How to organise a conference?
How to Organise a Conference: Step-By-Step Guide. So you’ve decided to organise a conference. Quite a task! You should start planning the conference at least six months prior to the date. (For larger conference, the planning might start a year in advance.) You’ll be keeping track of a lot of moving parts.
Why do conference organizers cut corners?
We have seen fellow conference organizers cut corners by keeping prices artificially low (to sell more tickets), or by not compensating speakers, or by not concerning themselves with diversity. Each of these compromises can create a pattern that is hard to break over time.
How to pick the right date for your next conference?
Here are some great rules of thumb to keep in mind: Pick a date that doesn’t conflict with other major events like festivals. City-wide events make booking flights more expensive and generally hinder transportation to and from the conference. Besides, you don’t want your conference to compete for attention with big events.
How to choose the right event venue for your conference?
Choose a venue that supports the program, instead of competing with it. A conference program isn’t just a bunch of talks. It must also connect them, and sequence them so they build upon each other and create the momentum that drives the event forward.
What factors are important when choosing conference destinations?
What factors are important when choosing conference destinations?Venue location. You may be hosting your event in a large city, just like Sydney, so you want to make sure your venue location is easy to get to and in a convenient space. … Catering options. … Audio/Visual. … Service. … Facilities. … Interior/Exterior.
What is the best way to organize a conference?
How to organise a conference in 10 steps (with templates)Formulate your event strategy. … Embrace conference technology. … Delegate, dammit. … Think through your budget and pricing model. … (Carefully) choose your venue. … Build a website that does your conference justice. … Invite your speakers and authors. … Get your reviewers onboard.More items…•
How do I choose a conference venue?
How to choose a conference venueBudget. Keep the bottom line in mind when tackling the logistics of your event. … Location. Choosing a convenient location is one way to maximise attendance. … Capacity. … Features. … Staffing. … Branding. … Accommodation. … Venue Layout.More items…•
How do you organize an online conference?
11 Strategies for Organizing a Virtual ConferenceIdentify Your Audience. … Choose the Right Virtual Event Tool. … Create an Agenda. … Prepare Your Speakers. … Determine How You’ll Engage Your Virtual Audience. … Connect With and Engage Your Sponsors. … Spread the Word. … Create a Plan to Combat Technical Difficulties.More items…
How do you plan a conference workshop?
10 Steps For Organizing A Conference or WorkshopPick dates and time. Decide on dates that work with you and your co-organizers. … Choose a venue. … Budget. … Booking. … Event announcement and/or call for proposals. … Peer review. … Program announcement. … Inform presenters and attendees.More items…•
What makes a good conference room?
“A meeting area that’s comfortable stylish and fully equipped will help you communicate better and build relationships,” notes Gaiku. “It can effectively lead to attracting clients or finalizing deals.” Or, we might add, brainstorming the Next Big Thing. You’re there to work, so you want a results-oriented environment.
What are the characteristics of the best conference venue?
What Makes an Excellent Conference Venue?Experience and Reputation. … Convenient Access. … Lodging Options. … A Variety of Meeting Room Sizes. … A Positive Brand Impact. … Availability. … Convenient, Secure Parking. … Technology.More items…•
What makes a good convention center?
Convention Centers Must be Healthy and Stimulating Not only does the environment in a convention center need to be stimulating, it needs to be healthful as well. Lighting, air temperature, and air quality must be optimal.
How does an online conference work?
A virtual conference works very much the same as a live one. The base experience for each virtual conference is the same, while the way in which they are presented varies from platform to platform. Participants sign up to attend but instead of a physical address and directions, they receive an internet link.
How do you run a successful virtual conference?
Virtual events take just as much advance planning as a traditional conference. … Time zones still matter – make sure participants aren’t shut out by being in the wrong time zone. … Provide both synchronous and asynchronous content during the virtual event.
How do you organize a virtual competition?
10 tips for hosting virtual eventsSet clear goals from the start. … Choose the right platform to host your virtual event. … Choose the right time for your event. … Promote your virtual event. … Develop a clear agenda that includes speakers and timeframes. … Include moderators at your event. … Engage your audience. … Prepare to troubleshoot.More items…
What are the biggest mistakes organizers make?
One of the largest mistakes organizers make is trying to handle all of these details themselves, thus becoming over-taxed bottlenecks. This inevitably leads to errors that could be prevented through delegation to trusted lieutenants.
What makes an event more welcoming?
Accessibility is the secret sauce that makes your event more welcoming to all of your attendees. When most people hear the word accessible, they may think of having wheelchair ramps, elevators, and reserved seating for people with non-standard mobility, but this is only the start of what you can do to make your event more accessible for everybody.
Why is it important to coordinate Wi-Fi?
Coordinating Wi-Fi is a thankless job, but providing a contact for attendees to report networking problems can help win back a lot of goodwill otherwise lost when the network goes down . These are a few of the many practical ways you can provide a better conference experience for attendees.
Why are technical conferences important?
Technical conferences are a great way to meet new people or to connect with folks you’ve known for a long time. They’re also wonderful for opportunistic meetups, but the event can enable serendipity by providing resources.
What should be the second most prominent piece of information?
