1. Establish the Purpose and Target Audience
It's important to establish the purpose of your roundtable before contacting potential attendees. Ask yourself: 
 

• What are the most important themes or issues to be addressed? 

• Which market segments and industries are most applicable? 

• What level of seniority and expertise are needed to contribute to the discussion?
   

A clear purpose ensures that your invitees match the event's purpose and can effectively contribute to the discussion.
 

2. Create a Target List of Executives
After establishing the ideal attendee profile, build a target list of executives. Here's how:
 

• Leverage Professional Networks: Utilize LinkedIn Sales Navigator, company websites, and industry reports to find senior executives.

• Analyze Past Events: Scan visitor lists from past industry events to find engaged and influential executives.

• Seek Recommendations: Request recommendations from event partners, sponsors, and previous attendees to high-value invitees.

• Monitor Industry Trends: Look for executives who contribute to industry debates, keynote session speakers at conferences, or authors of thought leadership articles.
   

3. Qualify the Executives

Not all senior executives are suitable for your roundtable. To qualify them:
 

Measure Decision-Making Influence: Confirm invitees have the sway and know-how to participate meaningfully.
Check Industry Relevance: Put industry leaders first who match the event's topic, their firms, and roles.
Consider Levels of Engagement: Consider an executive's industry engagement levels in conversation, the caliber of thought leadership posts they make, and historical attendance records at similar events.
 

4. Design a Targeted Invitation Plan

Executives receive endless event invites, to get noticed. Customize your approach
 

• Make it Exclusive: Highlight that the roundtable is by invitation only and for a small group of leaders.

• Highlight the Value: State clearly what participants will take away—whether it's networking with peers, debating key industry issues, or influencing future strategies.

• Use Multi-Channel Outreach: Warm introductions via mutual contacts.

1. Personalized LinkedIn messages or InMails.

2. Email invitations with strong subject lines and a brief, compelling pitch.

3. Direct phone calls for high-priority invitees.

• Offer Special Perks: To increase appeal, offer pre-event briefings, VIP networking events, or a handpicked discussion agenda.
   

5. Involve and Get Commitment

After an executive shows interest, make sure to get their commitment:
 

Send Calendar Invites promptly: This boosts attendance rates and reminds them of the event.

Send a Detailed Agenda: A concise breakdown of the topics and the main participants generates anticipation.

Strategic Follow-up: Soft reminders through email or executive assistants ensure continued engagement.

Offer Pre-Event Material: Whitepapers, speaker profiles, and discussion questions keep executives interested and committed to coming.
 

6. Maximize Attendance with Last-Minute Fill-In

Even with planning, cancellations will occur. To avoid this:
 

Keep a Backup Roster: Have other executives lined up to invite if last-minute openings become available.

Leverage Real-Time Industry Knowledge: Keep current with news and trends to spot emerging leaders who would be an excellent addition.

Engage with Interested Prospects: Some executives may not confirm initially but could decide to join closer to the event date.
 

7. Post-Event Follow-Up for Long-Term Engagement

The relationship with attendees shouldn’t end after the event. Strengthen connections by:
 

Sending Thank-You Messages: A personalized note expressing appreciation reinforces goodwill.

Sharing Event Takeaways: Summaries of key discussions and insights provide continued value.

Encouraging Ongoing Participation: Invite participants to private executive communities, LinkedIn groups, or upcoming events to keep them engaged.
 

Final Thoughts
 

Here at DCMG we are finding and inviting the appropriate executives to your roundtable event involves planning and a customized strategy. By focusing on decision-makers, who are aligned with the purpose of your event, creating effective invitations, and having strong interaction, you can guarantee a high-value discussion that is mutually beneficial to all attendees. Follow these steps, and your roundtable will have the right leaders, generating effective industry discussions and long-term connections.