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Planning of an internal conference: Event organization

Professional & well-planned processes — event organization © KölnTourismus GmbH, Volker Voigt

Please note:
When you’re planning a public meeting as opposed to an internal one, you need to take numerous additional aspects into account, such as participant acquisition, media relations, participation fees, sponsors etc.

Step 4:
Professional & well-planned processes — event organization.

Design, do layouting and send (or arrange the dispatch of) Save the Date messages and invitations
- What information must be included in the invitations?
- Analogue or digital?
Organize participant management
- Organize the participant registration process
- If appropriate, set up a hotline for questions and changes
Decide on service partners and commission them
Create set-up plans
- What is the equipment and seating plan for each individual
room?
Create flowcharts
- List all the individual programme points in a timeline, complete
with all the related information
- Event direction plan (programme point, projections,
microphones, background music, lighting effects)
Ask the people who will be on stage about their technical requirements, plan these and inform your technology partners
Make to-do lists for any elements missing from the flowchart. Flowcharts show where gaps still exist in the event planning.
Plan the construction and dismantling periods
- These plans must ensure smooth logistics for the specialized
workers doing the construction and dismantling
- Equipment: Which equipment will be provided by which
companies?
Make a “Branding, route information, signposting” list
- The list should include information about the locations, content,
dimensions, materials, and producers of the materials
- Take the stage design into account
- Take the layout of the presentations into account
- Have the graphics and content produced according to the list
Plan the catering
- How many people will be eating?
- When should coffee breaks and lunch breaks be planned in?
- Must special allergies/religious customs/food intolerances be
taken into account?
- How should the catering be designed in order to match the
meeting perfectly (brown bag sessions, small plates for food at
the exhibition, finger food, buffet etc.)?
- Catering for the crew and the performers
Planning, creating and ordering conference materials
- Make a layout for the presentations
- Produce supportive content for the meeting (jingles, films,
superimposed texts, PowerPoints)
- Printed materials (e.g. badges, a conference folder, feedback
questionnaires)
- Carrier bags
- Biros
- Pencils
- Notepads
Briefings for all the specialized workers, speakers and performers
- A general briefing about the event
- Information about arrival options and other framework conditions
- Precise areas of responsibility
- Times
Make phone lists that include the name, company, function and mobile phone number of each participant.
Human resources & team planning and briefings for the staff
- A general briefing about the event
- Information about arrival options and other framework conditions
- What is each person’s area of responsibility and the place and
time of his/her work assignment?
- Clothing
- Catering for the crew
- Cloakrooms
- Breaks
Submit and receive registrations and authorizations
- Insurance policies
- GEMA (German Authors' Rights Society)
- Artists’ social insurance
- If appropriate, contact the building authority for specialized uses