How to Host an Executive Dinner for CFOs: A Practical Guide for B2B Sponsors

A practical guide to hosting an executive dinner that CFOs and finance leaders attend.

Why a CFO dinner needs a different approach

Finance leaders are careful with their time and wary of vendor events. A CFO will give an evening to a small group of peers who face the same decisions. They will not give one to a product showcase. A dinner built for CFOs works when it feels like a peer conversation that happens to be hosted by a sponsor.

The subjects that bring a CFO to the table are the ones sitting on their desk: how to forecast in an uncertain year, how to fund a transformation, how finance should work with procurement and technology, and what to do about the talent in their team. Pick one of those and the invitation becomes easy to accept.

How to host an executive dinner for CFOs

1. Define the finance audience

Decide whether you want CFOs, finance directors, financial controllers or heads of FP&A. Each group has a different problem. A table of CFOs from similar-sized organizations in different industries gives the best conversation. Avoid mixing very different levels of seniority.

2. Choose one finance question

Ask a question a CFO would raise with a trusted peer, for example how they decide where to invest in technology when budgets are tight. A theme such as "the future of finance" gives nobody anything to say.

3. Keep the table to eight to twelve

Finance leaders speak more openly in a small group. At eight to twelve, everyone contributes and the host can keep the conversation on the question.

4. Pick a date outside the finance calendar

Avoid month-end, quarter-end, year-end and the weeks around results and audits. A date mid-month, mid-week, gives the best chance that guests attend. Send the invitation four to six weeks ahead.

5. Invite personally and say who else is coming

A CFO wants to know who will be at the table before agreeing. Name the peer organizations you are inviting, where you can, and say what the evening will cover. A short personal note works better than a campaign email.

6. Host with a light touch

Welcome guests, introduce the question and ask each person for a first view. The sponsor takes part as one voice at the table. Leave product material at the door.

7. Follow up within 48 hours

Send a short summary of the main points to every guest. Then contact the people who showed interest one to one, and refer to something they said at the table.

Dinner or virtual roundtable for finance leaders?

A dinner builds a stronger personal relationship. A virtual roundtable is faster to arrange and easier to fit around a finance calendar. Many sponsors begin with a roundtable and invite the most engaged guests to a dinner afterwards. Our guide to hosting an executive dinner sets out the general approach, and our guide to running a virtual roundtable covers the online format.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a product theme. A CFO comes for a problem, not a demo.
• Booking at a busy time of the finance year. Guests drop out around close and audit.
• Mixing levels. A CFO speaks differently with a peer than with a junior colleague.
• Skipping the follow-up. The evening starts the relationship, and it needs a next step.

How ELN runs dinners for finance audiences

ELN builds the guest list around your ideal customer profile, handles the invitations and registrations, and provides the host for the evening. See our private executive dinners for B2B vendors, and our B2B virtual roundtables if you want an online option.

Frequently asked questions

How many guests should a CFO dinner have?

Between eight and twelve. That is small enough for one conversation and large enough for a varied table.

When should we hold a dinner for finance leaders?

Mid-month and mid-week, away from month-end, quarter-end, year-end and audit periods.

Who should host a CFO dinner?

A senior person from the sponsor, ideally with a neutral moderator. ELN can provide the moderator.

How do you measure whether a dinner worked?

Count the guests who matched your target profile, the one-to-one conversations booked within 30 days and the target accounts that moved forward in your pipeline.

Next step

If you would like ELN to build a dinner for finance leaders around your target accounts, get in touch and we will talk through the audience, the date and the format.