What should you take to a conference or trade show?
Short answer: 21 items, from breath mints through to spare tote bag for the inevitable swag. The complete Conference / Trade Show checklist is written out below — and the exact same 21 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Conference / Trade Show checklist — all 21 items
- Breath mints
- Business cards packed before you leave, not after
- Comfortable shoes (you will walk further than expected)
- Company brochures or one-pagers if exhibiting
- Elevator pitch practised out loud beforehand
- Expense receipts folder started from the first taxi ride
- Follow-up email templates drafted in advance
- Hotel and travel confirmations saved offline in case wifi drops
- Laptop charger and any adapter needed for the venue
- Layered clothing for unpredictable venue air-con
- LinkedIn app ready to connect on the spot
- List of people you specifically want to meet
- Name badge and registration confirmation printed
- Notebook and pen for sessions
- Notes app set up to log who you met and why
- Painkillers for the end-of-day headache
- Portable phone charger
- Reusable water bottle
- Schedule of sessions saved offline
- Snacks in your bag for long gaps between meals
- Spare tote bag for the inevitable swag
A conference is a marathon disguised as meetings: ten hours a day on your feet, phone dying by 2pm, and every conversation ending in 'have you got a card?' The people who look effortless there packed for it — power banks, comfortable shoes, and something to capture leads that isn't a soggy napkin.
This checklist covers the working-event kit: badge and registration confirmations, cards and lead capture, chargers for everything, layers for arctic aircon, and the follow-up system for when you're home. Whether you're attending or staffing a booth, tick through it the night before and work the room instead of surviving it.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "power bank" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you take to a conference or trade show?
You need 21 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from breath mints through to spare tote bag for the inevitable swag — and the same 21 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=conference%20%2F%20trade%20show opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Conference / Trade Show list (21 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.