Conference Management 101

Conference management is what ensues following a plan and objectives having been set; it entails supervising the entire process of executing the event, tracking the progress of each member of the team, and dealing with any problems that arise during the course of the event. This could include anything from keeping track of attendees’ registration information to ensuring the venue meets expectations.
The term conference manager is often used interchangeably with conference coordinator, but there are some key differences between the two terms. A conference coordinator is typically hired by an organization to help organize a specific type of event such as a trade show or seminar. On the other hand, a conference manager is responsible for managing multiple events simultaneously. For example, a corporate event planner might oversee several conferences at once while being paid a salary based on the number of events she manages.

Types of conference managers 

There are three common types of conference management based on resources or preferences of the conference owner. Each type has pros and cons.
1. Full-service model - This is the most popular choice among large conferences because it provides everything you need without additional fees. However, it requires a lot of work and expertise.
2. Self-managed model - If you want to save money, this option is perfect for you. You can manage the entire process yourself. But there are some things you need to consider. For example, you need to find someone who knows how to run a successful event.
3. Third party model - In this case, you hire someone else to take care of all the tasks related to running a conference. So, you focus on what matters most – meeting attendees and sponsors.
 

What do they do?

A conference manager is a person entrusted to oversee all aspects of an event. His job entails overseeing the overall event planning process, ensuring that everything goes according to plan and that no glitches occur during the course of the event. He ensures that every aspect of the event runs smoothly and that nothing goes wrong. This includes keeping track of all the logistics involved in running an event, such as managing budgets, hiring vendors, and scheduling speakers.
The conference manager might work directly for an organization or he might be contracted out to a third party, known as a conference organizer (CO), to handle many of those responsibilities. In some cases, a CO will employ a full-time staff member to coordinate events while others contract out specific parts of the process to outside agencies.

Conference managers vs Event Managers

The difference between conference managers and event managers varies depending on whether you're talking about large events like trade shows, conventions, expos, festivals, and conferences, or smaller, one-day affairs such as birthday parties, wedding receptions, holiday celebrations, and corporate gatherings.
While there are some similarities, the roles are very different. For example, while both conference managers and event managers oversee the entire event, conference managers tend to focus on larger scale events, whereas event managers often handle day-to-day operations for smaller events.
Both positions require experience managing teams and working under pressure. You'll need to be able to prioritize multiple projects simultaneously, manage budgets, develop strategies, work well under stress, communicate effectively, and build strong relationships with colleagues.

Skills you need to possess to be a successful conference manager:

 

What is a conference?

A conference is a formal event held annually that brings together individuals interested in a particular topic. These events often include lectures, presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and demonstrations. They take place in many different types of venues, including hotel ballrooms, convention centers, auditoriums, sports arenas, amphitheaters, college classrooms, churches, schools, and even tents outdoors. Most conferences are open to the general public; some require registration or preregistration.
A conference is a formal event where attendees come together to discuss topics related to a specific industry or topic. These events often take place annually and occur during different times of the year. They are generally held in hotels and convention centers and consist of lectures, panels, workshops, presentations, debates, and networking opportunities.
 

Different types of conference sessions  

Lectures-An informal presentation by someone who has expertise in a certain area. Usually, these presenters speak at length about their subject matter, which can range from basic information to complex theories.

Presentations- A formal presentation given by a speaker who has been hired to speak at a conference. Presentations are usually scheduled during the morning hours because this is when people are awake and more likely to process what the presenter is speaking about.



Panel Discussions- These are a type of discussion forum where participants talk about issues and ideas. Panel discussions are typically scheduled during the afternoon or evening hours after the conference attendees have warmed up to their peers. Two or more people typically lead it and share their views on a particular issue. Panelists may have been invited because they’re experts in a field or because they’ve written books or articles on the same topic.

Demonstrations-Demonstrations are short, interactive activities designed to teach new skills or demonstrate products and services. It is a nice change of pace from typical presentations you get to see what they have been talking about all day work in action.

Master class- A master class is a workshop aimed at helping individuals learn a skill. Master classes are usually offered by professional trainers, coaches, consultants, and many more. There are many reasons why someone might want to take part in a master's class. For example, you may want to improve your skills in a particular area, learn something new, brush up on your old skills, network with like-minded professionals, meet interesting people, make new friends, find mentors, and much more.

