining internal support, or negotiating participation, production success depends on skills that are fundamentally commercial in nature.

This program focuses on the sales and influence skills that conference producers rarely receive formal training in. It covers how to reach decision-makers, navigate assistants and gatekeepers, establish credibility quickly, handle objections, ask the right questions, negotiate participation, and secure commitments professionally. The same principles that help sponsorship and delegate sales professionals succeed can dramatically improve a producer's effectiveness when building a conference program.

The objective is to help conference producers become more effective communicators, negotiators, and influencers. Producers who develop these skills secure stronger speakers, build better industry relationships, create more compelling content, and ultimately produce events that perform better commercially and strategically.

What this covers
  • Understanding why sales and influence skills are critical to successful conference production and program development
  • Reaching senior executives, industry leaders, and subject matter experts by navigating assistants, gatekeepers, and internal filters professionally
  • Building credibility and establishing rapport quickly when approaching potential speakers and industry contributors
  • Presenting a compelling participation proposition that creates genuine interest and increases acceptance rates
  • Handling common objections professionally, including time constraints, competing priorities, topic concerns, and scheduling conflicts
  • Asking effective qualifying questions to determine relevance, commitment, and suitability before investing significant time and effort
  • Negotiating participation, expectations, and content requirements while protecting the objectives of the event
  • Applying proven sales and influence techniques to strengthen speaker acquisition, content development, and stakeholder engagement
Who this is for
Conference Producers Production Directors Event Directors Head of Content Association Event Managers Corporate Event Directors Anyone responsible for speaker acquisition and program development
The Conference Producer's Commercial Role
Great conference producers do more than build content. They understand how every decision about topics, speakers, and program structure affects delegate sales, sponsorship revenue, and the financial performance of the event.
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About this program

Most conference producers are hired because they can build strong content and compelling programs. The best producers go further. They understand how their decisions influence delegate attendance, sponsorship revenue, exhibitor interest, and the overall commercial performance of the event. Content and commercial results are not separate disciplines. They are directly connected.

This program focuses on the commercial responsibilities of the conference producer. It covers how to work effectively with delegate sales teams, how to prepare sales briefs that genuinely support commercial conversations, how to collaborate with sponsorship teams to create and strengthen revenue opportunities, and how to make production decisions that contribute to both audience growth and financial performance.

The objective is to develop producers who think beyond content development alone. Producers who understand the commercial impact of their decisions contribute more effectively to event performance, work more successfully across departments, and consistently help deliver stronger financial results.

What this covers
  • Understanding how content decisions influence delegate attendance, sponsorship revenue, exhibitor participation, and overall event performance
  • Preparing and delivering sales briefs that provide delegate and sponsorship sales teams with meaningful commercial intelligence
  • Supporting delegate sales efforts by helping teams understand the program, target audience, industry themes, and key selling points
  • Working with sponsorship teams to identify, develop, and strengthen commercial opportunities within the conference program
  • Applying commercial thinking when selecting topics, speakers, formats, and program structure
  • Understanding budget management, financial accountability, and revenue targets as part of the producer's role
  • Balancing audience value, content quality, and commercial objectives when making production decisions
  • Evaluating production decisions based not only on content quality but also on their impact on revenue, audience growth, and event performance
Who this is for
Conference Producers Production Directors Event Directors Head of Content Association Event Managers Corporate Event Directors Anyone in a production role who wants to develop stronger commercial skills
Event Execution & Post-Event Performance
Producing a strong conference program is only part of the producer's responsibility. This program covers how to deliver the event successfully on the day and how to use post-event analysis to improve future content, commercial performance, and attendee experience.
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About this program

The event day is the moment when months of planning are tested in real time. Every detail matters — the relationship with the venue, the coordination of speakers, the management of the running order, and the ability to resolve issues quickly and calmly without the audience ever noticing. Producers who are unprepared for the realities of on-the-day management risk undermining an event that was well produced on paper but poorly delivered in practice.

This program covers the full scope of conference execution, from final event preparation and speaker management through to sponsor delivery, attendee experience, and on-site decision-making. It also addresses the post-event activities that drive long-term success, including delegate feedback analysis, commercial performance evaluation, sponsor review, and identifying the improvements that strengthen future editions of the event.

The objective is to develop conference producers who manage the day with the same precision and professionalism they applied to the production process, and who treat every event as a learning opportunity that informs and improves the next one. Events that improve year on year do so because someone evaluated the performance honestly and acted on what they found.

