Organising a conference can seem a bit daunting but if you work through the decision-making process, you can stage the perfect event. Here are some top tips for putting together a successful meeting.
How do I start?
First, decide what you want to achieve from the conference and your budget. Then work through the checklist.
What do I look for in a venue?
Choosing the right venue is about “cultural fit”, size and location. Most important is cultural fit. If your company markets itself on its common sense, reliability and consistency, don’t choose a funky modern venue. The number of delegates will narrow down the choice further and geography also plays a part. If participants are scattered across the UK, then somewhere central, with good transport links, will be the best choice. If the event is an office gathering, choose a venue far enough away to remove people from their familiar environment.
Purpose-built, country house, training centre, city centre?
Purpose-built venues tend to be best for large numbers. They usually have the advantage of being in city centres with good transport links and surrounded by a range of facilities if you have to organise leisure activities too. If the event includes a gala dinner then country house hotels, castles and stately homes are a good choice and they’ll also have grounds for activities. If you don’t want delegates to have any distractions, go for a training centre or dedicated venue where there’ll be no other leisure or business guests.
What do I look during a site visit?
First, itemise your event – formal session plus breakouts, number of coffee breaks, lunch, team building, networking. From here you can work out the flow of the conference in the venue. If you want to start with one session, divide into four breakouts (workshops or presentations on a specific topic that serve as a portion your larger programme) and have everyone in one place for breaks so that they can network and compare notes. Bear in mind that all the rooms you use need to be close to the networking area. You also need to think about available IT support, natural light, disabled access, car parking, standard bedroom types, etc.
What else do I need to know?
Is the venue planning any refurbishment or building work around the dates of your function? Are there any major events on that date in the area which might affect transport or parking? And who else will be in the building? You don’t want any of your competitors holding a bigger/more glamorous event in the room next door.
The way to a delegate’s heart is through his stomach
Your conference may go smoothly but if the meals don’t work – bad service, horrible food – that’s what participants remember. Make sure that the kitchen and waiting staff are adequate for the number of guests, and for large numbers avoid menus which might suffer if service is slow. Consider offering smoothies or energy bars as options to tea and coffee, or even Red Bull! And try to avoid too many carbs at lunchtime, so that delegates don’t doze off in the afternoon sessions. Cooking stations add a lively touch and produce fresher food.
How do I choose a speaker?
Work out what you want: someone entertaining, to enforce brand messages, to convey next year’s objectives and motivate delegates? A good speaker doesn’t have to be well-known and you don’t want someone whose jokes delegates have heard before. Once you’ve decided, make sure your brief to the speaker is clear and concise.
What can I expect to pay?
Meeting venues used to be renowned for long-winded terms and conditions (T&C). Although this is getting better, make a detailed list of what you’ll need and then ask what’s included, what the cancellation terms are, minimum numbers, etc.
How much of an event can I outsource?
It depends on your budget, but check company policy in case you have a preferred supplier. Paying for a venue finder or agent will save a lot of time and put you in professional hands – they will know places you don’t. Their expertise will also include negotiating T&C, off-site options, production and video, transfers, delegate and event management, and getting references.
How do I contain costs without compromising the event?
Set a realistic budget and stick to it. Decide which elements of the event are the most important and concentrate on those. So if motivation is crucial, pay for a first-class speaker – if delegates are engaged, they won’t notice the room. Be flexible about dates: if you can book a venue during a quiet period, you’ll get better rates. Start late enough on the first day for people to arrive on the actual day rather than you having to pay for accommodation the night before. Serving a light lunch will create less waste and allow delegates to mingle.
What do organisers tend to overlook?
Contractual T&C, including attritions, payment terms, and more. Payment options – are delegates paying or using a master account and, if the latter, do facilities need to be set up? Note all time critical dates, eg, releasing space held. IT – do you need wireless internet access and is it free? Consider insurance policies and crisis contingency. Return on investment (ROI) – how do you measure the success of your event? And, finally, organisers regularly underestimate how long it takes to organise an event. Start now.
