Medical congress planning checklist for Pakistan

A medical congress brings together organising committees, scientific faculty, sponsors, exhibitors and delegates—each with different priorities. The checklist below is a starting point for planning one in Pakistan. Adapt it to your society’s requirements and your sponsors’ internal policies.

Six or more months out

• Confirm dates against other national and international congresses in the same specialty.
• Agree the scientific committee, decision-makers and approval stages.
• Shortlist venues with enough plenary, breakout and exhibition space.
• Draft the sponsorship and exhibition prospectus.
• Set the registration model, categories and fees.

Three to six months out

• Finalise the scientific programme and invite faculty.
• Book faculty travel and accommodation, including any international speakers.
• Open registration and abstract submission if applicable.
• Confirm exhibition floor plan and allocate booths.
• Brief production: stage, LED, sound, interpretation if required.

Final six weeks

• Collect and check speaker presentations against the screen format.
• Confirm catering numbers and dietary requirements.
• Prepare badges, delegate kits and signage.
• Run a full site visit with venue, production and security teams.
• Agree contingency plans for power, connectivity, weather and travel delays.

On site

Have one show-caller controlling timings across all halls, a dedicated faculty desk, and a clear escalation route for the organising committee. Keep a speaker-ready room where presenters can check slides well before their session.

A note on compliance

Pharmaceutical sponsors usually apply their own codes of practice to hospitality, sponsorship and materials. Build their review time into the plan early rather than discovering it a week before the event.