StudentWorkbook(4)

Plan and manage conferencesBSBADM503B

Student Workbook

2nd Edition

Part of a suite of support materials for the

BSB07 Business Services Training Package

Student Workbook BSBADM503B Plan and manage conferences

2nd Edition 2010

Acknowledgment

Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council (IBSA) would like to acknowledge EQUIP GROW LEAD PTY LTD for their assistance with the development of this resource.

Writers: Shane MacDonald and Peter Baskerville

Copyright and Trade Mark Statement

© 2010 Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council Ltd

All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council Ltd (‘IBSA’).

Use of this work for purposes other than those indicated above, requires the prior written permission of IBSA. Requests should be addressed to Products and Services Manager, IBSA, Building B, Level 11, 176 Wellington Pde, East Melbourne VIC 3002 or email [email protected].

‘Innovation and Business Skills Australia’, ‘IBSA’ and the IBSA logo are trade marks of IBSA.

Disclaimer

Care has been taken in the preparation of the material in this document, but, to the extent permitted by law, IBSA and the original developer do not warrant that any licensing or registration requirements specified in this document are either complete or up-to-date for your State or Territory or that the information contained in this document is error-free or fit for any particular purpose. To the extent permitted by law, IBSA and the original developer do not accept any liability for any damage or loss (including loss of profits, loss of revenue, indirect and consequential loss) incurred by any person as a result of relying on the information contained in this document.

The information is provided on the basis that all persons accessing the information contained in this document undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its content. If this information appears online, no responsibility is taken for any information or services which may appear on any linked websites, or other linked information sources, that are not controlled by IBSA. Use of versions of this document made available online or in other electronic formats is subject to the applicable terms of use.

To the extent permitted by law, all implied terms are excluded from the arrangement under which this document is purchased from IBSA, and, if any term or condition that cannot lawfully be excluded is implied by law into, or deemed to apply to, that arrangement, then the liability of IBSA, and the purchaser’s sole remedy, for a breach of the term or condition is limited, at IBSA’s option, to any one of the following, as applicable:

(a) if the breach relates to goods: (i) repairing; (ii) replacing; or (iii) paying the cost of repairing or replacing, the goods; or

(b) if the breach relates to services: (i) re-supplying; or (ii) paying the cost of re-supplying, the services.

Published by: Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council Ltd Level 11 176 Wellington Pde East Melbourne VIC 3002 Phone: +61 3 9815 7000 Fax: +61 3 9815 7001 e-mail: [email protected] www.ibsa.org.au

First published: January 2010

2nd edition version: 1.0

Release date: June 2010

Printed by: Fineline Printing 130 Browns Road, Noble Park North VIC 3174

ISBN: 978-1-921788-20-8

Stock code: BSBADM503B2CL

Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1

Features of the Training Program .................................................................... 1

Structure of the Training Program ................................................................... 1

Recommended reading .................................................................................... 2

Section 1 – Planning a Conference ....................................................................... 3

What skills will you need? ................................................................................ 3

The conference planner’s role ......................................................................... 4

Conference concept .......................................................................................... 9

Budget and managing costs ........................................................................... 15

Venue appraisal .............................................................................................. 18

Speaker’s plan ................................................................................................ 24

Draft program schedule .................................................................................. 28

Section summary ............................................................................................ 31

Further reading ................................................................................................ 31

Section checklist ............................................................................................. 31

Section 2 – Promoting and Organising a Conference ........................................ 32

What skills will you need? .............................................................................. 32

Promoting a conference ................................................................................. 32

Organising a conference ................................................................................. 37

Preparing contingency plans .......................................................................... 41

Section summary ............................................................................................ 44

Further reading ................................................................................................ 44


Section 3 – Conference Coordination and Follow Up ......................................... 45

What skills will you need? .............................................................................. 45

Coordinating conference proceedings ........................................................... 45

Follow-up conference proceedings ................................................................ 49

Finalising correspondence and financial activities ....................................... 51

Section summary ............................................................................................ 53

Further reading ................................................................................................ 53


Glossary ................................................................................................................. 54

Appendices ............................................................................................................ 55

Appendix 1: Sample speaker confirmation letter ......................................... 55

Appendix 2: Answers to select Learning activities ........................................ 57

Student Workbook Introduction

BSBADM503B Plan and manage conferences © 2010 Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council Ltd Page 1 of 57

Introduction Features of the Training Program

The key features of this program are:

Student Workbook (SW) – Self-paced learning activities to help you to understand key concepts and terms. The Student Workbook is broken down into several sections.

Facilitator-led sessions (FLS) – Challenging and interesting learning activities that can be completed in groups or individually by distance learning that will help you consolidate and apply what you have learned in the Student Workbook.

Assessment Tasks – Summative assessments where you can apply your new skills and knowledge to solve authentic workplace tasks and problems.

Structure of the Training Program

This Training Program introduces you to concepts and skills for conference management. Specifically, you will develop the skills and knowledge in the following topic areas:

1. Plan a Conference (SW Section 1/Session 1).

2. Promoting and Organising a Conference (SW Section 2/Session 2).

3. Conference Coordinating and Follow Up (SW Section 3/Session 3).

Note: the Student Workbook sections and Session numbers are listed next to the topics above.

Your facilitator may choose to combine or split sessions. For example, in some cases, this Training Program may be delivered in two or three sessions, or in others, as many as eight sessions.

Innovation & Business Skills Australia has licensed the use of over 200 video vignettes from the Channel 9 television program, Your Business Success. The videos have been carefully selected and embedded into relevant learning and assessment resources in order to assist education providers and students in the learning process.

Each video is accompanied by a learning activity. Videos can be found on IBSA’s YouTube channel at <http://www.youtube.com/ibsachannel>.

Introduction Student Workbook

BSBADM503B Plan and manage conferences Page 2 of 57 © 2010 Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council Ltd

Recommended reading

Some recommended reading for this unit includes:

Craven, R., and Johnson Golabowski, L. 2006, The complete idiot’s guide to meeting & event planning, 2nd edn, Alpha, New York.

WCER: Wisconsin Center for Education Research, 2007, Conference/meeting planning resources, viewed June 2010, <http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/serviceUnits/busofc/conf_planning_ resources.php>.

BESydney - Business Events Sydney, (no date), Event planning toolkit – ideas and help, viewed June 2010, <http://www.businesseventssydney.com.au/plan-an-event/event-planning-toolkit>.

Student Workbook Section 1 – Planning a Conference


Section 1 – Planning a Conference This section is about planning a conference and involves understanding the conference planner’s role, preparing a conference concept, preparing a budget, managing the speaker engagement and preparing a draft program schedule.

Scenario: MacVille’s annual manager’s conference

MacVille is a business with diverse interests that include importing espresso coffee machines as well as operating some independent fuel outlets and supermarkets. MacVille’s annual managers’ conference is in four months’ time. The annual manager’s conference is used to educate staff about new processes, inform them about the coming year and build networking and social bonds while awarding achievers from the previous year.

The Events steering committee, responsible directly to the marketing director, has asked John Sams, a senior manager, to take responsibility for planning, coordinating and following up the conference. The event is held over two days with one dinner and evening show. It is a weekend event. All managers are offered accommodation for the night in a shared arrangement within the venue. It is not compulsory, but over 90% of the 120 managers and executives attend the conference, which is always programmed with group breakout sessions. The male to female ratio is about 50/50. Partners are welcome to join for the second day’s social and dinner activities but they need to register.

The budget for the weekend is $60,000 which includes about $10,000 in sponsorships. The balance is met by the MacVille company. MacVille executives and supplier CEOs fill most of the speaking roles, but the steering committee want one keynote speaker. Before committing to anything, the steering committee wants John to prepare a conference concept document regarding how he intends to meet the objectives.

Throughout this unit, and for the purpose of assessment, we will work with John as he prepares his conference concept document.

What skills will you need?

