Organising a Conference

Organising a conference is a big task. It requires finding a venue, speakers, coordinating the event and then managing it. Conference management requires a lot of organisation and some good contacts.

You may have the skills required for conference management yourself, but if not, there are specialist companies who do.

A budget will need to be set and stuck to and a venue will have to be found. Lots of potential venues will need to be checked out and factors such as venue size, parking and access will have to be considered.

The scope of the conference will need to be established, as well as the format. What topics need to be covered, by whom, and for how long will each section last? What will the order of speakers be and what time should each section start and finish?

Conference planners coordinate event staff hired for the occasion, as well as organising accommodation and transport for speakers. The planner will also organise refreshments, signage, printing and displays. There will be lecterns, microphones and other audiovisual requirements to sort out, and a registration desk with staff manning it on the day.

You may wish to use your branding on the conference literature or maybe create something new for the event. You may also want to create a website or a section of an existing website so that candidates can register and pay online.

Delegate badges are a common requirement. They can be designed with your company logo or the conference logo and then handed out at the registration desk.

An experienced event organiser will supervise every detail of your conference and work closely with you from the initial planning through to on-site management, ensuring your budget is adhered to throughout.

Using an event management company can be beneficial as they will have experience, can save you time and can compliment your existing team.

Whether you decide to organise a conference yourself, or consult or hire an event management company, a conference is certainly a lot of work. Saying that, if it is done properly it can be a huge success