Blueprint: How to Organize an Executive Dinner
A Field Tested Step-By-Step Guide for B2B Companies using ABM
Organizing an executive dinner is a highly effective way to build relationships, position your brand, and create valuable networking opportunities. But success comes from solid preparation and attention to detail. Here is a hands-on guide to help you set up a memorable, professional event.
1 - Event and Budget Planning
Start by defining a realistic budget.
For 30 people, plan between €3,500 and €6,000.
Your budget should cover food, beverages, venue, decoration, and a buffer for unforeseen costs.
⚠️ Keep in mind that even with confirmed RSVPs, typically only 50 to 80 percent of invitees will actually attend!
This helps avoid overcommitting on venue size and catering.
2 - Find Partners
Identify one or two co-hosting partners to share costs, for example €2,000 each. Partners should align with the dinner’s theme and target audience. This not only helps manage expenses but also adds credibility and reach when inviting guests.
3 - Set Date and Location
Choose a date that either connects with a larger industry event or allows for strong participation from senior leaders.
⚠️ Planning dinners around the time of a fair or bigger event can also come with risks. For example there might be other events at the same time, that compete against yours. Therefore it can make sense to unlink the dinner from events and plan it for a time when nothing else is up.
When selecting a restaurant, prioritize venues that:
Offer private or semi-private dining rooms
Are well-reviewed for business events
Provide professional service and a suitable ambiance for networking
4 - Event Preparation
Your goal as an event planner is to leave nothing to chance. The more you can prepare for your own company and for your partners, the better.
I can say from experience that the less people have to think, the fewer things can go wrong. 😉
Here is a checklist of things you should prepare:
Write a clear, concise event description for internal use and partner communications.
Build a guest list including full names, job titles, and emails.
Prepare a email invitation template that co-hosts can use (one for each partner).
Adding a visual banner to the email makes it more unique.
Create a meeting and share the calendar event with the invitation email
Share a google drive folder, including all assets with your partners
Event Description Template
Share this with your partner via Notion or any other Tool
Executive Dinner – powered by >>Your Company<<, >>Partner<< and >>Partner<<
📅 >>Date<<
🕕 >>Time<<
📍 >>Restaurant Name<<, >>City<<
On this special evening, 30 senior leaders from across the >>Your Industry<< sectors will come together for an engaging dinner with fresh perspectives and valuable networking opportunities.
Highlights of the evening:
🍽️ A private dinner with 30 hand-picked attendees
🎤 Three short talks from industry leaders — sharing practical experiences (5 min, insight-focused)
🍷 Lively discussions, excellent food, and new connections
Agenda:
1️⃣ >>Time<<: Arrival and welcome drinks
2️⃣ >>Time<<: Three quick talks offering actionable insights
3️⃣ >>Time<<: Dinner (starter, main, dessert) with changing seating and open dialogue
4️⃣ >>Time<<: End
Quick details:
📍 Venue: >>Restaurant Adress<<
📆 Date & Time: >>Date<< | Start: >>Time<< | Duration: ~4 hours
👥 Attendance: By invitation only | Up to 2 people per company
Email Invitation Template:
Subject: Invitation: Exclusive >>Your Industry<< Dinner on >>Date<< in >>City<<
Hi [FirstName],
I’'d like to invite you to our exclusive Executive Dinner on >>Date<< in >>City<< — an evening designed for meaningful networking and shared insights among >>Your Industry<< leaders.
What’s in store:
🍽️ A private dinner with 30 hand-picked attendees
🎤 Three short talks from industry leaders — sharing practical experiences (5 min, insight-focused)
🍷 Lively discussions, excellent food, and new connections
We’ll gather at >>Restaurant Name<<, offering a private dining experience in the heart of >>City<<.
📆 Date: >>Date<<
🕕 Time: >>Start Time<< (wrap-up by >>End Time<<)
📍 Location: >>Restaurant Name<<, >>Restaurant Adress<<
Could you let me know by >>Deadline<< if you’d like to join?
Looking forward to your reply!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
5 - Project Management and Day-of Agenda
At this stage, good project management is key.
Set up a WhatsApp group or similar chat for partners to keep communication fast, streamlined, and transparent.
The event planner should follow up regularly with internal teams like sales and customer success to ensure enough invitations have gone out and that guest confirmations are on track.
⚠️ As mentioned before, plan in that up to 50% of people won’t come, so I recommend you try to invite 10-20% more than your actual capacity.
Also check in with partners to align on guest lists and responsibilities.
Two to three days before the event, send out a reminder email to all confirmed guests.
6 - Follow Up
After the event, collect feedback from partners to understand what worked and how to improve for next time. This helps refine the format and strengthen future collaborations.
One more thing I would like to share:
Things don't always run smoothly. Sometimes a lot of unforeseen things come together and the event might not go as planned.
That's okay!
Planning a dinner always involves a certain amount of risk, as with any other event. Use such moments to learn for future events.
Translation of the screenshot:
Short feedback on the evening:
Location (food & staff) were really nice 10/10!
Very well chosen 👍:Learned a lot, especially about the invites etc.
None of the people we invited actually came 💀
Not all of the others came either. There were 15 people in total, 10 people from brands, 5 from the partners.
But it was still a very nice evening 😅
Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments, if this article was helpful. 🫶
Cheers
Valentin
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