Workshops- Workshops are small-scale sessions with a limited number of attendees, receiving hands-on instruction from an invited expert. The topics vary widely depending on the needs of the client. Some workshops focus on specific technical issues, while others cover broader subjects such as marketing strategies or project management.

Team building- The concept of team building originated during World War II, when it was used as a way to help soldiers bond while away from home. Today, team-building events are often held for businesses looking to improve employee morale and productivity. These events can range from simple group games like cornhole or tug of war to more elaborate activities such as zip lining or rock climbing.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

The most crucial part of any scheduling document is the proper development of a work breakdown structure (WBS). Without the WBS, there is no way to organize the work to be accomplished. A properly developed WBS allows you to see what needs to be done, how much time it will take, and whether or not it is possible to complete the task in the allotted timeframe.
There are several references available to help guide you in developing a WBS. One such reference is the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Guide to the Business Analyst Processes. This book outlines the processes required to develop a functional WBS, including defining scope, determining requirements, creating the initial WBS, managing change requests, and documenting the WBS.

Conference planning checklist

1. Create a clear vision and mission statement for your conference. This helps everyone involved understand why the event exists and how it fits into your overall marketing strategy. Make sure you're able to articulate a compelling reason for having the conference. You don't want to start off with something vague like "to help people learn." Instead, think about what specific problems you'd like to solve and how your event could address them. If you can do this effectively, attendees will feel excited about coming to your conference because they'll know exactly what they're getting out of it.

2. Define your goals and objectives. What do you hope to accomplish during the event? Are you trying to increase brand awareness? Grow leads? Generate sales? There are many different ways to measure success, depending on what stage of your business you're in. Whatever your goal, make sure you have defined measurable metrics in place to track progress throughout the event.

3. Research the market. Who else is doing what you're planning to do? How did they grow? What worked for them? What didn't work? Find out everything you can about the industry you're entering. Don't just read blogs and articles; talk to people within the space. Ask questions and listen intently. Learn what makes each audience tick.

4. Set up a budget. A lot goes into running a conference. From venue rental fees to catering costs to travel expenses, the list goes on and on. Before committing resources to the event, figure out how much money you're willing to spend and set aside enough funds to cover the basics.

5. Plan ahead. Think about the logistics of your event. Will you be holding sessions inside or outside? Do you need to rent equipment? Where will guests park? When does registration open? What happens if someone misses the deadline to register? Is there anything special you need to prepare for?

Including Forums for attendees to interact more in both online and offline events

A forum is a type of online discussion board where people can ask questions about specific subjects. They are often used to discuss topics of interest to many people. Many forums allow visitors to post comments, respond to existing posts, and interact with each other. Some forums provide additional features such as polls, chat rooms, blogs, wikis, email lists, archives, RSS feeds, and webcams.

9-12 months before the conference 

Pick a venue 

If you're planning a conference, it's vital to start thinking about what you want it to look like months before the event takes place.
The reason why is because there are many factors involved in choosing the perfect location for your event, including cost, accessibility, and logistics.
Once you’ve selected a venue, work closely with them to finalize dates. This includes sharing information about your preferred dates with everyone involved in the next stages of planning. If you are working with multiple venues, it’s important to coordinate the start/end times of each event. You don't want to schedule one too early and another too late since this could cause conflicts.
A few things to consider include:
• What day(s) do you prefer?
• How many days do you prefer?
If you plan to hold several events during the same week, make sure you're clear about how many days you'd like to reserve. For example, if you are holding three conferences over the course of four days, you might select "4 Days." However, if you plan to host five events over the course of seven days, you might choose "7 Days."
• When do you prefer to book?
• Are there certain months that are better suited for your audience?

Conference Plan 

The most important thing you'll do during your planning phase is to write down everything that needs to happen. Start with the big picture items and work backward. For example, if you want to launch a new product, start with "Launch Product X." Then add "Build Website," "Create Marketing Materials," etc.

