PLAN AND MANAGE CONFERENCES CANDIDATE RESOURCE & ASSESSMENT BSBADM503B

Transcription

1 PLAN AND MANAGE CONFERENCES CANDIDATE RESOURCE & ASSESSMENT BSBADM503B

2 Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd 9 Koppen Tce, Cairns, QLD, [email protected] Website: BSBADM503B Plan and Manage Conferences ISBN: Copyright Notice No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information retrieval system without written permission from Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd. Legal action may be taken against any person who infringes their copyright through unauthorised copying. These terms are subject to the conditions prescribed under the Australian Copyright Act Copying for Educational Purposes The Australian Copyright Act 1968 allows 10% of this book to be copied by any educational institute for educational purposes, provided that the institute (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. For more information, info@copyright. com.au or visit for other contact details. Disclaimer Precision Group has made a great effort to ensure that this material is free from error or omissions. However, you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book. Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this material. Information in this course material is current at the time of publication.

3 Table of Contents 2 Legend 3 Qualification Pathways 4 Qualification Rules 5 Introduction 7 BSBADM503B/01 Plan Conference BSBADM503B/02 Promote Conference Key Points Confirm purpose, required outcomes and style of conference with conference convenor/s Confirm conference facilities requirements, budget, and preparation time line with conference convenor/s Identify speakers/presenters and/or prepare a call for papers in accordance with conference purpose and style Draft conference program in line with stated purpose, and balance choice of program elements to allow outcomes to be achieved Select, invite and brief speakers in accordance with conference program Identify participant target group and project numbers in consultation with conference organisers Plan conference administration requirements and tasks, processes and resources to ensure efficient management of conference data and resources Establish a promotion strategy that reaches required number of target participants Prepare publicity material in accordance with the promotion strategy and budget allocation/s, and despatch within designated time lines 25 True or False Quiz 27 BSBADM503B/03 Organise Conference BSBADM503B/04 Coordinate Conference Proceedings Key Points Make conference arrangements in accordance with booking lead times and budget allocation/s Record acceptances, receipt fees and confirm participants within designated time lines Identify and cater for participants specific needs Confirm program details and prepare conference papers in accordance with speakers requirements and conference time line Despatch pre-conference information to participants within designated time lines Check conference facilities to confirm they meet agreed requirements Register participants in accordance with planned registration procedures Communicate to participants any late changes to the published program Make contingency arrangements to ensure the smooth running of the conference Ensure speakers schedules are managed and their conference requirements met throughout the conference Manage administration requirements during conference in accordance with conference plan/schedule 35 True or False Quiz 1

4 37 BSBADM503B/05 Follow up conference proceedings Key Points Record, report and/or follow-up conference outcomes in accordance with organisational requirements Prepare conference papers for publication and distribution within designated time lines Post-conference correspondence is prepared and despatched within designated timelines Finalise receipts and payments, and acquit conference funds in accordance with organisational procedures and audit requirements 43 True or False Quiz 44 Summary 45 Bibliography 47 Assessment Pack Use considered risk taking in your grey area...and others will follow you! Legend This symbol indicates the beginning of new content. The bold title matches the content of the competency and they will help you to find the section to reference for your assessment activities. Activity: Whenever you see this symbol, there is an activity to carry out which has been designed to help reinforce the learning about the topic and take some action. This symbol is used at the end of a section to indicate the summary key points of the previous section. This symbol is used to indicate an answer to the Candidate s questions or notes to assist the Facilitator. 2

5 Qualification Pathways There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it s easy. Source Unknown This unit of competency is provided to meet the requirements of BSB07 Business Services Training Package although it can be used in a range of different qualifications. The BSB07 Business Services Training Package does not state how a qualification is to be achieved. Rather, Registered Training Organisations are required to use the qualification rules to ensure the needs of the learner and business customer are met. This is to be achieved through the development of effective learning programs delivered in an order that meets the stated needs of nominated Candidates and business customers. 3

6 Qualification Rules You re either part of the solution or part of the problem. Eldridge Cleaver Qualification requirements include core and elective units. The unit mix is determined by specific unit of competency requirements which are stated in the qualification description. Registered Training Organisations then work with learners and business customers to select elective units relevant to the work outcome, local industry requirements and the qualification level. All vocational education qualifications must lead to a work outcome. BSB07 Business Services Training Package qualifications allow for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to vary programs to meet: Specific needs of a business or group of businesses. Skill needs of a locality or a particular industry application of business skills. Maximum employability of a group of students or an individual. When packaging a qualification elective units are to be selected from an equivalent level qualification unless otherwise stated. 4

