Hosting a business conference can be a lot of work.It's an excellent way to advance your career.Most people can learn how to organize a successful conference.The planning of the conference is the most important factor in determining the success or failure of a conference.
Step 1: The audience can be identified.
Before you start planning your conference, you need to know who you want to attend.You will not find a market for the conference if it is too narrow.If the theme is too broad, attendees will not be interested in the event.Consider demographic qualities of your attendees, including age, income level, and location.Will the attendees be from the same organization?Will they be executives, middle management, employees, or a mix?If you don't know whom you are addressing or hoping to attract, you cannot make proper plans.
Step 2: Determine the format of your event.
You need to figure out how the conference will be set up after you know who you're planning for.Will it be mostly speaking presentations, panels, and interactive presentations?Think about how long your presentations will be and how many speakers you have.The decisions should be tailored to your audience.
Step 3: The theme should be considered.
You want to decide this issue first because the theme will affect everything else.The purpose of the conference should be reflected in your theme.This allows attendees to know what to expect.Why would they want to come?Conferences are expensive and time consuming.No one can get anything else at your conference.It's best to make your theme specific.The theme is subject oriented or aimed at a demographic target.The "Asian-American Law Enforcement Officers' Conference" and the "Marketing Manuscripts to Independent Publishers" are both subject oriented themes.Potential attendees are told everything they need to know about the conference by the theme.
Step 4: The scope of the conference should be defined.
All of your logistical concerns will be determined by the scope of the conference.You should be realistic about the scope.While still having a robust market, you want it to be as narrow as possible.The location of the audience is important.If you have a market of 1000, but it is spread out on three continents, you will struggle to get attendees.How many would you like to attend?If this is your first conference, don't plan a big conference.The learning curve is too steep.Take the geographical location of the probable attendees into account.Are they local, regional or national?Consider and plan for different types of transportation.Will the conference be single session, multiple sessions in a single day or multiple days with overnight stays?
Step 5: A project team can be created.
The person in change will need help if the event is limited to a few attendees.There should be at least one member assigned to each area of conference planning.The areas to be considered are the agenda, speakers, budget, accommodations, refreshments, marketing, and public relations.It is possible that there are other areas specific to your conference as well.A planning team usually consists of three to five people with additional staff as required by the scope of the conference.
Step 6: A budget is developed.
Stick to a budget.Decide if the goal is to break even or make a profit, and if there is a revenue target.You should include elements of costs and revenues.A specific person on the project team is responsible for purchasing and contracting.Vendors, such as hotels/convention centers, caterers, convention bureaus, transportation providers, and travel agencies are some of the factors you will need to consider.Vendors give quotes in writing.Fees and expenses are the costs of speakers.There are costs for marketing and website development.Fees for event planners.
Step 7: Team member responsibility and authority must be confirmed.
Specific areas of conference preparations should be taken care of by individuals on your project team.The meeting will clarify what each member is responsible for and what powers they have.To leave your project team to their preparations, make sure to address any overlaps in responsibility.Give them an easy way to contact you if they have any other issues.
Step 8: A project plan is needed.
The conference preparations, execution, and followup are outlined in your project plan.Schedules for meetings and guidelines for communication between team members should be included.Set deadlines for conference preparation, such as when to lock in sponsors or speakers.The schedule for the event should include dates and events.Your conference's scope will affect the extent of your plan.There are different amounts of planning required for a small, short company event and a multi-day commercial event.
Step 9: The conference agenda needs to be prepared.
The conference agenda is the final part of your project plan.The who, what, and where for every aspect of the conference is included in this menu.Each segment of the conference, the length of speeches, rest periods between them, and the possibility of multiple simultaneous sessions need to be considered when creating it.refreshments and meals should be served to attendees.
Step 10: There arelicit event sponsors.
If you can find a sponsor for your conference, you will be able to set ticket prices at a level that will allow you to break even.You can make money from the sponsorship.Seek sponsors that are relevant to your conference.If you are looking for a company that will serve the audience at your conference, look within the same industry.Look for several sponsors.Many sponsors are willing to pay in order to get their message in front of a targeted audience and all conferences are targeted to specific segments of the population.Information about projected attendance and ticket sales, demographic of attendees, and credentials of your firm are included in a sponsorship prospectus.The package should include graphs, charts, and photographs.It's a good idea to set out the terms of what the sponsor will provide, which might include funding, underwriting, or soliciting attendees for the conference.
