Conferences don’t usually get business people excited – there’s no eagerly counting down the days until the next one! But what if you could get people excited to attend? It would make events a lot easier to organise and would be more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Choosing a good venue is a strong starting point; somewhere with good access if you’ve got individuals travelling long distances and plenty of parking on site. For example, at Goosedale, we offer conference rooms conveniently located just 15 minutes away from the centre of Nottingham which is easily reachable from most parts of the country.
Your conference should be tailored to each group and additionally, there are options for entertaining breaks, offering food and drinks or just having something a bit different available. This “something different” is already starting to appear in conferences. For instance, a recent use of NFC technology has enabled a few companies to offer a “tap to connect” badge. Delegates tap their badges with other attendees that they’d like to exchange information with and details are sent over in an email the following day. Not only does this save time, reduce the risk of lost business cards and use smart technology in a practical way, but you’ll have your attendees talking about it for months to come.
It isn’t just about on the day – start a social media campaign before the event, find out what attendees are excited about or if there is anything they are hoping to see. Depending on the number of delegates, put out a request for individuals to send you their personal experiences during the conference. You can then post these on the event page for potential future attendees to read through and get an idea of what it’s all about.
A big part of holding a conference is providing refreshments for delegates. Keep things light and healthy – you don’t want attendees to feel bogged down and bloated for half of the day. Buffets are a fantastic option as you can cater to a wide range of tastes and individuals can graze in-between talks.
Making sure content is engaging is not terribly difficult; it’s all about understanding human learning abilities. Considering the fact that 65% of the population are visual learners, it’s important to provide imagery in the form of interesting photos, videos or presentations. Even better, get some interaction going – most individuals learn better when they are encouraged to get up and get involved.
The little touches go a long way in helping people remember your event and will be the draw that brings them back. Gone are the days of standard talks, attendees expect something different and you’ll certainly notice the increased positivity when it’s done right.
Whether you’re looking to plan a large corporate event or need a venue for a small personal gathering, at Goosedale we’ve got spaces to accommodate between 18 to 495 guests. Check out our amazing conference rooms, located just 15 minutes from Nottingham and 10 minutes from the M1. We look forward to hosting you!