Although an attendee’s self-reported name should be most prominent on the badge, the second most prominent piece of information should be the identifier by which they’re known in the community. This could be Twitter or IRC nick, GitHub account name, or whatever makes the most sense for this group and individual.
What are the roles of a conference coordinator?
Some of the roles helpful for most events to fill are: 1 volunteer coordinator to assist the volunteers in their duties and make sure all of the bases are covered 2 speaker coordinator to make sure the speakers have what they need to provide conference content (and to make sure they get to the correct room at the correct time) 3 A/V wrangler to field any questions and problems with the audio/video system and liaise with any contracted A/V staff 4 room monitors to assist with seating, moderation, and keeping order during sessions
Do you need Wi-Fi for a conference?
But prepare for the worst, and don’t require Wi-Fi for conference attendance. For instance, if the schedule is only available online, come up with an offline version—even simply a bulletin board—that attendees can rely on regardless of Wi-Fi availability.
What to do if your conference isn’t free?
If your conference isn’t free to attend, you’ll want to settle on the right price. On the one hand, the conference fees should help cover your costs. On the other hand, you don’t want to price interested attendees out and end up with a half-booked conference.
When is the best time to attend a conference?
The best days for a conference are Thursday and Friday.
How long before a conference should you have an agenda?
Now that the key elements are in place, it’s time to shape them into a detailed agenda. Ideally, you want your agenda to be in place at least four months before the conference starts.
Is it necessary to reinvent the wheel to organize a conference?
The truth is, even though organising a conference is a demanding endeavour, you’re not the first one to face it. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. It’s all about following a few specific steps. We’ve prepared this top-level guide on how to organise a conference.
Do you have to put together a budget for a conference?
Whether your conference is funded by sponsors or not, you’ll have to put together a budget. You need to know where your money is being earned and spent. Having a budget will also help you set the price for participating in the conference. Here are the most common items you’ll want to budget for:
What counts as a design conference?
As a design conference, make sure the obvious creative things are well done: branding, badges, schedules, posters, in-house projections, etc. UX professionals are overly critical of such things, they will talk about them during the event, and even if you have an amazingly curated lineup, failure to address those ‘little details’ will skew the people’s perception of the event.
What is conference program?
A conference program isn’t just a bunch of talks. It must also connect them, and sequence them so they build upon each other and create the momentum that drives the event forward.
What are some examples of practitioner conferences?
Most practitioner conferences are educational. Academic events: These are conferences aimed at getting publishing credits. Examples are CHI, UIST, and SIGGRAPH. Submissions need to be peer reviewed and published in a volume for the authors to get the credit they need to complete their degrees.
What is tribal community event?
They primary purpose is to bring together people who share a common bond over the work they do. In many cases, the attendees don’t meet anyone else that does what they do except at a conference like this.
What is ticket sales?
Ticket sales are, by far, one of the most stressful parts of organizing a conference. You need to decide how much, how many, are refunds and/or transfers allowed, what payment methods will be accepted… and the list goes on.
Can I organize a conference on my own?
Although it’s possible, I would not recommend organizing a conference on your own. Remember, conferences are a way for people to network. If you’re in a room — all by yourself — trying to decide how best to bring people together, you’re already off to a bad start.
Why is it important to have a conference planning checklist?
It’s imperative to have a conference planning checklist, to keep everything in order. The checklist is one, all-inclusive document that encompasses a list of tasks that you and your team need to complete before, during and after a conference. The checklist also will help to keep your team on the same page, with key dates and items …
Why is hosting a conference important?
They include helping to promote your organization and networking, in addition to expanding your reach through marketing and industry advocates. Best of all, you can generate revenue!
What are the factors to consider when planning a conference?
There are a variety of factors to consider when planning your conference. The top two factors to start with are the time of year and venue. When deciding on the best time of year to hold your conference, think about the peak season for your attendees’ businesses and professional roles.
What is one great connection?
One great connection can lead to new job opportunities, partnerships, and content creation. One new idea, if it’s the right one, can change the way you approach all of your work. One great connection can lead to new job opportunities, partnerships, and content creation. Conferences and networking matter. Tweet this!
What is simple networking?
David Fisher is the master of this. Simple networking = great networking. This is a super simple way to network and spread on social. Tagging people in your posts increases the chance that they’ll share it, and people at the conference will be perusing the conference hashtags.
What is the point of a conference?
The point of a conference isn’t just to meet people—it’s to network with people. If you go to a conference with a networking goal in mind, you need to make sure that you stay in touch with people after the conference. Your level of follow up depends on the kind of relationship you want to have with someone.
What happens if you forget someone’s name?
When you forget someone’s name, most people assume that there’s a problem with the recall stage. But most of the time, the problem is actually one of encoding. If you aren’t fully paying attention when someone’s name gets said, you never transfer the memory to storage and won’t be able to recall it.
What are the benefits of attending a conference?
Benefits of attending conferences. There are a lot of potential benefits of attending conferences that go beyond the simple “network and learn from speakers.”. Of course those are important, but there are other benefits that people don’t always consider. For example: Social media content from the conference.
Is diet good for traveling?
Just like sleep, diet is easy to lose track of when you travel. Travel messes up your routines. But sleep, exercise, and diet can all have a major effect on your mood and energy. When you go to a conference, have a plan in place to make sure you don’t grab what’s easiest—which is usually some kind of fast food.
