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Tasked with planning a business conference in London? Such events have the potential to grow current and new partnerships and take strides within the industry in which it is promoting. To ensure that your conference achieves its full potential, it is crucial that rigid and strategic planning be executed, thus, reducing stress, and enhancing the experience for your guests.
Planning Your London Business Conference
1. Decide On a Location
Firstly, search for a venue that will be well-suited to the nature of the event that you are hosting. Endeavour to establish a location that is easy to reach via convenient transport links such as direct train lines or bus routes. It is also worth considering whether your desired venue has decent disabled access, adequate parking, and is situated within a desirable area of London.
2. Prepare a Budget
Preparing a budget is a key stage and one that needs to take place early in the planning process. It is ideal to organise your budget by breaking down and identifying your fixed and variable costs.
Primary fixed costs will include:
- Venue hire
- Catering
- Speaker fees
- Marketing
- Any required equipment (PA systems, screens)
It is also important to be aware of any variable costs that may occur depending on the attendance outcome.
Such expenses can be determined closer to the event date and may include:
- Catering
- Merchandise
- Guest expenses
- Staffing
Not only will this ensure adequate budget management but can help to define and achieve any financial aims of your event such as breaking even or making a profit.
Moreover, it is highly recommended that you allocate a portion of your funds towards contingencies such as any unexpected expenses or risks. This is often done by dedicating a percentage of your overall budget towards such circumstances.
3. Choose a Theme
Introducing a theme to your event can aid in enhancing user experience and define the aims and purposes of the conference. Considering who your target audience is combined with the industry niches and mission statements can help to develop a theme that will reinforce important ideas, enhance your guest’s experience, and make the event seem more professional.
4. Assembling the All-Star Squad
If you haven’t already, consider bringing people on board that possess the relevant skills and knowledge to help you to plan the perfect event. Allocate teams for coming up with marketing strategies and other key tasks such as planning and administration as well as using volunteers for the event itself. Sharing the load and optimizing the talent on your team will help to eliminate stress and ensure that tasks are executed to the highest standard.
5. Securing Sponsorship
Sponsorship can be a great way to generating funds for a business conference and boost your budget. If you do decide to seek sponsorship, be sure to do your research and ensure that their values align with your own.
6. Secure Speakers
Your speakers will be the main attraction, so you want to recruit those that have relevant expertise and experience whilst complementing any themes that you may have. Research is important so do some research beforehand and try and reach out to influential individuals within the industry. Who will attract the most guests to your event?
7. Booking
It is also important to get a booking in the diary early – The most desirable venues may book-up months or even years in advance so it is important to plan as far ahead as possible. Aim for a minimum of 6 – 8 months for planning as well as providing enough time for your guests to register interest and make arrangements.
London is the hub of the business world, boasting the highest number of businesses in relation to its population. Competition is fierce so having the best planning strategy is crucial for success.