Every industry is full of amazing people building a lot of inspiring things and taking giant leaps in innovation, all the while seeking out means of expressing how passionate they are about their work. Blogs and podcasts were a thing of the past, and hosting conferences is the next big thing. Conferences are a more lasting experience as people get to actively attend and engage with colleagues and other dignitaries of the industry. And it is for this reason that more and more people are organizing conferences in order to bring people together and create memorable experiences. Being in the same room as other people sharing the same passion as you, learning from them, sharing ideas and making new connections is an experience that is quite indescribable and incomparable. And if your company is investing the time, money and resources to organize your industry’s next big conference, it’s up to you to go the extra mile to make it awesome.
Take your time. And lots of it.
In organizing a successful event, the details matter, even the ones you consider insignificant. And to get everything right, you will have to prepare in advance because different items take different amounts of time to be prepared. For example, if you’re having a banner prepared, it might need over a month’s notice. Start looking for printers well in advance so you can talk to them and consider your best options. If you’re going to give away corporate event bags, you will have to design and order them at least two months before the event. When it comes to bags, leaflets and badges, always remember to have a little more than you might actually need just to ensure that everyone has one of each.
The invitations
A guaranteed way of attracting the best and brightest of the industry is by sending a personal invitation from the conference host itself. It’s a personalized message that speaks volume. Make a list of speakers and tier them according to their level of contribution to the event and tailor each individual invite accordingly. After people have signed up for the event, making sure that they actually show up is the biggest challenge. You could send a personalized video invitation to a selected number of attendees as the event date draws closer. This can encourage more people to attend and even increase their level of excitement about the event.
Hiring a technical team
Hiring a professional company that handles all of the lighting, audio and visuals will certainly make the event run smoothly. While it may cost a little extra, having professionals organize all of the necessary equipment and being there during the event sure that everything works fine will totally be worth it. One of the most common issues that event organizers face are technical ones, microphones not working, laptops not being able to connect to projectors and so on. Therefore, by having a skilled person at the event to fix any technical issues will save you a lot of time and give you peace of mind in managing other aspects of the event.