7 Introduction Whether as an individual, or as part of a group, real progress depends on entering whole-heartedly into the process and being motivated to make you a more deeply satisfied human being. Source Unknown This unit of competency is about being able to plan and manage conferences. You will learn how to plan, promote and coordinate conferences, ensuring follow up procedures are incorporated. It will help you with the skills you need to demonstrate competency for the unit BSBADM503B Plan and Manage Conferences. This is one of the units that make up the Diplomas in Business. This manual is broken up into five sections. They are: Plan Conference Promote Conference Organise Conference Coordinate Conference Proceedings Follow Up Conference Proceedings At the conclusion of this training you will be asked to complete an Assessment Pack. The information contained in this resource will assist you to complete this task. On completion of this unit of competency you will have demonstrated your ability to plan, promote, organise and follow up on conferences. 5

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9 PART 1: Plan Conference; & PART 2: Promote Conference Key Points Sections 1&2 The development of an effective conference plan involves: Ensuring you are aware of the purpose of the conference, what outcomes are expected and the style of the conference that is expected. Confirming the type of facilities that are needed, the budget and the time line. Identifying appropriate speakers for each presentation and calling for papers as required. Completing a program and schedule for the conference. Ensuring all speakers are briefed about the sessions they will be undertaking. Identifying the target audience and estimating the number of attendees. Identifying the administrative requirements for the conference. Developing a marketing and promotional strategy for the conference. 7

10 Running a Conference This manual is all about planning and running conferences. Conferences are a massive undertaking, and something which is extremely challenging to organise, however it can also be extremely rewarding for everyone involved. The conference brings together a team of individuals, each with their own talents which you as an organiser must attempt to coordinate. Because of the amount of work involved, often a conference is best organised by a committee which should be established very early in the planning process. The conference planning committee is involved in a range of tasks, including having overall responsibility for the way the conference works, and ensuring that the planning at an early stage is complete. In order to be most effective, it is useful if those people involved in planning the conference are actually in the target market for those who you expect to attend. In doing this, you are able to ensure that the committee have the best chance of organising a conference that is most effective. The composition of the committee will depend on the nature of the conference. If you have a sponsoring organisation, it is likely that they will take the time to organise those involved on the committee. In other cases, it may be up to the convenor to do this. You may also like to think about including outsiders in the conference planning particularly if you feel that they will be able to add a particular spin to the way the conference is being handled. A range of methods can be used to ensure that the conference planning is successful from a committee point of view. However, because of the extreme amount of work involved in organising a conference, it is very useful to use a committee wherever possible. The size of the planning committee is very much dependant on the size of the conference. Small conferences may only need 1 or 2 individuals involved in the planning; however a large conference may need more, simply due to the workload. However, ensure that the committee that you form is not too large. Big committees have inherent problems of their own. Getting people together for meetings can be difficult, as can getting everyone to agree on things. The type of people that you need to have on a conference planning committee include: People qualified in the area that the conference is operating in look for professionals with a good deal of experience in the subject matter concerned. Dependable people Responsible people People you know you can count on Team players Solid decision makers. At the initial planning stage, it is important that you consider each of the following: Looking at the overall shape of the conference Looking at scheduling and logistical issues Establishing the content to be presented. 8

11 Part 1: Plan Conference; & Part 2: Promote Conference At this early stage, once you begin to deal with these issues, you can clearly define what the conference organiser s individual roles will be. As with any committee, it is important that each member has defined exactly what is required of them, in order to do their job to the best of their ability. You should examine exactly what the committee needs to decide, methods for making decisions, when advice needs to be taken, or when a decision can be made independently. You may find that creating a written outline will assist you in determining these important issues and ensuring that everyone is very clear on what is required of them. We are limited, not by our abilities, but by our vision. Source Unknown 9