In order to work effectively as a conference planner you must be able to:

explain the conference planner’s role

prepare a conference concept plan including purpose, style, timelines and liaison with the target group

budget and manage costs

identify, select, invite and brief speakers

prepare a draft program schedule.

Section 1 – Planning a Conference Student Workbook


The conference planner’s role

In a business context, a conference is usually an interactive gathering of people that have been specifically invited and have agreed to receive, discuss and exchange information on a particular topic. Their intent is usually for the purpose of solving problems on current issues relevant to their interests or bettering the relationships between organisations and their clients. The term ‘conference’ has no special connotation as to frequency, time, or even size, although conferences usually have specific objectives and of a short duration.

Some terms are used interchangeably for conference, like conventions and seminars. The former relates more to a large, formal assembly while the latter relates to a small conference of specialists and interested parties. Symposiums, forums, exhibitions and events incorporate activities similar to a conference. More recent developments include videoconferences and teleconferences.

Videoconferences allow people who are geographically separated to engage with one another using video technology and teleconferences achieve the same outcome via telephone conference-call links. Live video streaming is increasingly becoming a feature of conferences.

Different roles in conference management

As conference manager, the tasks and functions that you will be called on to perform and manage are many. The core functions include:

plan, e.g. preparing a conference plan

liaise, e.g. share information with a range of people both internal and external to your organisation

delegate, e.g. supervise tasks efficiently

negotiate and resolve difficulties

control, e.g. operate within budget

communicate, e.g. track and report progress to the relevant personnel as required

problem-solve to deliver within timelines

oversee conference proceedings on the day

manage follow-up procedures to finalise financial arrangements

report conference documentation, etc.

Learning activity: Resources analysis

Refer back to the scenario on page 2, ‘MacVille’s annual manager’s conference’.

Which key resources do you think John will need to complete his assignment?

Note your answers on the following page.



__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Conference activities

Compared to most business activities, a conference is usually a large event in scale, in scope and in cost. A conference can bring together many different activities, people and ideas into one place to be delivered within a short time frame. For this reason, long-term planning of up to 12 months may be required. Typical planning activities include:

providing accommodation – providing a place for delegates to sleep when a conference runs over more than one day

arranging travel – helping to arrange travel for delegates, speakers and business representatives from airports and train stations to hotels and conference venues (Note: Any issues surrounding parking at the venue should also be examined)

providing catering – making sure that delegates are properly catered for and their special dietary needs are accommodated

arranging meetings – ensuring all requirements for meetings are met including necessary furniture, equipment and rooms

negotiating venue costs, facilities and equipment

crowd management – events starting and finishing at the same time can present logistical problems for the ill-prepared.

venue security and occupational health and safety (OHS) concerns

using technology – using specific computer software in the booking system, conference presentations, communications and marketing

arranging the social program – using social networking and people management to arrange social activities that complement the main aims of the conference



negotiating sponsorship – liaising with industry stakeholders to arrange sponsorship as payment for promotion, supply of personnel and giveaways.

Learning activity: Austrade export awards

Watch the video ‘BSBADM503B: Austrade export awards’ on IBSA’s YouTube channel at <http://www.youtube.com/ibsachannel>.

This video is showing the opportunities that can come from attending a Business Club Australia conference. During a conference, attendees can meet and greet one another. What planning is required to make this part of your conference successful?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

How would the situation shown in the video change if the conference had 1000 attendees?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Learning activity: Self-appraisal

Prepare a list of all the activities or roles that John is likely to participate in during the planning, coordinating and follow up of the Annual MacVille Manager’s Conference.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Conference concept

The first part of the planning process involves preparing a conference scope. The scope could be initiated by either senior management and delegated to appropriate personnel, or it could be completed by an individual department.

A conference scope could include the following.

Purpose – this is a clearly defined reason for holding the conference based on the required outcomes.

Type – the style of the conference will be determined by the purpose and the people that are targeted to attend.

Benefits – the benefits to the business that are expected to be achieved by putting on the conference.

When, where, who – this covers the dates and the likely number of attendees as well as the likely geographic location of the conference. You might like to survey the conference facilities available in order to assist later when making the venue selection.

Resources – the types of facilities, equipment and people needed to make the conference happen. A quick overview of what resources are in-house and which might need to be purchased or hired will help later in the planning process.

Time – briefly outline the time it will take to organise the event. Some conferences are planned years out from their actual date and some can be organised in a matter of months. You will need to estimate how long it will take you to plan a successful conference.

Financials – these are a key component of any business decision. Provisions need to be made regarding the cash requirements, and the estimated returns from the conference need to be weighed against the investment.

Barriers – scope out the potential barriers that may need to be overcome in order for the conference to happen.

Typical conference planning steps

The following five steps are common to all conferences and need to be addressed in the planning phase.

Step 1: Set the aims and objectives. Clearly define the desired outcomes, including the benefits, purpose and financial goals.

Step 2: Define roles and responsibilities. Establish the lines of authority and the people involved in the planning and delivery of the conference.

Step 3: Establish the scope, situation and parameters. This is generally grouped into the budgets, the people (organising, attending, supporting, speaking), the accommodation (venue, facilities) and the equipment (materials, multimedia).



Step 4: Establish systems to manage the conference. Program schedules, staffing roles, checklists, client support, contingencies.

Step 5: Feedback, evaluation and report. Collating feedback data through questionnaires, interviews and discussions and reporting to management that includes suggestions for next time.

Required outcomes of a conference

A conference, like any business activity, is convened to achieve one or more beneficial outcomes for the business. There are many beneficial outcomes that a conference could deliver to a business. Here are some examples.

Increase market awareness of your organisation and its products and services, improve the organisation’s image, and provide professional development.

Make sales. Expand the number of business contacts available to a business. This could be useful for a new business launch or a geographic expansion into another market.

Promote and inform clients of new products. When a business introduces a new product line, they like to create some hype around the event which builds a market interest and momentum that they hope will eventually translates into sales.

Promote people networking. This is often stated as one of the major reasons that people like to attend conferences. Franchisee conferences are populated by people wanting to discuss shared experiences.

Industry associations use conferences to promote networking across an industry sector whereas other businesses could benefit from networking within a specific geographic zone. Conferences also facilitate development and networking opportunities for industry members, or provide an opportunity for industry members to share and debate current issues.

Improve professional development and training. The savings from providing training is seen by many as a benefit that outweighs the cost of training in each geographic zone. Professional development for industry practitioners ensures that they are brought up-to-date on changes to standards and codes of practice that have taken place.

Financial outcome: run at a profit, loss or break even.

Conference style

The style of a conference is determined by the goals of the organisation, the needs of the conference attendees and by the nature of the conference topic.

For example, a conference on AIDS treatment attended by the leading doctors and disease specialists of the world would likely be very different in style from the annual, two-day Sony Playstation3 Developers Conference.

The style of conference can be defined by its:

Tone – formal (requiring registration) or informal (open invitation).

Audience – internal (organisation staff only) or external (open to the industry/public).



Size – a conference of 30 people is considered small; a conference of 3,000 is considered large.

Programme – presentations only (plenary session) or multiple concurrent sessions (rooms divided)/

Format – instructional (one-to-many) or participative (many-to-many).

Duration – one day or several days.

Registration of interest

A conference is a product that must compete for people’s attention, time, and money, and will succeed based on its ability to meet the needs and interests of its target market. Your planned conference topic, theme, location, and venue must be of enough interest for delegates to want to register. There is a need to remember that your conferences may not be the only conference dealing with the proposed topic and thoughtful planning will be required to gain the upper hand over other conferences.

Sending out a registration of interest form prior to any planning taking place is a common procedure to check the level of interest and ensure the conference will be of value for the targeted delegates. Other methods include talking to industry specialists and analysing trends. Combing all these methods together, prior to sending your registration of interest is highly recommended.

Selecting a date

Selecting the date of a conference is contingent upon a number of factors.

The needs of the organisation:

For example, a company may wish to launch a promotion of its new products and launch a series of sales to industry specialists, the general public and media.

