What To Consider When Organising A Large-Scale Conference

Organising a large-scale conference or sales kick-off can be a daunting task, with hurdles and challenges aplenty. However, with strategic and, crucially, early planning, your event can be an exciting and rewarding experience. The key to success lies in careful preparation and execution.

The framework strategy of the Julia Charles Event Planners is the five C’s –

• Concept
• Coordination
• Control
• Culmination
• Closeout

In this article, we’ll examine the key steps you need to take when you decide to plan a conference – giving you the best chance of success.

Enquire about our Conference Event Services.

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Planning a large event vs a smaller event

The distinction between planning a large event and a smaller event is quite pronounced, primarily in terms of planning timelines, budgets, and communication management.

For a large event, you’ll need a longer planning timeline to ensure every detail is meticulously organised. Your budget will need to be considerably larger to accommodate the myriad logistics involved.

Moreover, extensive communication management is crucial to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged, ensuring a seamless flow from inception to execution.

On the other hand, smaller events are usually less demanding, requiring shorter planning timelines, smaller budgets, and simpler communication structures, allowing for a more straightforward planning and execution process.

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1.   Set clear goals for your large-scale conference

The first step in large event planning is to set clear goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your event? Are you hoping to educate attendees on a particular topic? Are you looking to provide networking opportunities? Or are you aiming to promote your organisation or industry?

Once you have a clear understanding of your conference’s goals and objectives, you can begin the planning process – the event details, including the program, the speakers, and the venue.

PRO-TIP – make sure you make use of effective communication strategies to keep all stakeholders abreast of your goals, ongoing progress and any challenges as they arise. Your communications strategy could include establishing a schedule for team check-ins, giving the right people access to key events in event planning software, and discussing important details like dietary restrictions and ADA compliance.

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2.   Be clear about your budget

When you start to plan your conference or Sales Kick-off, creating a budget will be a critical early step. Start by estimating the cost of the venue, food and beverages, speakers, marketing materials, and any other expenses associated with the event.

Once you have an idea of the total cost of the event, you can begin to identify potential sources of funding. This may include sponsorships, ticket sales, and grants.

PRO TIP – Be sure to include a contingency fund in your budget to cover unexpected expenses. Set aside a portion of your budget, typically around 10-20%, for unforeseen expenses. This cushion can be a lifesaver when unexpected costs arise.

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3.   Choose a venue

Choosing the right venue is essential for a successful large-scale conference or Sales Kick-off. Think about factors such as location, size, and amenities. Make sure the venue can accommodate your expected number of attendees and has the necessary equipment and facilities, such as audio-visual equipment and Wi-Fi.

Are the catering and accommodation of a sufficiently high standard? Are transport links convenient and appropriate? Could you incorporate any more sustainability factors?

Consider, too, the accessibility of the venue for attendees with disabilities. Select a venue that has ramps, elevators, and accessible restrooms to make the event accessible to everyone.

PRO TIP – Choose a venue that supports your event goals.

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4.   Have you considered virtual or hybrid large-scale conferences?

Many of the costs and challenges of hosting a large-scale conference can be overcome by applying a virtual or hybrid option. Online conferences can be set to any scale and can cut down on many of the expenses. Virtual conferences do ofcourse have their benefits as opposed to live and hybrid events. But keep in mind – you can lose some of the in-person conference benefits, such as networking and relationship building.

We can help set you up with:

• Webcasting And Live Streaming
• Bespoke Host Site Management
• Various Types Of Virtual Conferencing Platforms
• Networking With Groups Or 1:1 Conversations
• Virtual Booths For Guests To Visit
• Hybrid Events
• Event Gamification
• Ticketing Options
• Company Branding and Backdrops
• Live Voting Technology
• Virtual Guest Speakers
• Analytics Reports

PRO TIP  – With a hybrid event, do all you can to ensure that the virtual attendees are included as much as possible. It’s critical that they don’t feel left out in any way.

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5.   Plan your program

Your program will be the beating heart of your conference Sales Kick-off and provide many benefits to your audiences. It needs to be well-organised, clear, engaging and informative. As you plan it, keep at the forefront of your mind your event goals and objectives, together with the needs and interests of your attendees.

Have you thought of including a mix of keynote speakers, panels, and breakout sessions to provide a variety of perspectives and topics? Have you allocated sufficient time for networking and socialising – key reasons for which many of the attendees will be coming to your conference?

PRO TIP  – Lock down your event date early. Also, with large-scale event planning, always anticipate the unexpected. Run a risk assessment that anticipates anything that could go wrong  – and prepare for a solution.

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6. Event Diagrams – Large Event Planning Software

An essential element of all large event planning processes is to keep all stakeholders fully aligned. Increasingly, event planners are achieving this by making use of easy large-scale event diagrams.

