January begins slowly, no more late waking up from the holidays. We know you’ll miss family reunions and foie gras toast, but it’s time to get back to work! And you actually have a conference to organize for one of your clients.
Nothing complicated for you as a professional, but at Eventdrive, we know that it is sometimes difficult to get back on track. That’s why we’ve decided to give you a little help by giving you some tips on how to organize a successful conference. By following these few tips, your event will be a success, that’s for sure!
CHOOSE A GOOD SCHEDULE
Before sending your invitations, think carefully about the date you have chosen. It is crucial to offer a time slot that will suit the majority of guests. Think about the availability of everyone, but also from a more strategic point of view. Do you remember the last conference scheduled for the end of the day? Of course, you had found an exceptional speaker, but your guests (and their stomachs) were more interested in the buffet!
Although the petits fours are an important part of organizing a conference, it would be a shame not to capture the full attention of your participants by choosing the wrong time slot. Also take into account everyone’s habits. For example, in Paris, guests only arrive at 9am, so there is no need to invite them to a meeting at 8:30am, you might find yourself alone… Feel free to weigh the pros and cons in order to choose the best time for the organization of your conference.
MAKE A CHECKLIST
When you are an event planner, you have to think of many things at once and even when you are excellent, sometimes you can forget a few things. No shame in that, don’t worry. The organization of a conference requires to be particularly thorough and, often, a lot of material.
But imagine the scene: you arrive on the day of the event and realize that you forgot to prepare the video projector? To avoid this kind of inconvenience, the use of a checklist is the solution. Fast and efficient, it is ideal to avoid unpleasant surprises on D-Day.
Do not hesitate to ask your speakers in advance for the equipment they will need and check with the venue of your event if they can provide it. The day before the big day (or a few days before, if you want some security), all you have to do is check that all the items on your list are checked.
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SUGGEST A BADGE TO YOUR GUESTS
Proposing a system to track the arrival of your participants may be a good thing, especially if your event brings together a large number of guests. And that’s good, Eventdrive has the solution you’ve been looking for! By using the “Badge” feature offered by our services, you can easily point out the arrival of your participants.
Simply send them a badge that they will have to print at home before the event. On D-Day, just scan the QR code on the badge and our application does the rest of the work. This makes it very easy to know which guests are present and which ones have not yet reported their arrival. Convenient, isn’t it?
THINK ABOUT THE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
We repeat it regularly, but it is essential to take advantage of the digital age. Fortunately, the possibilities are endless. You can, of course, create an ephemeral website for your event or use online communication to promote your conference.
But if you really want to make a difference, think about using the interactive side of the web. Seeing your guests having fun while enjoying your conference, isn’t that what you want? If you are a fan of social networks (like us), why not create a hashtag dedicated to your event? By relaying it on the different networks and encouraging your participants to use it, you can make your event viral fairly quickly.
The double advantage of hashtag is that it allows more discreet people to ask questions. That’s right! No need to speak in front of a hearing, just tweet with your smartphone to communicate with the speaker. You can also use an application like the one offered by Eventdrive. Your guests will be able to ask their questions live, even if they don’t have an account on social networks! Not bad, is it?
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PROPOSE A LOGISTICAL SOLUTION TO PARTICIPANTS
The organization of the conference is one thing. The attention you pay to your guests is another. If you want to stand out, accompany your participants before and after the event. First of all, consider offering them a solution to get to the conference venue: discount on public transport, prepaid parking ticket… You can also connect the different participants for carpooling.
In addition to making your guests’ lives easier and increasing your chances of having more people in attendance, you will be making a difference for the environment! You can also form partnerships. Some companies, such as UberEvents, offer to take guests home after an event. Simple and effective 🙂
For guests living too far away and who will need to sleep on site, you can also offer accommodation facilities in the surrounding hotels. Small attentions that will seduce your participants.
SELECT A GOOD SPEAKER
You can organize the best conference possible from a logistical point of view, if your speakers do not have the skills, your guests will be disappointed. Nature is made that way, we always remember much more of what is wrong, you first! So take the time to choose a speaker who is committed and passionate about what he or she says. By the way, you had already been presented with the qualities necessary for a good speaker in a previous article (don’t hesitate to read it if you missed it!).
If your budget allows it, don’t hesitate to aim a little higher by inviting big names to your event. Even if you do not have the means, it is still necessary to select a minimum the candidate capable of fulfilling the mission you will give him or her. If you don’t know where to look, why not try to find the one on the internet? Sites like Lead.rs or Lesspeakers.com are made for that!
SEND A REPORT BY EMAIL
Once your conference is over, you can still make a lasting impression by sending a report to the participants. Even if the most diligent will have taken notes during your event, this will necessarily be appreciated. A great way to conclude your conference 🙂
It seems that small streams make big rivers. The same goes for the organization of a conference: by focusing on the details, you will be able to propose something in line with your objectives. By following these 7 little tips, you will know how to organize a conference that will not soon be forgotten. Now it’s your turn!
