1.       WHY HOLD A CONFERENCE: DECIDE YOUR AIMS

A conference is generally initiated through the appointment of a board/coalition/agency (called on to serve as a sponsor), a conference planning committee and a conference coordinator – but most important component of any conference is its purpose, and this purpose needs to be established first.

This is where the planning committee can play a major role.  Your planning committee, which should be a broad representation of your target audience, can help in guiding and advising the sponsor on establishing the purpose of the conference.

In developing a statement of the conference’s purpose, keep in mind that whilst it is imperative to establish a clear and emphatic purpose (some conferences simply fail because their purpose was not fully addressed) you should also pay attention to what other coalitions and organizations are doing with regards to your event’s aims.  As the organiser of a conference on education in third world countries, for instance, you may be interested in finding out what some NGOs are already doing in terms of training sessions and education conferences.  Attending seminars, exhibitions or even a special convention on the issue will enrich your knowledge and provide you with further insight on what type of presentation would work best for you.

Also, rather than telling your targeted audience what information you think they need, let them tell you.  You can do this trough the use of a survey.  From the results of the survey, you will be able to identify what topics are in demand and what systems are already in place to address those topics.  Following an honest assessment, try to then identify gaps in the current system that you can address.  In so doing, you will have identified the need for, and purpose of, your conference.

Having determined the purpose of your conference, the appropriate participants can accurately be identified.  However, if the expected participants are already known, as is the case in a membership association conference, the immediate goal should be to determine what conference purpose will encourage their attendance.  Again, this can only be established once you’ve accurately identified which topics best address their needs.

2.       CONFERENCE BUDGET

Budgets are usually thought to simply be financial documents that strictly (and painfully) deal with numbers and figures.  More than just this, however, budgets are actually planning documents and management control documents, listing all anticipated expenses, funding sources and revenue of conferences.

For this reason, any conference budget should be prepared through a thoughtful process involving at least three key players.  Usually responsible for paying all conference expenses, it is vital that the sponsor(s) be included.  Equally important to include, even if only to make recommendations, and so that the budget implication of its actions be fully understood by its members, is the planning committee.  Finally, all budget expenses should be initiated by or developed in conjunction with the coordinator.  For accountability purposes, this person alone should be able to approve payment of budget expenses.

An extensive budget checklist should be prepared, followed by a division of expenses (or split folio) to determine which costs will be paid by the conference master account and which will be paid by the conference attendees.  A clear split folio plan should be communicated to the venue in writing, once the letter of agreement is drawn up (prior to the contract).

All this requires a great deal of organization, and you will need a dedicated team of qualified professionals to respect and implement actions based on the available funding.  Conferences UK provides valuable information and advice on how to successfully plan and organise an efficient conference budget.

3.       THE PLANNING COMMITTEE

One of the greatest benefits of having a committee is that it ensures that the conference represents the thinking and planning of more than one individual (like a democracy…kind of).  Typically, if one organisation is sponsoring the conference, it will have some of its members or employees appointed to the committee.  Outside agencies that have an interest in the conference will sometimes have representatives on the committee as well. 

Forming committees, however, can have its challenges, starting with getting everyone together for meetings.  More serious issues involve disagreements over decisions.  One way of avoiding misunderstandings and classic board meeting disputes (…staplers and laptops have been known to fly across boardrooms) is to clearly explain to committee members the committee’s purpose and function.  Depending on the issue, the committee may be asked to advise or make a final decision.  Creating a written document that clearly states the purpose and functions of the committee will not only help minimize conflicts, it will set a standard for your conference organisation.

4.       CHOOSING THE VENUE

Even with a clear purpose, a fixed budget and an effective team in place, finding the right venue for your event can be tricky business.  Although personal experience is always an advantage, when potential locations are spread throughout the country (or halfway across the world) you may need to consider choosing a venue without visiting in person.

The good news is that online sites such as Find me a Conference provide virtual tours that make it easy to get an idea of which conference centers are available and what their facilities are like, in a matter of minutes.  You will undoubtedly find the ideal conference center by visiting Lotus Conferences or Best Western  as these sites provide a range of excellent conference venues to choose from.

When assessing a venue, consider the following:

·         THE LOCATION – Along with date and pricing, many conference organisers regard the location as one of the most critical elements.  Having a central venue location with good transport links has many advantages.  Still, an out-of-town location where delegates can be cosseted for a day or two may be what you’re looking for.

