Organising a conference is a rollercoaster ride of late nights, stressful strategy sessions and a load of different emotions. However, the end result will leave you (and everyone else involved) with one of the most rewarding feeling you’ve ever experienced. By following the below advice on how to plan the perfect conference, you’ll be on your way to achieving this ‘rewarding feeling’.
Decide on a clear purpose
Although it may seem obvious, it’s important to clearly define the purpose of your conference, as it will be the driving force for all upcoming deliverables. By having a singular purpose, you’ll find yourself reverting back to it before any important decisions are made.
Location and venue
The conference venue will invariably be one of the biggest costs and it is bound to also be one of the biggest impact-makers. For this reason, there are many things that need to be considered before choosing the perfect venue and location. The key is to be practical. Is the venue easily accessible for delegates? Are you getting what you’re paying for? Does your venue reflect your audience?
Use reliable equipment
Without the use of reliable, state-of-the-art equipment, your conference is guaranteed to get people talking (but for all the wrong reasons). From speakers to microphones to cameras, this is the one element where you shouldn’t be cost conscious.
Plan well in advance
The amount of time it takes to plan the perfect conference is enormous! Unfortunately, there is no rule of thumb regarding how long it takes, however, our suggestion is to start as soon as you get wind of its initial approval.
Seek professional assistance
Working with a company that does this for a living is guaranteed to make your job 100 times easier and less stressful. You’d be surprised at the amount of complexities that are involved in creating a seamless event and unfortunately, without the right experience, many of these areas will only come to light the closer you get to the actual conference.
Run it like a business
Conferences that are not treated with the same intricacies as the business itself are doomed for failure. Donna Spencer from UX Australia explains, “Don’t underestimate the amount of time you’ll have to spend doing tedious stuff like changing registrations, amending invoices, answering emails about everything that you have already made completely clear on the website.”
Say thank you!
Don’t forget to thank everyone who made the event possible and to those who took time out of their day to attend the event. A bit of appreciation goes a long way.
To end of, it’s important to note that each one of your delegates has the same interest and passion as you. There’s a sense of ‘belonging’ that flows throughout the venue as delegates become acquainted with one another and a seamless conference will leave all parties feeling energized and excited. So plan it perfectly, run it seamlessly and indulge in the fantastic end result!
