Host a Conference (on any budget)

We have written before about attending conferences to boost your visibility, and we have touched on hosting them. However, we thought we should probably make it absolutely crystal clear that hosting a conference can benefit everyone. No company is too small or to new to benefit from hosting a conference providing that you are adding value.

A conference gives your customers and clients the opportunity to come and meet you and develop a relationship with you. A conference gives you the opportunity to showcase your expertise.

To host a successful conference identify what you want your conference to accompish. Once you have this the rest is relatively simple.

Take the time and put together an exciting programme with interesting and high-quality speakers.

You don’t have to have a big budget, instead make the event memorable and make it count:

• Ask the conference stakeholders about their goals for the event and factor these into your planning. Help everyone (including yourself) reach their goals.
• Source an alternative venue – who says you have to host your conference in a hotel function room? look into alternative (cheaper) and fun options. Change the mood to reflect the venue, for example you may want to ask your spakers to be more informal.
• Call in favours and sponsorship to make savings where you can and be smart about what you do spend your money on. (and prioritise).
• Offer speaker slots to your network – if the speaker is someone you know personally or you have a direct recommendation from someone in your network they are most likely to do it for free (and to add it to their CV).
• Make it fun. Make it social. If you make it fun and interactive people are going to be more likely to attend and interact. Don’t forget to get started early with creating a buzz for your conference.
• Make it count by networking with the attendees and speakers.

and most important of all plan well and keep it simple.

Further Reading & Printables:

• Conference and Event Planner
• Plan ahead for your Conference (Visibility Planner Printable)