Attendees listening to a keynote at an OutGeek Women in Tech event hosted at a tech company office

How to host a tech recruiting event at your office.

Hosting a tech recruiting event at your office is the best way to show candidates where they’d actually work. You bring the space, and we bring 120+ women in tech from the OutGeek community. This guide covers everything your team needs before and on the night: food, room setup, your opening keynote, the guest list and the timeline. Your exact date and schedule come from your OutGeek contact.

Marina Petrenko, founder of OutGeekBy , founder of OutGeek · Updated October 2026
FOOD AND DRINKSFor 35–40, ready by 5:30
YOUR KEYNOTE5–8 min, opens the night
SLIDES DUEThe day before
YOUR TEAM ON THE NIGHT5–10 people
120+people on a typical guest list
55–60%of registered guests usually attend

You get the preliminary talent list two days before, to review, connect with attendees and share with your teams and building security. The final list comes a couple of hours before we start. There are usually 5–7 new sign-ups in the last week.

WHO DOES WHAT

You bring the space. We bring the room.

YOUR TEAM
01The space, open to our team from 4:30 pm for setup.
02Food and drinks for 35–40 people, set up by 5:30 pm.
03The room: about 25 chairs theater-style around the stage, standing room for everyone else, and 3–5 tables.
04The opening keynote, 5–8 minutes.
055–10 team members for networking, plus your booth table.
06Building security briefed, with the guest list.
OUTGEEK
01The attendees: experienced women in tech from our community, invited and confirmed.
02An event director and volunteers, on site from 4:30 pm to set up.
03Check-ins, registration and name tags, so your team can focus on attendees.
04One central keynote deck for smooth handovers between speakers.
053–5 other hiring teams to fill the room with roles.
06We stay until the end, until the last attendee has left the venue.
BEFORE THE EVENT

Your hosting checklist

Tick things off as you go. Your progress is saved on this device.

0 OF 8 DONE
Send speaker names and photos Email a high-resolution photo of each speaker, with first and last name, to your OutGeek contact. We announce your keynote on LinkedIn and Instagram before the event to build anticipation, alongside some of your open roles.
1+ WEEK BEFORE
Add your open roles to your OutGeek team account Attendees can explore them before the event and come ready to talk. No team account yet? Consider getting one for a month.
EARLY
Post about the event and tag us Share it on your own LinkedIn and Instagram and tag OutGeek. Use #outgeek, #outgeekwomenintech or your city tag, like #outgeekberlin. We do our best to promote our hosts, and the more you engage with us, the more we’ll share you back.
BEFORE + AFTER
Order food and drinks for 35–40 people Set up and organized by 5:30 pm, since attendees start arriving from 5:40.
WEEK BEFORE
Plan the room About 25 chairs theater-style around the stage, standing room for the rest, a screen for slides (plus one of your laptops if outside laptops aren’t allowed on your network), and 3–5 tables: one or more for your booth, the rest for the 3–5 other hiring teams.
WEEK BEFORE
Review the talent list and share it with security The preliminary list arrives two days before. Share it with your teams and your front desk, then send security the final list when it comes, a couple of hours before we start. Want to meet someone? Reach out on LinkedIn or by email.
2 DAYS BEFORE
Send your keynote slides Optional, but tell us either way: slides, or just your logo on screen. Email them to your OutGeek contact. Keep it to 5 slides or fewer. Slides that reach us later than the day before won’t make it into the final presentation.
DAY BEFORE
Line up 5–10 team members and pack your booth See what to bring below. The right people matter far more than the table.
BEFORE THE EVENT
YOUR OPENING KEYNOTE

You open the night, like you should. 5–8 minutes.

You’ve opened your doors to the whole community, so your team goes first. Start like a real host: welcome everyone in the room, the job seekers and the other hiring teams alike. Then use the time however works for you: one speaker or a few, one presentation or split between departments.

Slides aren’t required, though most hosts use them. If you do, send them to us by the day before the event. We run every keynote from one central presentation so the transitions are smooth, and we need a little time to load yours. Slides that arrive later than that won’t make it into the final presentation. The best tech companies in the world have tried to argue with us on this. Our record so far: undefeated 🏆

No slides? No problem: we’ll put your logo up on screen while you speak. Either way, please let your OutGeek contact know whether you’re bringing slides, so we know you’ve seen this.

Laptop for the screen. We usually run the deck from our own laptop. If your building doesn’t allow outside laptops on your network or AV, be ready to use one of yours: we’ll send you a link to the final presentation before the event.

Spend the time on what makes your company interesting to the people in the room: your team, your culture and the roles you’re hiring for.

5–8minutes for the host
≤ 5slides recommended
SKIPWelcome and thank-you slides. Go straight to the good stuff.
GET ANNOUNCEDSend speaker names and photos at least a week ahead and we’ll announce your keynote before the event.
SAY IT RIGHTEveryone deserves to hear their name said right, especially on stage. If your speaker’s name is a little tricky, teach our event director how to say it before the intro. Your speaker will feel at home from the first word.
EVENT DAY

Your night, hour by hour

Doors open at 6 pm, and most hosted nights follow this timeline. If your OutGeek contact sends different times, go with theirs.