PRO-TIP – Our event planners use event planning software to create diagrams that help to visualise the layout and details of the event.

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7.   Recruit speakers and presenters

The success of your conference depends on the quality of the speakers and presenters you recruit. Look for individuals who are experts in their field.

Be sure to provide clear guidelines and expectations to your speakers and presenters. Make sure they understand what you’re looking for – the length of their presentations and any equipment or materials they’ll need. You may also want to offer them reimbursement for travel expenses.

PRO TIP  – Make sure your speakers can speak on topics that align with your conference’s goals and objectives.

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8.   Promoting your large-scale conference

Promotion is crucial to the success of your conference. Start by creating a marketing plan that includes a mix of online and offline marketing tactics, such as social media, email marketing, and traditional advertising.

Be sure to create a clear and concise message that highlights the benefits of attending the conference.

Continue that sense of excitement through a transformative brand theme for your event. By applying a theme to your conference you will engage your audiences further.

PRO TIP  – Use eye-catching visuals and compelling copy to attract attendees and create a sense of excitement around the event.

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9.   Manage the logistics

Logistics are an essential part of organising a large-scale conference. This includes everything from coordinating transportation for attendees to managing on-site registration and ensuring that the venue has the necessary equipment and supplies.

Create a detailed logistics plan that outlines all the tasks that need to be completed before, during, and after the event.

PRO TIP  – Assign roles and responsibilities to your team members to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the conference.

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10.   Deliver the very best customer service

You need your conference to be memorable … for all the right reasons. Customer service will be what the delegates remember, possibly more than anything else. From the moment they register for the conference to the day of the event, it’s important to be responsive to their needs and enquiries. This includes providing clear and timely communication, addressing any concerns or issues promptly, and offering assistance as needed.

For two prime instances of Julia Charles Event Management Customer Service performing at its very best, here are two case studies –

1. The WCA Conference in Dubai

2. The Xero Company Conference

PRO TIP –  create a mobile app for your conference or sales kick-off. This will provide attendees with helpful information, such as the conference schedule, speaker bios, and session descriptions. It can also allow attendees to connect with each other and provide feedback on the event.

Create a conference mobile app

One way to provide excellent customer service is to create a mobile app for your conference. This will provide attendees with helpful information, such as the conference schedule, speaker bios, and session descriptions. It can also allow attendees to connect with each other and provide feedback on the event.

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11.   Make your event sustainable

Do all you can to make yours a sustainable event. Try to minimise the environmental impact of your event without compromising on your requirements or adding extra costs.

Contrary to the common misconception, sustainability in events doesn’t have to be cost-adding. With meticulous planning, it can be cost-saving.

PRO-TIP – Go digital. Swap paper invitations, brochures, and programs for digital versions. You’ll significantly reduce your event’s waste and cut down on printing costs. By embracing digital platforms for sharing information and engaging attendees, you’ll not only make your event more eco-friendly but also modern and accessible. Plus, it’s easier to update digital information, ensuring your attendees have the most current details at their fingertips.

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10.   Evaluate the conference

Once your conference is over, you must evaluate its success. How else will you ensure that the next one goes even better? You need to gather feedback from attendees, sponsors, and speakers to identify areas and opportunities for improvement.

Create a survey or feedback form that asks attendees about their experience at the conference. Ask them what they liked and didn’t like, what they learned, and whether they would attend again. Use this feedback to improve the conference for future years.

PRO TIP – Use your feedback to demonstrate the value of the conference to sponsors and stakeholders.

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Talk to the expert large-scale conference planners

Using your internal teams to organise your large-scale conference could stretch your resources to the limit. Do your people have the time, experience and conference know-how to plan and deliver an effective and successful conference – inevitably a complex and challenging task?

At Julia Charles Event Management, we are experienced conference planners. We’re conference experts with an enthusiastic and dedicated team – committed to working with you to design and deliver your large-scale conference to the standards that you expect.

We’ll support your large-scale conference goals by helping you to:

• Set clear goals and objectives
• Create a budget – and keep to it
• Choose the right venue
• Plan a well-organised program
• Recruiting quality speakers and presenters
• Promote your conference
• Manage logistics
• Provide premier-quality customer service
• Evaluate your conference’s success

Remember, the success of your conference depends on your ability to provide a positive experience for attendees. By being responsive to their needs and providing them with valuable information and resources, you can create a memorable and impactful event that they will remember for years to come.

Julia Charles Event Management – conference planners. We’re the no. 1 conference experts for organisations planning to hold large-scale conferences. For expertise, experience and all-around conference know-how, get in touch.

We’d love to hear from you.

Want more advice on live, virtual and hybrid conferences?

Go to our Conferences Blog Section.