How to Organise a Conference

Successful conference management requires careful planning, and good organisational skills. There are a number of factors connected to organising a conference, and these are some of the most important.

Firstly, consider what type of conference you are organising. Is it for corporate clients, where you will be promoting your products and services? Or are you planning a commercial conference, where people will pay an entry fee, and the conference itself will be advertised to a certain sector of the market? In conjunction with this, it is essential to think about your target audience. Who is the conference being marketed towards? Knowing these aims will make it far easier to organise and plan effectively.

Consider your budget carefully. Effective budget planning is key to good conference management. Work out your budget, and then stick to it. Ensure that you take into consideration factors such as venue and speaker fees, and don't forget to consider unexpected extra delegates, who will possibly need feeding and accommodating overnight! It's a good idea to put aside around 10% of your budget in order to cover unexpected costs.

Compile a programme for each day's events, and make contingency plans in case any speakers or delegates are late. Run through the programme carefully, and consider questions to identify any potential problems. Thinks to consider include - is there space to register the delegates, seat them comfortably during sessions, and room for them all to eat, will there be a technician on standby to deal with any audio-visual problems?, and is there ample parking and security for all the delegates and guests?

Don't forget to set up a team to deal with the bookings for this conference, as that is a time consuming job and will need dedicated personnel working on it. Consider how you will promote your conference. Various ideas include sending out e-bulletins and press releases, direct mailings, and advertising in appropriate magazines and journals. If you have a website for the event, keep it up-to-date and relevant, and put conference timetables and speaker information on it as soon as they are available.

Plan and prepare all the print media and stationary for the day. A nice touch is to put together a conference kit, which contains the event schedule and presentation notes, and can include things such as pens and notepads, product samples, and vouchers. Check that you have the audio-visual and catering services that you need for the event, and do make a detailed seating plan according to the venue you are using.

Your conference is now organised professionally.