How to Create Event-Based Campaigns in AiSDR

Last updated: June 12, 2026

Events are one of the most natural reasons to reach out. When a prospect is already thinking about a conference, summit, or trade show, a message that connects to that moment doesn't feel like cold outreach, it feels timely. That's why event-based campaigns tend to drive some of the strongest engagement and conversion rates we see.

This guide walks you through every way to build an event campaign in AiSDR, who it works for, and how to write messaging that lands.

Two ways to think about event outreach

1. You're attending or hosting an event. This is the most direct play. You build a campaign around an event you'll be at, reach out to people who are (or are likely) attending, and use that shared context to start conversations and book meetings on-site or around the event.

2. You're not attending but your prospects are. This works surprisingly well too. You research relevant upcoming events in your space and target companies likely to attend. Because those prospects are already focused on topics close to what you offer, you tend to get more thoughtful replies and better conversations, even without being there yourself.

Either way, the setup inside AiSDR follows the same path: get your audience, then build your messaging around the event signal.

Step 1: Get your list of attendees

You have three options depending on what data you already have.

Option A — You already have a list

If you're attending an event and already have a list of attendees (or people likely to attend), you can simply upload it. AiSDR accepts:

  • A CSV file, or

  • A HubSpot or Salesforce list synced directly from your CRM.

If your list isn't complete — say you only have names and companies, or just company names, that's fine. AiSDR will enrich it for you. You can upload either a leads list (individual people) or a companies list, and we'll find the rest of the contact and firmographic data needed to run outreach.

This is the fastest route when you've registered for an event and have the attendee roster or a target account list in hand.

Option B — You don't have a list, so search for attendees inside AiSDR

If you don't have a ready list of attendees, you can find them directly in AiSDR using Live AI Search.

The key is to phrase your query around three things:

  1. The type of decision-makers you want (role, seniority, industry),

  2. The location of the event (this alone is usually enough to surface relevant people), and

  3. An optional event signal — any sign that they or their company posted about, shared, or attended the event this year or in past years.

Here's an example query you can adapt:

"Decision-makers in recruitment in California that have posted about SaaS Conference 2026, or they / their company shared about attending this or previous years."

A few tips on building these queries:

  • Start with the persona ("decision-makers/ leaders in recruitment," "VPs of Sales," "Heads of Talent").

  • Add the event's location as the geography. Most attendees are local or travel there, so location does a lot of the targeting work on its own.

  • Layer in the event signal when you want to tighten the list to people who've explicitly shown interest — posts about attending, sharing the event, or having gone in prior years.

The more specific your persona and signal, the warmer the resulting list.

Option C — A hybrid

You can also combine the two: upload a partial list of known attendees and use Live AI Search to expand it with similar profiles in the same location and space.

Step 2: Write your messaging

Your messaging should change depending on how confident you are that the person is actually attending. There are two scenarios.

Scenario 1 — You know 100% they're attending

When you're certain (for example, they're on the official attendee list), you can be direct and propose meeting up. The goal is to book a specific time or get on their radar before the event.

Sample template:

Subject: Catching up at {{Event Name}}?

Hi {{First Name}},

I saw {{you're / your team is}} going to be at {{Event Name}} in {{City}} next month — we'll be there too.

A lot of {{their role / industry}} teams we work with are tackling {{specific pain point}}, and {{Company}} came to mind. I'd love to grab 15 minutes while we're both there to swap notes — no pitch, just a useful conversation.

Are you around on {{Day}} or {{Day}}? Happy to come to you, or meet near the venue.

Looking forward to it, {{Your Name}}

Why it works: it leads with the shared context, keeps the ask small and specific, and offers concrete times so it's easy to say yes.

Scenario 2 — They might be attending

When you're targeting people who are likely attending (based on location, industry, or past attendance) but not confirmed, your message should reference the event more softly. You're testing interest, not assuming.

Sample template:

Subject: Will you be at {{Event Name}}?

Hi {{First Name}},

{{Event Name}} is coming up in {{City}}, and I noticed {{a relevant signal — your team works in this space / you've shared about it before / it's right in your backyard}}. Are you planning to go this year?

Either way, it's top of mind for {{their role / industry}} folks right now because of {{topic the event covers}} — which is exactly where we help teams with {{your value prop}}.

If you're attending, I'd love to say hi. If not, happy to share a few takeaways we're seeing on {{topic}} that might be useful regardless.

Best, {{Your Name}}

Why it works: it opens with a genuine question rather than an assumption, gives the prospect an easy reason to reply whether or not they're going, and keeps the door open with a value-add for non-attendees.

Step 3: Consider hosting your own event around the main one

One of the highest-ROI moves is to host a smaller event alongside a larger one — a dinner, happy hour, or small roundtable timed around the main conference.

This works because the people who say yes are often the most qualified leads: they're already in town for the event, already engaged with the topic, and a relaxed setting makes it much easier to exchange experiences, build rapport, and naturally share what your solution does. It turns cold outreach into warm, in-person relationships.

You can build a campaign specifically to invite your target list to this side event, using the same audience-building steps above and an invitation-style message in place of the meeting request.