How to Plan a Conference to Engage and Inspire
Doubling down on how to plan a conference? Great stuff! Holding a conference is a powerful way to market your business. It can:
- Establish you as leaders in your sector, getting your name associated with excellence and innovation
- Build client loyalty
- Connect with your target audiences at a deeper level
- Leave a lasting impression on delegates and visitors
- Deliver real value for your attendees
But conference planning an event that stands out, adds value, and runs like a dream is easier said than done.
Fear not! In the words of the Hitch Hikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, “Don’t Panic!” Take it one step, bite, and task at a time, as with anything intimidating in life.
So, sit back as we explain the steps involved in organised meetings and stellar conference planning.
How Do I Choose a Conference Venue?
Your host venue sets the tone. For this reason, it’s a key factor in how to plan a conference. In fact, it’s fundamental for a memorable and impactful experience for every attendee. So, your chosen venue should ideally tick the following boxes:
- Reflect your company image and values
- Make a strong statement around sustainability
- Suitable capacity for your event
- Accessible to your target audiences to encourage optimum attendance levels
- Offer the technology you need
- Adaptable to your event’s theme or branding
You can find some brilliant guidance for putting together a venue ‘shopping list’ in our How to Source a Venue for Your Next Event article.
How Do I Arrange Conference Catering?
Food and drink can make or break your conference planning efforts. Great food can be a conversation starter and leave a positive lasting impression, after all. So, it’s a wise move to arrange a tasting session with your conference venue when you’re picking the best catering choices to satisfy your guests.
Furthermore, inclusive food doesn’t go unnoticed at today’s conferences and events. So, make sure you’re on the ball with elements such as:
- Special dietary requirements
- Values-based preferences
- Fresh, locally sourced, seasonal menus that reflect your brand’s ethos and resonate with your audience’s ideals
How Can People Register for the Event?
While you’re mastering how to plan a conference, it’s not such a great idea to leave your stakeholders wondering how to book their places for it. This is why a smooth registration process is crucial for making a positive first impression. Make sure this is the case by using reliable event management software to simplify the process for attendees.
Your conference registration system needs to be:
- User-friendly
- Mobile-responsive
- Secure
A professional event management company can offer valuable assistance here. Don’t be afraid to leverage their conference planning expertise to manage hassle-free registrations.
How Can I Budget for Our Conference?
An accurate budget is foundational to your conference planning success. It needs to cover every aspect, including:
- Venue
- Catering
- Technology & audio visual
- Crew & staff welfare
- Outsourced services and/or personnel
- Contingency for unexpected expenses
Transparent and careful budgeting equips you to allocate your resources wisely and maximise the impact of every pound spent. This is another reason you might work with a professional conference organiser, to unravel budgetary complexities and optimise your investment.
What About Event Trends and Experiences?
Time is precious. And here’s a golden rule to keep front and centre when you’re exploring how to plan a conference… Your conference must offer genuine value if you expect your target audiences to invest theirs in it.
For this purpose, research current event trends and prioritise experiential elements to entice and delight attendees. For example:
- Interactive workshops
- Product showcases · Theatrical experiential food and drinks, like fresh handcrafted ice cream rolls, shaking up company branded cocktails, or eating edible flavoured bubbles straight out of the air from a bubble volcano
- Wellness activities and rooms
- Investing in local communities and ethical businesses as part of your supply chain
In short, anything meaningful that uplifts their experience and sets your conference apart. It’s another area a professional event management team can provide insights into the latest trends and help integrate them into your conference planning.
How Do I Create a Wining Event Management Plan?
This is the secret of how to plan a conference with more style and less stress – a well thought out and detailed plan setting out all the steps to complete each area, and who’s responsible.
This will keep you on track, equip you to prioritise, and make sure you’re setting all the necessary wheels in motion at the right times to hit vital deadlines before they’re on top of you.
So, think carefully about incorporating each of these factors:
1. Create headlines that capture the key elements of your event – eg. venue, catering, registration, branding, exhibition, AV, agenda & content, accommodation, etc.
2. Break down each section into the final objectives – eg. confirm full menu, circulate final floor plan
3. Further condense each objective into achievable tasks
4. Add key deadlines into the objectives
5. Work back dates for each task from key deadlines
6. Don’t forget to leave ‘wriggle room’ in any process requiring other people to input or sign off!
So, there you have it. How to plan a conference creatively and professionally. It’s massively rewarding. But truthfully, it can also be ridiculously challenging.
At Brightspace Events, we understand conference planning and delivery offers numerous benefits, while also requiring a significant investment of time and resources. For these reasons, we can work with your corporate or Association in-house team, freeing you up to focus on core objectives, like building relationships and spreading your message, rather than getting bogged down in logistical details. Get in touch to learn how we deliver exceptional conferences in support of your event objectives and broader business goal