You might even consider creating a checklist for each step. You can use Events.org's free SMART event planning feature in our online conference platform to help create a fully customizable event plan for any type of event.
Once you've got a rough timeline laid out, break it into smaller tasks. Each one should have a deadline and a person assigned to complete it.

Software 

If your conference is virtual or hybrid, you’ll definitely need an online conference platform – this is where your virtual participants will attend sessions and engage in conversation with you and each other via live chat, video calls, social media, and more. You’ll also want a few other tools, including:
A website builder
Event registration software
Project management tool
Events.org offers all of these tools in our online conference platform to assist you and help make your conference run as smoothly as possible, with features to sell tickets to events online, manage conferences online and much more.  

6-9 months before the conference 

Find Speakers 

The best way to find speakers is to start looking about six months prior to your event. This gives you plenty of time to plan and book your speaker(s). And don't forget to ask your colleagues, friends, and family members for recommendations. You might even consider asking some of your competitors.
If you're having trouble finding speakers, try reaching out to one of our experienced team members that have been in the business and might have connections.

Find Sponsors  

Hosting a conference is an extremely costly endeavor, especially since most conferences charge thousands of dollars just to register participants. But there are ways to make it cheaper and easier for organizers to host events and also get help to sell tickets to events online. One way to do this is to find sponsors.
Sponsoring a conference can be a lot like sponsoring a product launch. Companies want to reach new audiences and build relationships with potential clients, and conferences provide a perfect venue to achieve both goals. In fact, one study found that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from peers and experts over paid advertising. So why wouldn't brands invest in conferences?
When looking for sponsors, try to think about what your organization stands for and how your audience might benefit from attending your event. What does your ideal customer look like?

Develop Conference Branding 

Branding helps people remember what your event is about, whether it's a trade show, conference, festival, expo, or something else entirely. Your branding should include everything from your name and logo to your tagline and slogan. This can also help to sell tickets to events online. Adding your branding to these online tickets sets you apart from the others. If you're having trouble coming up with some good ideas, here are seven tips to help you develop your brand.
1. Think About What Makes You Unique
Your brand needs to stand out among others who offer similar events. To do this, think about why your event is different or better than anything else happening. For example, if you're planning a tech conference, consider how yours is different than another tech conference. Is it because you focus on women in technology? Or maybe you cover emerging technologies. Maybe you cater to the education market. Whatever makes your event special, make sure it's reflected in your branding.

2. Be Clear About Who You Are
If you don't know exactly who you are, how can anyone else? Start by thinking about your values and mission statement. This could be as simple as "We provide opportunities for women in STEM." Then, find ways to communicate those values to everyone involved in your event. For example, you might want to put your mission statement on your website, email signature, and social media profiles.

3. Make Sure Everyone Knows Exactly What Your Event Is About
Now that everyone knows who you are now you have to showcase what your event is about. Think about how you'd describe your event to someone who wasn't familiar with it or your brand. Do you say, "This is a technology conference?" Or, "This is a woman in technology conference"? These descriptions aren't very specific, and they won't inspire people to attend. Instead, try saying, "This is the Women Tech Conference," or "The Women Tech Conference brings together women working in technology."

3-6 months before the conference 

Find suppliers

You've booked your venue, speakers, and sponsors. Now it's time to find vendors to help run your conference. Whether you're looking for a caterer, an audiovisual (A/V) vendor, or even someone to set up your wireless network, there are plenty of options out there. However, finding the right people to do the job can be difficult. You want to find vendors who are reliable, flexible, and easy to work with. Here are some tips to keep in mind when sourcing vendors for your next event.
1. Ask Vendors How They Can Help You
Before you start searching for vendors, ask them how they can help you. Some vendors will give you a list of their services, while others may only be able to recommend one or two companies. Either way, asking questions gives you insight into which vendors would be best suited to handle certain aspects of your event.

2. Look at Their Website
Look at each company's website and see what kind of information they share about themselves. Does it tell you enough about their experience to decide if they're a good fit for your event? Also, look at their portfolio. See if any of their previous clients' projects were successful. If so, you'll know they're capable of handling your project too.

3. Check References
References are a great way to get a sense of a vendor's reputation. Find out if other clients had positive experiences working with them. If not, you may need to dig deeper to understand why.

