Conferences Planning Checklist for the busy event planner

Posted on by eventnook

 

flickr.com
flickr.com

 

Part I- Confirm event details and branding

  • Conference committee & responsibilities
  • Event goals and theme for the conference
  • Budget & Sponsors
  • Options of event dates, venues and speakers
  • Reach out to relevant venues and speakers to confirm availability
  • Design logo and consistent design theme

 

Part II- Early Preparation

  • Conference schedule
  • Reach out to sponsors
  • Reach out to speakers: keynote speakers, trainers, workshop facilitators
  • Research suppliers to compare rates
    • Audiovisual team
    • Staging
    • Catering
    • Performers and emcees
    • Decorations of venue
    • Gifts, awards, flowers
    • Banners and publicity materials
    • Transport and logistics
    • Ushers and Runners
    • Photographer
    • Marketing agencies
    • Merchandising
    • Printing shops
    • Onsite communication: Wifi providers, walkie talkies, etc.
    • Staging Crew
  • Reach out to suppliers and engage them
  • Marketing strategy, slogans and promotional activities
  • Accommodation for international participants

Constantly iterate and refine the schedule throughout the process whenever you confirm or cancel something

 

Part III- Get the word out

  • Send out invites
  • Request speaker bio, workshop description and presentation outlines
  • Print brochures, posters, etc.
  • Send out invites
  • Decide on event registration and ticketing software
    • Set-up online event registration and ticketing page
    • Create special discounts, ticket types and invitation codes and send them to relevant people (if applicable)
  • Launch marketing campaign
  • Send out press releases and organise press conferences
  • Contact people in traditional and new media (newspapers, TV, and magazines as well as prominent bloggers and social media influencers)
  • Publish information in industry related publications
  • Develop long-term content marketing editorial calendar and begin marketing educational and useful content related to your conference and theme
  • Begin social media advertising on various social media platform and build up social media activity nearer to the event
  • List your event on event sites and affiliate calendars
  • Monitor feedback and response on social media, it is an early warning sign for anything wrong with your event
  • Start early bird sales

 

Part IV- Sell! Sell! Sell!

  • Promote ticket sales with giveaways
  • Close early bird tickets and start regular cycle tickets

 

Part VI- Finalising

  • Book flight and rental cars based on registration information
  • Finalise booklets and printables and send for printing (including post-event survey)
  • Pack registration pack
  • Finalise diet requirements and menu with catering
  • Appoint key points of contact for event day
  • If there are VIPs in the guest list, you may need to hire security

 

Part VII- The week before

  • Ensure the staging crew has the banners and decorations required by you
  • Organise a dry run of the conference and test audiovisual as well as rehearse stage lineup and usher movement.
  • Modify sequencing and finalise event flow
  • Ensure venue has been set up properly, with signages put up and security and ushers in place
  • Ensure writing materials are prepared
  • Ensure supplies, merchandise, booklets, gifts and awards have been delivered

 

On the Day

  • Quick run-through with everyone

Invest in onsite event check-in systems and entry management software to avoid long queues and troublesome manual registration

  • Ensure every usher has a fully-charged, Internet connected iPad for the iPad check-in system and are trained on what to do
  • Check internet and battery life of equipment
  • Social media
    • Remind audience to use your event hashtags and social media handles
    • Manage real-time social media posting. Post videos, fun photos and use hashtags
    • Post last-minute updates for event goers

 

Post-event 

  • Oversee packing and returns
  • Finalise accounts
  • Post photos and videos of the event and curate content. This will be very useful for marketing the next event
  • Thank the team and your event-goers for their support. It’s a good chance to market your event again and end off on a good note
sgbusinessevents.com
sgbusinessevents.com

 

Plan a business conference today with EventNook today!

Event Management Software company, EventNook is an online event registration & ticketing platform where organisers can set up and customise their very own event page. Through it, organisers can collect attendees’ information and their payment using a real-time dashboard. Features such as Automated Email Confirmation and QR Code Check-In make the job of event organisers much easier and more efficient. Recently, EventNook launched an Event Venues Directory which provides information on more than 5,000 venues in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Hong Kong, making one of the best places on the web to look for venues in South East Asia.

Contact us:
Email: hello@eventnook.com
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Published by eventnook