Step 11: Determine attendee fees.
You want your ticket price to be high enough to make money but low enough that people will come.When setting attendee fees, consider refreshment costs.You should consider setting early bird and late arrival rates as well.Fees should be in line with the purpose.Expenses are paid by the company and an in-house conference usually has no fees.Large fees for tax deductions are possible for a charitable event.If you're just starting a small conference, you can't count on employers paying the costs, so take that into account.To learn about the cost of similar conferences, research industry standards.Ensuring that guests who have committed to showing up follow through can be done with a strict cancellation policy.A portion of the ticket price is non-refundable.It helps if you call it a deposit or cancellation fee.You don't want an irate canceller to give you a bad word of mouth.
Step 12: Find people who speak.
Along with the location, the biggest draw at a conference is the speakers.They can either make or break the success of the conference.People do not come for the food.The number of speakers, panel members, and hosts are needed for a conference.Do you want the credentials to be internal or external to your company or industry?There are hundreds of services that can find conference speakers for a fee, and even a few that will find speakers at no cost to the conference-holder.One of the free services is Speakermatch, which is similar to a dating service and cars.com.You can search by price, locality or subject.Some speakers will speak for nothing at all.There are more than one way to find speakers.If you want to create an advisory board, look at speakers at events in your industry, or check out videos on youtube.com, you can do it all.Set up a contract with the speaker that does not include fee payment requirements, deposit, cancellation terms, and a limit on reimbursed expenses.If you can't afford to pay a speaker, then suggest a revenue sharing agreement.If you make a profit, they get part of it.Think about the logistics for speakers, including transportation, hotel, meals, AV arrangements, and event participation besides their speech, as well as their potential participation in the promotion of the event.
Step 13: Find a street.
Drawing attendees next to the speaker is the most important aspect.A lot of people go to conferences because they are in a fun locale.For company specific events, think about company resources first.The location should be convenient for most attendees.Get to know the city right away.The scope of the conference should be taken into account.A conference with a national draw can afford more exotic locations.Regional conferences should be more modest.After you have a budget, find some good speakers at a specific venue.The facilities are the most important factor in choosing a venue.You want something large enough to hold the audience, with enough rooms to handle break-out groups.The most likely suspects are hotels, convention centers, university facilities and reception halls.An independent reception hall can make your conference stand out.When selecting a venue, remember convenience and travel time.You don't want the venue to be too far away from the airport or a part of the city that is difficult to navigate on foot.If attendees are traveling overnight from out of town, consider parking and ancillary events.In addition to the event venue, you need to find a good nearby bar, nice restaurants, and lodging where you can host important guests.
Step 14: A marketing plan should be developed.
All efforts should be made to attract attendees, including formal and online invitations, web pages, newspaper and radio advertising, and guest interviews.Don't forget to include a social media plan that covers Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter posts.Vendors should be booked at least a month before the conference.Start your marketing campaign early if this is your first conference.The buzz around the conference can be created by an exciting marketing campaign.Market to similar groups.Just like sponsors pay to get their message in front of targeted audiences, consider apportioning part of your budget to advertising at other conferences.You can see how to promote a conference.
Step 15: There should be registration procedures.
How and when potential attendees can register and pay to attend the conference should be clearly outlined in your registration procedures.If you're offering online registration, make sure you have a website that you can use to receive registration and attendance fees.Make sure to outline the process for receiving and processing them if you register through other means.Fees can be collected at the conference.Send attendance reminders via mail or email.Ask how they learned about the conference.The answer to this question will help you decide where to spend your marketing budget in the future.
Step 16: Support materials should be created.
The support materials are crucial to your conference running smoothly.The registration and feedback forms are easy to create in a word processing program.Lanyards and nametags can be found at office supply stores, print shops, and screen printers.In your contracts with them, there are any speaker requirements.There are seating charts for reserved seats.Handouts, maps, and visitor's guides can be printed at an office supply store or a local print shop.It can be designed in-house or through a graphic designer, and printed at sign printing companies.Sponsor's items can be obtained from them.
Step 17: You should develop a staff.
