Planning for Event & Conference Season

The end of summer is fast approaching; the months where time is traditionally reserved for family, vacations and a bit of rest and relaxation will soon give way to the busy fall months. As a kid, life always got busier in the fall, with back to school and the start of fall sports. As we get older this pattern holds, work projects seem to pile up faster once fall hits and if you’re a parent, kid’s activities end up taking over any ‘free’ time.

Hosting events like we do, we realize that fall, and later winter, brings some of the busiest months for conventions, conferences, galas and of course festive parties. With busy schedules, planning events or planning to attend events can be stressful, time-consuming and sometimes overlooked. Here are some tips to make sure that planning or scheduling to attend events is easy, efficient and not overlooked.

If you are organizing an event:

Start Planning Early!

Events take time to plan. The general rule of thumb is to start planning at least six months to one year before your event. Planning early helps you land the space you want, when you want it and gives you time to organize all of the details.

Some events need more planning time, like huge multi-day conferences where people are coming in from out of town; those events often book a couple of years in advance. Weddings are similar, brides and grooms often try to book 1-2 years in advance to ensure that they exactly what they want.

Some smaller events, like committee meetings or board meetings, don’t always need as much advanced planning; they can sometimes be booked in a shorter period of time. Just avoid last minute bookings so that your venue has time to staff your event.

Plan to start planning at least six months to one year in advance of your event, the locations you are looking into will let you know if there is a reason why they cannot book that far in advance. For larger more complex events though it is better, for both you and the venue, to start planning sooner.

It is also a good idea to try to book some of the bigger details ahead of time. Big details include items and services that could be in demand by other events happening at the same time as yours. This could be catering, flowers, decorations, furniture, etc. Plan ahead and be organized so that you don’t end up scrambling last minute. Last minute planning will cause you unnecessary stress and could ruin your own enjoyment of the event.

If you are trying to figure out what conferences, trade shows and events to attend:

Make a list of the events you attended last year. Cross off any that you don’t want to go to again; any that cost too much, are too far away or don’t offer you anything valuable.

Take the list you have created and find the following details and jot them down:

When the event is happening
When registration is due (if there is early bird registration)
What the cost of the event is (early bird rate and regular rate)

Search for any new events that you wish to attend and write down their information.
Look for events for:

Associations you are involved with
Charities that you support
Topics that interest you (use a site like Eventbrite that allows you to search by location, topic, cost and date.)

Once you have your list, cut out any events that have conflicts, cost too much, are too far away or aren’t useful. Once you’ve done this, you have your basic list of events to attend and you have some resources to find out about other events. Check those resources occasionally to see if there are any new events that have been announced. If you put in a bit of work now, it will be quick and easy to plan events into your busy work schedule!

By taking the time to plan your events schedule ahead of time you will be able to:

Register earlier, potentially saving money with early bird discounts
Talk to your company about taking the time and possibly covering costs
Plan your work load accordingly
Sign up to do a presentation yourself (if that is your kind of thing)

To sum it up, event season can be stressful and frustrating. If you are planning an event, plan early to avoid stress and to make sure that everything happens the way you want it to. If you are looking to attend events, take some time to figure out what events are out there; planning will help make sure that you don’t miss out on something valuable and that you get the most bang for your buck.

I encourage everyone to either get involved in planning an event or to attend some events. Events help with continued personal and professional growth; they are a great way to meet new people, learn new things and have fun … hmm, I do believe that translates to Connect - Share - Play; funny how that worked out!

Get involved with some events, you won’t regret it!

Planning for Event & Conference Season