The needs of the industry:

Busy periods and seasonal factors should be taken into consideration. There may be occasions when the timing conference may play on a seasonal factor. For example, an automobile conference in Melbourne would be ideal in February-March, to coincide with the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Melbourne International Motor Show.

The needs of the target attendees:

For example, scheduling conference times during after work hours, or on weekends, and avoiding scheduling anything during school holidays.

Competitors:

For example, your company is a small logistics and packaging company and is holding a conference in the hope of winning new clients. However, Federal Express is also holding a conference in the same city on the weekend to win new clients. You will need to decide if this is the right time for you to hold your conference or not.

Untenable factors:

For example, Christmas or the end of financial year are both untenable times of year to hold a conference. It is unlikely a conference would be



held during, or immediately after a national holiday when people wish to have a break. Conference organisers must also be aware of the diversity of the speakers, delegates that may wish to attend the conference. Other nationalities may have religious observations or holidays to attend with at specific times, while other delegates may have little time during specific periods of the year. People within the hospitality and service industry may be too busy during summer to attend a conference.

Managing planning documents

Planning and managing conferences inevitably involves the collection and management of many different types of documents. These should be filed under the three main areas involved in the process:

1. Conference administration. This includes agenda and minutes of meetings, letters, timelines, contracts and insurance.

2. Conference finances. This includes the budget, supplier quotations, and final report.

3. Conference promotions. This includes the program, participants and advertising materials.

Timeline

Everything takes time, and planning a successful conference takes more time than most people think. As mentioned earlier, some conferences take over a year to plan and even a small one day conference can require over three months planning. A comparison can be made with producing a feature length movie. The movie itself may only run for two hours, but two years probably went into the planning and production.

Here are some tips to consider when preparing a timeline.

Use a sophisticated project planning software program. This can help calculate, timetable and manage the conference schedule.

Use Gantt, flow and PERT charts to help you assign tasks, calculate deadlines, and identify tasks that can be done simultaneously. They also help track the tasks to see if they are on schedule.

Scope of all tasks in the timeline.

Assign to each task a person or people responsible.

Assign a completion date and highlight milestones.

Ensure that realistic deadlines are set but allow for the unexpected.

Put the tasks in chronological order and include follow-up responsibilities.

On the following page you will find an example of a conference-planning schedule and some of the tasks required to undertake a conference.



Sample – Simple Conference Planning Timeline CONFERENCE PLANNING SCHEDULE

SUGGESTED TASKS PERSON ASSIGNED

DATE COMPLETED

12–6 months ahead

finalise meeting dates

select meeting location

create a website

send ‘save the date’ notices via email

begin planning agenda format

begin speaker/topic selection

establish working budget

determine theme, if any

decide special events (golf outing, fun, etc.)

additional contracts transportation, equipment rental, etc.)

assemble mailing lists.

6–4 months ahead

finalise program and agenda

finalise speakers and topics

finalise special event costs and schedule

review audio-visual availability and needs

obtain maps, etc. from hotel

update web page to include information on accommodations.

4–3 months ahead

select menu

submit facility contract for processing

mail registration instructions

request speaker handouts

send room set ups to conference centre

update website.

6 weeks ahead

obtain registration headcount

order attendee materials (portfolios, notebooks, etc.)

finalise special event details

update website, post agenda

order name tags/badges.

3 weeks ahead

confirm guest/meeting room arrangements

confirm menu

print program

assign session moderators

complete sponsor signs

update website.

1 week ahead

ship materials to hotel

hold pre-conference meeting

send email update to participants/speakers

review all set-ups and AV needs

develop registration sign-in sheet.

1 week post-conference

send sponsors, VIPs, speakers and participants thank you letters.



Learning activity: Conference concept areas

List all the areas that you think John should include in his conference concept plan. Given that the annual conference is for the MacVille managers, how would you rank these areas in importance to MacVille senior management?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Budget and managing costs

Your budget is likely to be the deciding factor that moderates and controls every activity and choice. There is little point in booking a fabulous venue with all kinds of ‘added extras’ such as golf and free city tours, or engaging a caterer who produces exquisite foods, if their costs are way outside your allocated budget. Tips on budgeting include the following.

‘Ball-park’ figures only need to entered at this point as it is an exercise in viability establishment, i.e. we need 40 people paying $400 per person to pay for all costs.

Overall budget should be broken down and allocated to the different cost centres prior to any expenditure taking place. This should be allocated based on rank of importance in relation to the targeted outcomes.

Breaking cost centres down into estimated task costs will ease the job of checking that quotes for individual services are inside the guidelines, and assist in keeping track of the costs.

Mine the archives from previous conferences to help you in establishing budgeted costs and suppliers.

Before any bookings are made and deposits paid, it is usual business practice to approach at least two suppliers of each item for a written quotation for the cost.

The budget will dictate venue, catering, accommodation, number of speakers and quality of conference material such as conference papers, promotional information.

Use budget control charts and appropriate software applications as a planning tool to help you calculate and monitor all expenses.

Timing of payments and income rarely match which is why a cash flow budget should also be prepared to identify the cash balance at each critical point in the planning phase.

Cash flow management

Timing decisions concerning finances (such as when invoices are paid or registration fees accepted) have a direct impact on funds available to finance the conference plan.

This needs to be managed closely to ensure that funds are available for important engagements and key contractual obligations. The following cash flow plan can help with this management.

It is your job to control the budget to ensure actual cash flow matches initial estimated costs. Use financial management or accounting software to track and monitor the budget. Is it going over budget? How can you cut back?

Refer to your action plan and liaise with your financial department to monitor the budget effectively. As the budget is a crucial element in



conference coordination, a major responsibility is to always keep the management committee updated on expenditure.

Learning activity: Cash flow

Enter the following into the cash flow plan below and calculate the closing balance in Month 3. Starting with $20,000 in the bank:

you need to pay casual support staff $3,000 per month

sponsors will be paying you in Month 3 the sum of $3,000

a supplier donates $1,000 in Month 1

the conference venue wants $12,000 in Month 2.

Will you have enough to pay the bills each month?

Description Month 1 Month 2 Month 3

Opening balance

Add cash in

Less cash out

Closing balance

Budget items

All budgetary matters must be confirmed by the conference management committee. They will have to ensure that the directive made to them is being monitored and controlled. These could be directives for the conference:

to make a profit and a guide as to how much

to break even (where income received is the same as expenses paid)

to cost no more than a set amount of money that will be recovered from the future benefits of the conference.

Your budget must include profit or deficit, and operating costs, such as the organisers’ time and overheads. You may be able to negotiate discounts, especially through your organisation’s preferred suppliers.



Income items:

sponsors

delegates’ fees (these need to be determined)

payment for promotional booths.

Costs:

speakers’ fees and gifts

venue

security

staffing (including translators if needed)

catering

publicity material including the conference kit

meeting documentation

travel and accommodation

equipment hire

insurance

giveaways such as satchels, pens, clothing

follow-up material

last minute costs of contingency plans.

Learning activity: Conference income

List all the ways that conferences make money. Which ones could John look at introducing in the MacVille conference?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Venue appraisal

Deciding on the conference venue

The conference venue choice is directed by factors that include the size of the budget, the number of attendees, the intended style of the conference and the preferred location. This is an important decision that impacts significantly on the success of the conference, so confirmation by senior management as well as the steering committee is considered paramount. Following are the five steps to take when making a decision on a conference venue. At each step it is important to understand the issues impacting on that phase in the decision-making process.

Step 1: Identify the conference requirements.

This would involve you defining clearly your specifications based on your target market and the directions from management. Understand the features you ‘must have’, it ‘would help to have’ and you ‘would like to have’.

Step 2: Select the general type of conference site.

This choice may include a city hotel, a resort venue, gaming or sports venue, cruise ship, college or university venue or a specially designed conference centre.

Step 3: Match the broad conference requirements to the venue.

Here you would seek the opinions of the team and seek management consent, check out the current popularity of site, match the size and style of conference and consider easy geographic access to and from the venue.