4. Interview Them
Once you've found several potential vendors, interview them over the phone. Ask them about their experience and expertise. It also helps to ask them about their pricing structure. Don't forget to ask about their availability. Are they available during your event dates? Will they be able to accommodate last-minute changes?
 

Volunteers 

Volunteers are great for large events like this, but they will be no help in the end if you don't know how to properly manage them. Do not just bring in volunteers and not have a clear job for them, this will lead to confusion. First ,consider how you will manage everyone then figure out how much support you’ll need during the conference with these questions:
• What are some key items I’ll need help with?
• How many people do I need to cover each aspect of my event?
• Are there any areas where I’m likely to run into trouble?
• Who else might I want to bring along to make my life easier?
• Do I need someone to manage logistics?
• Can I use volunteers as part of my speaker lineup?
• Where can I find information about volunteering for my type of event?
• Does anyone have experience managing volunteers for a large conference?
 

Start Promoting 

If you want to make sure that your event sells out, it's important to start promoting well ahead of the date. You'll want to set up a website and a ticketing system so that you can sell tickets to events online. If possible, about two months before the conference starts, you can start offering early bird pricing. This way, people know there are limited seats available and they're motivated to purchase tickets sooner rather than later.
You can advertise the event on your website, in email newsletters, and on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Try to get some publicity in local newspapers and on the radio. You might consider paying for digital and social ads that target your ideal attendees. Finally, think about offering special deals, giveaways, discounts, and registration prizes to encourage more people to register.

1 month before the conference

The final month before the conference is upon us, and you're ready to make sure everything goes smoothly. You've got your speaker lineup set, and you've already booked your hotel rooms. But there are still plenty of things to do before the big day arrives. Here are some of the most important tasks you'll want to complete during the next few weeks.

Master Schedule for Day Before and Day of Conference

Although this is not for now it is better to make the schedule in advance so you can ensure you are not missing any of the parts. This will be a master schedule of everything going on for your conference. From speakers to vendors and guests as well. Where everyone needs to be at what time and what they need to be doing.
The day before every event starts, there are many things to coordinate. You want to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. But you don't want to micromanage it. Everyone involved behind-the-scene needs to receive a customized doc that outlines their key tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines. This will help ensure that no one gets lost in translation and that everyone knows what's required of them, where they're needed, and when. This document should include all of the following information:
• Who is responsible for what task/responsibility
• What happens if someone misses their deadline
• Which people need to know about changes to their role
• How to contact each person with additional questions
• When they'll need to complete their work
• Where they need to be during the event

1 Week before the conference 

The week leading up to your conference is critical. You want to ensure you are prepared for every contingency. Here are some things to consider:
• Make sure you have enough food and drink for everyone.
• Have a plan for what happens if there is inclement weather.
• Ensure your venue is set up properly.
• Get your speaker list finalized and double-check it.
• Make sure you know how much money you have left over in case of an emergency.
• Update your website and social media profiles.
• Create a schedule for yourself to keep track of everything.
• Print off copies of your agenda and handouts.
• Don’t forget to send out reminders and check-ins.

1 day before the conference 

The day before the conference begins, make sure you check in with the team one last time to ensure everything is running smoothly. See what issues might arise and resolve any problems. This is also a good opportunity to remind people about any last-minute changes or additions to the agenda.
At this point you will have everything planned to a T and in order. You need to double and triple-check everything to ensure it will come out just as great as you envisioned it.

During

During the event, there is surprisingly not much to do as the event planner, you have already planned everything. On the day of the event, you will be overseeing everyone's jobs, directing people on where they need to go or set up, being there as a contact in case anyone has any questions that need answering.

After

Congratulations! You've just hosted a great event. Now it's time to send out postcards and thank everyone who attended. But there's still plenty of work to do. This checklist will help make sure everything goes smoothly.
1. Thank each attendee personally.
2. Make sure that every attendee receives a copy of the speaker list and program book.
3. Send out postcards to attendees thanking them for coming and inviting them to complete a short survey.
4. Post photos from the event with your event hashtag for people to look through on social media.
5. Update your website and blog posts with information about what happened at the event.
 

Conferences

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