Simple Things You Can't Afford to Forget While Planning a Conference

Conference planning is a tiring yet straightforward exercise. Meeting the needs of attendees from diverse backgrounds and needs is expensive.

However, when you arm yourself with a do-to list and start early preparation, it’s a fun and exciting experience. Participants have high expectations, but you only need to balance the needs for a win-win deal.

A glimpse of the attendees and special needs cases are things to consider for their comfort. A few tips in planning the event come in handy.

This include

  • Start planning early enough to take care of eventualities
  • Choose a central location for easy access to services
  • Work within the conference budget
  • Have comprehensive know-how of the theme
  • Liaise with the host to know what they offer and not within the budget

As much as you want the best for the conference, have the basic facilities perfect and channel excess surplus cash to luxury. What are the must-have facilities at a meeting?

As much as you want the best for the conference, have the basic facilities perfect and channel excess surplus cash to luxury. What are the must-have facilities at a meeting?

Audible and workable public address systems

The size of the auditorium determines the kind of public address system to hire for the event. A perfect address system should have speakers, microphones, audio mixer speaker processor effects, amplifiers, and DI box.

With these, you are sure of audible sound to the far end of the conference. Ensure they are many microphones for the interactive sessions and replace them in case one or two may be faulty.

Although most conference facilities have their own, never work on the assumption, do a sound test to ascertain their condition.

Automatic and standby generator

Power fluctuations and blackouts are inevitable. Depending on the conference’s location, to be safe, you need to ask the management to have an automatic standby generator to avoid inconveniences during such times.

Assuming your guest are having their hot shower and suddenly, there is a power failure. Do you expect such a guest to be comfortable when they start the sessions? Have this in writing when looking for the venue; get to know what they offer, what lacks, and what you can to have them on board.

An adequate supply of toiletries

Whether it’s a residential conference or a day one, the supply of toiletries is a must. As they get to the washrooms, they should have enough supply of toiletries.

We are in the era of a pandemic where washing hands or sanitizing is the order of the day. Have sanitizers and entry points which include the gate. Washing points should also be adequate to minimize crowds and maintain social distance.

A first aid kit is also of importance just in case one falls ill or faints. A qualified health worker can also administer that.

Disability-friendly environment

Such events never miss people with disabilities; they shouldn’t be discriminated against based on that. Ensure the conference has disability-friendly facilities, including lifts, ramps, and special toilets to accommodate them.

You may have people with specific ailments that can also be classified as people with disabilities.

Have them on board to enhance their comfort. As part of the preparation, as attendees fill the form, peruse and get to know people with disabilities and unique features you need to put in place to accommodate them.

Others include : 

  • Hearing aids
  • Translators
  • Wheelchair ways
  • Automated services
  • Audiovisual displays
  • Proper signage
  • Warning savers
  • Handrail

 

Installing all disability-friendly facilities is impractical as a conference planner; some need management others, it’s upon the host company to supply.

Do that in line with the kind of people with special needs you expect. The participants should have specific facilities they need for prior arrangement and minimize inconveniences.

Reliable and fast internet access

The digital era is characterized by fast and reliable access to the internet. Get to know the bandwidth and how fast is the internet connectivity.

Video conferencing is inevitable; the facilitators may choose to engage a speaker in a different location and opt to use video conferencing. Speakers and facilitators may store data in a cloud to minimize load and need the internet for data access.

Digital communication is via the internet; everyone wants to stay updated with what happens globally through social media platforms and mainstream news. Therefore internet connectivity is a must-have.

Spacious co-working spaces

Conferences are brainstorming sessions for the theme at hand; interactive sessions are inevitable. As they open their laptops to access the information, it’s essential to have adequate working spaces for the same function.

That should also be available in the rooms to allow them to work anytime, anywhere within the conference facility. It should have a comfortable desk and chair.

Tasty and delicious meals

Conference meals should make attendees feel home away from home. Get to have a taste of the meals as you also consider different races and tribes.

With that, international cuisines should also be taken into consideration. A special diet is inevitable in such events and has that in mind using the application form to sieve what you need to include for participants with a specific diet.

The simple things you ignore make the whole conference planning an exercise in futility.

Ensure the basic facilities are available and the service is the high end before you look at luxuries; if not, you may have negative feedback from participants.