10 tips for organizing a successful conference

With good planning and attention to detail, you will create a successful conference and a great experience for your participants.Here are our 10 best tips for those responsible for the company's next conference!

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These are the essentials for organizing a great conference:
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Make a solid plan

Start by defining the goals you want to achieve with the conference, and create a concrete plan for executing the event. List all the tasks that need to be done, assign responsibilities, and set deadlines. This will make the entire process easier to manage!

If you need assistance in planning your conference – see what we offer for conferences here!
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Choose the time and location

Determine when the best time for the conference is. If you are organizing a conference for your company, avoid common holiday periods. Also, keep busy periods, public holidays, etc., in mind and plan around these.

It's also important to choose a suitable venue for the event. The venue should be easily accessible for participants, and it must have enough space for everyone attending the conference. Consider also the activities you plan to include. The venue you choose must have the space and facilities to accommodate them.
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Create an engaging program

One of the most important elements to make the conference appealing to participants is an exciting program for the day. Plan what will happen in terms of lectures and activities, and book speakers or facilitators as needed. Be sure to include time for breaks and meal pauses if you're planning a long event.
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Promote the conference

If you're only hosting an internal conference for your company, you can send out invitations and reminders to the employees. If you want to attract more attendees, there are many ways to promote the conference. You can create email lists and send reminders, use social media, create ads, or try to get media publicity. Increase the attendance rate and attract interested participants.
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Coordinate food and beverages

It's a good idea to offer refreshments during the conference. This can range from just having coffee and perhaps some pastries available to large meals. If you plan to order food, make sure to adjust the order based on the expected number of attendees. Be sure to account for any allergies that may be mentioned.
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Check that all technical equipment is planned

Depending on the activities you plan, there will be a need for different technical equipment. This could include microphones, projectors, lighting and sound for lectures, screens for information, and any machinery for various activities. Everything should run smoothly during the conference, so it's important to double-check that all equipment is working before the event begins.

We offer equipment rental for conferences – see what equipment you can acquire here.
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Send out practical information in advance

To make the conference as efficient as possible for you and your guests, you should send out practical information to the participants in advance. Share details about access to the venue, any parking options, the arrival time, and, of course, the program. This ensures everyone knows what to expect, leading to a smoother flow on the day of the event.
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Ensure a great user experience throughout

It's important to ensure that participants have a positive experience at the conference. Provide a smooth and efficient registration process for attendees. You may need to assign someone to manage the guest list. It's also essential to ensure there is always coffee available and that food is ready when it's supposed to be. Perhaps name tags or place cards are needed? All these small details need to run smoothly for participants to leave with a positive experience.
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Opportunities for evaluation and feedback

After following these tips, you will have successfully organized the conference. However, it’s always valuable to get input from attendees on how they felt about the conference. If it was a smaller event with external participants, it may be possible to follow up with them by phone to hear about their experience. Regardless, it’s a good idea to contact participants to gather feedback on the event. There is always room for improvement.
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Plan for cleaning and tidying up

If the venue doesn’t handle cleaning during and after the conference, it’s important to have a plan for how the cleaning will be done as efficiently as possible. If you're hiring staff, ensure they arrive at the right time and have everything they need from the organizers. Additionally, it’s important to maintain cleanliness throughout the event. If there are dirty cups or food waste lying around, it can negatively impact the overall experience for participants.
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Summary:

A successful conference requires a lot of planning. It’s important to stay in control both during the planning phase and throughout the event itself. Participants must have all the information they need, and everything should ideally run smoothly. Our experts have extensive experience in planning both large and small conferences, and we can assist you with both the planning process and provide any equipment you may need. See the services we offer for conference organizers here!