Step 4: Complete a site selection checklist.

Here you would look at the availability of function rooms, the food and beverage arrangements, and the amenities. Where possible, use references from recent clients.

Step 5: Make the venue selection.

It is usually best to identify three venues that match the conference needs and ask for a written quote to the detailed requirements list that you attach.

The venue choice and arrangements will depend on the type and size of the planned conference. Also the lead times required for bookings will vary between the different conference suppliers and will also be impacted on by their internal processes and work load. Where possible, the earlier the bookings can be confirmed, the better.



Conference facility requirements

The conference facility requirements will be directed by the general planning and broader decisions made to date. The following are some of the considerations and questions you might ask.

Location:

Can the venue be easily accessed by most attendees? Is there public transport nearby? Are late night taxis accessible? And how far is the venue from the nearest major airport?

Is adequate parking available on site to cater for both numerous cars and multiple bus loads of people?

Is suitable accommodation, entertainment venues, shopping centres, ATMs, banking and a Post Office nearby?

If visitors from afar are attending, is the venue location in an ideal or scenic area? In many cases a speaker may bring his/her partner or family. The location of the venue may be the deciding point to them attending or not.

Are all the required rooms and facilities easily accessible and in close proximity?

Venue room size: is the room big enough? Could it be divided to accommodate smaller groups and break-out sessions?

Amenities fit: is there an appropriately sized area for registration? Is it a safe workplace and does it meet the OHS standards? Is there appropriate access for people with disabilities? Are the air conditioning, lighting, power points, comfortable seating, kitchen, restrooms, business facilities, and conference support personnel adequate?

Available audio-visual equipment: does the venue provide video, overhead projectors, flip charts, computer equipment, and electronic whiteboards? Can they arrange for outside providers or help with equipment-hiring firm contacts?

Catering capacity: can the venue provide for your catering times, food/beverage items and the special dietary needs of your attendees?

Social event capacity: can the venue cater for the social needs of the attendees, such as entertainment, a formal dinner or a cocktail party?

Learning activity: Research venues

Research at least three venues in your or the closest major city that could accommodate the MacVille conference.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Venue floor plan

The floor plan will depend on the format of the session and the presenter’s requirements. For example:

a question-and-answer session may include a long table where the panel are seated with the attendees facing towards them

a PowerPoint or flip chart presentation may have a speaker at a lectern to the side with attendees seated in rows, similar to a theatre layout

a ‘round-table’ discussion led by a speaker with participation of all in attendance might have the chairs arranged in a large circle or several concentric circles.

Example of a conference entrance and floor plan

You may require the use of several individual rooms for the conference. Depending on the size of the venue, it may be possible to create smaller temporary rooms or spaces within its main space. Below is an example of the various table and chair arrangements that can be used for seating within a conference, and adjoining conference session rooms or workshops.



Larger groups

Theatre-style seating is ideal for accommodating a large number of people. It is a great style for note-taking, lectures, large scale audience seating, and media events.

Theatre style

Classroom style

This is very similar to the theatre style, but attendees have a table. Classroom style makes it easier for participants to take and allows them to use handouts and samples, allowing for greater interactivity.

Chevron style provides more personal space for audience members and allows for interactivity between the speaker and the participants. Audience members have space for beverages and have better visibility of the speaker. Media have more space for equipment setup if required.

Chevron style

Modified chevron style

The modified chevron style provides better visibility of the speaker for audience members seated on the sides. It is more interactive than a theatre or classroom set up.



Smaller groups

This set up can be used for meetings when hierarchy is not an issue. The style encourages audience participation although the use of visuals can be awkward. A network of computers will assist visual and product demonstration.

Hollow square or rectangle style

Boardroom style

A boardroom set up suggests formality and hierarchy. It may be difficult to control the seats at the far end of the table if the audience is more than 15 members.

In the perpendicular style the speaker can survey audience members’ work and provide easy assistance when required. Exchange between the presenter and the audience is easy and the centre space can be utilised for exhibits, demonstration, role plays and simulations.

Perpendicular style

U-shape style

The U-shape style encourages collaboration and group feel. The centre space can be utilised for exhibits, demonstrations, role-plays and simulations, and the set up can be used with or without speaker table.

The semi-circle or circle style can be used with or without tables. It encourages collaboration and group feel and is excellent for informal sharing of information and ideas in a small group setting.

Semi-circle or circle style



Table cluster style

Table clusters are excellent for presentations with breakout groups (having groups do tasks/projects on their own). Clusters return to being a single group when directed by the speaker. Tables can be either round or small rectangles and have the added bonus of being easily transformed into meal tables.

Source: Wallace, M., 2002, LLRX.com, Guide on the side – Room setups for presentations & training – One size does NOT fit all, viewed June 2010, <http://www.llrx.com/columns/guide59.htm>

Venue equipment

An important task is to confirm the equipment requirements of each speaker, as it is quite possible the venue may fall short in having all the necessary resources. Additional equipment will need to be sourced either through purchase or hire. The venue management should be familiar with the equipment suppliers in the area and should secure its acquisition. Some or all of the following resources may be required for a conference:

audio-visual equipment

computer equipment and high speed internet access

wireless technology

electronic whiteboards (that print or send material via Bluetooth)

microphones and speakers

teleconferencing equipment

flip charts

overhead projectors and screens

voice recorders

videoconferencing monitors and video cameras

large overhead screen or monitors

Learning activity: When things go wrong

Look at the list above and give John some ideas that he could look at if each of these items either failed to appear or failed to work, i.e. where could he go for a replacement? How could he substitute? Which are most likely to fail?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Speaker’s plan

Conference speaker types

Once the conference concept has been confirmed by management, more detailed planning commences. While most business conferences may source a significant number of presenters from the business itself, conferences provide the opportunity to invite speakers that would not be commercially viable for small business units.

Typical types of conference speakers include the following.

Keynote: the keynote speaker sets the theme and provides the structure and motivation on which the other conference speakers can deliver their material. They are often used to draw people to the conference which becomes part of the memorable and talked about experience.

Motivational: the motivational or inspirational speaker provides the impetus and drive to launch a sales campaign, a new company initiative, a successful merger or drive a leadership program.

Technical: the technical presenter is mostly the business representative whose job it is to



cover the technical aspects of the conference focus. They may also be the sales coordinator who can speak about the product on offer at the conference.

Corporate team-building: conferences bring many diverse personalities together from diverse backgrounds, so it can create an opportunity to help build a cohesive body.

Entertainers: the quality entertaining speaker can make all the difference to a conference and may need to be included in the mix just to keep the attendees in a good frame of mind for the more in depth presentations.

Master of Ceremonies: a variation on speaker type is a master of ceremonies. This person acts as a facilitator who helps keep the conference running smoothly and on track.

The celebrity: The celebrity speaker combines public profile with proven communication skills. The celebrity speaker is ideal as a drawcard or in a keynote or conference speaker role.

Learning activity: Research conference speakers

Research and list with addresses, three agencies that provide conference speakers.

1. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Identifying possible speakers

Speakers are a key component of any conference, particularly those conferences wanting to charge a registration fee. An appropriately targeted keynote speaker can make or break a conference in terms of its financial goals and credibility and the longer term implications for the organiser’s brand and image. In other words, a person may register for a particular conference, for the sole purpose of listening to and possibly meeting a specific keynote speaker.

While recommendations are solicited from every stakeholder, the steering committee usually has the final say. Speakers can be drawn from:

existing business networks

relevant speaker websites

suitable in-house presenters

recommendations from previous conference committees

having seen the speaker perform at a another conference.



The speaker must serve the needs of the conference as determined by the desired outcomes. So, with the style and theme of the conference in mind, here are some aspects to consider when making the final selections:

Would they make a good keynote speaker?

Do they have expertise in current issues?

Can they bring different perspectives?

Are they effective public speakers?

Do they relate to the target audience?

Could they be a drawcard like a famous personality or a well-known expert?