12 The Conference Coordinator As the conference coordinator or convenor, you have a very important role to play. In order to be a competent coordinator you need to ensure that you are involved in every aspect of the initial planning for the conference. In order to be an effective coordinator you need to ensure that you: Are well organised Communicate well with those who assist you Look at the big picture and the small details Function under stress. Planning a conference means that you need to be well versed in administrative tasks. To many people this is dull work, but it is where a great conference is built. Once you get past the initial planning, you move on to executing the conference and at this stage you are managing the way things operate and are spending much time resolving problems. Let s look at some of the tasks that you will need to undertake during your conference planning: Preparing a budget Scheduling the tasks leading up to the conference Undertaking site visits Negotiating with hotels and venues Organising and recommending appropriate speakers and exhibitors Preparing a program Recruiting staff to run the conference Managing any problems as they arise Ensuring all expenditure is appropriate Developing programs for evaluating the conference Ensuring any invoices are paid Preparing conference papers Developing registration forms, and promotional material Ordering all supplies Setting up all rooms to specification Dealing with any VIPs as appropriate Processing registrations. 10

13 Why Hold a Conference? One of the initial questions that needs to be answered before planning can begin is to answer why are we holding this conference?. The answer to this question is fundamental to the planning and execution of any conference. The purpose of the conference should be clearly established before any planning begins. Generally, you will find that you need to think carefully about the conference purpose. Some of the ways that you may like to do this include: Ensure that you have a very clear purpose. It is important that you understand exactly what you want to achieve from the conference and what you want others to feel about it. Ensure that you are aware of what others in the field are doing. Look to ensure that you are aware of what others in the subject area are doing. Know your target audience. Let them tell you what they would like to know, so that everyone will actually learn something from the conference. Surveys may assist you in this regard. As mentioned, you may use surveys to determine what you want to achieve from a conference. These surveys often will show that, training, education, networking and the exchange of knowledge are the most important things that people want to get out of a conference. Once you know this, you need to set about researching the areas deeper to determine what topics are in demand and what systems are already in place to provide training and education. Try not to reinvent the wheel. Once you know what areas are in demand in terms of education or training, you need to determine the target audience. Who is the Target Audience? The second question is about who your target market is. You will probably notice that this question is closely linked to defining the conference purpose, but this second question needs to be answered quite differently. During the conference planning process, the purpose is determined first, and then the appropriate participants are identified. Think about who you wish to invite to the conference are there members of a professional organisation that could be invited, who exactly are you looking to inform or communicate with? Number of Participants Many people think that the more people you have attending, the more successful the conference must be. However this is not always true. It is about the quality of the audience, rather than the number. Let s look at some of the factors that affect the number of participants that you may invite: Target audience - If there are only 200 people in the country interested in the topic, don t target a location for 600 people. 11

14 Conference budget - The budget that you have available may also impact the amount of money you have to spend on programs and venues, which in turn will affect the number of people who can attend. Number of meeting rooms and room capacities - The number of available meeting rooms can limit the number of workshops you can hold, at any one time. Also, the total seating will have an impact on the numbers don t go over or you may run into safety issues. Hotel accommodations - The number of rooms are extremely important when an overnight stay is required for those attending. Number of conference staff and volunteers - Generally the number of staff you need to hire depends on the number of attendees, but if you will run into problems getting staff, this may impact the number of people who can attend. Conference dates - Try to look for dates that will not conflict with other important events such as other conferences, important holidays and the like, to maximise the number of people who can attend. Conference Dates We mentioned above how the number of attendees can be affected by the date that you run the conference. The date is a significant issue and something that needs to be carefully considered. Generally speaking, a major conference may take up to 12 months to prepare. This early start allows you the time that you need to undertake the administrative and planning tasks that need to be undertaken. The earlier you start, the less trouble there will be as you come closer to the chosen date. One useful means of looking for conference dates is to consider the peak times that hotels and venues in your area experience. Often this is different depending on exactly where you live and if you can find a date that exists during low-peak times, you will find that the conference as a whole can run with lower overheads. Peak times may cause significant budgeting issues, particularly for low-value or smaller conferences. Peak time conferences will also mean that you need extra lead time, so that you can actually secure the venue that you want at a price that suits you. Leave it too late during peak times and you may have priced yourself out of the market. We mentioned above how these three factors are linked together. Between them, they can cause the success or failure of any conference. Get all three right and you are on to a winner. If any of the three fails, you may have a cascade to disaster. Whichever of the three that you decide to prioritise, realise that it will likely have a significant effect on the other two. If location and date are most important, getting the prime in both of these may mean the price is high, for example. When scheduling your conference, look at those off-peak times, or the shoulder times which sit on either side of the peak times, as these are often cheaper. Meeting during or around the holiday periods (if appropriate for your audience) may also allow you to negotiate good rates. Weekends also are easier to find rooms, or during weekdays for the venues. 12