4:30 pm Our team arrives Your event director starts setup. Volunteers join at 5.
5:30 pm Food and drinks ready Set up and organized, at the latest.
5:45 pm Attendees arrive Our volunteers run check-in and name tags.
6:00 pm Happy hour Drinks and appetizers. The night begins.
6:15 pm Opening and keynotes You open the show, then the partner teams.
6:40 pm Recruiting and networking Real conversations at the booths.
8:30 pm Event ends We stay until the last attendee has left.
THE OFFICIAL FORMULA 𝒩great = 🏢 + ∫5:308:30 🍕 dt + 🎤host + ∑i=1k 🎤i + ∫6:408:30 (💬 × 🤝) dt subject to: 🎤host + ∑ 🎤i ≤ 25 min Proof left as an exercise for the host. Show your work at your booth.
🏢 🍕your space, and food that’s ready by 5:30. Constant, but load-bearing.
🎤you open (5–8 min), then k partner teams (5–7 min each, ≤ 5 slides). All of it fits 6:15–6:40.
💬×🤝conversations × follow-ups. The term that gets people hired.
∈banner, swag ∈ optional · 5–10 of the right people ∈ required
YOUR EVENT DIRECTOR AND VOLUNTEERS They arrive at 4:30 and 5 pm to set up Just remember: there’s one of them and many of you, and they’re running the whole show.
01Name one person on your side as the point of contact for the day, and let reception know our team arrives from 4:30.
02Double-check your speakers’ names with your event director, since last-minute changes happen. Tricky to pronounce? Teach them how.
03Questions during the evening? Ask your event director or any of our volunteers.
A hiring team table with banner and swag at an OutGeek event
WHAT TO BRING Make your booth or table easy to spot
A banner or two Promo materials A tablecloth Swag, if you have it Goodies or giveaways
Bringing goodies or giveaways? Set them up by the door, and tell our team if you’d like help handing them out. No need to add extra tables or chairs, either: a full room feels far better than rows of empty seats. Don’t have any of this? No need to buy anything for the event. A fantastic team is all it takes.
A host company team member talking with an attendee at an OutGeek Women in Tech event
WHO TO BRING 5–10 of the right people Have at least 5–10 team members in the room for networking. Pick people who are enthusiastic, know the tech and the open roles, and care about supporting women and underrepresented groups in tech. The goal is real conversations, not just handing out materials.
GET YOUR ROLES IN FRONT OF ATTENDEES
Post your open roles on the OutGeek platform before the event, so attendees can explore them and come ready to talk.
Post a role → See live roles
TL;DR

So, out of all of this, what actually matters most?

If you skimmed everything above, read this. The pizza helps, but it has never hired anyone.

01
Bring the right people5–10 teammates who are glad to be there, know the work and can answer real questions.
02
Know the roles you’re hiring forSo every good conversation has somewhere to go next.
03
Read the talent list before the nightKnow who’s coming, and say hello on LinkedIn or by email first if you like.
ABOVE ALL Be human. The goal is simple: every guest walks out of your office thinking, “What a great team,” even if none of your open roles was the one for them. An empty booth or a room that isn’t ready makes for a long evening. Follow the checklist above and you’ll be fine. We swear on our last name tag.
QUESTIONS HOSTS ASK

Hosting a recruiting event: FAQ

Joining as a hiring team instead? See the event prep guide for employers, or browse our city guides to tech recruiting events.

What does a company need to host a tech recruiting event?

A space with about 25 chairs near a stage plus standing room, food and drinks for 35–40 people, 3–5 tables, a screen for slides, and 5–10 of your team members on the night. OutGeek brings the attendees, check-ins and the event team.

How many people come to an OutGeek hosted event?

A typical hosted event has 120+ people on the guest list, and 55–60% of them attend. Expect 5–7 new sign-ups in the last week.

When does the host get the guest list?

A preliminary talent list arrives two days before the event, so you can review it, connect with attendees and share it with your teams and building security. The final list comes a couple of hours before the start.

How long is the host keynote?

5–8 minutes, and it opens the event. One speaker or a few, one presentation or split between departments. Slides are optional and due the day before.

Does the host handle check-in?

No. OutGeek runs check-in, name tags and registration with our own volunteers, so your team can spend the night talking to attendees.

Do other companies join a hosted event?

Usually yes: 3–5 hiring teams take part. The host opens the night and has its own booth table.

Can we host a private event just for our team, without other companies?

Yes. We also run private recruiting events, conferences and meetups for a single company. Get in touch with your OutGeek contact or email hello@outgeek.org and we’ll plan it with you.

Thanks for opening your doors.

Questions before then? Reach out to your OutGeek contact.