How to Lead a Conference
Find a venue., Schedule a keynote speaker and session presenters., Be conscience about the time., Offer food and beverages., Follow up with conference participants.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a venue.
It is important to have a general idea of how many people you expect to attend the conference before booking a venue.
If this is the first year for a conference, or the number could vary quite a bit, you may want to choose a hotel or conference center that will allow you to expand or scale down depending on the type of turnout you receive. -
Step 2: Schedule a keynote speaker and session presenters.
A keynote speaker is someone well-known in the field that has something to offer to all participants and will open up the entire meeting with his or her presentation.
The keynote address is often a more broad topic than the subsequent breakout sessions.
Session presenters need to submit proposals ahead of time, so you can choose which sessions would go together most appropriately.
When choosing presenters, you will also have to be careful to select what seem to be the most well-planned sessions and will have the most to offer participants. , Schedule the sessions for a reasonable amount of time
-- 50 minutes, an hour at most.
The idea is that the sessions will be specific and allow the attendees to walk away with something concrete that will help them in their fields.
Don't forget to schedule breaks between every couple of sessions to give participants, and presenters, the chance to recharge.
Breaks are also a good time to have poster sessions in the lobby or a raffle entry for a free conference attendance for next year's event. , Conferences often run the length of a day, maybe even two.
Food and drinks may help to give participants that extra boost they need to get through the whole day.
Consider offering snack foods during breaks and a nice sit-down lunch.
These opportunities also allow for networking, which is often done more easily over a cookie and a cup of coffee. , You can either have conference feedback cards included in the conference packet or send a follow-up email or postcard after the event it over.
Either way, remember to keep it anonymous so you receive the most honest answers possible.
It is important to know what the conference participants thought of your conference planning.
Hearing the pros and cons of your conference choices will help you plan accordingly for future conferences. -
Step 3: Be conscience about the time.
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Step 4: Offer food and beverages.
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Step 5: Follow up with conference participants.
Detailed Guide
It is important to have a general idea of how many people you expect to attend the conference before booking a venue.
If this is the first year for a conference, or the number could vary quite a bit, you may want to choose a hotel or conference center that will allow you to expand or scale down depending on the type of turnout you receive.
A keynote speaker is someone well-known in the field that has something to offer to all participants and will open up the entire meeting with his or her presentation.
The keynote address is often a more broad topic than the subsequent breakout sessions.
Session presenters need to submit proposals ahead of time, so you can choose which sessions would go together most appropriately.
When choosing presenters, you will also have to be careful to select what seem to be the most well-planned sessions and will have the most to offer participants. , Schedule the sessions for a reasonable amount of time
-- 50 minutes, an hour at most.
The idea is that the sessions will be specific and allow the attendees to walk away with something concrete that will help them in their fields.
Don't forget to schedule breaks between every couple of sessions to give participants, and presenters, the chance to recharge.
Breaks are also a good time to have poster sessions in the lobby or a raffle entry for a free conference attendance for next year's event. , Conferences often run the length of a day, maybe even two.
Food and drinks may help to give participants that extra boost they need to get through the whole day.
Consider offering snack foods during breaks and a nice sit-down lunch.
These opportunities also allow for networking, which is often done more easily over a cookie and a cup of coffee. , You can either have conference feedback cards included in the conference packet or send a follow-up email or postcard after the event it over.
Either way, remember to keep it anonymous so you receive the most honest answers possible.
It is important to know what the conference participants thought of your conference planning.
Hearing the pros and cons of your conference choices will help you plan accordingly for future conferences.
About the Author
Jean Collins
A passionate writer with expertise in creative arts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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