10 Steps to Consider When Organising a Conference
Are you planning your first conference in Dublin, or elsewhere and need some help to jump start the process? Perhaps you organised events before, but you’re going for something bigger and need some backup? Organising a conference can be a big task, but it’s in no way impossible, many have done it before! So why try to reinvent the wheel? We recommend you consider the following 10 useful steps when organising a conference (this list does not necessarily have to be considered in chronological order).
1- Decide on a Theme
Deciding on a theme for your conference may seem a little daunting, but not choosing a theme would be a mistake! Just think of all the best events, parties and conferences you’ve been to. Did they have an underlining theme, some unifying message that guided the event and communicated its objectives and importance? Let us know if you think otherwise, but the answer to this question tends to be YES.
But what is a theme? In its simplest form your theme should be the title or tagline of your conference. It should resonate with your target audience and ideally be catchy and able to drive an emotional response. Whether your event aims to drive people to be more environmentally conscious, build team spirit and company culture, focus on future innovations or something completely different, part of your theme’s job is to draw in your target audience by creating interest and understanding of event objectives.
So what else can having a theme help with?
Event visuals
Your theme can not just provide a name for your event, rather it can guide the design of your conference’s identity. From being reflected in the event’s logo, to influencing the design of the tickets, welcome signs and programs, incorporating your theme in visual aspects of your conference can help make your event unique and memorable.
Conference themes create buzz and promote social sharing
A well-chosen theme has the power to create buzz by promoting excitement and anticipation among your target audience and this can also help the marketing of your event by aiding PR and word of mouth. However, be aware, having a theme, but not having any reflection of it on the day of the event will not create the required buzz! Having props, backdrops and locations in the conference venue that reflect your theme and promote social sharing can be a powerful tool to drive engagement.
Themes give your speakers direction
Themes must not just appeal to the attendees of your conference, but also to your desired speakers. A well thought-out theme has many advantages. It will not just drive the selection of speakers, rather it will allow them to focus their content in a way that will resonate with the delegates, while it will allow you, the organiser, to guide the presentations of speakers without the feeling of micro-management.
2-Formulate Goals and Strategy
Similarly to your theme, other aspects of your conference should reflect and work towards your ultimate goal. Organising a successful conference will require you to think about what you want your conference to achieve, for example increased publicity, new clients or enhancing current client relationships. You will also have to think about your target audience, what they want from your conference, what motivates them and how your conference can and will help them. Putting your goals and strategy onto a single paper can help guide your efforts when planning your event. Check out Eventbrite’s Strategy Sheet for some initial inspiration, or contact our conference and events specialists if you need help with the planning and organisation of your Dublin conference or event.
3-Prepare a business plan and budget
Knowing how much money you have to spend is crucial before you can make any further steps in your conference organisation process, as it will guide your choice of venue, speakers and more. While making a profit is often not the ultimate goal of a conference, you’d want to make sure that you’re not making a loss either. Some of the things to consider when formulating your budget and business plan include:
Your mode of paying for the conference
How much can you charge participants and what will this cover? Will you need to look for sponsors or other funding, for example grants to cover the costs of your event?
Common things to consider in your budget
- Venue
- Accommodation and Transportation (E.g. speakers and conference team)
- Speaker fees
- Marketing your event
- Catering
- Extra activities
4-Assemble a team/conference committee
Whether it’s a small or large conference, it’s unlikely that you will be organising it all on your own (we definitely don’t recommend it). Having a well-selected team is important for allocation of tasks and responsibilities and ultimately to make the organisation of your event a bit less stressful. While if you have a small team it’s likely that your team members will take on a number of roles, teams should be allocated to planning (venue, activities etc.), marketing, sponsorship, and administration (ticket sales, budgeting etc.). In addition to your base team members, you should also consider using volunteers, for example, students or enthusiasts of your product or service. These volunteers can be important assets for the smooth running of your conference. If you need a little boost to your team, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Conference Dublin, for example, offer the help of event and conference specialists to ensure the effective organisation of your event.
5-Select the Venue
Unless you are holding an online conference some of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make will be in relation to the conference venue. As choosing the right venue can make or break the experience, we recommend starting your search early.
Venue location
Firstly you’ll need to decide the location of the venue. Holding your conference in the city centre of a capital city like Dublin can have its own advantages, for example delegates can be close to evening activities. Meanwhile, holding your conference at a slightly less central location is often the right choice, as a somewhat quieter setting tends to allow delegates to direct their full attention to the conference. Most of Conference Dublin’s hotels are away from the hustle and bustle of Dublin city centre, allowing delegates to focus on the event, while being close enough for easy access for any activities in the centre.
Venue type
Apart from the location, searching for a conference venue also involves deciding on its type. Conferences can be held in hotels, university campuses or independent venues. While each type has its advantages, the most appropriate venue will largely depend on your needs. For example, if you expect foreign delegates you may decide to choose a conference hotel near the airport for easy accommodations and transport. On the other hand if you’re holding a one day academic conference, you may decide to choose a University Campus.
Atmosphere
Remember your theme? Having a theme can also come in handy in the process of selecting your event venue. For example, if you’re holding an award ceremony or a corporate Christmas event and you’re going for that special, elegant vibe, choosing a castle hotel might just be your best idea yet!
Services included
Will the venue offer any useful services, for example catering or an airport shuttle bus? Choosing a hotel for your conference is often the best idea when you’re looking for something all-in-one, as hotels tend to offer catering, conference space as well as accommodation.
