Leader
Guide
Free
Demo Day Runbook
The enablement leader's complete playbook for planning and running an org-wide demo day, from format selection through post-event follow-through.
What's inside
- Objective/format decision framework (certification vs. calibration vs. showcase)
- Format options table with durations
- Role definitions (host, judges, tech support, scribe)
- Pre-day logistics checklist (T-2 weeks, T-1 week, T-1 day)
- Sample timed day-of agenda
- Judging criteria tie-in to the certification rubric
- Feedback loop process
- Post-event action checklist and common pitfalls table
The enablement leader's playbook for running an org-wide demo day — a structured event where reps demo (live or recorded) in front of peers and judges for calibration, certification, or best-practice sharing.
Purpose & Objectives
Pick one primary objective per Demo Day — don't conflate them:
- Certification event — reps attempt live-graded certification (ties directly to the New-Hire Demo Certification Rubric)
- Calibration event — established reps demo so leaders can normalize scoring across raters and catch narrative drift
- Best-practice showcase — top performers demo their strongest scenes for the wider team to learn from
Format Options
| Format | Best for | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Individual cert demos (1 rep : 2 raters, private room) | New-hire certification | 20–30 min per rep |
| Live bake-off (2-3 reps demo the same scenario back-to-back, team scores) | Calibration, competitive energy | Half-day |
| Show-and-tell (top performer demos one killer scene + Q&A from peers) | Best-practice sharing | 15 min per presenter |
Roles
- Host/MC — keeps time, manages transitions, handles logistics live
- Judges (2–3) — score using the certification rubric or a scenario-specific scorecard; must calibrate together beforehand
- Tech support — owns the tech-check for every presenter beforehand, on standby during for AV issues
- Scribe — captures feedback verbatim during Q&A/debrief for the feedback loop
Pre-Day Logistics
T-2 weeks
- Confirm objective and format (above)
- Invite/assign presenters; confirm each knows their scenario/prospect persona
- Book room/platform, confirm recording capability
- Assign and brief judges; distribute rubric in advance
T-1 week
- Presenters submit their Demo Storyboard for the scenario they'll run
- Judges complete a calibration session on one reference recording
- Send full-day agenda to all attendees
T-1 day
- Run the Virtual Demo Tech-Check Checklist for every presenter's setup
- Confirm scorecards/rubrics printed or loaded for judges
- Confirm backup AV plan for the event itself
Sample Day-Of Agenda (Certification Format, half-day)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:00–9:15 | Kickoff — objective, format, rubric walkthrough |
| 9:15–9:45 | Presenter 1 — cert demo + judge scoring |
| 9:45–10:00 | Presenter 1 — live feedback debrief |
| 10:00–10:30 | Presenter 2 — cert demo + judge scoring |
| 10:30–10:45 | Presenter 2 — live feedback debrief |
| 10:45–11:00 | Break |
| 11:00–11:30 | Presenter 3 — cert demo + judge scoring |
| 11:30–11:45 | Presenter 3 — live feedback debrief |
| 11:45–12:00 | Wrap — results announced, remediation plans assigned where needed |
Judging Criteria
Use the 9-dimension scoring table from the New-Hire Demo Certification Rubric as-is for certification-format days. For best-practice showcases, replace with a lighter 3-question peer form: What's one thing you're stealing from this? What would you have cut? What question did it leave unanswered?
Feedback Loop Process
- Scribe captures judge comments verbatim during scoring, not just the numeric score
- Feedback delivered to presenter within 30 minutes of their slot, while still fresh — never batched to end of day
- Any score below the cert bar triggers the Remediation Plan template assigned on the spot with a re-attempt date
- Recordings and scorecards filed in the team's enablement library within 24 hours for future onboarding reference
Post-Event Actions
- Send summary to leadership: certifications passed/failed, common weak dimensions across presenters, follow-up dates
- Update the demo storyboard library with any new proof points or scenes that scored well
- Schedule remediation check-ins for anyone who didn't clear the bar
- Retire or revise any scenario that consistently produces low scores unrelated to rep skill (may be a scenario design problem, not a rep problem)
Common Pitfalls & Fixes
| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| Judges score inconsistently | Mandatory calibration session before the event, not skipped when time is tight |
| Event becomes a public shaming exercise | Private feedback for anything below cert bar; public forum only for showcase wins |
| No follow-through after the event | Remediation dates are set live, in the room, not "we'll follow up" |
| Same 2 people always present, nobody else volunteers | Rotate presenters by roster, don't rely on volunteers only |
How to use it
Pick a single objective for the event, work through the pre-day logistics checklist in the two weeks prior, run the sample agenda on the day, and complete the post-event actions within 24 hours.