#meetingprofs

Preparations

These tips for organizing a conference start with prep work. Not to state the obvious, but there are a lot of things you need to prepare to design an event, so your preparations should start early. Also, you don’t want the event to overlap with other important occasions. If it will occur during high or busy season, set the date at least 6 months prior to the conference. Also have a strong idea about the venue, the number of guests, the cost, what will be included, and so on.

Co-Planning

Finding a co-organizer could be helpful in getting a successful event off the ground. Events are meant to bring people together and having a different perspective and/or event planning skillset can maximize the planning results in many ways. The key is to collaborate.

Having a co-planner by your side could make the decision-making process easier and quicker or could push the envelope when it comes to differing opinions. It could also be nice to have help with some of the administrative duties as well as moral support. If you don’t find a good co-organizer consider asking for help from trusted friends and industry experts.

The Venue

Location is one of the most important aspects of organizing a conference. There are numerous websites for conference venues so you can compare different places as well as the costs involved. It is of utmost importance that you find the most appropriate location for the guests and event purpose. Here is a list of things to look out for in a conference venue:

Affordability: Request for advises in advance from different venue managers so you can get your budget ready. You also need to ensure that the hotel rooms and other accommodation aspects are affordable. Inquire about the parking charges as well to avoid surprising your guests in a bad way.

Accessibility: The venue should be close to public transportation to make things easier for the delegates. It is imperative that you pick an accessible location, especially in case of bad weather to ensure smooth traveling.

Other attractions: Think about what the attendees will be doing during breaks and after the main event. Visitors love great scenarios, and that is one of the things that make conferences so memorable. At the end of the day, you want the guests to have great moments.

Informing the Participants

You want the delegates to arrive safely and easily at the venue. As such, you have to establish a clear line of communication to explain all possibilities. Provide vital information like the schedule of local trains and buses, how to obtain a visa, and the availability of transportation that's around.

As the organizer, you ought to communicate with everyone that is involved including the venue manager and the speakers. Don’t forget to remind them of the conference motto and purpose. It is an exhaustive and tedious process so you must give clear directions.

Choosing a Theme

All inaugural conferences can benefit from a theme. This step might not seem important, but it brings an element of collaboration. But you don’t need to worry so much about the theme - it doesn’t have to be complicated. Make it simple by considering three things:

The main message/purpose.

The target audience.

The takeaway: What is in for the guests?

Speakers

Having booked the venue and decided on a theme, next is recruiting suitable speakers. There are basically two methods you can use when choosing speakers: open call and selected invitation. You can choose both ways to reach out to many speakers. Rejection is part of the process, but it should not discourage you. Moreover, there are a lot of speakers out there who are not aware of the conference so you should consider putting the call out.

As you invite the speakers, keep in mind that they ought to be compensated. At the very least, it'd be nice to cover for their accommodation and conference ticket. You can also pay for their travel costs if your budget allows. It is very important for you to explain your decision clearly to the speaker to avoid misunderstandings.

In Summary

Part of office management involves supervising administrative activities to ensure a smooth running company. If you are involved in the internal management projects, you will certainly do conference planning at some point. Having reliable and organized partners is of utmost importance. Make sure that any hotel staff working with you is competent and confident, as well as ensuring that everything is covered from accommodation, logistics, meals, and transportation. Hopefully, you have gleaned on the organizational aspects of corporate meetings and how to overcome common challenges.

Guest Author Bio: Emily Watts is an experienced event planner who has already created a name for herself in the event industry, having twenty years of experience working in various aspects of the industry. Two years in a row, she has been recognized as a top conference organizer in Washington DC. Prior to working as a full-time event planner, she worked as a freelance writer, specializing in writing essays through plagiarism checker free online. Today, her creativity, enthusiasm, and a great organizational talent have earned her a huge reputation as an event designer.

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