Sponsors With Purchased Hosted Meetings
Insider’s Guide to a Successful Meetup Experience at Shoptalk Fall 2026
Define Success in Advance: Maximize Your ROI Before, During & After the Event
Welcome to your Insider’s guide, designed to help sponsors maximize their Meetup experience by preparing effectively for the pre-scheduling process. As a participant with hosted meetings, you will be scheduling meetings on an individual basis, giving you the opportunity to connect directly with your top-priority accounts ahead of the event.By following the guidance below, you can optimize your profile, target the right connections, and make the most of the Request and Opt-in stages to build a high-quality, personalized meeting schedule in advance.
Your Meetup journey starts here!
REGISTER YOUR TICKETS
The main point of contact for your organisation will receive a unique registration link from [email protected], which will direct them to your dedicated sponsor area in the registration portal. Only one individual per company can manage this. All tickets must be registered by Friday, August 21st. Only registered attendees will be able to access the Meetup platform when it opens from August 24th. The main point of contact can either register tickets directly or invite the team to register themselves.
ASSIGN A SPONSOR ADMIN FOR MEETUP
The Sponsor Admin is the main point of contact and is automatically assigned. They will receive an email from [email protected] with a link to log in to the Meetup platform and complete your organization items.
Follow the instructions in the email link to generate your password and log in to your account.
For admin access in Meetup: To act as an admin for your team, you must be added as an Assistant on your registration form. This allows the admin to receive an email from [email protected] with a login link, generate their password, and access the Meetup platform to complete the required stages on behalf of the team as needed.
Essentially, this enables the admin to manage the process securely by accessing the relevant account and completing the necessary organisation items.
ASSIGN MEETING REPS FOR MEETUP
Meeting Reps are individuals who take both your paid-for Hosted meetings and general meetings. Only the Sponsor Admin can assign Meeting Reps.
To do this, the Sponsor Admin must log in using the link sent from [email protected]. Follow the instructions in the email link to generate your password and log in to your account.
Once logged in, follow the instructions provided on the organization dashboard.
Note: Switch the toggle next to the relevant individual to confirm the role change.
MARK YOUR TOP ACCOUNTS
During the pre-scheduling process, at the Request and Opt-in stage, make sure to mark your top-priority accounts as “Super Relevant”, these are prioritised above “Relevant” requests, helping you secure the meetings that matter most!
HOW MANY REQUESTS SHOULD MEETING REPS MAKE?
Make as many requests with people you are interested in—there is no limit! We suggest submitting a minimum of four meeting requests for every timeslot you are available for e.g. if you are available for all 16 Meetup timeslots then make 64+ requests.
HOW THE PRE-SCHEDULING ALGORITHM WORKS
The pre-scheduling system uses your actions, so the more requests you make and opt-ins accepted, gives the algorithm more to work with, increasing your chances of a full, high-value schedule while also factoring in availability and prioritization too!
Each attendee has up to 16 meeting slots. Your Hosted meetings connect you with key retailers and consumer brands and are prioritized. The general meetings are scheduled based on availability, driven by your requests and opt-ins made.
- KNOW YOUR PITCH: Be clear, concise, and focused on the value you bring and the problem you solve.
- BRING THE PRODUCT TO LIFE: Use strong proof points, i.e. case studies, metrics, or a short demo.
- SHOW SENIOR COMMITMENT: Have decision-makers take the meetings to signal intent and credibility.
- STRUCTURE YOUR 15 MINUTES: Set objectives, stay focused, and end with clear next steps.
- BE MEMORABLE: Agree follow-ups and share materials that keep you top of mind
Complete your feedback and through the platform, you’ll be able to access the contact details of everyone you connected with during the Meetup program, so you can continue conversations post event immediately.
