Conferences are the right place for people who have the same interests to meet each other and exchange the latest ideas in their respective fields. Conferences are usually held regularly by educational institutions, companies, tiered marketing groups, religious communities, and others. If you want to hold a conference, start by preparing a thorough work plan along with a series of activities that need to be carried out, for example determining the location of the conference, making a list of participants, compiling materials, preparing tools for presentations, providing meals, and various other needs that must be thought out and planned as well as possible. possible. If you run into trouble while putting your plans into action, calm down and have confidence that you can hold the conference. An important aspect that determines the success of holding a conference is the implementation of activities one by one while making a list of tasks that have been completed and those that still need to be done.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Planning the Conference: Early Stage
Step 1. Make preparations ahead of time
Planning for the conference should begin at least eight months in advance, even earlier if the conference will be large or large in size.
- Keep in mind that many conference halls and catering establishments must be booked several months in advance. In addition, participants who live outside the city need to arrange travel schedules so that they can attend the conference.
- In addition, sponsors and large corporations may also have to plan their annual budget several months in advance. So, financial and non-financial support from them for your event should be negotiated in advance.
Step 2. Form a committee
Many important issues must be decided when preparing for a conference. By forming a committee, you will get input from several people before making a decision. They will also help you think through the details.
- Hire coordinators, i.e. key personnel who will make important decisions and dedicate a lot of time to coordination. If you have sufficient funds, hire a coordinator so he or she can help you plan and share tasks.
- Find out whether there have been conferences on the same topic. If so, invite the coordinator who held the conference to join the committee. If he can't participate, ask if you can request material that has already been covered to make conference preparation easier.
Step 3. Set goals and create a work agenda
Write down what you are holding the conference for that will form the basis for each decision. Knowing what you want to give and to whom before preparing for the conference will make it easier for you to put your plans into action.
If you've never held a conference, start by planning a small, short conference. Consider holding a 1-2 day conference with a capacity of 250-300 participants
Step 4. Determine the location and date of the conference
Although new dates and locations can be determined after you've made a detailed plan, you'll need to estimate how much time you'll have available for preparation.
- Before setting a date, look for information in advance on what month and day the conference is usually held so that the implementation is not hampered. For example, in Europe, conferences are usually held between March and June or September and November on Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday because participants are less interested in attending conferences at other times. Find out the exact schedule in your location before deciding on a conference date.
- The duration of the conference depends on the estimated number of participants and all the necessities that must be provided during the conference. For 250-300 people, schedule a conference that will last 2 full days.
- Consider the possibility of holding a conference within the city, but ensure that there is access to the nearest airport, accommodation and adequate facilities. We recommend that you hold a conference in a big city or tourist destination to attract more people who want to join the conference.
Step 5. Determine the conference title
After determining the title, you can publish and make plans because there is already certainty about the material as a basis for disseminating information through social media.
Choose a title that implies the purpose and/or background of the conference participants. Look for inspiration using the titles of conferences that have been held, but make sure you decide on your own
Part 2 of 4: Preparing for the Conference
Step 1. Make a financial budget
No activity can be carried out without calculating the amount of funds that must be spent in detail, for example to rent a building, prepare materials, and pay speaker fees. All expenses must refer to the financial budget. If you're delegating responsibilities, make sure your assistant sticks to the budget limit you've set.
The amount of the budget is influenced by the presence or absence of sponsors. You can ask the sponsor to provide funds to finance the conference. However, the sponsor also has the right to determine some things at the conference. For example: determining who will deliver a presentation or proposing a speaker as one of the panelists, for example: a successful businessman in a sponsoring company and introducing a brand by placing a logo on all conference materials. The advantage, the sponsor will provide funds in advance so that you can immediately use it to realize the plan
Step 2. Determine the price and method of selling tickets
Some conferences are free, some are very expensive. Before determining ticket prices and how to sell them, consider the following aspects:
- What are the costs involved in preparing for the conference? If you want to hold a small-scale conference that doesn't cost a lot of money, we recommend that you don't charge participants. Alternatively, participants are required to pay for tickets to cover conference preparation costs.
- Determine the registration fee if you want to hold a conference for several days or provide meals. Conference registration fees in major cities in Indonesia range from several hundred thousand to millions of rupiah.
- Many conferences charge tiered fees according to the position or status of the participant. For example: academic conferences usually charge students less than teachers. Employees of the sponsors are also charged less than regular participants.
Step 3. Decide on a conference location
When choosing a location, consider the number of participants, the ease of getting to the location, the availability of parking space, the distance to and from public transportation, airports, and hotels. In addition to finding a suitable place for the conference, make sure all participants can reach it easily.
Look for information on buildings or hotels that provide conference rooms within the city. For small conferences, rent a room in a church or other meetinghouse
Step 4. Take advantage of the assistance of personnel who work as meetinghouse management staff
If resources are available in the building you choose for the conference, make the most of them. The staff are familiar with their day-to-day duties and are ready to answer questions, solve problems or provide advice when necessary.
You can use the services of personnel in charge of managing activities in the meetinghouse, for example, to handle detailed conference arrangements. Although there is a fee, you don't have to do all of these activities yourself as it will take up a lot of time over several weeks
Step 5. Determine the consumption menu
Keep in mind that participants must find food during the conference and it is likely that many participants do not know what food is available around the conference venue. Consider whether you need to use a catering service to provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks or find out if the conference hall manager can prepare meals for all attendees.
