How to Hold the Best Conference
So you’ve decided to hold a conference. If you’ve never done it before, it feels like a daunting task. Where do you even start? This guide helps you put everything together, so you can hold a successful and productive conference.
Put Your Team Together
Now you’ve decided to put on a conference and you’re going to need a team that can help you put it together. You’ll never be able to do it on your own, so you want a team that you can rely on to get it done. Your team will help you plan the event, creating a conference that people will want to attend. You’ll also need an admin team who can handle ticket sales and attendance on the day. Finally, you’ll need a team of staff who will deal with everything else on the day, from showing people to the right room, to answering questions about the conference.
Pick A Venue
Now, you need a venue where you can hold your conference. The best thing to do is use a venue search site, such as Venue Finder, to help you find a good venue near you. For example, if you’re looking to hold the event in Glasgow, search ‘conference venues Glasgow‘ to get a good idea of what’s available to you.
You want a venue that offers you enough room for all your attendees, with amenities that they will need. For example, it’s a good idea to find a venue that offers food on site, to avoid others having to leave to get lunch on the day.
Put Together A Budget
You’ll need to decide how much money you’ll need to spend, in order to put on the conference you want to make. You’ll need to budget for at least some of the following:
- Venue Hire
- Speaker Fees
- Transport
- Catering
- Accommodation
- Marketing
Find Sponsors
This is an optional step, but it’s often a good idea to find sponsors to sponsor your conference. This will help mitigate any costs of your planning, so you can include more options into your event. When you’re looking for sponsors, look for those that align with the values of your conference. For example, a weight loss company would be a great sponsor for a yoga conference, but a fast food company wouldn’t be.
Pick A Date And Time
Now you have everything together and you’ll need to pick a date and time for your conference to take place. When would be a good time for your attendees? For example, if you’re running a conference for Santa actors, you won’t want to book it during December as they’re going to be very busy. Also, how long will your conference be? Can it be within a day, or will it need a few days for all the events you have planned?
With these tips, you’ll be able to run the best conference possible. Get the right team together, pick the right venue, and find the best speakers and sponsors to make your event a success.
