Organising a conference is a long and complex process.
As a specialist in events and conference hosting in Toulouse, we have drawn up a list of 10 points to help you organise a conference with complete peace of mind.
10 key factors for a successful conference
1. Choose an inspiring conference location
The concept of business tourism includes the word tourism! Bear in mind that 85% of our decisions are dictated by our emotions. This means that the location and the image it conveys will have a considerable impact on the decision as to whether or not to attend a conference.
Highlight the attractions of the city you have chosen from the very first communications.
Put delegates in a location that inspires them, where they can enjoy a pleasant visit in parallel with attending the conference. Factor in the city’s economic dynamism to give your business event a professional perspective.
Conferences held in Toulouse, for example, benefit from the city’s sunny location, its south-western culture, architectural beauties such as the Capitole, and its renowned gastronomy. Toulouse has an international reputation thanks to the strength of its aerospace and research industries.
By choosing a location such as Toulouse, your conference will benefit from its warm and commercially attractive brand image.
2. Plan ahead to reserve a site for your future conference
The choice of dates is a subtle art that can jeopardise the success of a conference if it is not properly controlled.
The first rule is anticipation. International events offer venue options several years in advance to ensure getting the best dates. The sooner you get started, the better.
Check that no other large-scale events are taking place at the same time as your conference: championships, concerts, international trade fairs, etc This could have an impact on hotel availability and transport bookings. Don’t forget to look at religious calendars too.
3. Check the infrastructure, accommodation and access to the conference centre
The comfort of the delegates is the obsession of organisers. It’s essential to take a tour of the facilities that will welcome you, at least via a virtual visit.
Get details of all the accommodation on offer in the vicinity: prices, services, availability. Ask the local public transport company about its various packages and connections with stations. Arrange for coaches, VIP shuttles or taxis to transport the VIPs you will be welcoming.
4. Communicate ahead of your business event
As soon as your conference dates and venues are known, launch your communication campaigns and keep your target audiences regularly informed.
Think about setting up “early bird” offers to encourage commitment.
Opt for multi-channel communication to reach your different audiences: dedicated website, social networks, newsletter, email campaigns, SMS reminders, etc.
Define a nurturing strategy to strengthen the link with your future delegates and guide them towards a conversion, i.e. booking your conference. Offer informative and engaging content: interviews with personalities, questionnaire on expectations, articles on trends, etc.
A strategy combining SEA (advertising on the Internet) and SMA (advertising on social networks) will act as a catalyst for your communication, support the reputation and image of the conference and speed up registrations.
5. Create a rich and meaningful conference programme
A good conference is one that appeals to new entrants to a sector as clearly as to more experienced delegates.
When drawing up the programme for your conference, take care to ensure that you have a wide range of speakers and angles. Use multiple formats: plenary sessions, workshops, round tables, speed meetings, etc.
Invite inspiring personalities from other spheres to give context and fuel people’s thinking with original approaches.
You can broaden the scope of your conference by giving it a theme that will run through your entire event: working sessions, discussion sessions, gala evening, communication tools. Inclusion, the environment and innovation are all themes that have generated meaning and have been regularly explored in recent years.
6. Welcome delegates to your business event
You never get two chances to make a good first impression. That’s why the quality of the welcome is so important
the quality of reception staff, clear routes to the conference centre, signposting of different areas, accessibility for people with reduced mobility (PRM). Be obsessed with quality, efficiency and consistency.
7. Put together quality social events between the conference working sessions
Breaks and meal times are appreciated by all delegates and must be given special attention.
Take care with the quality of these moments, which are particularly important networking occasions.
Plan different ranges of service, from bistro or even gastronomic cuisine to a simple but tasty “on the go” offer.
There are also offers tailored to individual diets and dietary requirements: gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, allergenic etc. Better food for a better world.
Be careful about the number of catering outlets. The break, as its name suggests, should be a moment of relaxation for your guests, not a stressful time spent waiting.
8. Plan for crisis communication when organising your conference (bad weather, strike, accident, etc.)
“The worst is never certain, but it is never underwhelming”: this quote from Paul Valéry perfectly illustrates the need for a crisis communication plan when organising any event.
No matter how perfect the organisation of your conference, it is naturally under constant threat from unforeseen circumstances. These are unknown situations, but you need to be prepared so as not to endanger your event, the delegates or your teams.
It’s up to you to identify all the risk situations: strike, climatic risk, accident, cancellation, etc., and to anticipate the appropriate response in every aspect: decision-making, legal, financial, in terms of communication, etc.
This is a crucial subject, yet one that is often completely overlooked. Read our article on crisis communication for conferences.
- Emergency protocol: Share a document with your teams listing the main crisis situations you may face. For each one, indicate the protocol to be followed, the message to be communicated, the tasks assigned to each person and the final decision-maker.
- Critical skills: List the “critical” skills, i.e. the people who occupy a unique position (technical, strategic, decision-making) and whose absence can hinder the smooth running of your conference. Identify the emergency resources to be mobilised in the event of sudden absence For example, if your CEO cannot be reached for an extended period, who can validate a strategic decision?
- Legal protection: You will also need to involve legal experts, who will be vital in guiding what you say and validating its content.
- Insurance: Check the validity of your insurance policy and keep it available at all times.
- List of emergency numbers: Summarise all the useful contacts in a list for distribution throughout the organisation.
- Emergency procedures : Train your teams in lifesaving techniques by organising a specific training session. Before opening, organise a site visit with health and safety staff and identify emergency exits and assembly points.
9. Find out how satisfied delegates are after your conference
Feed customer experience feedback into your internal debriefing. There are 3 major advantages to sending a satisfaction questionnaire out to your delegates.
You’ll stay in touch with your delegates, make them feel valued, and get valuable feedback for organising the next event.
10. Post-conference assessment of actions taken
A 3-stage assessment: meeting objectives, customer satisfaction, corrective measures to be implemented. (link to grandchild page 9)
Create an initial base of objective measurement tools to map out your conference.
- Sales figures,
- Number of delegates (early birds, no shows etc.)
- Number of exhibitor stands,
- Number of posts on social networks, number of interactions
- Attendance at the gala evening
- Percentage of recycled materials used
- Number of disputes
- Problems relating to ordering, supply or delivery times
- Installation problems
- Delivery problems
- Traffic, access and routing problems
- Hotel and restaurant problems
- Reception and cleanliness problems
- Safety and security problems (theft, accidents, incidents)
- Non-compliance with CSR commitments
- etc.
These figures should be compared with feedback from teams, service providers and suppliers on site.
This quantitative information needs to be supplemented by feedback from delegates, who often have a very different experience from that of the organisers.
Once all this information has been collected, you can validate the potential gap between the initial objectives and the conference experience.
The final stage consists of drawing up a list of corrective measures to be put in place to increase or maintain the customer satisfaction level recorded.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about organising your future conference in Toulouse. Our teams of event professionals will be able to provide you with a tailor-made response.