What this covers
  • Managing venue, hotel, and supplier relationships to ensure the event is delivered professionally and according to plan
  • Coordinating speakers throughout the event, including final briefings, presentation management, timing control, and handling last-minute changes
  • Managing the event flow in real time to maintain audience engagement, session quality, and a positive attendee experience from opening to close
  • Anticipating and resolving operational, speaker, sponsor, or attendee issues quickly and professionally without disrupting the event experience
  • Ensuring sponsor, exhibitor, and partnership commitments are delivered as promised and contribute positively to the overall event experience
  • Collecting meaningful delegate, speaker, sponsor, and exhibitor feedback using methods that generate actionable insights
  • Evaluating event performance against attendance, content, sponsorship, exhibition, and financial objectives
  • Using post-event analysis to strengthen future topic selection, speaker recruitment, attendee experience, sponsorship opportunities, and overall event performance
Who this is for
Conference Producers Production Directors Event Directors Event Managers Association Event Managers Corporate Event Directors Anyone responsible for event day management and post-event analysis
Also Applicable Here
Core Business Skills
These programs apply across multiple roles, teams, and industries. They are included here because they directly support performance in this area.
Sales Pitch & Overcoming Objections
How to present more effectively, handle objections with confidence, and improve sales conversations across the full sales process.
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About this program

Most sales professionals spend years improving their product knowledge, industry knowledge, and technical expertise. Far fewer invest the same effort in developing the communication and sales skills that determine whether opportunities move forward or stall. As a result, many presentations become information exchanges rather than commercial conversations, objections feel harder than they should, and opportunities that seemed promising fail to convert for reasons that are never fully understood.

This program develops the full set of sales conversation skills that determine whether opportunities move forward or stall. It goes beyond presentation technique and focuses on how sales professionals manage the entire commercial conversation — from preparation and questioning through to presentation structure, objection handling, buying signals, urgency, and closing. It is built around the reality that most sales conversations do not fail because of product knowledge, but because the conversation itself is not structured or managed effectively. When sales professionals learn how to control the flow of the conversation, ask better questions, and respond to objections with clarity and confidence, they create more consistent outcomes and stronger commercial performance.

The objective is to develop sales professionals who can manage conversations with structure, clarity, and commercial intent at every stage of the sales process. This is not about scripts or rigid formulas. It is about understanding how each interaction influences the next, how decisions are actually made, and how to guide opportunities forward with confidence and consistency.

What this covers
  • Preparing effectively before sales presentations, meetings, and prospect conversations to improve clarity, focus, and commercial impact
  • Establishing credibility, trust, and commercial relevance early in the conversation to create stronger engagement from the start
  • Structuring sales presentations that maintain attention, improve clarity, and support decision-making throughout the conversation
  • Understanding the psychology behind objections and what prospects are really signalling during sales conversations
  • Handling objections with confidence, control, and consistency without losing momentum or weakening the commercial position
  • Using questions strategically to uncover buying motives, concerns, and decision criteria that drive real outcomes
  • Identifying buying signals and advancing opportunities with greater confidence and control throughout the sales process
  • Creating appropriate urgency based on real commercial drivers and moving conversations toward clear next steps and decisions
  • Strengthening confidence, resilience, and communication under pressure in real sales situations
  • Adapting communication style and approach across different buyer types, seniority levels, and commercial contexts
Who this is for
Sales Directors Sales Managers Business Development Managers Account Managers Commercial Directors Corporate Sales Professionals Business Owners Entrepreneurs Conference Producers Anyone responsible for presenting, selling, negotiating, or managing client conversations
Sales Team Building and Management
How to build, structure, and manage a high-performance commercial team.
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About this program

Over time, one thing becomes very clear inside commercial organizations. Strong sales performance rarely happens by accident. Some teams operate with structure, accountability, consistency, and clear communication. Others become reactive, lose visibility across the pipeline, and depend too heavily on a small number of individuals carrying the revenue target.

As commercial pressure increases, weaknesses in management, forecasting, follow up, recruitment, and team structure become far more visible. Without clear expectations and operational discipline, performance becomes inconsistent, difficult to measure, and difficult to scale over time.

This program focuses on the practical side of building and managing commercial teams. It covers structure, accountability, forecasting, coaching, communication, recruitment, reporting, and the management practices that help sales teams operate more consistently and perform at a higher commercial level.

What this covers
  • Defining the right commercial structure for sales teams and revenue responsibilities
  • Setting realistic targets, activity expectations, and performance measurement systems
  • Building accountability and stronger sales discipline across the team
  • Managing pipeline visibility, forecasting, and commercial reporting more effectively
  • Running productive sales meetings and performance reviews that improve execution
  • Strengthening one to one coaching, feedback, and ongoing sales development
  • Identifying performance gaps early and managing underperformance professionally
  • Managing motivation and consistency during difficult commercial cycles
  • Improving prioritization, focus, and day-to-day commercial productivity
  • Aligning team activity with wider business objectives and revenue strategy
  • Creating a stronger commercial culture focused on execution, ownership, and measurable results
Who this is for
VP Sales Commercial Directors Sales Directors Sales Managers Business Development Directors Business Development Managers Sponsorship Sales Directors Delegate Sales Directors Exhibition Sales Directors Sales Team Leaders Event Directors Business Owners Anyone responsible for managing commercial teams or revenue performance
Training
Structured programs for conference producers and event production teams, in-house, remote, or workshop format
Coaching
One-to-one or small group, for producers working through specific production or commercial challenges
Consulting
Strategic support on program design, commercial alignment, and production strategy
Ready to strengthen your event production performance?
Start with a diagnostic or get in touch directly. We will tell you honestly where to focus first.