When choosing a menu, keep in mind that many people should not eat certain foods because of allergies or preferences. Experienced catering service entrepreneurs can provide several options, for example: vegetarian menu, no nuts, gluten free, halal food, or other menu options
Step 6. Take the time to do a site check
After you have taken care of all the things that need to be prepared, take the time to visit the conference venue one day in advance. Don't wait until your new D-day comes with the participants who will join the conference.
One day in advance, come to the conference venue and hold a meeting with all the personnel involved to ensure that everything is well prepared down to the smallest details
Part 3 of 4: Making Conference Schedule
Step 1. Schedule the conference
After getting a big picture of the topics to be discussed and determining the conference title, prepare a schedule starting from the opening of the conference to closing. Conferences can be held in various ways according to the business field being discussed. To make scheduling easier, conferences are usually held in the following order:
- Start the conference with an introduction or opening speech which is usually delivered by a well-known person in a particular business field and has become a well-known speaker. You can hold the event in the evening and then close with dinner or as the first session in the morning to start the conference.
- Divide the rest of the schedule into shorter sessions. If the conference is held at the request of the participants according to their proposals, adjust the material to the needs of the participants. However, you may also include workshop schedules, film clips, or other material in the conference schedule. Depending on the number of participants present, determine whether each session can be attended by all participants (called “plenum”) or participants need to be divided into several groups and each group will attend different sessions in parallel according to their choice (called “groups”).
- Close the conference by inviting speakers to present material that motivates or challenges the participants.
Step 2. Decide how to conduct the session
You can choose how to conduct the session according to the company's needs, for example by teaching, discussing cases, holding seminars, presenting the latest policy or research results, asking questions, or presenting using slides.
- The choice of how to deliver the material will affect the publication strategy. So, prepare as early as possible material that is very useful for the participants.
- The duration of each session can start from 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on the number of presentations and content delivered.
Step 3. Consider whether you want to include other activities
Think of useful activities that could be included in the schedule and play an important role in supporting the success of the conference, for example:
- Schedule activities for the benefit of the conference participant organization, such as a business meeting or award presentation.
- Provide food if participants are charged a registration fee. If there is no charge, ask participants to bring lunch (as a last option). Participants usually expect to eat at least one meal. If the conference location is in the city, provide a break so that participants can have lunch at a nearby restaurant.
- Ask if participants would like to schedule an entertainment event, for example: take a city tour, watch a comedy show at night, watch a movie, or catch a show at the theatre. The event may be more appropriate for a conference held in a large city or for a company, but not always.
Part 4 of 4: Publishing
Step 1. Determine the participants who will attend
Conferences are very diverse, for example conferences that are academic, religious, and business with different participants. Before planning, make sure that enough participants are interested in attending the conference.
You don't need to do a lot of publicity if you want to hold conferences for small groups, such as company employees or church communities. You can inform conference plans by sending an email, announcing in the company newsletter, and/or notifying at an administrative meeting
Step 2. Ask company leaders to participate
To convince people in your company, you need to come up with a catchy title or invite a great speaker.
After receiving confirmation from well-known speakers, include the information in the conference materials and notify potential participants
Step 3. Create a website
Today, digital media is a very important tool for conference success. Create a website name with links that are easy to find if you search for the conference title keyword or other words related to the conference. Write detailed information about the conference on the website and include a link on all printed and advertising materials related to the conference.
- Include the date, time, and address of the conference location on the website, including the names of famous speakers. Also inform transportation, lodging, interesting locations, and conference schedules if there are any.
- Include a website link if participants are able to register.
Step 4. Place an ad
Start advertising well in advance (a year in advance) so that speakers can submit proposals containing material to be presented at the conference. Choose the right way of publishing according to the size of the conference and the background of the participants. Consider where potential participants get their information, perhaps from:
- Social media, for example from the sponsor organization's Facebook and Twitter accounts
- List of contacts on Listservs and email addresses
- Blog, magazine, newspaper or business journal
- Posters, flyers or other notices sent to relevant groups, organizations or companies
Step 5. Ask for proposals
When preparing a draft ad, indicate that you are open to registration or awaiting submission of individual or group proposals in the form of papers, panel proposals, or workshop materials.
You can determine the length of the proposal according to the line of business. In the field of education, small-scale conferences usually require abstracts of a few hundred words, whereas large-scale conferences call for complete manuscripts
Step 6. Start accepting registrations
Prepare facilities so that participants can register before the conference, even though it is still a few months in advance. This way, you can estimate the number of participants who will attend.
- Create a website that links to the conference website for registration. If you don't have the technical skills to create a website, use an existing service. For example, use the paid services of RegOnline, which is a company that takes care of online registration for various events, processes the data, and sends it to you by making it easy for users to access it.
- Participants may also register by telephone or facsimile if you have the facility to process payment receipts using a credit card.
- If you do not accept registration via the internet or telephone, please create a PDF application form and upload it on the website. Inform participants that they may print the form, fill it out, and send it with a check or proof of transfer to your company email address.
- In order for participants to register early, offer discounts for participants who make payments at least one month in advance. Ticket prices are slightly more expensive if participants pay at the conference venue.
Tips
- Ask the speaker if he or she needs additional equipment for the presentation, such as a stage, television, large screen, or computer.
- When choosing a food menu, make sure whether there are participants who have to do a diet of certain foodstuffs.
- When comparing rental costs, ask for prices for food, water, soft drinks, etc. because it may be very expensive.
- When choosing a room, consider the purpose of the conference and decide whether you want to use the auditorium or chairs and tables for taking notes.
