Every conference needs to have a clear goal. What is the purpose? Maybe it’s a new business plan, team building or bringing up the energy for a new season. Communicate what the goal is already in the invitation so that participants know what to expect.
A good and successful conference requires good planning. Starting on time increases the chances of getting the venue you want, but also increases the chance that more employees can join. Planning to have the conference at the beginning of the week is another benefit. The participants are then (hopefully) rested from the weekend and charged with energy – and that there is room to make concrete decisions later in the week.
Setting a budget for a conference is a must so that the costs doesn’t run away. Below you will find a checklist that can be good to have before you start planning.
Conference & event venue
Food and drinks
Activities
External lecturers / entertainers
Transport
Hotels
Gifts
When you are looking for premises, you should keep in mind that the conference room should be suitable for the number of participants, but also for the choices of activities you have planned. Attractive event venues and conference facilities are booked quickly – so the earlier, the better.
Start the conference by informing the participants about the agenda for the day. For example, when there is a coffee break, lunch, dinner, activities, and meetings. In this way, participants can concentrate on the conference. It is also important to keep time to avoid delays.
To be on the safe side, it may be a good idea to double-check that all technical equipment at the conference facility is working properly. Is the Wi-Fi fast enough? Does light and sound work? Is there a microphone, adapter for the computer and other accessories you may need for presentations and the like?
Create your own hashtag for the conference. In this way, all participants can share their experiences in their social channels. Hiring a photographer can also be an idea, nice pictures captured in the moment are always nice to look back on.
Remember to plan many breaks during the conference so that the participants have the opportunity to stretch their legs and socialize with each other. Intensive programs are seldom good and can cause participants to lose concentration and energy.
After many hours in a conference room, participants need something extra fun to look forward to. It can be anything from a physical activity, competition, nature experience, relaxation – yes, something fun that creates memories and strengthens the cohesion of the team.
When the conference is over and you have returned to work, it is good to set aside some time for reflection and follow-up. Try to do the follow-up in the next few days after the conference when everything is still fresh in the memory. How did the conference go? Did you achieve the purpose / goal? Lessons learned – what can you do better next time? What actions / changes are you going to tackle now?
