Industry or academic conferences give people a chance to network and share ideas. Especially in our remote-work age, attendees look forward to attending these events and connecting with one another.
That puts a lot of pressure on planners to get these events planned perfectly. There are countless details and any one of them could go wrong!
Do you have an important event you’re planning? Use our comprehensive conference planning checklist to make sure no detail gets forgotten.
Your Indispensable Conference Planning Checklist
Your conference attendance may be in the hundreds of people or the thousands. Regardless, attendees expect a certain experience when they reach your event.
Use this planning checklist to make sure you deliver above and beyond your guests’ expectations. This is the best way to ensure that they will be back year after year.
1. Lock Down Your Theme and Keynote Speaker
Why are you holding this conference? Attendees seek a central message that attracts them to come. The main idea helps to coalesce so many of the details of your gathering.
The first thing your conference needs is a theme. Choose a phrase that you can use to market the event and draw the audience you envision.
The theme will also dictate the right keynote speaker for your event. If it’s scientific, religious, or crafty, your conference needs the right central figure to set the tone. A keynote speaker who doesn’t fit can jar the feeling of the rest of the session.
2. Location, Location, Location
As in real estate, location plays a major part in how you plan your event. Are your attendees coming from a similar geographical location? Or is everyone traveling some distance, which means a major airport needs to be nearby?
In addition to geography, the venue itself is important. Do you need on-site accommodations, or will attendees stay in a separate location? All-inclusive venues like the Midlothian Conference Center will make sure that your guests’ accessibility and diet needs are covered.
3. Provide a Schedule
Your audience wants to know what they will experience ahead of time. Attendees will be anxious when visiting a new area and meeting new people. Make them as comfortable as you can ahead of their arrival.
Registration is particularly important. Communicate where and when registration will take place. Ensure that your registration staff is well trained, and give them detailed materials about the conference to provide to each attendee.
4. Hire the Right Staff
This brings us to the next item on our checklist: hiring. After the venue, the second-largest expense on your checklist should be recruiting experienced staff, You get what you pay for!
Since you can’t be everywhere at all times, your staff will be the face of your conference. You want people who will provide correct answers and the same white-glove customer service you would provide to every guest.
5. Know Your Audience
Get out there and meet the people who are joining your event. No matter what topic your conference entails, your audience encompasses your customer base in important ways. It’s important to meet them face-to-face.
Plan part of your conference to meet and greet your audience. While your keynote or other speakers may be the main draw, you as the organizer can present an important and human face for the event.
Get Started Today
Planning a conference is a daunting task, but it will all be worth it on the day your event opens. Use our conference planning checklist to get started on your planning today! In the meantime, continue exploring our site for the business advice you need to succeed!
