By Would you like to learn how to organise a successful conference, one that will be on the lips of everyone in your community?
Organising a conference is a big task, especial when you consider all the critical mistakes event planners make.
With so many different factors to consider, it can be easy for something to be forgotten.
If you are at that point in your career journey right now that you are planning a national corporate conference and you are wondering how you will be able get over all the hurdles and come up with a stunning conference, don’t panic.
In this article, we will walk you through all the steps you will need to take to make everything work well seamlessly on the day of your event.
Here’s something you need to know…
It doesn’t matter if your business conference is to hold in Salt Lake City or anywhere else in the world, these step by step guide for organising an effective conference will work for you and your team.
1. Choose A Theme
Table of Contents
Every successful conference must have a theme. The theme needs to be tied into what the conference is about and should be catchy, memorable and interesting so it makes people want to attend your conference.
Simple and meaning theme, emphasizing on benefits are proven to get more attentions than bulky theme that your audience will need a dictionary to understand.
2. Assemble Your Team
Unless you’ve got superpowers, you’ll struggle to organise a conference on your own. Therefore, you’ll need to build a team of experts who can take hold and organise different elements.
Your team may include people from; finance, admin, marketing and logistics. Having a copywriter who’s proficient at making a jaw-dropping advertorial will be an added advantage.
3. Manage The Budget
Even if your conference is financed through sponsorship, you’ll still have to put together a budget, so you can decide how much can be allocated to each element and also track how the money is being spent.
Organising a business conference without understanding how to promote it properly and track your expenses is enough for your sponsors to lose their trust in your brand.
4. Choose A Suitable Date
It can take anywhere from six months to a year to organise a conference. Mainly because venues get booked up a long time in advance.
In order to get a large turnout for your event, you should also try to avoid holding the conference around holiday times like summer and Christmas.
5. Find The Perfect Venue
There are numerous places you can choose to hold a conference; exhibition halls, university campuses and hotels.
To make your conference truly memorable what about holding it in something a little different? A De Boer temporary structure or tent is a perfect venue for a conference. Coming in a range of sizes and styles, they’re perfect for any event.
6. Engage With Suppliers
Some venues will organise things like catering, cloakrooms and transport for your attendees. If not, you’ll have to do it yourself.
Choose reputable firms who are local to the venue, so it’s easier to manage if something goes wrong.
7. Choose Your Host And Speakers
The host and particularly the speakers are the main draw of every well-organized conference. Attracting a big-name, whether that be a celebrity or industry-expert, is a great way to attract attention and attendees to your conference.
What’s more? You will get free media publicity just because a celebrity or an industry expert spoke at your event. Even if you paid them to speak, you can gain all that back from free media promotion.
8. Settle On The Schedule
Once the main elements are in place it’s time to mold them into a detailed schedule. You should aim to get this finalised at least three to four months before the day, so you can inform the speakers and the suppliers.
9. Promote The Conference
This is probably one of the most important aspects of organising a successful conference. Using a variety of channels is key to attracting attendees.
So, look to promote the conference on your own website, social media channels, company newsletter and through industry magazines or newspapers.
Depending on your budget you could even consider outdoor advertising and radio.
All of these can be overwhelming but with our digital marketing experts working with you, you can be sure of having a large turnout.
10. Register Attendees
Using an online booking system is the easiest way to register attendees. Be sure to ask for their important information, such as name, address, email, telephone and company name.
Also, ask how they heard about the conference, so you know for future reference what marketing channels worked best.
Conclusion
Now you know what is involved in organising a successful conference, you’re ready to put together an unforgotten event that will leave people feeling informed, motivated and ready to tackle anything.
