Pre-Event Outreach Sequence

Use this sequence when reaching out to target accounts before an event — whether you are attending, sponsoring, or hosting. Pre-event outreach should start 4-6 weeks before the event and aim to book meetings or at least establish name recognition so your booth or dinner invitation lands with context. SDRs and AEs should split the target list by account ownership.

Sequence Overview

Step	Type	Timing	Goal
1	Email + LinkedIn	5-6 weeks before event	Introduce, invite to meet at the event
2	Email	3-4 weeks before event	Add value, confirm interest
3	Email	1-2 weeks before event	Lock in a specific meeting time
4	Email + LinkedIn	3-5 days before event	Final confirmation or last-chance invite

Target List Preparation

Before launching the sequence, build a prioritized list of prospects who will be at the event.

How to Identify Event Attendees

Source	How to Access
Event attendee list (if available)	Request from event organizers — some share the list with sponsors
Social media signals	Search LinkedIn for “excited to attend {{event name}}” or check the event hashtag
Speaker list	All speakers will be there — high-value outreach targets
Exhibitor list	Employees of exhibiting companies are confirmed attendees
Past attendee data	If this is a recurring event, pull last year’s attendee list from CRM
Company announcements	Check if target accounts posted about attending on their company LinkedIn page
Account intelligence	Use your data enrichment tools to identify contacts at target accounts who fit the persona

Target Prioritization

Priority	Criteria	Action
Tier 1	Active opportunity or recent inbound lead who is attending	AE sends personal email, books meeting
Tier 2	Target account on your ABM list who is attending	SDR sends sequence, aims for meeting
Tier 3	ICP-fit contact found on attendee list but no prior relationship	SDR sends sequence, aims for booth visit or coffee chat

Step 1: Initial Outreach (5-6 Weeks Before Event)

Email — Subject line options:

• {{event_name}} — let's meet up
• Will you be at {{event_name}}?
• Quick meeting at {{event_name}}?

Body:

Hi {{first_name}},

I noticed {{signal — e.g., “you’re speaking at {{event}}” or “{{company}} is exhibiting at {{event}}” or “you attended {{event}} last year”}}.

I’ll be there too — we’re {{your context — e.g., “sponsoring and running a workshop on {{topic}}” or “hosting a dinner for {{persona}} leaders on {{date}}”}}.

Given what {{company}} is doing with {{relevant initiative or challenge}}, I think there’s a useful conversation to have about {{specific topic}}.

Would you have 20 minutes to meet during the event? I’m flexible on timing — happy to work around your schedule.

{{signature}}

LinkedIn action (same day):

• View their profile
• Send connection request if not connected: “Hi {{first_name}} — I’ll be at {{event_name}} too. Would be great to connect and maybe meet up.”
• If already connected: Like or comment on a recent post

Step 2: Value-Add Follow-Up (3-4 Weeks Before)

Subject: Re: {{original subject}}

Body:

Hi {{first_name}},

Following up on my note about {{event_name}}.

In the meantime, I thought this would be relevant given your role at {{company}}: {{resource — link to a blog post, benchmark, or template from your site}}.

The section on {{specific part}} maps closely to the challenges I hear from {{persona}} teams at companies in your space.

Still keen to meet at the event if you’re open to it. What does your schedule look like on {{day 1}} or {{day 2}}?

{{signature}}

Link to something genuinely useful from your blog or templates library — not a product brochure.

Step 3: Meeting Lock-In (1-2 Weeks Before)

Subject: Re: {{original subject}}

Body:

Hi {{first_name}},

{{event_name}} is coming up fast — {{X}} days out.

I have a few meeting slots open:

• {{Day 1}}, {{time}} — {{location suggestion, e.g., “coffee at the venue café”}}
• {{Day 1}}, {{time}} — {{location}}
• {{Day 2}}, {{time}} — {{location}}

Any of these work? If another time is better, send me what works and I’ll make it happen.

Looking forward to it.

{{signature}}

Key rules for this email:

• Offer 3 specific time slots
• Suggest a specific location (lobby, café, booth #, nearby restaurant)
• Keep it short — they have already seen two emails with context
• Include a calendar link if you use Calendly or similar

Step 4: Final Confirmation / Last-Chance Invite (3-5 Days Before)

For prospects who responded and booked a meeting:

Subject: Confirmed: {{day}}, {{time}} at {{event_name}}

Hi {{first_name}},

Just confirming our meeting at {{event_name}}:

When: {{day}}, {{time}} Where: {{location}} What: Quick chat about {{topic}} — I’ll come prepared with a couple of things relevant to {{company}}.

My mobile is {{number}} — text me if anything changes on the day.

See you there.

{{signature}}

For prospects who did not respond to Steps 1-3:

Subject: Last chance — {{event_name}}

Hi {{first_name}},

One more try before the event — I understand schedules get packed.

If a formal meeting doesn’t work, I’d be happy to do a quick 5-minute hello at our booth ({{booth number}}) or grab coffee between sessions.

No agenda required — just putting a face to the name.

See you there.

{{signature}}

LinkedIn action (same day):

• Send a DM: “Looking forward to {{event_name}} this week. Let me know if you want to grab coffee — happy to share what we’re seeing with {{persona}} teams.”

Event Meeting Tracker

Track all pre-event outreach in a single sheet:

Contact	Company	Title	Priority	Email 1 Sent	Email 2 Sent	Email 3 Sent	Email 4 Sent	Meeting Booked	Meeting Time	Attended	Post-Event Follow-Up
{{name}}	{{co}}	{{title}}	Tier {{1/2/3}}	{{date}}	{{date}}	{{date}}	{{date}}	Y/N	{{time}}	Y/N	Assigned to {{name}}

Expected Metrics

Metric	Target
Outreach volume (per SDR)	30-50 prospects per event
Reply rate	15-25% (higher than cold — event context helps)
Meeting book rate	8-15% of prospects contacted
Meeting show rate	70-85% (in-person events are high-commitment)
Pipeline generated per event	{{$X}} — track in CRM with event source tag

Report event pipeline in your weekly GTM report and feed it into the event ROI calculator.

How to Customize

• For large conferences (5000+ attendees), start outreach 8 weeks before the event instead of 6. Competition for meeting slots is intense at big events, and the best prospects get booked early. Also consider hosting a side event (dinner, happy hour) to create an exclusive meeting context outside the conference chaos.
• For virtual events, adjust the meeting format from “coffee at the venue” to “15-minute Zoom before/after the event sessions.” Virtual events make meeting logistics easier but the commitment is lower, so expect 40-50% show rates instead of 70-85%.
• For events where you have a booth, add a “booth visit CTA” option in Steps 3 and 4 for prospects who will not commit to a formal meeting. A 3-minute booth conversation is better than no interaction. Brief your booth team on which Tier 1 prospects to watch for using the event marketing coordination tools.