Organizing a successful conference - the step-by-step planning guide

by Groshan Fabiola I try to cover as many topics as I can

Organizing a successful conference involves a multitude of resources, even though it might not seem that complicated at first. From properly sectioning the time dedicated to planning a conference to the financial matters, this article should cover all the necessary steps that the organizer must consider to create a truly appreciated conference. People who attended or spoken to conferences should have a complete image inside their heads on how a conference should look like. This is why it’s recommended to be part of a conference before organizing one yourself.

The formal programming of a conference is adopted by most organizers, so the differences won’t be extremely noticeable. By following that structure, you can’t go wrong. After all, conferences are about networking, finding sponsors, potential business partners or enlarging your knowledge on a specific topic. Keep that in mind and the next steps will be easy to complete. Here’s what you should do when organizing a conference:

Find the best venue

An interesting venue could stir the people’s interest in an instant. Most people who attend conferences are already used to the business-like convention centers which are quite dull and straightforward. Getting more creative with the venue could propel your conference on top of the list, regardless of its theme or the speakers who’ll attend. Focus on the location of the conference for organizing a unique event. Previously, a conference was held at a sleepaway camp in the mountains. The attendees were supposed to disconnect from technology and the stress that awaits at work and focus on the main theme of the conference. By disconnecting, attendees are encouraged to establish connections with the other people who are present at the event. That’s an easy, convenient way to network and maintain the relationships that were built.

One-on-one meetings

Conferences can get even better if you organize one-to-one meetings. You are going to be in charge of the guest list, so you’ll know exactly who may attend your event. After you receive the confirmations, you can start setting one-on-one meetings. Let the participants know that such a meeting could be beneficial for both parts and see if they are interested before going further with it. Once you got the approval of the participants, set a time for the one-on-one meetings. Conferences are all about connecting people, so this should encourage networking at another level. Consider this if you have good planning skills. Attendees will surely appreciate it.

Pick the speakers

The speakers are the main attraction of your conference. Once you’ve set the theme and the objective of the conference, it’s time to bring good keynote speakers. If no big names are on the list, people might not be interested in attending the conference. Find people that are related to the domain of the conference. Conferences are usually related to one certain topic. It can be a helpful conference that discusses the latest trends in term of internet marketing or a conference that gathers business owners to talk about the best strategies to apply for a sale increase. Regardless of what the conference is about, you have to find people who are able to talk about this topic and engage the audience into the discussion. If people who are interested in the conference consider that they can learn something from the speakers, they will certainly attend. If not, you might not reach the target audience you expected in the first place.

Entertainment

The entertainment section of your conference should not be neglected either. You have to make sure that the guests feel good between the conference speeches. For instance, you can organize multiple coffee breaks and a formal dinner to close the conference. Coffee breaks are another opportunity to let people know each other in a less formal manner. You can organize these breaks within the conference venue or you can choose a nearby restaurant or bar for the matter. Both options work just fine as long as you make sure that entertainment is not an issue and no one gets bored. Don’t forget to include the coffee breaks into the schedule of the conference, so that people know when and where to go for them. The formal dinner should be held at a restaurant, and you should pay great attention to the catering company. Quality food is an absolute must at such an event.

Cleaning services

After the event is over, you must clean the venue. Unless the renting contract states that you don’t have to clean the building after your purpose there is fulfilled, you need to find your own cleaning service companies. We Clean It is one of the many companies out there that can handle professional cleaning in the shortest time. Offices, venues and all sorts of buildings that are used with formal purposes can be cleaned by these companies and save you a lot of time and money. Consider these before organizing a conference as well, to clean the location beforehand. Having everything neatly cleaned before the event can matter a lot to the attendees’ opinion regarding the event. The more you invest in the event’s details, the better the outcome will be.

Ask for feedback

Always ask for feedback once the event is done. Conferences are usually organized each year if everything goes well and people show interest in a further edition of it. If you don’t receive positive feedback from the people who attended your event, ask what you can do to improve it. Make these changes and try to organize another edition of the event. The feedback you receive after this one should be positive. See if people are willing to sign up for next year’s event in advance. If they do, you already know how big your target audience will be at the next conference. Each year involves better speakers, better locations, better topics for the conference. Give your best to improve the event and it might become internationally known in just a few years.