How to Plan a Corporate Conference or Event

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Planning and organizing a corporate conference is no easy task, but with the right processes and forethought it is absolutely possible to make it a resounding success. Depending on the type of event and the industry you are focusing on, it can take several months or even a couple of years to bring your initial vision to fruition. The key to planning an event in a shorter period is simplicity and quick decision making, but be wary of rushing the planning stages.

There are lots of decisions to make, but the pitfall that many first-time conference organizers fall into is spending too much time on the small details which don’t make a big impact on the grand scheme of the event. This guide is intended to help you to streamline the process and focus on the most important aspects of planning a corporate conference.

Write a detailed plan

When planning an event of any type, it always begins with a vision of what you imagine and hope the event will be. Who is the event aimed at, what will it achieve, where will it be? While this is important to keep in mind throughout, you also need to translate this vision into written words and numbers. For example, unless you already have the funding in place or the support of a grant organization, you need to map out where your funding is coming from and how much each aspect of the event is likely to cost via a conference budget. It’s best to approach planning a conference like a business plan. You should also book any speakers or entertainment you want to include as early as possible.

Find your venue

Your next step is to secure a venue for your preferred date as well as decide how many attendees you would like to come along. Your venue represents a large chunk of your costs and will also often include audio/visual and catering. When you book a venue it will often be part of the deal that you use their in-house catering. If you want your conference to happen over two days you might want to offer your attendees some accommodation if they are travelling from outside the area. Alternatively, you may want to consider an outdoor venue if the weather in your area is reliable.

Plan the practical details

When you have fully considered the business factors in your plan, it’s time to turn your attention to the practical on-site details. For example, what will the layout of the conference be and how will attendees navigate their way around? Will you be running seminars, workshops and lectures? If so, will you be running several at the same time which the attendees will need to choose between? You should provide refreshments and food as well as appropriate restroom facilities, security and first-aid personnel. If you are choosing to run your event outside or your venue doesn’t provide full facilities, you will need to hire catering and find portable toilet rentals.

Consider how you will timetable the event and whether you need to have a registration process to ensure certain seminars aren’t oversubscribed. You may need a communications campaign before the event too.

Create a marketing strategy

Even the most established conferences can struggle to fill their events without effective marketing, so it’s essential to have a marketing strategy in place in the early planning stages. Without good attendance, you will not be able to call your event a success even if you have the most engaging speakers and excellent content. The more people you can attract to the event the more you can charge sponsors and, if you are selling tickets, the more revenue the event will generate. Year on year you want your event to grow and ideally attracting attendees should become easier if you can establish a positive reputation in your industry.

Set up a website for your conference with an online registration system which will enable you to track registrations, process payments and keep your data in one place. An online system also means you can use digital marketing such as social media to direct people to your sign-up page on your website.

Consider involving sponsors and vendors

You may want to consider offering space for sponsors and vendors to exhibit for a fee. This will not only increase revenue but will also give your attendees something to do during the downtime between speakers. This will require a lot of time and management so be sure you have the resources before you commit to working with lots of different vendors. Nothing tanks a sponsor relationship faster than forgetting a deliverable you promised six months ago.