TIPS &
TRICKS.
Practical advice on how to plan and run a great event during Nordic Tech Week — from first idea to post-event follow-up.
Hi, I'm Amalia!
Head of Events · Nordic Tech Week
I've been helping organizers put together events for almost 10 years, and I've seen what separates the ones that land from the ones that fall flat. It's rarely the venue or the speaker lineup.
Most of the time it comes down to the small things: did you brief your team? Did you test the AV? Did you follow up? The devil is in the details. And this checklist is built from the ones I've learned from during the years.
Go through it phase by phase. If you have questions, reach out.
Before
Planning phase4-8 weeks outDefine your goal
Decide what the event is for before deciding what it looks like. Recruiting? Brand awareness? Customer conversations? The goal determines guest list size, format, and how much you invest in follow-up. A 30-person roundtable and a 150-person mingle are different products. It's fine to be clear in your event text that "this event is for [X]".
Decide on curation
Who do you want to come, and should it be curated (apply to attend) or open-to-attend? That decides how you set up the Luma registrations. Make sure you collect the right data about your attendees. A lot of events already have a waitlist because the interest is so high.
Plan for no-shows
Take overbooking into account when you set your capacity. No-show rates during a busy week run at 30-50%.
Order merch on time
You don't have to, to make it a great event, but if you need specially designed t-shirts or stickers, don't forget to order them on time.
Set the agenda
During Nordic Tech Week, people stack events. If your event makes it clear when to be there (especially if you're running a stage program), your attendees will understand how to make the most out of your event, and the week.
Before
Final week7 days outStress-test your event info
Read your event info and go through the event location with an attendee's eyes. Is it clear how to enter the building? What floor to go to? Write those things in an email that goes out the day before or the same day as the event (you can send blasts to all attendees through Luma), and prep your event venue with signs for toilets or in the staircase/elevator.
Set up reminders
All events have 2 automatic reminders sent out in Luma: one the day before, one 1 hour before the event. If you need to send out more reminders, you can do that through the blast functionality.
Brief your team
Ensure your team is involved and know what to do during the event. Staff who cluster together and talk to each other is the most common failure mode at hosted events. Give each person a job: door, introductions, specific guests to look after.
Do a tech run
Do a tech run if there's any AV at all. Projector, clicker, mic, the HDMI adapter nobody has.
Buy last-minute things
Balloons, nametags, a hat that's going to set you apart as an organizer.
During
Start on time (give or take 10-15 min)
During NTW people are stacking multiple events per evening and will leave if you run late.
Staff the door
Have someone whose only job is the door for the first 45 minutes. First impressions are made in the entryway, and a confused guest at a locked door doesn't come back.
Take photos
We know, you as an organizer often get overwhelmed. Make sure that somebody is responsible, and if possible, get a professional camera or photographer.
After
Send a thank-you within 48 hours
Include one concrete thing: slides, a photo album, an offer, a link to what you announced. "Thanks for coming" alone gets deleted.
Follow up individually
Follow up with the 5-10 people who matter most within the same window. This is where the actual ROI of the event lives, and it's the step most organizers skip.
Post a public recap
Tag NTW and your speakers or partners. It extends the event's life and it's the proof you'll use to justify hosting again next year.
Debrief internally
Do a 30-minute internal debrief while memory is fresh: attendance vs. registrations, what you'd change, whether the goal was met. Write it down — you'll host again in a year and remember nothing.
Ready to get started?
Create your event on Luma and email us the link.