How to organize a conference

You have been given the monumental task of organizing a conference, which entails a to-do list about a mile long. There is the conference venue, the guest list, the materials, the technology and even the refreshments to think about and plan.

If you are beginning to regret this new-found confidence your boss has in you to pull this off, slow down, take a breath and know that you have the skills to figure out how to organize a conference.

1. Write down your goals and agenda.

You will need to clearly define what you hope to accomplish with this conference because this will shape the rest of your decisions. Knowing what you want to convey and to who before you begin any other conference organizing eases the stress of moving forward.

2. Develop your budget.

There is now way you can do anything else without knowing how much money you have to spend overall, and then breaking that down into allocations such as conference venue, materials, and speakers' fees. Stick to your budget, and if you delegate responsibilities, make sure your assistants are adhering to their monetary limits as well.

3. Choose your conference venue.

When scouting for locations, keep in mind the number of participants, the convenience of the location, parking and proximity to public transportation, airports, and hotels. Your goal in finding a place to hold the conference should be making it as easy as possible for participants to attend.

4. Decide on a menu.

When you organize a conference, you need to remember that participants will not want to sit all day without eating a decent meal, and many won't know what is available in the area. Figure out if you will be hiring a catering service to bring in breakfast, lunch, and snacks or if the conference venue you have chosen will provide food service.

5. Enlist the help of venue staff.

If you have chosen a venue that is known for holding conferences, then tap into this invaluable resource. This is what the staff does every day and should be able to answer any questions or concern and provide advise when needed.

6. Insist on a walk-through.

After you have gotten through the bulk of your conference organizing, don't leave anything to chance by walking in with the rest of the participants when the conference is set to begin. Go to the conference venue and meet with the staff the day before, to be certain that everything is in place and to take care of any last minute details.

Also read the article choosing a venue for conference.

Taken from: News Straits Times - 23 July 2012 (article), Google (images).