15 It is often appropriate to request price bids from a range of sources before getting started with your planning. When identifying the dates that you want look at and consider: Any competing conferences on or around your specific dates Any major holidays Weather conditions (particularly if you live in a particularly cold part of the country) School holidays Availability dates for venues. You will find that the conference date will have an impact on staff and speakers. They also may affect the hotel accommodation rates and your ability to negotiate items in your contract. 13

16 Conference Budget We will now move on to examine the conference budget. This is a critical aspect of organising any conference. The budget is something that should be put together in a slow and measured manner, as it is so important to the overall success of your conference. Generally speaking, you should involve your committee, sponsors and all management staff in the development of your budget. Ensure your sponsor is well involved since they are likely to be the ones paying all the bills. The budget itself is a financial document, full of numbers and money. But, it is used as more than this by the conference coordinator. The budget should be used to assist with the many planning tasks that a coordinator is concerned with. It will list all income that you expect to receive along with a list of all expenses that you expect to incur. This will allow you to make major decisions about your conference, and determine ways in which various decisions that you make will impact on the bottom line. When preparing the budget, you will need to prepare an extensive budgetary checklist, which can be used to determine which expenses will be paid by the conference master account (money from the sponsor) and which will be paid by those individuals attending the conference. By dividing the expenses in this manner (which is often referred to as a split folio) you can ensure that items such as personal drinks and the like are not charged by participants to the conference organiser when they should not be. This should be carefully outlined by the organisers when they contract with the hotel. The Program In planning the conference program, there are a huge range of types and ideas that you may like to consider. The range is almost infinite and so this can be a very time consuming stage. However, it is not something that can be easily glossed over; as it is the sessions that you include that will determine whether or not the conference is seen as being an effective learning experience or simply a waste of time. You may find that the best sessions get lost with poor programming or that sessions conflict allowing those who would like to attend both being unable to do so. The program planning process should begin after the following steps have been completed: You have a purpose You know your audience You know how many people are likely to attend. At this stage, you can begin to consider the program. A good program brings together a range of events, using different presentation methods in a schedule that works for the majority of the attendees. You need to carefully consider how you are going to design a program that brings together the best of each of these aspects. There is no single right way of doing this, although there are definitely wrong ways of doing it. Your program should be flexible and integrated in such a way that the majority will find it illuminating. Let s now look at the typical events that occur during a conference program. Generally, these progress in a typical manner, although there can be some variation. 14

17 Events 1. Registration - All conferences begin with registration. This is where all of those attending have a chance to preregister for the conference. This allows you, ahead of time, to undertake some planning. This is not to say that conference attendees do not have to check-in this is also important so that you know who is there, and so that they can pick up any material you have prepared for them. 2. Orientation - The second stage is the orientation. This often consists of a session or two of familiarising with the purpose, sessions and sponsors, so that those attending the conference have a better idea of what will be going on and allow them to better plan their time at the conference. 3. Opening Session - You then move on to the opening session. In many ways, this is the most important session because it sets the tone for the rest of the sessions. Often the opening session will be a keynote session. A keynote speaker, will set the tone and energise the crowd for what will take place next. If a keynote speaker is used, you need to ensure that they are of a calibre that allows them to be thought of as a keynote speaker. You may also consider holding ceremonies, award presentations and musical groups as a part of the opening session to help welcome the attendees and make sure the excitement level is elevated. 4. General Sessions - Once the opening session has been completed, you can move on to the general sessions. These sessions are sometimes referred to as the plenary sessions when all the attendees are brought together. These sessions may include meals, entertainment, business and networking sessions, or sessions to discuss topics of interest to all conferees. 5. Follow-up sessions - You may schedule time for some speakers to meet with small groups of interested parties in order to allow them to discuss in more detail, their specialised topic of interest. 6. Concurrent Sessions - There may be occasions when you hold a range of sessions at the same time, this is particularly true for larger conferences. When two or more sessions are held simultaneously they are known as concurrent sessions. You can use this to schedule disparate topics which attendees can decide between, although it is not a good idea to hold two topics of great interest together at the same time. 7. Breaks - It is also very useful to ensure that you have breaks built into your schedule and so these should form an integral part of your conference sessions. Breaks may be as short as ten (10) minutes and last as long as thirty (30) minutes. Breaks tell your attendees that there is a schedule, and, to help them keep to that schedule. They also help people feel refreshed and energised after each session before beginning the next. 8. Workshop - You can hold workshops to bring together attendees to discuss a common issue, problem, or interest. Frequently, workshop is used to refer to a session held immediately after a session allowing for smaller groups to ask questions. 9. Closing Session - If you end your conference without having a closing session, those attending may feel a little empty. There was an exciting opening, the sessions themselves and then nothing. Closing sessions should be used to energise and inform attendees. You may use the closing to hold awards or reports from sessions. It is very useful to ensure that people remember the conference. 15

