Business Conference Packing List

Most conferences are business casual: tailored trousers or chinos, collared shirts or knit tops, a blazer, and dresses or skirts that work with flats. Check the event website for exceptions, such as a black-tie gala or an outdoor networking evening, and pack one outfit a step dressier than your daytime look for receptions and client dinners.

Footwear decides how you feel by day three. Expect to walk long exhibit halls and stand through receptions, so bring two pairs of broken-in shoes and alternate them. Session rooms are often heavily air-conditioned, so a blazer or light sweater over a breathable top handles both the room and the walk outside.

Speakers should carry the presentation three ways: on the laptop, in the cloud and on a USB drive, plus display adapters and a presentation remote in case the venue doesn’t supply them. Visit the speaker-ready room early to test your slides on the venue’s equipment.

Exhibitors should follow the exhibitor kit’s shipping deadlines for booth materials and carry anything critical in a carry-on: a small tool kit, cable ties, an extension cord, sample collateral and a spare shirt. Our meetings and events travel service coordinates travel for teams attending or exhibiting, and our guide to booking group air for events covers getting everyone there.

Pack a refillable water bottle, a few protein snacks and electrolyte packets, since long sessions and back-to-back receptions make it easy to skip meals and drink too little water. Mints, blister plasters and a pain reliever earn their place in your day bag.

If you’re crossing time zones, arrive a day early and use our jet lag planner to shift your sleep before you fly. Our meeting planner helps you schedule calls with colleagues back home at sensible hours.