Exhibitor Checklist Generator

Generate a personalized, phased trade show preparation checklist — built from your actual show details, not a generic template with 80% items that don't apply to you.

A good exhibitor checklist is one people actually use. That means: items specific to this show, owners assigned to real functions (not vague "team"), deadlines that are concrete, and a format that works in whatever project management tool the team is using.

When this skill triggers:

• Use it once the team knows enough about the show to start real execution planning
• Use it after budget approval or when a show is likely enough that owners and deadlines matter
• Do not use it for cost modeling; use trade-show-budget-planner for that

Example Requests

• Create our trade show prep checklist
• 生成展会准备清单
• Messe-Checkliste erstellen
• 出展チェックリストを作成
• lista de preparación para feria

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Context

Extract from the user's request. Ask only for what's missing and needed to customize the output.

Required:

• Show name and dates (or approximate timeframe)
• Booth size (sqm or sqft, and type: shell scheme vs. custom build)
• Team size traveling (affects logistics, staffing, and shift planning)
• Primary goal(s): lead generation, product launch, brand awareness, distributor meetings, market entry

Helpful:

• First-time exhibitor or returning? (first-timers need more granular steps)
• Booth location already assigned? (if yes, skip booth selection tasks)
• Shipping origin country (for international shows, customs timelines shift significantly)
• Lead capture system: manual cards, badge scanner rental, CRM-integrated app
• Any special booth elements: AV, demo units, live product demos, hosted meetings

If show dates are not given, generate relative deadlines ("8 weeks before show" instead of a calendar date).

If the user names an edition without dates, verify the current organizer page before calculating calendar deadlines. Keep organizer cutoffs separate from estimated planning lead times. If dates cannot be verified, use relative deadlines and identify the missing source.

Compare deadlines with today's date in the user's timezone. For a show less than eight weeks away, turn elapsed tasks into a short-notice triage plan: mark Overdue / feasibility to confirm, prioritize remaining critical work, and use achievable future dates. Do not assign a past date as an actionable deadline or promise that freight or production can still arrive. If the show has ended, confirm whether the user means the next edition or a post-show workflow.

Step 2: Build the Checklist

Output three phases. Adapt the items based on what you know about the user's situation — skip items that obviously don't apply, add items that clearly do.

---

Phase 1: 8+ Weeks Before Show

Strategic and logistical foundations. Delays here compound into problems later.

Focus areas:

• Booth space confirmation and contract
• Booth design brief and supplier selection (custom) or shell scheme order (shell)
• Product/demo selection and demo script planning
• Staff selection and travel booking
• Pre-show marketing planning (invite campaign, social, PR)
• Competitor and exhibitor research
• Lead capture system selection

---

Phase 2: 2–4 Weeks Before Show

Execution phase. Decisions made in Phase 1 materialize here.

Focus areas:

• Booth graphics/signage finalize and order
• Staff training on booth script and product demos
• Pre-show invite campaign launch (email, LinkedIn)
• Giveaway/swag production confirmed and on-order
• Shipping logistics: pack list, freight booking, customs docs (international)
• Lead capture system configured and tested
• Hotel and ground transport confirmed
• Demo units staged and tested
• Meeting scheduling with key targets

---

Phase 3: Show Week

Execution and on-site. Includes day-before setup and post-show day-1 wrap.

Focus areas:

• Booth setup (move-in day)
• Staff briefing: goals, scripts, lead qualification process
• Daily: lead batch review each evening, hot leads escalated
• Daily: booth supply check (materials, power, giveaways)
• Final day: pack-down, return freight, lead list export
• Day after show: hot lead follow-up triggered (within 24 hours)

---

Step 3: Format the Output

Every checklist item must follow this exact format for copy-paste compatibility:

- [ ] [Task description] | Owner: [Role] | Deadline: [X weeks before show / specific date]

Use role names, not person names — "Marketing Manager", not "Sarah". This makes the checklist reusable across shows.

Group items under clear phase and sub-section headers. Use H2 for phase, H3 for sub-section. This renders correctly in Notion, Linear, GitHub, and most project tools.

Tone: action-oriented, direct. Start every item with a verb.

Step 4: Add Logistics Notes

After the checklist, add a short Key Deadlines Summary and First-Timer Notes if applicable:

Key Deadlines Summary (only items where missing the deadline causes cascade failures):

• Custom booth build: order 8–10 weeks before
• International freight: book 4–6 weeks before, customs docs finalized 2 weeks before
• Badge scanner rental: book 4+ weeks before (often sells out at major shows)
• Pre-show invite campaign: launch 3–4 weeks before

First-Timer Notes (only if flagged as first-time exhibitor):

• Shell scheme vs. custom build: first timers should almost always start with shell scheme
• Booth staff ratio: plan for 1 staff per 4–5 sqm of booth space per day
• Move-in day: arrive early — priority move-in windows fill fast

Critical Path Summary:

• [3-5 items most likely to derail the show if missed]

Next-Step Handoff:

• Use booth-invitation-writer for outbound meeting generation
• Use booth-script-generator for staff prep once the message and demo plan are clear
• Use post-show-followup to pre-plan day-after-show lead response before the event starts

Quality Checks

Before delivering results:

• Every checklist item must start with a verb (Confirm, Book, Finalize, Send, Test, etc.)
• Every item must have an Owner role and a Deadline — no exceptions
• If show dates are known, use calendar dates for Phase 3 and work back to absolute dates for Phases 1–2
• Do not include items that the user has already confirmed are done (e.g., "Booth space already assigned" → skip those items)
• If the show is international and shipping origin wasn't provided, add a note flagging customs timeline uncertainty
• First-time exhibitors should get more granular steps in Phase 1 (e.g., "Research shell scheme vs. custom build options" as a separate step, not assumed knowledge)
• The Key Deadlines Summary must be genuinely concise — if the cascade-failure items have already been addressed, omit or shorten it
• Include at least one lead-capture / follow-up preparation item and one staff-briefing item for standard exhibitor workflows