18 10. Meals - Meal sessions allow for a wide range of things to be accomplished and so need to be carefully planned where appropriate. Meals serve purposes such as: Fellowship and nourishment, Relax attendees, Set the mood for the events, Provide entertainment, Allow for a guest speaker to speak during a meal, Allow you to bridge the gap between sessions, and Allow for networking. 11. Receptions - Receptions allow you to formally bring together attendees, allowing them to meet and greet each other and allow them to meet any VIPs that you have in attendance. They can entertain attendees, allow them to prepare for upcoming events or just provide time to network (something that a lot of people attend conferences for). 12. Tours/field trips - Field trips serve two purposes. They are often used for entertainment or for providing a way to visit local attractions or businesses. A tour of a facility locally could be organised followed by a session that outlines what was learnt from the organisation. This is particularly useful for case studies. Presentation Methods Buzz session - A buzz session is a session that divides the audience up into small groups for the purposes of contributing ideas and thoughts on a given topic. These are then used to develop questions for a speaker to address or give ideas for the future. They are used during smaller sessions. Case study - A case study allows for a detailed report of an incident or organisation to be discussed through an oral or written presentation. Once the case study has been presented, there is often an opportunity given for attendees to discuss what has been presented to them. Clinic - A clinic is a session that is used to respond or discuss after a common experience and so is often utilised after a field trip so that attendees can share what they learnt during the visit. Colloquy - This is a panel presentation. In this type half the panel will be drawn from the audience, with half being experts. You then allow each group half the time this form of presentation allows for much discussion about a given topic and gets the audience more involved, rather than just sitting and not participating. Debate - In a debate, you need to find two individuals or teams to present two opposing views of a common issue. You give each side of the argument equal time to present their case and a moderator is used to keep everything running along smoothly and to raise questions where appropriate. These are interesting sessions for attendees as they give differing viewpoints on an important topic. Dialogue - The dialogue involves two highly experienced experts essentially having a conversation about a given topic. It is very useful for small group sessions, but not for general sessions where something less specific is generally preferred. Panel - A panel involves a group of people that make an orderly presentation on a given topic. The audience may or may not be permitted to ask questions or participate in the discussion. 16

19 Role Playing - When you utilise a role-play you use participants to act out real-life situations. Those participating need to know the topic well, but are not given a script to follow. The actions just naturally progress over time. There will then be a discussion of what occurred and a chance to ask questions. Speech - In a speech, a given speaker will make a formal oral presentation. It is usually a one-way communication with no audience participation permitted. The methods listed above are those most commonly used at conferences, but other methods can be used. Try to be creative with the methods you use, and do not stick with what is traditional being interesting will ensure the audience like what they see. Scheduling We have looked at the types of event that will occur as well as the methods that can be used. Now, we need to put the program together by scheduling all those different events. There are some things that you need to think of with regards to scheduling to ensure that a conference is successful. We will look at these here. However, it should be noted that for the most part, the conference schedule comes together mostly through common sense. Do what you think fits best. You may not be able to schedule everything perfectly but a schedule that works for the majority is best. Let s look at some more suggestions for scheduling: If you will be using a hotel for overnight accommodation, ensure that the schedule is set up in such a way that you have registration and events after hotel check-in is allowed, otherwise people will have to carry their bags with them. Try to vary events so that those needing a lot of expertise are grouped with basic sessions. Give individuals choice, rather than forcing them into something that may be unsuitable. If your conference is more than one (1) day long, ensure that you schedule some free time into the day. Conferences are generally longer and more tiring than a typical work day. Those sessions which could be seen as being intense should be spread out throughout the conference with something lighter or more entertaining in between. Going from one heavy session to another is no fun. You will find that energy among your participants is lowest after lunch. They are full and tired, so think about having something entertaining or exciting right after lunch. Ensure that you schedule breaks. If you do not have lunch organised, ensure that you hand out information on restaurants in the areas that are close by, to ensure that everyone is kept on schedule. When you schedule networking sessions, consider the size of the group. Larger groups need to spend more time to network than a group of 20 people. 17

