The Floor - by EventReps
The Event Floor Checklist
Two versions. One for the rep doing the work. One for the leader doing it too - while watching everyone else do it.
Most pre-event content tells you what to pack, how to set up the booth, and which sessions to attend. That's not what this is.
This checklist is for the floor - the hours when the show is open, the room is loud, and every conversation either moves something forward or doesn't. It's for booth reps who want to be deliberate about how they work, and for sales leaders who understand that managing a team at a show is different from managing a team anywhere else.
The floor doesn't reward preparation. It rewards preparation that was actually about the floor.
Use the rep version if you're running conversations. Use the leader version if you're running conversations and watching your team run them at the same time - which is a harder job, and one that deserves its own checklist.
Booth rep checklist
Day-of. You're on. Here's what matters.
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Before doors open
Walk the booth before anyone arrivesKnow where everything is. No fumbling in front of prospects.
Confirm your opening line out loudNot in your head. Say it. It sounds different when you say it.
Know the two questions you're leading with todayNot five. Two. Have them decided before the floor opens.
Review the target accounts on your listIf they walk in, you recognize them. That's the goal.
During conversations
Lead with a question, not a pitchYou're qualifying, not presenting. Save the pitch for when it earns its place.
Get their role before you go deepA title is not a role. Find out what they actually own.
Listen for timeline signals"We're evaluating now" and "thinking about next year" are different conversations.
Tie your close to a specific next stepNot "let's stay in touch." A date, a demo, a call - something real.
Note your honest impression immediately afterMemory fades. Write one sentence while it's fresh.
Energy and focus
Step away from the booth every 90 minutesWalk, water, reset. Flat energy kills conversations.
Chase every badge - disqualify earlyThe goal is zero missed opportunities - not zero conversations. Spot someone outside your ICP fast and exit cleanly.
Re-anchor your goal at middayBusy days drift. Pause and ask: am I doing the right work?
End of day
Tier your leads before you leave the floorHot goes cold fast. Sort them now, not tomorrow morning.
Flag the conversations that need same-day follow-upSomeone said "reach out tonight" - hold yourself to it.
Note what worked and what didn'tOne line each. You'll thank yourself on day two.
Reset the booth for tomorrowYou're the last impression of today and the first impression of tomorrow.
Sales leader checklist
You're not above the floor today. You're on it - and you're watching everyone else on it at the same time.
Your game Things you do as a rep
Your team Things you do as a leader
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Before doors open
Your teamBrief the team on today's priority targetsNot the full list. The two or three that matter most today.
Your teamAssign roles and zones before doors openConfusion at the booth is visible to prospects. Own it before it owns you.
Your gameConfirm your own opening line out loudYou're holding your team to a standard. Make sure you can meet it yourself.
Your gameKnow the two questions you're leading with todaySame expectation you have for your reps. Hold yourself to it.
On the floor
Your gameWork your own conversations - fullyNot half-conversations while you scan the booth. When you're in it, be in it.
Your gameLead with a question, not a pitchYou're modeling the behavior. Every conversation you have is a live demonstration.
Your teamWatch the first few conversations without interveningDiagnose patterns, not incidents. You're looking for tendencies, not mistakes.
Your teamTrack how fast reps are qualifying vs. pitchingPitching in the first 60 seconds is a coaching flag. Note it, don't interrupt it.
Your teamStep in to model - not rescue - when a rep is stuckThere's a difference. Modeling shows them how. Rescuing just takes over. Know which one you're doing.
Your gameDocument your own leads immediately after each conversationYou can't ask your team to do something you won't do in front of them.
Midday
Your teamPull the team for a 10-minute resetOne thing working, one thing to fix. Not a debrief. A recalibration.
Your gameCheck your own energy, not just your team'sLeaders read the room but forget to read themselves. If you're flat, they feel it.
Your gameRe-anchor your own goal for the afternoonYou drifted into manager mode all morning. Get back on the floor with intention.
End of day
Your gameTier your own leads before you leaveSame standard. Same urgency. No exceptions because you were busy managing.
Your teamReview lead tiers with each rep - gut check, not approvalDo their A leads actually sound like A leads? Push back if they don't.
Your teamName one specific thing each rep did well todayNot "great job." Name the moment. They'll repeat it tomorrow.
Your teamIdentify one coaching focus per rep for tomorrowVague feedback helps nobody. Name the behavior, not the result.
