Organising a Memorable Conference (and avoiding death by powerpoint)

Marketers are often challenged with organising the annual sales conference or senior managers’ conference (or both). Here are a few tips on keeping the event interesting and memorable.

Have a theme for the conference, it could be a fun thing, or something more closely related to your business. It can add some entertainment to the event, but at the very least it will provide an objective to your conference.

Mix up the agenda. Try not to have one presentation after another. Break up the day with interactive sessions, break out groups or other activities.

Issue your speakers with a clear presentation topic. Inevitably you will have some formal presentations, so try to ensure it isn’t some rambling wrap up of the year. Having a preview before the conference will allow you to make revisions so everyone stays on topic.

Ask all the speakers to submit their presentations to you well before the conference. Issue everyone with a template to use then edit the slides for readability and consistency of style. This will also allow you to pre-load the presentations onto one computer to ensure a slick transition from one speaker to the next.

Consider your room layout carefully. If space allows, a good way to arrange seating is at round tables (with an open end, so no-one has their back to the speaker.) This is usually called ‘cabaret style’. It can encourage group participation and make the event less formal.

Encourage networking and teambuilding. Organise activities for your delegates so they have to interact with one another. Try to keep this to the theme of the conference so it’s not perceived as a pointless exercise.

Celebrate successes and share strategy. Use your conference gathering to present awards and announce incentive plans. It’s a good opportunity to introduce any new direction for your business and to motivate staff to reach these goals.

Serve good food. It may seem like a minor detail, but lousy food will taint a delegate’s memory of the event. Avoid the curled up sandwich platters and you’ll help create a positive impression.

Introduce a special treat that will make the conference memorable. Choose an unusual location or organise an activity that delegates may not have done before. Try and keep your treat in keeping with your theme. Do whatever your budget or imagination allows.

Organise an external motivational speaker. This is something else you can consider as a treat in order to make your conference memorable.  Ensure your chosen speaker is properly briefed and that they keep to topic otherwise you could leave the audience  thinking “what was that about?”

Avoid getting staff to share hotel rooms to save cost. If you need to organise accommodation, allow staff a room to themselves. Sharing rooms usually causes angst or bickering and you’ll never please everyone.

Remember to get feedback. Ensure no-one leaves without completing a questionnaire about the conference. It will provide valuable insight for next time.

Follow up on any issues raised. Delegates will feel that they have been listened to and that they have a voice if they can see that issues or questions raised during the conference are being addressed.

Don’t forget to have fun with it! It’s always stressful organising events of any kind. But it’s an opportunity to be creative and to really get to know your sales team or senior management people.

There are always lots of communications involved in a conference. Invitations, delegate packs, important information and questionnaires. CraftWrite would love to help you with any copywriting requirements for your next conference. Contact Jill today,  jill@craftwrite.com.au

The Dos and Don’ts of Exhibitions

Exhibitions can make quite a dent in your marketing budget. There are many costs to take into consideration – stand space, freight, furniture hire, and signage to name a few. So you’ve got to make sure you use your exhibition or trade show attendance as an opportunity to make sales. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts to ensure you attract customers to your stand and make the most of a show:

Don’t expect people to find your stand by chance.
Do advertise that you are going to be at the exhibition. Inexpensive ways to do this are through your customer newsletter, on email footers and on your website. Make sure you are listed in the exhibition guide as well.

Don’t expect your sales team to know what they are doing without getting them involved.
Do arrange a briefing session with those manning your stand. Explain the show offer and details of any competition happening on the stand. Stress the importance of recording leads, so success of the show can be measured and leads can be followed up. Also provide details of stand dismantling arrangements at the end of the exhibition.

Don’t just rely on a few posters and a sales rep on your stand to attract passers-by.
Do try and think creatively as to how you can best demonstrate your product or service. Use all your senses: hearing, sight, taste, touch and smell to develop a memorable customer experience.

Don’t have a collection of laminated A4 sheets stuck to the walls of your stand. Visitors can’t take in the information and the overall look is very poor.
Do use large signage with strong headlines that can be read at a distance. A0 is a minimum size for posters.  You could also consider signage suspended from the ceiling to guide the way to your stand.

Don’t mindlessly collect business cards on your stand.
Do have a lead sheet where you can record a customer enquiry and you can follow up later. If you can make the sale at the stand, make sure you’ve got order pads or credit card processing facilities to make this easy.

Don’t block off the entrance to your stand with furniture and deter passers-by.
Do keep your stand open and inviting. Include a table and chairs where you can sit down and talk business with customers and prospects.

Don’t hand out lots of giveaways. This will only attract freebie collectors to your stand.
Do promote a show special offer. This will attract real buyers and give you real results

Jill Bynon of CraftWrite has many years of trade show and exhibition experience and has probably been guilty of all the “don’ts” on this list at one time or another. This is called learning the hard way! CraftWrite can assist you with writing collateral for your exhibition stand, whether that’s pre-show promotion, stand signage or leaflets. And you can be sure that behind the writing is a lot of insight and experience!  Contact jill@craftwrite.com.au if you're planning for your next exhibition.