Organising a conference can be quite stressful, every step needs to be thought through, planned and monitored beforehand if you want it to be a success. Before you start, think about each stage, what resources you will need and the workload involved. You need to provide enough time (and work) to prepare everything properly. As with any event, thorough preparation is crucial to its success.
Below are the main steps you need to take into account to organise high-quality conferences, regardless of the chosen theme or format.
Summary
1. Define the goals for the business conference
The first step in planning any event, be it a seminar or an announcement at a business meeting – is to define the objectives. Conferences have become an important communication tool and should allow you to convey new information with a clear purpose.
Conference spending is rising significantly as more and more companies are becoming aware of their impact – both physical and online, on their results and image. Everything counts: from the prestigious venue to the choice of sponsors, and from the selection of food and wines to the audiovisual material. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the intended audience?
- What is the message you want to convey?
- Which media do you want to contact?
- How long should the conference last?
- When are you organising it? For the company’s 10th anniversary? For the end of the year?
- Which suppliers will you choose for the stage, sound and lighting, catering, photography…?
2. Choose your venue carefully
Whatever venue you choose, it should meet your needs (e.g. have enough rooms for all your business conferences and workshops if you do) and the needs of the attendees (think of a nice, accessible venue or a well-designed virtual event space).
When selecting a business conference venue, lighting and acoustics are often overlooked, but they significantly affect the attendees’ experience, especially if you are organising a hybrid event. The venue can be a hotel, festival hall, seminar, or other space. Finally, the chosen venue should also depend on the date and time of the business conference. Check beforehand that it does not fall on the same day as another event (sporting, professional, etc.).
3. Define the format of the business conference
A simple but important decision: what format will you choose for your conference? Will you go for an entirely physical meeting, an online event or a hybrid format? The choice of format largely determines the organisation, the complexity of implementation, the budget required, the people to be involved and much more.
4. Think about your pricing strategy and budget
Unlike many other professional or public events, the aim of a conference is usually not to make a profit, but also not to make a loss. Drawing up a detailed budget is therefore an essential step when organising a conference. As with any event, it is important to identify the various costs and resources needed (catering, sponsors…).
In addition to the rental price of the chosen venue (in the case of a physical conference), it is important to identify in advance the less visible costs, such as costs for external suppliers, parking, spaces for sponsors or exhibitors, or even wifi. If your conference is free, income from sponsorship, for example, should be clearly defined.
5. Choose the right speakers
This is a tricky but crucial step when planning a conference. Choosing a speaker for your event should be made after the dates and venues are fixed. Try to choose a speaker who is experienced, knows how to captivate the audience throughout the conference, portrays your company positively and supports the set goals.
So choose your speakers carefully, based on reviews, profiles and previous experiences. A speaker can make or crack your event. Also bear in mind that the cost of hiring a speaker can affect your budget.
6. Manage registrations and ticket sales
If the conference is paying, it is strongly recommended to keep ticket prices low and not charge high fees, as the goal is usually not to make a profit, but rather to showcase your business.
To plan your resources well, make the registration form available a month in advance, for example. Even if the conference is completely free, online registrations are highly recommended as they are much more accessible and user-friendly. Once you have a complete list of invitees, you can use our online invitation system and accreditation solutions, specially designed to manage your invitees securely and independently.
7. Take stock of the event
Receiving feedback is essential at any event. Feedback shows you the extent to which you have met your audience’s expectations. After the event, collect key comments from attendees to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. You can also send thank-you emails to attendees, possibly with a short satisfaction survey. CRM tools can also facilitate this process.
It is also a good idea to share photos and surveys on your social media channels, so participants can view them and give their opinions afterwards.
Weezevent’s solutions offer conference organisers a secure and smooth access control system, a user-friendly online ticketing system to optimally manage participants. Thus guaranteeing a conference experience that is smooth, professional and customised.
