The First 48 Hours
The event is not the conversion. The 48 hours after the event are. Every lead should get a personalized follow-up within two days — not a mass email, not a generic "thanks for attending," but a specific reference to something they said, asked, or showed interest in during the session.
The Cadence That Works
A proven post-event cadence looks like: Day 1 personalized thank-you email referencing a specific moment. Day 3 sending a relevant resource (case study, calculator, article). Day 7 calendar-link invite for a brief conversation. Day 14 light check-in if no response. After that, leave them alone until they come back.
What Not to Do
Do not mass-email all attendees with the same template. Do not attempt to close in the first follow-up. Do not ignore non-responders indefinitely — the ones who go quiet in week one often come back in month three when their internal priority shifts. Keep the door open without being annoying.