19 Sep 2024
A Guide to Hosting A Successful Conference
Curious about what goes into a successful business conference? You’re not alone! Planning one – let alone running it – does feel like a challenge, especially if you want your attendees to engage with the conference’s content. There are plenty of ways things could go wrong, but you should focus on how you can do it right. This handy guide will help you in that regard!
1. Pre-Conference Phase
It may be a good idea to start the planning phase as early as possible. This way, you’ll have plenty of time to sort out the details of the conference even when you hit a sudden snag. Many experts believe that six months is a good amount of time to work with (six months can go by really fast without you realising it), but again that may vary depending on the duration and content of the conference.
Identifying the theme and target audience
Your theme is the foundation of the entire conference. It helps you with figuring out the key takeaways you intend to impart to attendees, as well as identifying your target audience. For example, if you’re planning a health conference, your theme may be about the growing importance of telemedicine, primarily targeting doctors and nurses. The theme may also potentially attract other attendees you weren’t primarily targeting. In the case of our earlier example, interested members of the public might be interested to hear what you have to share.
With your theme selected, you can identify your target audience and gauge interest in your conference using a variety of channels, including social media and email marketing. It’s a good idea to get this information early: that way, you have a better idea about the kind of content your audience is interested in, allowing you to create a program that speaks to them and captures their attention.
Additional goals
Traditionally, a conference was a platform for sharing new or beneficial information related to its central theme. Today, conferences have gone beyond their original scope and provide plenty of opportunities that any business can leverage, including yours. This includes:
● Promoting your brand: The conference can help put your brand out there, especially if you may be offering a new and exciting product or service that may be of value to the attendees.
● Generating new leads: A successful conference can potentially convert attendees into interested clients, and that’s a win in our book!
● Offering networking opportunities: It’s a good time to be making new contacts, not just for your attendees but also for your company.
There’s no harm in having your conference provide all three, but you should ensure the overall timeframe and flow of the conference can accommodate these activities.
Assembling a conference planning team
Organising a conference is not a one man feat; trying to do it all on your own will burn you out. It’s essential to have a dedicated team assembled to help you every step of the way. You’ll be able to delegate responsibilities to various team members; one team may be responsible for setting up the conference’s registration site, while another oversees the venue, and so on. This collaborative effort will ensure the conference prep work proceeds smoothly.
If you are looking for a more all-encompassing solution, an event planner can handle the entire planning process, from theme planning to venue management and even catering. Hiring an event planner can be a huge time-saver since they have access to their network of services to help them sort things out with little difficulty. You can count on their expertise to make your conference a resounding success.
Setting a budget
Budgeting is an important part of the planning process as it will inform various decisions for running your conference. It may be helpful to divide the budget across a few categories, each of which is managed by a member of your team. You’ll need to ensure you have sufficient funds for recruiting speakers, contracting vendors, and the right venue for the occasion.
If you have a fixed budget, the budget will be an essential blueprint to keep track of your overall spending. Every dollar counts, so you and your team need to be prudent in managing expenses without sacrificing quality. It may be a good idea to make queries about vendor services and their cost first, then compare each vendor to identify the ideal choice.
Be sure to plan for emergencies and unpleasant surprises as well. It’s always a good idea to have backup funds available when things don’t work out.
Selecting speakers and presenters
No matter what industry you are in, your guest speaker lineup can make a huge difference in the crowd you’ll attract. Naturally, you want to ensure your chosen speakers are well-versed in topics related to the conference theme so that your attendees can learn something new throughout the event.
Well-known speakers tend to draw a bigger crowd for obvious reasons, so having a few on your guest list can be a selling point to your conference: it can serve as a sign of legitimacy since these popular speakers will be there. Attendees will surely be interested in the valuable insights these speakers will be sharing throughout the conference.
Just make sure you don’t go overboard and hire too many speakers; the number of speakers you’ll need will vary based on your conference’s overall length and the kind of subjects that are discussed.
Choosing a date and venue
When choosing the venue, the sooner you can finalise it, the better. Many venues will be happy to temporarily hold the date for some time while you finalise the conference’s details, so be sure to ask about it. If they can, don’t hesitate to confirm your booking as soon as you have a date in mind.
You also need to consider how your venue will look. Modern minimalist designs are quite popular these days, so those are a rather safe bet. If you’re still unsure, you can ask around for suggestions or past examples as reference points. You could also solicit the advice of event planners, especially those with professional experience in your industry.
Developing a marketing strategy
For your conference to be successful, you need a well-thought-out marketing plan. That plan should include effective methods of engagement to convince your audience to attend the conference. It also helps to get the word out as much as you can; it wouldn’t hurt to tell people more than once across various channels – just be clever about how you do it!
If you plan to attract more people to your event, invest in digital marketing and social media advertising across various platforms. Incentives like early bird discounts for the first 100 registrations may also be great ways to garner interest.
Finalising the agenda and schedule
By this point, much of the conference’s finer points are finalised, so it’s time to set up the conference itinerary. You should ensure each speaker has sufficient time to present their points during their events and offer short breaks between sessions.
Consider incorporating simple games that also offer learning points to attendees, offering both a short distraction and an entertaining way to get a point across. You should also be sure to have social breaks, too, so attendees have a chance to network among themselves.
Your itinerary will need to be as comprehensive as possible to offer every bit of information needed for everyone, including the attendees, vendors and guest speakers. Be sure to include the contact details of key persons who need to be notified should anything happen during the conference.
Planning meals and refreshments
No conference is complete without some food and refreshments in between the main events. Offering coffee and pastries at the start of the day can set the tone for a productive day, while a light buffet lunch would be a good time to relax and foster connections between attendees – and even with you!
Having gluten-free or vegetarian options as part of the standard menu will also be a good idea to accommodate those with different dietary restrictions. Little details like this can make all the difference in setting up an amicable environment for everyone involved.
2. On-Site Execution Phase
Ensuring a smooth registration and check-in process
There’s nothing worse than a long wait or plenty of inconveniences during the registration process. It might be worth setting up an easy-to-use registration tool or system to avoid instances like this. You should also ensure the registration team performs a test run before the event so everyone knows what to do. You’ll be able to avoid last-minute issues and ensure everyone registers on time.
Facilitate networking opportunities
People love to network: it’s a great way to make new friends, learn from others and grow your personal or corporate circle of connections. As an event organiser, you can make networking easier by providing attendees free time to unwind. It’s a good way for attendees to relax and unwind while forming meaningful human connections.
3. Post-Conference Phase
Collecting feedback and data
Once the conference comes to a close, you and your team can have a post-mortem meeting to discuss what everyone learned from running the conference and share insights on what could be improved for future conferences. You could also have your vendors and guest speakers share their feedback as well.
Meanwhile, attendees can fill up a survey form near the end of the conference where they can rate the different aspects of the conference and add comments of their own. You could also send them the follow-up survey by email instead. Be sure to thank them for their time; it never hurts to be polite!
Staying connected
You can also include an opt-in within your survey that allows you to stay in touch with your attendees. This option allows them to stay updated on new developments on your end, such as new events they might be interested in. This way, you can prioritise these people when sending future event invitations that match their interests.
Ready to host your next successful conference?
Why not entrust Aspen Event Planners to help you out? Say goodbye to undue stress as we provide you with a one-stop solution for all your event planning needs. We’ll help you set up a conference to remember while you focus on your outreach strategies to attract potential clients during the event.
Intrigued by what we can bring to the table? Reach out to us today to find out how we can make your next event a great success!
