By: Thomas Morva
If you are responsible for
planning a conference, there are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration. The
following tips should help you plan and guarantee that the conference you hold is a success.
Start planning at least a year
before the conference if you do have the luxury of time. Put together a committee to help you do
the planning. You will soon see just how much is involved to making the conference run smoothly.
Choose a date and time for the conference, and check national calendars to make sure that there no
other major holidays or events going on at the same time.
Find a suitable place to hold
the conference. Make sure the facility is large enough to hold the number of people who plan on
attending. When you have decided on a facility, make sure you have all the proper paper work in
place in terms of contracts, licenses, etc. If you are hosting a large group, you'll need to think
about hotel accommodations for those attending the conference. You will also have to make
arrangements for food and entertainment. Transportation to and from the convention may also be a
concern that you will have to deal with.
Establish regular meetings with
your committees to make sure that you are all on the same page. Always make sure committees are
following their time lines and make it clear who is doing what. Make sure that you are in constant
contact with the facility personal to go over menus, etc. Set the tone of the conference and decide
with organizational heads what the conference program will look like. Contact presenters and make
sure there is a deadline for their acceptance or decline to present at the conference. Once you
have presenters, begin setting presentation schedules, lectures, workshops and social activities.
Contact each presenter with all pertinent details, and give them a tentative schedule. Give the
presenters the names of others who will be attending and presenting at the convention in case they
would like to communicate with each other.
Work with a graphic design
company to produce quality brochures and hand out materials. Use a website if you have one to
promote the convention. If you don't you should consider setting one up just for the conference to
allow for on-line registration, proposal submissions and updated information. On conference day,
make sure registration is set and orderly. Hand out nametags to each attendee and keep a database
of all who attend. Keep track of your expenses and make sure you do an expense sheet report at the
end of the event.
Article source: http://www.conferences-web.com/
