‘A well structured approach to the task of organising your conference is essential and will bring many benefits.’

SCHEDULING THE EVENT

Twelve weeks can normally be considered an adequate lead-time for events. This allows satisfactory time for preparation, and for press releases to be received and published in the relevant monthly journals. Prior to the 12-week countdown to the event you will have:

• set the budget
• researched and booked the venue
• decided on the content of your programme and copy for the brochure
• booked the speakers
• and be ready to mail out the printed programmes.

When to send the brochure

Events, organisations and budgets will combine to dictate what is and what is not possible. Presuming the initial mailshot is sent 12 weeks in advance of the event it could be followed by a written or telephone reminder to those who have not yet booked at eight weeks, and then again four weeks out.

Although requiring longer notice of events, there is a tendency for delegates to book their place as late as possible, especially if purchase orders have to be passed through accounting departments. Although to be expected, this can be frustrating for the organiser who needs to be able to anticipate delegate attendance numbers as early as possible. It can be useful to offer an ‘early bird’ price to encourage early bookings. The resulting increase in early registrations will provide an indication of how the event is being received by potential delegates. This can be useful to help you plan and implement your promotional activity.

Finding other targets

By analysing delegate details as they book you can target other potential delegates. For instance, if you find that the conference is attracting a large number of people in a particular job function, or in similar demographic groups, you could direct-mail other people in similar positions.

CREATING A PLAN

Time is a valuable resource of which few of us seem to have enough. Once time has passed it cannot be replaced, so use it wisely. Whether it is your free time or your work time it is difficult to place an exact figure on the cost of you performing a given task.

Benefits of using a time plan

• You will be able to identify tasks and allocate staff/ resources/your own time as required to deal with them.
• You will be able to organise your normal work-load around the event and the organisation.
• By their very nature some tasks must be done at the last minute, e.g. preparation of badges and stuffing delegate packs. Others need to be carried out some time in advance, such as finding sponsors and distributing programmes. A visual plan will help you to put the pieces together in the correct order and fill any gaps with tasks that, within reason, have no time requirements, like choosing menus. See Figures 7 and 8, which indicate key elements that must be addressed and can be used as a basis for your own plan.

SCHEDULING THE PROGRAMME

Your brief will dictate the duration of the event – a day, evening or two days perhaps. The programme has to fill that space adequately, ensuring delegates have time to absorb what they’re hearing, but not get bored. Remember that we all have relatively short concentration spans, so shorter bursts of information interspersed with lighter input are most likely to be retained.

Timing it right

The right time to start

Consider how the majority of delegates are likely to travel to the venue. By car? By train? By tube? Avoiding the necessity for travel in peak times if at all possible will help ensure delegates arrive in a good frame of mind.

Refreshment breaks

Ensure adequate time is built into the programme for the number of anticipated delegates to get themselves a drink and go to the toilet during the refreshment breaks. Similarly at lunchtime the delegates will need to get to the

This planner is less detailed and monitors only key tasks. It could be used in conjunction with a more detailed planner.

lunch room, consume their lunch, network, stretch their legs and get some fresh air, and go to the toilet. The number and location of toilets available at the venue of your choice, the location of the lunch room, the presence of exhibitors and the number of delegates will have a direct bearing on these timings.

Location of conference rooms

If the conference is spread throughout a number of rooms, ensure that enough time is built into the

programme for the delegates to be able to move from one to another. This is particularly important if the rooms are on different floors. It is very distracting and most unfair to speakers to have delegates wandering into their presentations late. Consider how the delegates will move from one room to another. Do they need to use a lift? If so, how many lifts are there? Where are they situated? How many ‘lift-loads’ of delegates are going to be moving? Do not base this judgement on the time it takes you and the venue co-ordinator to walk the same route during your recce. Delegates will walk slower, will probably be chatting and not necessarily paying attention to signs, or they may get distracted by something more interesting along the way. Even if the rooms are located on the same floor and close together still expect some delay. Delegates will use the opportunity to nip to the toilets, make phone calls and to get some fresh air.

The graveyard slot

After lunch everyone undergoes a lull whilst our bodies are busy digesting food. The resulting dip in energy levels means that whilst the speaker is getting high on nerve-induced adrenalin the delegates are resisting the urge (hopefully) to fall asleep, hence the term ‘graveyard slot’. To help keep everyone on their toes, make sure the room is not too warm and schedule a lively and entertaining speaker with a particularly interesting subject.

Consecutive days

If running at two-day event, delegates may not need to register on the second day. It is wise not to start too early in the morning if the schedule allows, as you may find delegates wander in late. Alternatively put a very interesting paper that no one wants to miss on first.

The date of your event may be dictated to you, giving you no control over it. Alternatively you may have some freedom to decide on the best date.

Weekend or weekday?

Weekend rates are usually substantially cheaper, however choosing a weekend may not be suitable for a business event and don’t forget many venues get booked up with weddings well in advance, often on Saturdays from May through to October.

Holiday time or competing events?

Consider the time of year. Are there any other major events being held which would draw your delegates away? Is it a peak holiday time? Too soon before/after Christmas? This can be of particular importance if delegates will be paying their own fees and expenses rather than companies.