·         THE DATE – When it comes to dates, consider that all hotels and most meeting facilities have  periods of high, low and variable demand – respectively known as “peak”, “value” and “shoulder” periods.  If you’re scheduling dates during a “peak” period, you may have to factor in some additional lead time to get the site venue you want at the right price.  Scheduling the conference around “value” or “shoulder” periods, however, may allow you to negotiate a lower cost per room and obtain discount delegate packages.

·         VENUE SIZE – A dedicated conference facility with a spacious high-ceilinged hall room or exhibition space would be more ideal for a larger event.  If you’re organising a group event such as a staff party, Haven Groups & Events provides some of the best deals. For smaller conferences, consider more intimate venues, such as Sir Christopher Wren’s superb Princess Suite – which hosts up to 90 delegates.  Keep in mind that the number of meeting rooms available can limit the number of concurrent workshops you can hold in a particular venue so be sure to check.

·         TYPE OF VENUE – Due to the diverse set of facilities they provide (covering meeting rooms, banqueting halls and leisure areas) hotels have always been popular venues for a number of events such as weddings and business parties.  Their reputation for handling large groups and providing great service under pressure makes most hotels and other such residential centres ideal for all-round conference events requiring accommodation and support facilities.  For the best hotel venues visit Best Western or Find me a Conference.

A non-residential centre will work best for a smaller or more particular event.  Training seminars, team buildings and mini conventions are ideal for these types of venue.  If you need help finding such venues visit Haven Groups & Events.  Other great sites include The Conference People, Lotus Conferences or CCE Online. 

Outdoor rather than indoor spaces can also make ideal locations that allow staff and delegates to benefit from an inspiring setting.  Similarly, choosing an unusual venue (say, for a product launch) can create a unique and memorable experience that reflects the innovative character of the business or brand.  Again, finding such venues online is as straightforward as can be.  Visit The Conference People, Conferences UK, or Find me a Conference for the best service out there.

5.       WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN

The conference is tomorrow.  You haven’t slept (you live on coffee).  Your hair’s turning grey or falling out.   People, places and things are never where they’re supposed to be and when you’re not running around trying to put out fires, you’re discovering new glitches every hour, on the hour.  The million dollar question that haunts you is:  Have you thought of everything?  To put you out of your misery, we’ve come up with a short list of potential disasters that could ruin your conference.

ü  You’ve hired the worst speaker in the world:

First of all, you’ve got to educate your speaker.  And you should really do this as early in the planning process as possible.  Don’t assume they know everything about your organisation or industry - no matter how well-known it is.  The clearer you are about what to expect, who’s your audience and what has happened at previous events, the easier it will be for the speaker to do a job of delivering a great presentation.  Oh, and please, if you decide to hire a comic, make sure you’re absolutely certain their jokes are actually funny (and appropriate)! 

ü  Nobody knows how the equipment works:

Right, you’ve got the most technologically advanced gadgets out there….touch pads that look like the flight deck of space shuttle, state of the art systems that can transmit from a PC at the speed of light, super-bright projectors that flicker-fancy at the sound of clapping…the works!  One problem: nobody actually knows how the hand-held thingy works or how to switch off those blaring lights!  On top of this, too much resolution is lost in transmission and people can’t make sense of the graphics you spent months planning for your event….

Unless you make sure that the attendees (and the staff) are up-to-date with the systems they’ll be working with, or are confident that you can educate them on it without giving them an encyclopaedic set of instructions - on or before the conference day- we recommend keeping things simple and to the point.  It can save you the embarrassment of trying to overdo it with alien technology.

ü  The mute button - it can make you or break you:

This is especially important when video conferencing.  Here’s how it works: when you’re NOT speaking, push the mute button.  When, speaking, un-mute yourself.  It’s very simple but you’ll be surprised how many people get caught making “The Offhand Comment Of The Century” because they forgot to press mute.

ü  You got your dates mixed up…the conference took place yesterday:

…Fire yourself.

Although there is hardly a perfect event, most pitfalls can easily be avoided by nailing the planning.  Getting the big stuff out of the way early (e.g.: finding the venue, sponsoring the event, drawing up the contracts…etc…) allows you to pay attention to the little things that impact on the operations of the event.  Remember that little things such making sure there is easy access to the restrooms, ensuring there are enough sockets for laptops and verifying that the facilities cater for disabled guests can make a world of difference in determining how successful the conference turns out.  Yes, you’re only human - so make up for it by staying focused and organised throughout.

Good luck!

For brilliant advice and tips on how to run a successful conference and find the perfect venue be sure to visit The Conference People, Conferences UK and Find me a Conference.  Other outstanding sites that provide expert venue-finding services for various events include Haven Groups & Events, Lotus Conferences, CCE Online,  Sir Christopher Wren’s House and Best Western.