What style do they bring to the mix, i.e. humour, ‘cutting edge’ research, thought-provoking, technical expert?

Can they do all of the above, while being entertaining, interesting and memorable at the same time?

Can the conference committee afford the speaker?

Can the speaker be used at the next conference if required? Implications could be the cost to use the speaker, travel arrangements and availability. For example, a well-known US business leader may be a drawcard, yet costing to send the speaker more than once may pose a problem.

Learning activity: Research keynote speaker

Of the available keynote speakers at the three agencies identified, which one do you think would be suitable for the MacVille conference? Explain why.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Speaker recommendations

When making your draft speaker recommendations to the steering committee or to senior management it is useful to provide the following details:

international or local

fee

other charges, i.e. accommodation, travel, visas and meals

qualities and references

expertise

style

availability (if known).



After consultation with the steering committee and senior management, an approved list of speakers and presenters that best meet the conference outcomes and constraints can be drawn up. Speakers need to be booked well in advance. Speakers may also be VIPs or internationally known leaders in the field. They may require special accommodation and security arrangements. Keep all details of speakers handy as this becomes a key resource to fall back on if those originally selected are unable to accept.

If verbal agreement is achieved than it is best to follow up with a formal letter outlining the program and the time they will be speaking. Alternatively, provide times that best fit their requirements. You could ask them to submit a biographical profile, and any requirements they might have like electronic multimedia presentation facilities. Remember, the more explicit your brief to the presenter, the greater the likelihood they will perform as you would want. It is also important that you attend to their needs and desires as they are a guest at your conference.

For example, you may have spent thousands of dollars on the most up to date multimedia set up available. You hope your guest keynote speaker makes the most of the technology. However, if your keynote speaker is wanting 5 flip charts at strategic points throughout the room, and will not use the multimedia, then you will need to fulfil his/her requirements without question.

Speaker’s brief

To get the best results from your speakers, it helps to provide them with a speaker’s brief. This is a written document that outlines the:

Title – the session title.

Tips – for example, how they could connect easily with the attendees, what not to be concerned about and a single positive thing that they could focus on.

General briefing – this outlines how this topic fits in with the conference theme. It explains who and what is on before them, together with whom and what is on afterwards. It covers the general structure including the room layout, breaks, break-out sessions and question time. It would also be useful here to provide a demographic and attitude profile of the attendees.

Presentation briefing – this outlines the time duration and more detailed aspects covering the purpose of this presentation, how it would be useful to the attendees, as well as what is important for others.

Resources required – this covers the resources that will be provided for the speakers and the resources required of the speaker to supply to the attendees. It should also ask what resources best suit the speaker’s needs.



Learning activity: Confirmation letter

Prepare a letter of confirmation to the keynote speaker who has agreed to speak at the MacVille conference. Present the letter as prescribed by your assessor via email or printing.

See Appendix 1 for a sample conference confirmation letter and search online for additional samples.

Draft program schedule

Program session elements

There are a variety of session elements that can be incorporated into a conference program. Variety is important because each session element is best suited for a particular outcome, target group and topic to be addressed. Some conference topics and activities are best suited for a different style of sessions. Here are some examples.

Plenary session – these sessions are delivered when it is intended that all members of the conference attend (see Theatre Style). These are the usually the sessions that will be addressed by the keynote speaker will be used as a time to summarise the conference activities using a panel discussion.

Break-out sessions – not all topics are relevant for all attendees. To ensure conferences deliver good value for all, break-out sessions are organised that deal specifically with a sub-topic of the conference theme. The conference breaks up into these smaller groups with each attendee benefiting from the topic of most interest to them.

Demonstrations – some things just need to be demonstrated rather than talked about and so this session element will need to be incorporated into the program.

Workshop discussions – small groups discussing a topic in a workshop environment are also an effective way for attendees to engage with one another and benefit from each person’s knowledge. Brainstorming sessions may also take place.

Practice sessions – these sessions can also play an important role in the overall mix of activities that make up a conference.

Activities during breaks – these could be video presentation of the local geographic area, promotional booths or selling goods from speakers, suppliers or the firm itself.

Draft conference program schedule

The overall shape of the conference is determined by the speaker choice and the determined topics. Once this is in place you then need to outline a draft program schedule. Things to consider when developing this schedule include the following.

Remember this is a draft and subject to change as speakers accept or decline.



It is likely that some aspects of the planned schedule prove to be overambitious or unrealistic. Be prepared to adjust as required.

Determine the keynote speaker early and build the remaining program structure around this presentation.

Have appropriate stand in speakers and contingency plans available to keep your program plan running when/if disruptions and changes occur.

Determine the order and style of presentations, the length of sessions, the number of breaks, and how the program is to be arranged over the allocated number of days.

Provide appropriate, meaningful or memorable names for differing rooms within the conference. For example, if the conference topic is discussing automobiles, you may want your rooms named with an automobile theme in mind. If the topic is sustainable energy and the environment, you may want to name each room a natural element of the earth. It is easier and far less confusing for delegates to recall names, rather than numerous room numbers.

Give adequate time to key sessions and avoid ones that are overly long.

Avoid programming so tightly that delegates need to rush from one session or room to the next.

Balance the program interestingly between sitting and listening, watching visual presentations and being interactive to periods of light entertainment.

Make sure you have provided enough refreshment breaks and they are appropriately spaced and timed.

In parallel to a conference program schedule, it is a good idea to prepare a run sheet for those responsible for setting up equipment in the rooms, arranging the furniture and naming the rooms. The run sheet and the program are identical except for instructions relating to the requirements of each aspect of the program.

For example:

conference name

day

date

time

venue

presenter name

topic

presentation style

breaks

catering

running sheet, which includes requirements and instructions.



Learning activity: Draft conference plan

Design what you would think would be a good last day conference plan for MacVille’s managers.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Section summary

You should now understand how to explain what a conference planner does, how to prepare a conference plan, develop budgets, engage speakers and write a draft conference plan.

Further reading

Rogers, T., 2003, Conferences and conventions: a global industry, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK.

Simple web resources with tips:

Roocroft, T., 2007, Online event planning guide to help you organise functions & plan special events, Event planning, viewed June 2010, <http://www.eventplanning-tips.co.za/>.

DBVirago, 2009, eHow.com, How to manage conferences and meetings, viewed June 2010, <http://www.ehow.com/how_5024962_manage-conferences-meetings.html>.

Chapman, A., 2010, businessballs.com, Project management, viewed June 2010, <http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm>

US Department of Justice, 2008, Office of Justice Programs, Conference planning guide, viewed June 2010, <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/res/confguid/welcome.html>.

Holidays Allover, 2007, HolidaysAllover.com.au, Conference planning guide, viewed June 2010, <http://www.holidaysallover.com.au/resorts/conference/>.

Conference Speakers Australia, 2004, Conference Speakers Australia, viewed June 2010, <http://www.conferencespeakersaustralia.com.au/>.

Section checklist

Before you proceed to the next section, make sure that you are able to:

explain the conference planner’s role

prepare a conference concept plan including purpose, style, timelines and liaising with the target group

budget and manage costs

identify, select, invite and brief speakers

prepare a draft program schedule.

Section 2 – Promoting and Organising a Conference Student Workbook


Section 2 – Promoting and Organising a Conference

This section is about preparing a promotional strategy with the accompanying publicity material, as well as understanding the issues and best practice relating to the registration process, specific needs and contingency planning.

Scenario: Making it happen

John’s conference concept plan was discussed at length with MacVille’s event steering committee and while the majority of his concept was approved some areas John conceded needed moderation and were overly optimistic.

The approval of the concept meant that John had no time to lose if he were to make this year’s MacVille managers conference the best ever. Still facing him were the need to come up with a promotional strategy and to determine the publicity materials he should use.

There was a lot of confirming to do to make sure the key elements of the conference were in place and solid. He was still concerned about catering to the special needs of the attendees and making sure all the information needed to make the conference successful was sent.

