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.

Steps

1. 
   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.
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2. 
   2
   Develop your budget. There is no way that 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. 
   3
   Choose your conference venue. When scouting 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. 
   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. 
   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 advice when needed.
6. 
   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.
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EditTips

• Ask the speakers in advance if they will need any additional equipment for their presentations such as a podium, televisions, big screens or computers.
• Find out if any of your conference attendees have any special dietary requirements when preparing the menu.
• As you are comparing the pricing of venues, also ask about the price for food, water, beverages, etc. These can be very expensive.
• Consider the purpose of the conference when setting up the room and either provide auditorium-type seating or seating with tables for taking notes.