Did you know that in 2019, more than $1 trillion was made from conferences and trade shows?
Conferences and trade shows are a wonderful place to network within the industry and find innovations.
If you are interested in planning a conference, there are a few tips you will want to know.
Keep reading to learn the best conference planning tips so that no detail gets overlooked!
1. Find the Right Location
One of the most important tips for conference planning is to find the right location.
The venue of your conference needs to align with your company image and industry. Meeting at a restaurant or bar is inappropriate, which is why you should look for a more diverse location. Libraries, museums, and historical sites are often used as conference venues if you don’t want to go to a hall.
Hotels and conference centers are the most traditional options since they are built to hold a large crowd.
2. Invite the Crowd
Through networking and advertising, you need to invite the public to your conference.
Most people interested in the event will work within the industry, so these are the best audience to target. Many people recommend using an event video production team to create engaging content that will inspire people to come. Social media, TV, and radio are wonderful ways of advertising.
Think about your audience so that you focus your efforts in the right places. You should put together a guest list of the vendors and other people in your industry to ensure they don’t get overlooked.
3. Find Interesting Speakers
Business conferences get filled with company booths, but in between all of the walking, there are speakers.
You should find interesting and reputable people in your field to talk to at your conference and encourage inspiration. Your speakers could discuss innovations and new technologies for the upcoming year or tell a beautiful story.
Think about the purpose of your conference and what you want people to get from it.
4. Look for Sponsors
Conferences are a major event that will cost you more than a few hundred dollars.
Aside from setting a budget, you will need sponsors and other financial support to fund your event. Talk to businesses in the community to see if they want to support your conference. Restaurants are a great sponsor since you can also get them to cater or place a food truck on site.
5. Triple Check Your Details
The last step to planning a conference is to triple-check your information.
You should double-check all of the details before you send out the information. Right before the conference, check all of the information again to ensure that there aren’t any discrepancies. This is your last chance to catch something and notify your guests.
How Is Your Conference Planning Going?
When it comes to conference planning, it’s never too late to make improvements.
Whether you are at the start of planning or a week ahead of the event, you need to triple-check your information and venue. By developing a guest list and marketing campaign you can get the right people in the building.
Don’t be afraid to find support from your community, many businesses are willing to sponsor an event.
Read more on our blog about corporate events and how to make an impact in your industry!
