When you’re holding a business conference, you want the event to run as smoothly as possible, which requires some planning. In this post, we’ll be going over what you need to include in your event plan and what will make for a successful conference. Keep reading if you’d like to find out more.
Table of Contents
Forming A Budget
First off, you’ll need to come up with a realistic budget for your conference. How much are you able to comfortably spend on it? And how do you want to distribute that money across the different aspects of it? Start contacting venues, speakers, and caterers to ask for quotes.
This will allow you to form an idea of the general costs that will be involved in holding the conference so you can plan ahead.
Finding Sponsors
You may be funding the conference yourself, but if you want help with extra funding, you could consider seeking sponsors. The sponsors will want to know the purpose and theme of the conference and what it will be focusing on. Ideally, it will be something directly linked to them as a sponsor. You will need to market any sponsors at your conference and be sure to thank them.
Choosing A Venue
When choosing a venue for your conference, think about the total number of guests you’re going to be expecting on the day. Is it big enough to hold them all? Is it the right setting for holding a conference? Also, consider things such as whether it is located conveniently for everyone involved.
If you want to include refreshments, enquire about whether these are included as part of the venue service or whether you’ll need to hire your own catering service. Will the conference be held over a number of days? If so, you’ll need to organize accommodation options for your guests and speakers. Try to choose a venue where there won’t be other clashing conferences taking place at a similar time to your own at the venue you choose.
The Purpose Of The Conference
Have a clear objective in mind for your conference and try and keep it as a theme throughout the course of the conference. Having a clear purpose behind the conference will help you to gain more interest from those seeking to know more about the specific subject.
It will also help your guests to understand what will be being discussed and learn more about it. When you’re marketing the conference, be sure to have the purpose of the conference clear in any marketing strategies.
Booking Guest Speakers
The guest speakers you have at your conference are the most crucial aspect, as they will be the focus of the event and draw in interest. If you can bag a well-known speaker for your conference, you’re far more likely to have a lot of interest from people wanting to attend. Be sure to research the best speakers for your meeting and inquire about whether they could attend your event.
Of course, some speakers charge more than others, so you’ll need to enquire about fees to establish whether you can afford to book them. Make sure each of your guest speakers can offer different perspectives or different subjects so that your conference can provide more for your audience.
Sending Out Invitations
Invitations will need to be sent out once you have established your date, time, venue, and guest speakers. Make sure you include all the information you need for your guests and let them know about details such as accommodation options and meals that will be provided.
If you want to help the environment, then consider sending out virtual invitations from Greenvelope rather than traditional paper invites. Track any RSVPs to be sure of the number of guests that will be attending your event so you can plan other elements around this.
Providing Refreshments
Whether your conference lasts a few hours or several days, you will need to provide some kind of refreshments for your guests. Hiring a catering service will help make sure you’re providing enough food and drink for your guests, so make sure you keep track of how many there will be and pass this information to your caterers.
Make sure you provide different options for dietary choices and any allergies and that the caterers clearly mark these options. In the evening, you could provide the option of a bar with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options for when people want to network afterward.
Advertising Your Conference
In order to get enough numbers for your event, you need to be able to market your conference. When advertising the event, make sure to focus on the purpose of the conference, the guest speakers, and what your guests could gain from attending. Social media, advertising in business magazines, and on relevant websites are all great ways to help market your conference.