Going to a conference is usually a dreary activity as many people think of boring speakers, dull rooms, and terrible food when they imagine going to a conference.
Every successful event planner, however, knows that with the right frame of mind and planning, a conference can be a great chance for attendees to learn new things, discuss beneficial ideas, and create better bonds.
Here are five tips to make sure your conference is successful:
Get everyone excited before the event
Your conference can only be successful if people show up and actually want to be there. At least a couple of weeks before the planned date, start spreading the word about how beneficial it is going to be for the attendees and how much fun they are going to have.
A good way to go about this is to take to social media; creating content for attendees to see and hashtags that they can engage with as the date draws near.
If you’re in an office, you can print simple flyers or consistently talk about the upcoming event at the team meeting.
Provide structure and eliminate downtime
Your conference day has arrived and so have your attendees. The last thing you want is for them to enter the room and begin milling about because they don’t know what to expect or do.
Ensure that the room is set up in a way that shows how attendees should arrange themselves, and prepare a visible plan to show exactly the flow of the conference. That way, attendees know what to expect at each point and can create the mental space needed to be engaged fully.
During breaks, try including other sources of information about the conference like screens that stream updates or speaker interviews, or even give attendees feedback forms to fill so they’re engaged and you can get that constructive criticism you need.
Give chances for interaction
Nobody wants to feel like they are alone in a crowd of other people. Give attendees at your conference a chance to interact with each other at different points in time.
You can have people form teams for group exercises, have people walk about the room to introduce themselves, or even give a prize to the people who take the time to find out details about their co-attendees at the end of the day.
Use a unique location
If you have been to one conference in a boring hall where you simply sit and get lectured to, you have been to them all. Surprise your attendees by taking them somewhere different in order to spice up the conference. Browse through an event website like VenueFinder.
It might surprise you to see that there are a plethora of unique Nottingham conference venues available for use like museums so your attendees can spend their breaks engaging with beautiful works of art.
There are karaoke-themed spaces as well where the attendees can belt out their favorite tunes with their mates after listening to a speaker.
Include Surprises Activities
While it is important for your conference to have structure and for people to know what to expect, never underestimate the power of surprise activities to delight your attendees and keep them zoned in on the conference.
From deciphering codes given by speakers to gifts from unexpected scavenger hunts and even to a guest celebrity speaker showing up to speak, a positive break from the expected is definitely a good way to make attendees feel like their expectations have been exceeded.
Organizing a conference can be a daunting challenge. With the right idea and proper planning, however, it can be a very great experience for attendees and organizers alike.
Take advantage of some of these tips to create a superb and memorable event for your attendees.
