This is to follow up on my earlier blog entry on Business Event Organization (Part 1).

You have booked a location appropriate to your needs and you know what they offer and how they can support you. Now is the time to send out the invitations to the participants/guests:

• Write an invitation for your business event giving the invitees a good idea of the topics and objectives of the conference
• With the invitations also supply the necessary information your guests need to make their travel arrangements. I.e. what is the next airport, how long is the transfer from the airport to the hotel, etc.
• Attach a “Registration Form” to your invitation with a deadline to return it to you
• Information to include on the registration form: Name, function, company, location, phone number, email address, special needs (diet, accommodation, other), travel details (arrival and departure time and day, flight number)
• Send a separate invitation to participants who need to contribute to the conference in some way, explaining them what you expect from them, if they should plan to arrive early, etc.
• Check with the hotel if they have a technician and can provide the necessary equipment or ask them for external providers who can be hired to supply and install what you need (laptops, beamer, microphones, speakers, printer, etc.)
• Depending on how big and important the event is and also if your budget allows it, you might consider working with a production company who can provide a professional stage incorporating your corporate identity and design, lighting, audio system and projection to a screen, etc. and who will be there for the whole conference
• Shortly after the deadline for the registration is over or just before, remind the invitees who have not replied yet to send you their form back
• Prepare a comprehensive list of all the participants including all the details you got from them
• Send a list containing the names, arrival- and departure time/date as well as special needs concerning accommodation and diet to the hotel and have them confirm all the bookings back to you
• Get the transfers from the airport to the hotel organized and inform the participants accordingly
• Design name tags with the necessary information for participants to identify each other and to know immediately whom they are talking to
• Once the list of participants is “final” get the name tags printed
• Keep communicating with the participants through out the whole time between the registration and the event, keep them informed, send them updates, ask them to inform you about changes in their plans
• Keep the hotel updated on changes
• Work on the culinary details with the hotel; i.e. select menus for the meals, get coffee breaks organized, order drinks for the main conference room as well as the break out rooms
• Let the hotel know if you are planning an off-site
• Get the off-site organized (including transfer from the hotel and back)
• Prepare feedback forms for the participants to fill out before they leave the conference to get ideas on how to improve your future events

There might be points on this list that do not apply to your event or others that would need to be added – please feel free to adapt it to your needs.

I have organized many events and seminars to the utter satisfaction of organizer and participants and I am here to turn yours into a great success as well!

Please contact me for a quote!

Kind regards – Jackie Jaeger