Technical considerations
Holding a conference involves a number of technical considerations, which are discussed in step 9. Some of these are directly related to the venue, for example whether the conference venue offers the required technical equipment and facilities.
On-site consideration
Apart from the above mentioned, depending on your conference you may have some more things to consider. Some of these could include the available space to register delegates on the day, the number of available presentation or meeting rooms and the possible arrangement of those, as well as the availability of space to serve drinks and/or food.
6-Select and secure speakers
Your speakers are ultimately the “stars” of your conference and often the reason delegates decide to attend. Securing the right speaker(s) can often give the required boost to your event, therefore selecting and securing your speakers should not be taken lightly. Here are a couple of things to consider:
Reach out to your Network
Reaching out to a speaker with the help of someone who knows him/her or have attended one of their presentations holds many advantages. People in your network may be able to help identify relevant speakers, and ideally even make some introductions. Alternatively, they could provide you with proof that the speaker will be relevant to your conference.
Compensation
Different speakers may require different compensation, therefore securing the desired speakers will largely depend on your budget and expectations. Are you ready to pay speaker fees, will primarily pay for travel and accommodation or perhaps offer a percentage of profits?
Speaker- theme fit
As previously discussed the theme of your conference can influence many subsequent decisions, one of them being the speakers selected. Make sure that your speakers understand your mission and agree with the theme of your conference, while also appealing to your target audience.
Special speaker requirements
Will your speaker need specific IT equipment for his/her presentation, will you need to arrange their transportation? These and similar, are all important considerations when selecting the speakers of your conference and to ensure that they have a great experience.
7-Put together an agenda
You have your theme, decided on a venue and even secured some great speakers? Great, now it’s time to create an agenda. Remember, that your conference should always cater to the interests and needs of your attendees, therefore keeping them in mind at this stage of the event organisation process will be just as important. Some things you’ll need to consider include:
The type of sessions
What type of sessions will your attendees enjoy and learn from and what type of sessions can your speakers provide? Consider things like keynotes, networking sessions, presentations, workshops and interactive sessions among others.
Session timing
Will you have one line of sessions running at the same time allowing your attendees to attend all sessions or will you have multiple sessions running parallel to each other? While some sessions may be interesting and relevant to all your attendees, some may be aimed at a more specific group.
Transition time
Leaving time for a short bathroom break or to grab a glass of water between sessions will be much appreciated by speakers and attendees alike. Consider building such transition time into your schedule to ensure a stress-free experience to all attending.
Dining and snacks
Depending on the ticket fees and scale of the event, attendees will have certain expectations regarding meals provided. You’ll have to make the decision whether you offer a full meal, coffee and tea, perhaps snacks or even a full gala dinner.
8-Marketing the conference
You organised a great event, booked your chosen venue, put together a great agenda and even secured your most wanted speaker. All this is great, but what does it worth if nobody knows about it? Marketing your event and building hype around it is very important, as a great conference is nothing without its attendees. Your way of promotion should be influenced by your target audience, but some things to consider include starting a newsletter, posting and advertising on social media sites and relevant forums, blogging on own blog, as well as asking your speakers to blog and share on social media. Social media can be further utilised both in the promotion of the conference and during the event by the creation of a hashtag for your conference and its encouragement to be used.
9-Technology related considerations
Technology related questions should and will be inherent in the organisation of a conference. While technology will weave itself into many decisions, some of the most important considerations include:
Website or no website
Creating a professional conference website with a dedicated domain, conference details, agenda and ideally functionality to purchase tickets is an important step in your conference organisation process. Depending on the type of conference and available resources, however, you may decide to turn to other options. For example, you may decide to create a dedicated page on you company website, alternatively you may decide to utilise a third-party ticketing system.
On-site features
One of the most basic considerations when selecting a venue will include things like the availability of high-speed Wi-Fi. There are, however, a number of other things to consider both when choosing the venue and when organising the details of the conference. These will include things related to lighting and sound systems, but also to the display of presentations among others. Our Dublin conference hotels are furnished with conference facilities and technology to the highest degree. Crowne Plaza Dublin Northwood’s Redwood Suite, for example features fibre optic technology, inbuilt PA system and projector, drop down screens and plasma display screens among others, all designed to help you create a professional and enjoyable experience.
On-site Tech Support
It’s always better to be safe than sorry! A technical glitch on the day of the conference, whether small or big can feel like a real tragedy. We recommend avoiding these nerve wrecking moments both for you and your speakers by planning for on-site tech support. In the Crowne Plaza Ireland hotels, for example, you can avail of an on-site AV technician when holding a large event.
10-Follow up after the Conference
We can understand if the last thing you want to do after your conference is to work more on it. Don’t worry there’s just one small but non-the-less very important step left. Following up with attendees, speakers and everybody involved can be important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, you want to leave a good impression, after all, you plan to hold more events right? Send a brief thank you to all the participants to ensure a positive impression and perhaps continued relationship. Second but not least important, following up short after the conference with a brief survey is the perfect way to get some well needed feedback. Incorporate this knowledge into your future endeavours and make your next event or conference even more successful!
If our 10 steps to organising a conference helped to jump start your organisation process, and you’re looking for some help with choosing the best conference venue in Dublin, don’t wait. Reach out to Conference Dublin, we’ll be happy to help you.