20 Speakers and Presenter A good conference comes about by finding speakers to make solid, interesting or inspiring presentations. Strictly speaking a presenter works in sessions and workshops, whereas a speaker would generally work in larger groups, but for the purposes of this section, we will consider them to be the same. You can spend months organising the perfect conference only to have all that hard work destroyed by inappropriate speeches or speakers who are boring. Generally, the type of speakers that you need to find will depend very much on the type of topics that you will be addressing during your conference. But sometimes, this may work in reverse, you will find speakers you want and then will give them topics you wish them to speak on. However, be careful in situations such as this and carefully consider the conference purpose. You do not want a speaker chosen for their ability to speak on something that does not gel with the conference s overall purpose and feel. You can avoid this by using a call for papers. This allows you to find speakers from those who respond to your call for papers and you know that they will be on topics that will suit your conference. You may also use your planning committee to carefully consider all speakers to ensure that the chosen speakers are most appropriate for the conference. Call for Papers The call for papers is usually used by a conference where there is a specific sponsor who will take the time to read each paper submitted and choose those presenters who interest them most. There is a more common method for using these often now called request for proposals where individuals are asked to put together a proposal for a presentation that they will give during the conference. You need to carefully consider from whom you will seek a proposal and thus those who you will send the request to. Consider sending them to speakers from previous conferences, speakers from other conferences, association members, government officials if appropriate, academics in the topic area or celebrities who have an active interest in the area. Looking for Speakers If the call for papers didn t yield as many responses as you might have hoped, consider looking for speakers from speaking agencies or just asking those who you think are expert in their field. When you are doing reading, consider those who have written interesting articles in magazines or journals, they may also be a solid speaker for your conference. Now that you have a list of prospective speakers, you should make contact with each of them, without giving a firm invitation just make an early enquiry with each to get an idea of whether they are interested or not. Tell each speaker about the conference, and that you are considering them for a speaking role. Outline topic areas that you would like them to speak on and give dates and times of their proposed session. You may also like to discuss payment, expenses that 18

21 will be covered, how long they would be needed to speak for and what type of session you would like them to give. Once they have this information, you can ask them to think about it, and that you will follow up with them shortly. You may also like to use this time to get more information from the speaker ask them about sessions that they have given at other conferences, ask for references even, so that you can determine if they would be right for your conference. Once you have made your decision about what speakers you would like to speak at the conference, you are in a position to make a formal invitation to the speaker, so you can contact them again and ask them whether they would like to participate, and follow this up with a formal letter of request. 19

22 In such a letter it is very important that you include as much detail as possible about the conference and what you would like the speaker to do. You may include details such as: Location and address of the conference Purpose of the conference Size and general profile of the target audience How many people you expect to attend their session Topic of the presentation and length of time of the session Layout of the room where the presentation will be given Acceptable attire or dress requirements Honorarium and expenses to be paid Details regarding travel, accommodation, and where and when your conference representative will greet the speaker How they can request aids to be used A deadline for requesting audiovisual aids, if unknown at the time of the invitation, or a confirmation of what will be provided A request for a picture or biographical material, as needed A request for an official confirmation of attendance and/or a contract. In this letter you can include more information on the conference such as brochures and the like. Then a few weeks before their presentation, send a reminder to them outlining: Information they might find useful Program changes Hotel vouchers and air-travel tickets Confirmation of who will greet the speaker A current telephone number so they can contact you when they arrive. This process can be undertaken by any of the project team, however, it is very important that there are formal controls in place to ensure that the information is accurate and the speakers are all fully arranged well in advance. There is nothing worse than having a speaker fall through due to administrative botch-ups. 20

