Hosting a successful conference or corporate event requires careful planning, strategic decision-making and seamless coordination. From setting clear goals and selecting the right conference venue to structuring an engaging agenda and ensuring smooth logistics, every detail plays a role in creating a valuable experience for attendees.
In this blog, we look at what makes a successful conference, provide a guide to planning for a conference and discuss why Heather Glen is the perfect venue for your next corporate event! Whether you’re an experienced event organiser or are looking for step-by-step assistance, you’ll take away valuable insights to elevate your conference planning process.
What makes a successful conference
What truly defines a successful conference is its ability to create meaningful impact. A successful conference is not just a gathering of people in a single space; it’s a thoughtfully curated event that enhances knowledge-sharing and networking and leaves a lasting impression on participants. This includes offering high-value content through compelling speakers, promoting active participation and fostering networking opportunities.
How to plan a successful conference
Every successful conference starts with a well thought out plan. Using an event planning checklist for conferences, like the one we’ve provided below, will ensure all aspects run smoothly before, during and after the event:
Decide on a date
Choosing a date for your conference is important to ensure optimum attendance. Consider factors like annual holidays that could deter potential attendees, any major industry events that may clash with potential attendees’ commitments and whether you will host your conference on a weekday or weekend.
Establish your budget
Budgeting effectively is key to ensuring a well-organised conference. Start by outlining all expected expenses, including conference venue hire, speaker fees, technology requirements, catering and marketing. Conference venue hire typically takes up a significant portion of the budget, so choosing a space that offers packaged services can help cut costs.
Goals and objectives
Corporate events typically fall into categories such as conferences, exhibitions, networking events, team building events or away days. Understanding the purpose of the event and defining the goals and target audience will help shape all other conference planning decisions. It helps determine the right conference venue hire, establish a structured agenda and allocate resources effectively.
Choose a conference venue
Choosing the right venue is a crucial step in the planning process. The best conference venues offer the right capacity, facilities and technical support to ensure a professional and organised event. The venue’s location should be convenient to reach via public transport or by offering plenty of parking and accommodation for guests who are travelling to your event.
Conference technology
Technology is essential for creating an immersive and engaging conference experience. This includes lighting, audio systems and projection equipment, ideally provided by your conference venue. On the day of the conference, arrive early to check the AV setup and ensure microphones and projectors are functioning for a stress-free experience.
Book conference speakers
One of the most crucial steps in planning a successful conference is booking influential and inspirational conference speakers. Well-known and respected speakers will attract a broader audience, lend credibility to your event and add depth and diversity to your conference agenda. Speakers who are skilled communicators will also captivate the audience, convey complex ideas and inspire attendees.
Create a conference agenda
A well-structured conference agenda is key to keeping attendees interested and maintaining momentum throughout the event. Include networking breaks and interactive sessions to encourage attendee participation. Timing should be well-planned to prevent sessions from running over or losing audience attention.
Make food and drink arrangements
When your aim is to keep people happy, alert and engaged, food and drink are a vital part of any conference plan. Providing quality hospitality, including food, beverages and comfortable spaces for breaks, contributes to a positive attendee experience and provides prime opportunities for networking. Think about dietary requirements and how you will accommodate for these.
Schedule conference marketing
Effective promotion through various channels, including social media, email marketing and a conference website ensures that your target audience are aware of the event. Regular reminder emails as the event approaches keep attendees engaged and informed, helping them prepare for the conference. It is essential as it encourages more registrations and higher attendance.
Gather conference feedback
Collecting feedback from conference attendees will help measure engagement, highlight strengths and areas for improvement. Sending follow-up emails with key takeaways and surveys extends the value of the event and ensures that attendees leave with a positive impression, increasing the likelihood of future participation.
Use this checklist as a guide, but ultimately your own timeline will depend on the size and format of your conference, as well as the size of your team.
Why choose Heather Glen for your next conference
While the experienced and professional team at Heather Glen are well known for hosting weddings and private events, we are also the ideal venue for your next conference, exhibition, networking event, team building event or away day. With parking for up to 80 cars we have two fantastic spaces that are perfect for conferences of all shapes and sizes, and can be used singularly or together. Our Eden View room caters for up to 120 guests with either cabaret seating, banquet seating or classroom seating, and our West View Room which has a more intimate feel and can accommodate 70 guests.
Whichever function suite you choose, we have PA facilities, dropdown projector screens, numerous breakout spaces, Wi-Fi throughout and a friendly team to support you in planning and executing your event. Our talented chefs offer a range of catering options, and we also have seven beautiful rooms and a self-catering cottage to accommodate your guests overnight.
If you’re considering booking our fantastic venue for your next event, get in touch today.
