Planning a corporate conference event is an exciting opportunity for your organization. By hosting other professionals from your industry, you can give yourself a competitive edge and more publicity. While the outcome is certainly rewarding, the planning process can be overwhelming. And when you are stressed, it’s easy to let small details fall through the cracks. To avoid a crisis when you arrive at the conference center, avoid these conference planning mistakes.
You did not hire enough staff.
Between paying for the event facility and funding corporate catering, it’s understandable that you want to budget wisely. However, narrowing event staffing is not the best way to do so. An understaffed event can get chaotic for you and the rest of the planning committee. It’s better to be slightly overstaffed.
You don’t provide clear directions.
While you might be familiar with the conference center, try to see the space through a guest’s eyes. For example, when a guest is thrilled to go see a certain speaker, they should have thorough signage and a facility map to help them find the meeting room. Otherwise, you will have many guests walking in late.
You forget the conference objectives.
It’s easy to get lost in the planning. Throughout the entire event, remember why you chose to host the conference in the first place. This will help keep every detail in perspective and guide any day-of decisions that you make.
You take a location at face value.
When you choose the venue, be careful not to sacrifice practicality for aesthetic. Remember that many attendees may not have cars, so be sure to choose a location that is walking distance to restaurants or to public transportation. Also be sure to check the conference center’s catering services ahead of time. Dinova found that 78% of corporations include vegetarian options at their events, and this sort of variety is key.
You don’t take advantage of social media.
Today’s conferences are interactive events. Remember to choose an event hashtag and encourage guests to tweet during the event. You may also consider holding Twitter chats and creating virtual networking opportunities after the fact.
By planning carefully and considering small details, you can plan an unforgettable conference full of learning and networking. The key is to plan ahead and to build a trusted planning committee. Doing so will help you avoid stress and handle details like these smoothly.