Being an experienced manager, John knew that not everything goes according to plan so with that in mind he set about preparing as best he could for the contingencies that might arise.

We will follow John’s progress through these issues, offering suggestions and examples as we go.


In order to work effectively as a conference manager, you must be able to:

promote a conference by developing a promotional strategy and publicity material

organise a conference by implementing a registration process, catering for specific needs and planning contingencies.

Promoting a conference

Because conference programs are infrequent events, they need publicity to attract their clients. Non-existent publicity or publicity delivered to inappropriate people at an inappropriate time can be the difference between success and failure. Because of the critical nature of this activity and the specialist skills it requires, some organisations choose to engage a specialist media company while others will organise it in-house.

Student Workbook Section 2 – Promoting and Organising a Conference


Promotional strategy

Promotion is the activity used by organisations to communicate information about their product or service to their markets with the intention of convincing them to use it. There are four main promotional tools: advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and publicity. Combining these tools with a well structured plan will produce effective promotional strategy for your conference.

The first step is to prepare a media and publicity plan based on a promotional strategy. The aim here is to generate publicity for the conference and enhance the image and profile of the organisation.

Publicity should be scrutinised to ensure that:

it is formed based upon the conference subject matter

it is directed at the target audience

it is disseminated in the most appropriate and cost-effective way

it should be free from errors.

Here are nine steps you could follow to develop a strategy.

Step 1: Establish who you really are, your identity.

Step 2: Decide on the product (the conference) and develop a theme: what is unique?

Step 3: Identify your target audience and who you want to attract.

Step 4: Set your objectives, and the outcomes you want to achieve. Include qualitative measure to achieve and by what time?

Step 5: Develop the message you wish to convey. Does it:

focus on being informative or persuasive?

appeal to logic supported by evidence?

appeal to audience needs and desires?

Step 6: Decide the message structure.

Rational message = promise + supported evidence + warranty.

Rational message: one- or two-sided argument.

Motivational message: the claim and the appeal.

Informational message: logical and orderly.

Step 7: Decide how to present the message: which media to use?

Step 8: Choose your delivery system: formal or word of mouth?

Step 9: Constantly evaluate how it is going. Check expenditure against results and strategy objectives.

Remember that promotion is a process and should remain flexible. Furthermore a good strategy is cost-effective in that it achieves the results without over extending the costs and that it provides sufficient coverage yet falls within the timelines and budget constraints.



Learning activity: Publicity

List some avenues John could use to publicise the conference.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Choosing media

Various decisions are involved in choosing the media. The following are some examples.

Method of distributing promotional material:

o post, direct mail

o fax

o email

o articles on your organisation’s website

o promotional gimmicks, such as giveaways, postcards, etc.

Mailing list:

o in-house mailing list

o commercial database listing.

Included in mail-out:

o covering letter

o brochure

o flyer

o poster

o contact information

o response card



o registration form

o topic and session program

o other material

o possible voucher for the conference kit.

Media press releases:

o print media

o newspapers

o magazines/journals

o paid advertisements in trade magazines, journals and newspapers.

Electronic media press release:

o radio (commercial and/or community stations)

o television

o the web.

Display media:

o billboards

o posters

o signs

o promotional displays at appropriate venues, such as colleges, shopping centres.

Designing the registration invitation

It is important that your invitation captures the key information necessary for you to manage the attendees’ needs and those of your resources. In your options you will need to balance the wishes of your attendees with the limits of your resources. The following aspects need to be considered when designing the invitation form and the process.

The information to include on the form:

o Which personal and contact details?

o What choices will you give the attendees?

o Will they select sessions or will everyone attend each session?

The position of the registration form:

o Attached to the program or on a separate form?

o How is payment accepted:

o Credit card, cheque or cash?

o What is the closing date?

o Discounts for early registration?



Accommodation:

o Any special deals available to attendees?

When to send the form?

How to send? Will the forms be printed?

Design of the database to capture the information from the form?

How will registrations be handled on conference day?

What space is required?

What will delegates need to do?

How will you handle attendance if people turn up who have not registered?

What type of name identification is needed? Can people pay on the day?

Invitation as publicity

The invitation is usually the first piece of information people receive about the conference. For this reason it takes on an important role in promoting the conference.

Some important aspects to consider are that the invitation:

must attract attention and create the desire or a need for people to attend

must be explicit and set the mood

sets the theme or slogan that becomes the visual logo for the event

usually accompanies the registration form

you may consider using an external designer.

You are still responsible for:

the accuracy of the information

meeting the deadlines

obtaining the steering committee’s approval.

Learning activity: Registration form planner

Discuss the timeline and milestones that would make up the planning and distribution of MacVille’s conference registration form.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Information /Conference kits

Often the invitation is included within a much bigger pack of documents known as an information or conference kit. These documents inform potential delegates of the conference. They can also be provided on the first day of the conference during the registration period in the form of an attractive kit bag, Depending on your budget, these documents could be included in a specially printed folder or in an elaborately printed bag with conference or sponsor logos. Typically such a kit could contain:

the invitation

registration form

the program

a summary of the speakers and their topics

posters

information about the organisers and sponsors

small gifts with printed logos on such as pens, mouse pads, mugs, magnets, or even such larger things such as umbrellas or a calendar.

free vouchers to be used in the sponsors businesses.

Organising a conference

Once registrations begin to roll in, your job will move from a planning role into a more organising one. The emphasis shifts to ensuring all the arrangements are completed prior to the conference date, that everyone involved is clear on their timelines, and that allowances are being made for any contingencies. While you may have delegated many of the tasks, you still have overall responsibility.

Tasks involved in organising the conference

Confirm the venue:

confirm appropriate booking and insurance has been arranged

confirm responsibility for setting out the rooms

confirm the registration area

confirm if any music will be playing during the conference, when, how loud and what style of music. For example, light or motivational music may be wanted during registration. Perhaps some dynamic or exciting music will play when the key note speaker walks up to make the key speech. Music depends on the theme, style and topic of the conference and should suit the venue surroundings.

confirm point of sale material and position.

Make the bookings:

prepare a database

allow enough time for the lead times

attend to the needs of speakers and delegates

ensure travel and accommodation bookings have been made



make the relevant catering arrangements, including menu, serving times and location of refreshments and meals

book specific equipment required and prepare a checklist detailing the type, cost, dates required and delivery times.

Registrations:

train people in the registration procedures

fees should be receipted and confirmed promptly with delegates

keep database accurate at all times

all other information from the registration form must be noted

prepare name tags accurately

have appropriate space for people to queue in an orderly fashion, especially on the first morning before the conference commences.

Learning activity: Registration forms

Find two conference registration forms either online or in paper and identify items that are not included on both.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Do you think John should include any of these on the registration form for the MacVille conference?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Identify special needs

Presenters may need specialised equipment, e.g. overhead projector, video and voice recorder, flip chart, HDMI cabling (pc to panel TV) and back-up systems such as extension power cables and projector globes.

Delegates may have specialised food needs, e.g. vegetarian, kosher, diabetic, etc.

Session participants may need consumables, e.g. whiteboard markers, pens, notepads, butchers paper, bowls of sweets, water jugs and glasses, name tags.

Sponsors may need promotional material and equipment, e.g. satchels, notepads, diaries, floodlights or other lighting arrangements for their own promotional requirements.

Delegates may need special access, e.g. facilities for participants with a disability, or equipment for vision- or hearing-impaired delegates, etc.

Presenters or company executives may need specialist accommodation, e.g. four or five-star for VIPs and presenters; discounted rooms for delegates.

Speaker gifts, e.g. for the keynote speakers, presenters, organisers.

Social activities, e.g. activities during breaks, dinners, parties, and visits to appropriate venues, entertainment, and activities for delegates’ partners.

Confirm the program

confirm the presenters

define the session topics

allocate times for all sessions and breaks

identify the location of all sessions, workshops, activities

identify any activities for the breaks if appropriate

confirm and prepare all conference papers

prepare profiles of presenters

prepare maps of the conference venue and session locations

confirm sponsors’ information and promotional material

organise the preparation of information kits

confirm program with the management committee.