A successful conference can only be executed by a good staff.A floor manager is one of the roles you will need people to fill.The person that makes sure the events are executed on-time is your right hand.When the unexpected occurs, you need to be confident in your floor manager to make good decisions.A manager of wi-fi.This is what it sounds like.Few things will anger conference attendees and speakers more quickly than a spotty wi-fi.Unless your conference is more than 100 people, the manager should not do anything.A person on social media keeps a constant stream of posts and status updates for the duration of the conference.A person.Someone who conducts registration at a smaller conference can be this person.It should be a designated individual who is in charge of the registrars.There are runners and MCs.One runner per 100 seats and one MC per room is the rule of thumb.The day before or the day after the conference, appoint a head volunteer with good organizational and people skills to assist with any unforeseen issues.
Step 18: Team members responsibility and communications should be confirmed.
All of your team members need to be prepared for the conference.Team members have individual responsibilities.Communication channels are working and ready to go.The meeting should be held the evening before or the morning after the event.Expect to be busy.You're likely to get a lot of calls, texts, and emails if you don't keep your cellphone on and charged.You will be working up to 12 hours a day for the duration of the conference.
Step 19: Set up rooms and seating.
The seating arrangement for an event should be considered.Depending on the type of event, you could have audience-style seating, a U-shape seating plan, or a standing crowd.Break rooms and dining areas can be set up.Make sure you have enough room for your crowd of attendees to move around.
Step 20: You can test your equipment.
Check presentations on equipment to make sure they work.If you run into issues, have someone do it for you.In the event of equipment failure, create a back-up plan.
Step 21: Coordinate the activities of the caterer.
You should organize your caterer's schedule with them.The set up of the dining and refreshment areas as well as clean-up could include a speaker.
Step 22: Security should be arranged.
Make sure your space is protected and prepared for emergencies by working with your security team.If fees are taken at door, make sure protection is in place for property, attendees, and cash.Make plans to ensure the safety of attendees if there is a potential protest.If there is a medical emergency, have medical personnel on stand-by.
Step 23: Go to the venue.
Before the conference starts, conduct a walk-through of the venue to make sure that any promised accessories and amenities are in working order.Take your staff to see it.They are going to be crucial in successfully executing the plan.
Step 24: Make them happy.
Good presentations make your guests feel like they've gotten their money's worth.They are the stars of the show.Make them feel special because they are.If you want to engage the speakers on a personal level, take them out for separate meals.You could say, "I really enjoyed your talk this afternoon."How did you come up with the interactive activities?Make sure that your speakers are happy with their accommodations.The point people should be you and your lead.If they have any problems during their stay, make sure they are solved personally.
Step 25: feedback from attendees
Go over the guests' reactions and impressions with the comment cards.Did they learn valuable information from the conference?This is how attendees will justify the expense of the conference, and it will play a large part in determining whether they come back.Did they enjoy the speakers?It's a big expense to have speakers.You have to decide whether to invite the speakers back because you want to know how guests feel about them.Is it possible that it met expectations?This allows them to suggest improvements to the conference.Were the accommodations good?It helps you learn what to emphasize in a venue the next time, which will help you make adjustments for the future.
Step 26: Receive feedback from speakers.
This type of feedback can be less structured if you have developed a good working relationship with the speakers.A thank-you card is what you should start with.Get their feedback about the audience, whether they thought they were well matched to it, what they liked and didn't like, and how they might change their presentations and pitches down the line.If there is a problem during the speaker's presentation, be sure to follow up.
Step 27: Receive feedback from the staff.
Your staff can give you feedback on executive functions.The staff's opinion on the effectiveness of the plans should be taken into account.The staff can give input on what areas need to be planned in more detail.Logistical plans and training plans can be included.What were the aspects of the planning that were satisfactory?The timelines followed how well?Your timeline gives everyone an idea of what needs to happen and when, but which items are necessary for the later items.The organized conference as a whole can be gauged by how well the timeline was followed.What changes should be made in the future?This talks about planning, execution, and physical infrastructure.
Step 28: Analyze the feedback.
You can synthesise the information once you get input from all the stakeholders.The synthesis can be used to make your conference more successful.You can combine this information with your own documentation and comments on the conference planning and execution process.