STEP ONE: DECIDE ON A TOPIC

For your conference, seminar or workshop to be successful, it is imperative that you have a great theme or underlying topic to centre the event around. What is the unifying message that your speakers will deliver?

This theme will not only set the topic for your corporate event, it will also guide the branding and promotion you put out to advertise for the event.

STEP TWO: PREPARE A BUDGET

Your conference or seminar is likely to need a sponsor, but even if you do not plan on using one, it’s important that you put together a budget so that you can have a full understanding of where your money is being spent. You need to think about the pricing involved with venue, accommodation, transportation, speaker fees, catering, marketing and activities.

Once we understand this budget in place, we will also understand how much you should be charging to those participating in the event.

If you need support sourcing the financing of the conference and are planning on looking for external sources of revenue, we will support you in arranging fundraising events or looking for sponsors that align with your events topic.

STEP THREE: CHOOSE A DATE

Choosing a date that is likely to work for your audience is imperative. If your competitors are organising a seminar for a specific day, it’s essential you do not use the same time. There is no point putting the time into organising an event for it to fall apart last minute when nobody can make your event.

Check what other events are happening in your industry and select a date that is free. You should make sure that this date is during the week – many of your attendees will be coming as part of their job, so using their free time over a weekend may not go down well.

As well as this, you should avoid the times when people tend to go on holiday. The recommended months are between March and June from early September to November, however this may change dependent on your industry.

STEP FOUR: CHOOSE A LOCATION

Once you have chosen a date, you can start looking at venues which match your requirements. There are a range of venues you may want to consider, but it will depend on different factors such as the size of your event, the location, the atmosphere, facilities and catering.

Booking a too-small venue will make your event crowded and uncomfortable but choosing a giant venue will make your conference feel empty and poorly attended. You should also ensure that the venue you choose fits into the topic you have decided to centre your event around and feels professional. Think also about transportation and other technical aspects – can people get to your event easily and without too much hassle?

EDGE Creative will provide you with the choice of a range of venues that we feel is appropriate for your conference or seminar. Our partnerships with various venues across Birmingham mean that we can offer some of the best locations the West Midlands has to offer.

STEP FIVE: ARRANGE CATERING

Typically, work events will provide food to their attendees. The venue you have selected may be able to support you with this, or you may need to bring in external vendors.

Decide on which refreshments you would like to provide, ensuring you stick within budget. It’s important that you also provide a range of options and choices to remain inclusive to those whose diet may be restricted for personal or religious beliefs.

STEP SIX: LINE UP YOUR SPEAKERS & SET AN AGENDA

Your speakers will be the stars of your seminar or conference, so it is important that you make sure that you book a solid line up to attract attendees and guarantee a professional experience.

Look for leaders within your industry and select those that best fit your topic and theme, then send them an invite. You may need to address compensation, supporting equipment and if they have any special requirements.

With all key factors in place, you must now place together an agenda for your corporate event. Think about how a typical attendee may feel. What types of session would best help them to absorb the information your business provides? With this information, we can create a top-level agenda.

STEP SEVEN: PROMOTING YOUR EVENT & GETTING PEOPLE TO REGISTER

Now you have everything in place, it’s important that you promote your event successfully in order to increase attendees and get everyone to sign up.

We can work with you to create a simple registration process, either through your website or a third-party so that your target audience can sign up and buy tickets for your event.

You can promote your conference via available channels including a mix of both online and offline materials. We can help you with this.