Learning activity: Planning checklist

Develop a detailed conference facilities checklist that John might use in the planning of the Macville conference.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Despatch pre-conference information

Ensure conference material is provided to delegates in plenty of time.

Material to be despatched may include:

o the final program

o confirmation of registration (including receipt) and allocation of sessions

o details of travel and accommodation

o pre-reading

o relevant maps

o profile of presenters

o promotional information about the conference organisers and sponsors.

Preparing contingency plans

In any conference or event, things don’t always go as planned. Unforseen events can threaten your plans at any time. These unexpected risks can stem from events such as:

emergencies

mismanagement on the part of other people

conference venue being damaged or destroyed (e.g. fire)

accommodation venue needing to be changed at the last minute

large numbers of conference attendees falling ill (food poisoning)

sudden cancellations of speakers just prior to the conference.

Contingency planning is the systematic approach to identifying and assessing these risks. It allows you to:

1. identify, characterise, and assess potential threats to the project

2. determine the risk (i.e. the probability, impact and overall seriousness of these occurring)

3. foresee the potential implications of the risk

4. identify strategies to manage the risk.

In terms of potential risks for a conference, contingency planning allows you to prepare alternatives such as:

back-up speakers

a substitute venue

alternative accommodation

different catering choices

spare sets of material

extra equipment to cover a technical breakdown.



Tip: Review the risks

It helps to review risks in terms of their probability and impact. For example, a high priority risk is one that combines serious consequences (impact) with a high probability of the risk occurring.

Example: Contingency plan

John has prepared the conference program, the keynote speaker has confirmed their acceptance and topic, the publicity material has gone out but John receives an apologetic call from a speaker two weeks out saying they can’t make it.

John had enough foresight to have created the following contingency plan in the event that this would happen.

Risk Description

SEVERITY

Potential Implications

Possible Resolutions

Probability Impact Overall seriousness

1 – Keynote speaker cancels their speaking commitment

Does occur sometimes

Medium to high

Medium to high

Unable to obtain another speaker at such short notice.

Participants cancelling registrations.

Source another speaker equally qualified.

An insurance policy to cover unexpected losses.



Learning activity: Contingency plan

List some of the possible risks that could affect your conference:

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Select two of the risks you have listed above and use them to complete the contingency plan template below. Use the previous example as a guide.

Risk Description

SEVERITY

Potential Implications

Possible Resolutions

Probability Impact Overall seriousness

1

2



Section summary

You should now understand how to prepare a promotional strategy with the accompanying publicity material for a conference. You should also understand the issues and best practice relating to the registration process, specific needs and contingency planning.

Further reading

Conference management software

Nefsis, viewed June 2010, <http://www.nefsis.com/manual/pc-conferences.html>.

ConfTool, viewed June 2010, <http://www.conftool.net/>.

Conference Manager, viewed June 2010, <http://www.confmanager.com/main.cfm?cid=1>.

OpenConf, viewed June 2010, <http://www.openconf.com/> (free software).

Section checklist


promote a conference by developing a promotional strategy and publicity material

organise a conference by implementing a registration process, catering for specific needs and planning contingencies.

Student Workbook Section 3 – Conference Coordination and Follow Up


Section 3 – Conference Coordination and Follow Up

This section is about the ‘on the day’ activities of a conference that need coordination as well as the follow up work in reports, financial reconciliation and conference papers after the conference is finished.

Scenario: Day of reckoning

The first day of the conference had arrived. John was there early, as were the staff members who had been assigned to help him. John was confident in his plans and in particular the contingencies he had built into them. His prior training of the support staff gave him an added confidence that the day would work well.

He had his checklist and was beginning to do the rounds. He knew what was ahead and he was making sure that this conference was given the best opportunity to succeed that he could.

After the successful conference day, John still had one matter to attend to.

His past experience informed him that a successful end to the conference did not end the work for him. He knew that a post-conference brief or report would be required by the MacVille events steering committee and the senior executive. He also knew that there would be much work to be done with the completed questionnaires, conference papers and the reconciling of the financials.


In order to work effectively as conference manager you must be able to:

coordinate the day of the conference

follow up on conference proceedings.

Coordinating conference proceedings

Once more your role will change once the opening day of the conference arrives. You will move from organising activities to coordinating and making sure that the conference runs smoothly. This will only happen if you are well prepared to deal with the difficulties as they arrive.

Keep your contingency plan open and available for changes. Make sure you have plenty of support personnel to deal with any issues experienced by speakers, delegates and organisers.

Section 3 – Conference Coordination and Follow Up Student Workbook


Support may be needed to deal with a diverse range of issues such as:

queues for toilets being too long requiring patrons to be directed to other facilities

speakers experiencing microphone problems

delegates getting lost between session times/rooms and requiring directions.

Check conference facilities

Check conference facilities early.

Make sure rooms are clearly labelled with session topics and times.

Make sure sufficient seating has been prepared and relevant equipment is in place.

Ensure lighting and air conditioning is set to the appropriate levels.

Make sure water and glasses are available.

Ensure directional signs are in place.

Keep a close liaison with venue personnel to help resolve the unforseen events as they occur.

Process registrations

Install your team early.

Ensure registration procedures are followed correctly.

It’s important that the registration process is trouble-free, prompt and helpful.

Ensure that:

registration desk is attended at all times

delegates feel welcome

delegates details are confirmed and recorded

name tags are correct and issued

conference information kits are distributed

queries are answered correctly

delegates are directed to appropriate locations

delegates are fully informed about conference facilities

delegates are informed if needed about the external area surrounding the conference venue and personal safety issues.



Learning activity: Registration

Prepare a plan for John explaining how the registration process could be handled prior to the conference.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Handling the administration of the conference

In your planning you should have organised the way you were going to handle the following:

opening the conference

discussing ‘housekeeping’ (the performance and management of tasks)

introducing the keynote speaker (if applicable)

explaining the conduct of the conference

dealing with special needs

timing speakers

announcing breaks

handling late registrations

absent delegates

providing additional information or materials as required

operating equipment as required



taking photographs of presenters, activities, delegates, displays

troubleshooting difficulties

distributing post conference material such as thank you letters and evaluation forms.

Announcing changes to the program

Most people accept that changes can happen in any event from circumstances beyond the control of the organisers. However, any late changes to the program must be clearly advertised and communicated to all delegates by a notice:

at the registration desk

by an announcement at the opening of the conference

providing a handout in the delegates’ kit

clearly noted on the conference website address.

Note: Changes may affect all delegates or only those attending a particular session.

Attend to the presenters

The key to the smooth running of any conference is the way in which the presenters are organised: that they know where to go, that their special needs have been accounted for and that they are in the right frame of mind to deliver beneficial outcomes for the delegates. When attending to the presenters’ needs it is important that the presenter is:

welcomed

attended to with regard to any specific individual needs

clearly informed of facilities

directed in person to their session location

comfortable with the technology and other arrangements

introduced warmly to their audience

given the opportunity to speak within the allocated time

recorded as they speak (if applicable)

thanked and presented with a gift (if appropriate).

Day of the conference checklist

Checklists are a handy tool when having to deal with the many issues that need to be checked in the time pressured environment of the conference launch day. Some ‘on the day’ items that you are likely to include are:

list of all registered delegates details including contact details

delegates’ kits

name tags

equipment and sound check

extra tables and chairs for people who suddenly wish to register and attend the conference on the first day (if the option is open)



Learning activity: Checklist

List ten more items which you will most likely be required to check on the day of the conference.

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________

6. ________________________________________________________________

7. ________________________________________________________________

8. ________________________________________________________________

9. ________________________________________________________________

10. ______________________________________________________________

Follow-up conference proceedings

Planning for a conference includes the follow up that needs to take place after the conference has ended. Reports will need to be prepared for the steering committee as well as senior management who will want to know if outcomes were in line with expectations.

