If you are organising a business conference, you should always start with the basic question. You need to decide what the purpose of the conference is. It might be so that your colleagues from around the world can connect, in person, for once. Or, it could be a reason of bigger importance such as trying to win over the investors and gain their support for your company. It may be that your company has a radical new concept that you are keen to introduce to the world market. Either way, as soon as you know what the reason for the conference is, you will be able to start planning for it correctly.
Decide Who You Need
This will largely depend on what the purpose of the conference is. For instance, if the conference is a sales pitch then you need to invite the appropriate investors. You will also need to make sure your head of sales is there as well as the team who deals with funding. On the other hand, it may just be a conference for colleagues. In that case, you might want to consider hiring a guest speaker from a speaker bureau. Often people are more interested in listening to someone who they do not know who has a degree of expertise. It may also be useful to have a fresh mind on the problem that you could be trying to deal with.
Invite Them The Right Way
Many conferences simply send out a mass group email to invite people to a conference. Or worse, they send out letters. Letters are worse because it shows your company is still not thinking green. Why send out a letter when you can just as easily send out an email and save on paper. But, an email is still not enough to get people to a conference and impress clients and investors. You want to give it a more personal touch, and that is why you should think about sending out E-cards. E-cards are the perfect environmentally friendly way of making an impression before the conference begins.
Choose A Venue
When choosing where you are going to hold your conference, think about how many people will be attending. You will also need to consider what kind of facilities you need. Obviously, you will need a venue that has a projector system unless you plan on bringing your own. You may want to check if they have accommodation or if there is an affordable but luxurious hotel, nearby. You will have more luck getting people to attend the conference if you book a venue that has good transport links. If it is an in-business conference, you may want to think about booking a venue in the centre of the city to save on travel costs.
Backup Everything
Finally, it is important that you have a plan in case of a problem. For instance, even though the venue may have a projector system, it may be wise to bring your own. This saves you from a crisis if theirs breaks down or from any other mitigating circumstances.