23 Selecting your Location Conference location planning needs to be done as early in the process as possible, as everything will revolve around the dates you have for the location you have selected. The earlier you begin this process, the more options you will have and the greater the ability you have to get the right dates and the right price. Take the time to visit each of the locations that you have under consideration. This may be done by all committee members or just by one or two. However, it is essential that you do not rely on promotional materials; rather you actually go out and look for yourself. Site inspections allow you to spend time actually walking through the property and examining the way in which it is kept particularly things like its cleanliness and overall upkeep (something which photos are unlikely to show). You should also spend time getting to know the managers, watching the staff to see how they respond and also checking out how the place feels. While this is difficult to define, you will know whether a venue feels right for you. Spend time considering the lightness or otherwise of the rooms, whether it is too hot or cold, whether the staff are friendly and professional, how you can move from one room to another, ease of access, whether rooms are comfortable or not, and the like. Thinking about each of these, just think how hard it would be to actually determine them without visiting the site itself. It is virtually impossible. Ensure that you get as much information as possible from the sales manager. Ensure you are aware of the number of rooms, types of room, room capacities, options for food and menus. Ask for pictures of previous conferences so that you can get a feel for how the place may look. Begin the site inspection with a checklist of questions that you want to ask the sales managers, and make sure you get each and every one of them answered. Then as you spend time walking around, take notes and discuss any concerns you may have with those taking you around the property. Promoting the Conference With your conference fully planned, it is then time to ensure that you get people to actually attend the conference. This is where a promotional strategy comes into play. We have seen how difficult actually undertaking the planning for a large conference can be. We now move on to looking at how we can ensure that all the places are filled at the conference. Whether your conference will be free to attend or whether you will ask for payment, it is important that you have a strategy in place to ensure that you get people to attend. Getting the word out about the event is critical, and can be extremely difficult to achieve. Marketing a conference takes a lot of effort on the part of the organisers, as well as a lot of money and planning. The more types of marketing you use, the more successful it is likely to be, but also the more expensive and time consuming the process will be. You need to judge the best marketing strategy to adopt based on the information that you have. The marketing plan allows you to clearly understand what it is the conference attendees want, at what price and at what location all things which are fundamental to marketing a product or service. 21

24 Some ways in which you can attempt to build the marketing of your conference in order to better meet the needs of your conference attendees include: Ensure you carefully plan your marketing - Marketing is only effective if you have clear objectives, a budget to work to, and the resources to actually achieve what it is that you need to achieve. The plan that you have in mind must be mapped out and be as specific as possible. Keep an open mind during the process, however, for ways in which the objectives or plan can change to make things better. Don t stick with what you have if you come across something better. Branding Your conference will benefit from some effective branding. Use a brand to project an image that you want your attendees to see and something which will get their attention. This brand should be carried through your promotional strategies your , materials sent out to people and website. Use the web Most conference attendees are regular users of the internet and want to use it to get as much information as possible. Having a website for information about the conference is an essential aspect of providing information to your attendees. You can provide a huge amount of information for very little cost if it is on the website or sent by as opposed to sending out mountains of printed matter by post. Get a website up quickly and be sure it contains as much information as possible. It may also be possible to include an online registration feature which will make that process much easier. Offer discounted rates Think about offering rates to individuals who book well in advance, or for bulk bookings. You may also offer discounts to those who have attended multiple conferences or offer a package in conjunction with other conferences. Look at your venue The venue plays a vital role in increasing your attendee numbers. If most of your attendees live in a city, hold it there, look at place as a very important aspect of marketing as a whole. Also look at promotional deals for hotel rooms and airfares. Use the promotional media wherever possible - You should try to use a spread of advertising media in order to increase overall effectiveness. Use mass media if appropriate, or attempt to use specialised journals for more specialised conferences. You can try to link your website to other websites that may be useful like trade associations or trade show directories. Finally, consider offering a free preview seminar in the topic area to whet the appetite of those who may attend. 22

25 Activity One - Creating a job description You have been tasked to put together a conference for fitness professionals. Think of some events you could hold and research some speakers that you would approach. 23

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27 Section 1&2 - True or False Quiz Please tick True False Speakers should all be experts. You can plan a conference without knowing its objectives. The conference budget does not affect the number of participants. The target audience is identified after the purpose. All conferences begin with registration. Conference dates are not affected by the weather. Running a conference needs to be undertaken by a team. 20 people on a planning committee works better than having 5. The composition of the planning committee will depend on the nature of the conference. 25