These tasks include finalising, recording, reviewing and reporting on the conference proceedings and outcomes. There will also be the need to finalise correspondence as well as the financial arrangements that may include an audit.

Some of these tasks you can delegate but the ultimate responsibility rests with you. Following is a list of tasks that will need to be completed.

Record conference outcomes

A report of the conference is of value to management who will want to know if the event achieved its stated targets but it will also become part of the corporate knowledge that will help inform the next conference that is held.

Your suggestions on how to operate a better conference will be of significant value next time. The information that should be included in this report includes:

a comparison between the stated aims of the conference and the outcomes to see if they were achieved, e.g. increased sales, enhanced knowledge, improved image

a report on other outcomes achieved, e.g. increased awareness of the organisation’s products or services, increased networking opportunities

an analysis of the conference collated evaluations from delegates



the financial report, including a profit and loss statement

the conduct of the conference including comments on the venue, catering, presenters

a detailed list of difficulties and how they were handled

an objective evaluation of the publicity campaign: a comparison between money spent and benefit received

recommendations for future actions

any action lists particularly those featuring responsibilities and tasks relating to clients and sales leads.

You may have to present a written report or make an electronic presentation or even a face-to-face presentation to management. Marketing may want a brief overview of results to include in a newsletter, magazine article, or on your organisation’s website.

Learning activity: Evaluation form

Research and find an example of a conference evaluation form and answer the following.

How many A4 equivalent pages was the questionnaire?

__________________________________________________________________

How many questions or sections?

__________________________________________________________________

What scale did they use?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Which form do you think John could use for his and why?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Response questionnaires

It is common practice at conferences to ask delegates to complete an evaluation form as part of the organisation’s post-conference review. Most delegates oblige because they understand that constructive feedback leads to better outcomes for them on future occasions. It is also an opportunity to give praise where praise is due.

The evaluation survey may be given as they register at the conference, but it is more appropriate to issue and collect completed forms at the end of the conference.

Generally, people don’t want to complete lengthy forms and prefer to tick boxes or a rating scale against selected criteria. Sometimes a space is provided for comments.

In selecting the criteria it is best to focus on specific areas, such as the quality of the speakers, the value of the information disseminated, and the choice of venue.

Remember to focus on the sort of information that is essential for your review of the conference.

Prepare conference papers

At the end of a conference, delegates usually want to receive a record of the sessions as soon as possible. Quite often delegates will need to prepare their own reports and need these papers to help them in the task.

These papers should be prepared as soon as possible after the event and may be:

a printed and bound book

a folder of papers

a CD-ROM

provided on a USB stick and sent via mail

placed on your website

a collection of conference photographs.

Finalising correspondence and financial activities

Follow-up correspondence

Thank you letters will need to be sent to:

keynote speakers

presenters

sponsors

session leaders

publicity

those who donated their services free of charge

services which were particularly outstanding

caterers

venue coordinators.



Similarly, if services were not provided to your satisfaction, you may need to inform the appropriate people and outline your dissatisfaction.

You may also need to present brief reports to individuals or groups such as your organisation’s CEO, departmental heads, or teams.

Follow up financial arrangements

Coordinate with the relevant financial officer to confirm payments made and those still outstanding.

Finalise all payments still owed by your organisation, for example for the venue, catering, accommodation.

Also follow up any payments yet to be made to your organisation, for example registration fees from delegates or sponsors’ contributions.

To verify financial management, you may also need to ensure that the conference is audited in accordance with organisational procedures and audit requirements.

This may be done through an external accountant or by your organisation’s financial personnel.

Your responsibility will be to provide them with the relevant documentation.

Learning activity: Conference report

Outline for John the items he could include when creating the report template about the conference.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Section summary

You should now be able to understand the jobs and functions that a conference manager needs to attend to during the conference and after the conference with the reporting process. Most important, is understanding how to successfully deal with the unforeseen events that inevitably happen due to the complications of running a conference.

Further reading

Simple templates and reporting forms for project management that can be used for conferences:

Chapman, A., 2010, businessballs.com, Project management, viewed June 2010, <http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm>.

Early Childhood Teachers Association Inc, 2007, Conference evaluation form, viewed June 2010, <http://www.ecta.org.au/_dbase_upl/07_Conf_Eval_Form.pdf>.

Section checklist


coordinate the day of the conference

follow up on conference proceedings.

Glossary Student Workbook


Glossary Term Definition

Ball park Colloquial term, meaning estimate. Relates to sporting ground, and a ‘ball park’ figure concerns a maximum estimate, i.e. the sum is within the ball park.

Break-out session Not all topics are relevant for all attendees. Break-out sessions are when the conference breaks up into smaller groups that deal specifically with a sub-topic of the conference theme. T

Contingency A chance, accident, or possibility conditional on something uncertain.

Delegates People who attend the conference.

Keynote speaker The keynote speaker sets the theme and provides the structure and motivation on which the other conference speakers can deliver their material. They are often used to draw people to the conference.

Master of Ceremonies

A variation on speaker type is a master of ceremonies. This person acts as a facilitator who helps keep the conference running smoothly and on track.

Plenary These sessions are delivered when it is intended that all members of the conference attend. They are the session addressed by the keynote speaker or can be used as a time to summarise the conference activities using a panel discussion.

Scope The extent or range of view, outlook, application, operation, effectiveness.

Stakeholder A person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry.

Venue The physical location in which the conference is held.

Student Workbook Appendices


Appendices Appendix 1: Sample speaker confirmation letter

[COMPANY LOGO] and/or [CONFERENCE LOGO]

[DATE]

[SPEAKER NAME]

[ADDRESS]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [SPEAKER]:

Thank you for agreeing to share your knowledge with our members at the upcoming [INSERT NAME] conference. As you know, our organisation is focused on human resources in the public sector. Our members include employees of federal, state, cities, and local governments and heath organisations that are responsible for human resources in their respective organisations. In addition, our corporate members represent a large variety of industry interests.

We are delighted that you have agreed to speak with our group. This letter is to confirm the details of your presentation, which is as follows:

Presentation Date: [DATE]

Session Start Time: [TIME]

Length of Session: [DURATION OF PRESENTATION]

Conference Location: [ADDRESS OF FUNCTION CENTRE]

Session Location: [SPECIFIC ROOM WITHIN FUNCTION CENTRE]

Presentation Topic: [TITLE OF PRESENTATION]

Presentation Format: [PRESENTATION DETAILS: i.e. how duration of presentation is to be broken up, props and/or equipment required – 10 min PowerPoint presentation, ¾ hour talk, 15 min Q&A, etc.]

Appendices Student Workbook


Please confirm the accuracy of the information above by signing and returning this letter by fax to [FULL FAX NUMBER]. If you should have any questions, or would like to discuss your presentation further, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks again.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[POSITION TITLE]

The information listed above is correct, unless exceptions are listed here:

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Signed: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Speaker Signature

Student Workbook Appendices


Appendix 2: Answers to select Learning activities

Learning activity: Austrade export awards

Watch the video ‘BSBADM503B: Austrade export awards’ on IBSA’s YouTube channel at <http://www.youtube.com/ibsachannel>.

This video is showing the opportunities that can come from attending a Business Club Australia conference. During a conference, attendees can meet and greet one another. What planning is required to make this part of your conference successful?

Appropriate space is needed for both sitting and standing. Large enough tables would be required for conference registration, paperwork, folio material, name tags, food and beverages. An adequate kitchen is needed. If speeches are being made during social conference breaks, sound and lighting needs to be considered. If people from a diverse background are part of the conference, perhaps translators will be required. A budget for all this needs to be planned.

How would the situation shown in the video change if the conference had 1000 attendees?

The floor space would be the main concern, along with the catering required to feed and provide refreshments during a short conference break. Signage and OHS concerns are also on the top of the list of matters requiring attention. Appropriate air-conditioning or heating would be needed.

Date post:	03-Dec-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	badboy
View:	5 times
Download:	0 times

StudentWorkbook(4)

Documents