How to Plan a Conference: A Comprehensive Guide
How to Plan a Conference: A Comprehensive Guide
BoomPop Team · 9/25/2024
Have you been tasked with planning your next company or industry conference? If so, that’s great - conferences are a great way to bring customers, prospects, or members together to share ideas, network, make deals, and grow. But planning a conference is an enormous undertaking. While the initial planning phases can feel intimidating, anyone can confidently plan a conference with the right framework and project plan.
To help you do so, this week we are showcasing insider tips from our resident expert, Daron Linton. To get you started, we created a list of Daron’s top recommendations for planning the perfect conference.
Define Your Purpose
We can not emphasize enough the importance of defining a purpose for your conference. A purpose is your north star and it helps determine what success means after the conference is over.
This all comes back to, why are we having the conference at all? When you get that concretely defined, it unlocks other parts of the conference that need to be planned and creates a filtering mechanism for all other choices in the planning process.
2. Develop a Budget
Defining the budget is the most complicated part of project planning for your conference. It will be a living and breathing document that changes and adapts as your planning becomes more defined. There are a few must-haves that your budget should include. Let’s take a look.
Venue Rental: Venue rental costs will depend on the number of attendees invited as well as the number of conference days. As you research and collect pricing for your venue, play around with what it may look like to have fewer attendees or fewer days.
Catering: As guests network and mingle, ensure there are lunch and snack breaks. Consider food that is light and nourishing so guests remain energized. Simple grab-n-go boxes may be less expensive than having attendants serve food. If the venue requires you to use verified food vendors, take that cost into consideration when deciding on the venue.
Technical Equipment: A large portion of your conference budget will be designated to the technical production required to stage your event. Think: microphones, speakers, projectors, lighting and staging. There may be opportunities as well for cost savings with bundling AV equipment and staging set up. Consider venues that offer infrastructure to support your vision as this may help lower the budget overall.
Marketing: As you connect with your marketing team, decide which channels are best to promote through. Depending on which channels your team decides to explore, the cost of marketing will vary. Keep an eye on the ROI of each channel and be prepared to reallocate funds based on performance.
Sponsorships: Sponsorships are a powerful way to offset conference costs. Early commitment from sponsors can help cover upfront expenses, reducing out-of-pocket spending. Sponsorships can often fund key components like food, entertainment, or swag, which can help reduce your budget.
Ticket Sales: Ticket sales are a crucial revenue stream but can also fluctuate, especially if registration is slower than expected. Set early-bird pricing to encourage early registration, helping you get a better sense of your financial outlook. If ticket sales fall short, consider ramping up your marketing efforts to fill the gap.
3. Secure Sponsorships
Conferences are a great way to drive revenue and one of the best paths to conference revenue is sponsorships. But how do you secure sponsorships for your conference and who should you target? Start by targeting sponsors who match the values and mission of the conference you are putting together.
“You have to start early and you have to sell it right,” advises Daron Linton. Develop attractive sponsorship packages and start outreach early.
Tailor packages to meet potential sponsors' needs, offering value in return for their investment. You do not have to do this alone, you can tap into those on your team who have experience and a network to pull from.
4. Plan the Agenda
When you begin planning the run-of-show for your conference, you will want to consider variety in the types of content that is being shared and how it is being shared.
Agenda Tips
Long Speeches: Avoid long keynote speeches. Regardless of how prominent the speaker is, guests will grow restless.
Interactive: Ensure presentations are engaging and incorporate the audience. The message is more likely to stick if the presentation is interactive
Breakouts: Sessions with opportunities to network or have informal break out groups give guests the opportunity for a breather and to digest what they are learning.
5. Market Your Conference
Just because you build it, doesn’t mean they’ll come. Creating a marketing plan for your conference to attract the right audience is essential. You want guests excited to attend this conference and the subsequent conferences that follow. And this begins with marketing. Identify your promotional channels like email marketing, online ads, and social media. Then create the messaging. You’ll want to share what to expect at the conference; prominent keynote speakers, session highlights, and more.
6. Find the Right Team
Planning a conference requires a village. So build your conference team early. Each person on the team should play a specific role. Here’s an ideal team makeup:
Project Managers: Ensure deadlines are met and oversee the overall planning process.
Marketing Experts: Drive promotional efforts and manage ticket sales.
Sponsorship Coordinators: Someone to secure and manage sponsorships.
Logistics Specialists: Handle venue arrangements, catering, and technical needs.
Attendee Management: Address attendee inquiries and provide support during the event.
For tasks like sponsorship outreach, involve senior staff or those with strong industry connections. “Anyone in the company or anyone who’s involved with your mission and your organization who’s got connections and will ask for money for you” can be invaluable, shares Daron Linton.
7. Measure Success
Measuring the success of your conference is important. It will give your team an indication of what went well and what needs work for next time. It will also help you determine if your sponsors had the success they expected which is crucial for securing sponsorship from them again next time.
The measurement of success should be tied to your original objective and purpose. Which is why it is so essential that you define the purpose from the beginning.
We’re Here to Help
Planning a conference shouldn't be stressful. Our team of experts can handle everything from venue sourcing to agenda coordination, allowing you to focus on the big picture of your conference. Contact us today for a free consultation
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