1. To make your attendees feel welcome, have a volunteer
greeter committee with special 
hats,
badges or banners to indicate that they are there to help and
make everyone feel comfortable. Pick individuals who are warm
and outgoing with good people skills.
2. On name badges or name tags, have a sticker or color that indicates someone is new or a first-timer. Greeters will know to especially seek out and help them.
3. Develop a conference time-line at least one year in advance
of a major conference. Keep adding line item
s with
who is responsible for each by when, and share this time line
with anyone critically associated with the conference. Modify
and update as you go along and review after the conference to
see if deadlines need to change. They often do.
4. The most recent adult learning research is that people learn best when they talk about what they have learned with another person shortly after they have been given new information. All that is required is a quick "repeat back what you learned" type of dialogue. There is some chemical reaction in the brain when a person feels "on the spot" and must remember what they have learned. Do this in pairs and not in front of the group, so as not to embarrass anyone. This process holds the information in the memory bank much more effectively than typical visual auditory learning. Use when new critical data is being introduced. You may need to do the exercise several times throughout a session.
5. Consider various giveaways and raffles at every major event. Most of your vendors will be happy to donate something to get the free advertising. This ups the participation, interest and enthusiasm of your attendees.
6. Have a trade show at your event, with vendors displaying
the latest innovations in the field. You can charge good money
for this, minimizing your conference expenses and making it a
win-win for everyone.
7. Buy the book of the speaker and give it away to all conference attendees as a way to anchor in what they have learned. Most speakers will give you a discount on large volume purchases.
8. Consider including a 5 minute exercise/stretch break led by someone who does lots of aerobics, or if your company has an exercise program, by the aerobics teacher. Have them lead people in a get their blood going stretch and movement session twice a day during the conference. This is especially helpful after lunch when everyone feels sleepy- about 2:00 PM.
9. Have someone who is a good listener and a good people person interview attendees at the end of the conference and get testimonials. Nothing works better for promoting future conferences!
10. Be sure to do volunteer recognition at the event, perhaps even with awards and/or gifts. This will encourage future volunteers and let those who came forward feel gratified and appreciated.
11. Use evaluations every step of the way. Have someone
analyze them and modify next year's conference ba
sed on
the feedback.
12. Check with your speaker and ask them to create a cover page for their worksheet or AV visuals that features your theme and logo for the conference. Most will ask for this from you anyway, but give them the camera-ready artwork to make it easy for them to-do this. It will unify your entire event.
13. Pre-screen your hotel or convention site. It is
well worth the money to fly someone across the country to check
out the facility and be sure it is right for your event. Be sure
to develop a conference map to show where all the function rooms
are. And also visit the guest rooms. Check to see which magazines
come standard in each room. I recently visited a hotel a month
before a conference where I was speaking, and I discovered they
have a magazine which would have been very offensive to the attendees
at my ev 
ent. I
had them remove it.
14. Have a greeting letter in every attendee hotel room,welcoming
them and giving them critical information and updates on any changes.
It makes them feel welcome.
15. Use internal PR to create excitement about your conference at least 6 months in advance. Have posters with them distributed throughout the offices and workplaces. Include information in newsletters and fliers. Get people excited by including interviews with the speaker in this literature. Share your Fired Up! enthusiasm and others will get Fired Up!, too!
16. Little things mean a lot:
have greeters put stickers with
the conference theme on people's name tags
have
promotional items as take-away gifts (have a vendor sponsor them
& save money)
have snacks all day- at 10:30
have fruit and danish at a break; in mid-afternoon have beverages
and cookies or cheese
award achievers, and not just
in he standard categories. Give public recognition to those who
excel in courtesy, positive attitude, volunteerism, customer service,
etc.
17. Have an AV liaison at the hotel and get all the phone numbers and contact vehicles to reach them. If your conference is complex relative to AV, have the AV specialist stay until everything works and have them check in every hour.
18. Take extra light bulbs for overhead projectors, extra batteries for microphones, extra extension cords- just to be on the safe side.
19. Have a spousal track and invite spouses if it's
the appropriate time an
d place.
20. Make your conference FUN and memorable. Include music at every break and consult a sound studio about custom music for your conference. Use dramatic introduction music before each key segment.
© 2007, 2001, 1999, Snowden McFall
We hope these tips help you keep your attendees FIRED UP! and that you have OPTIMUM SUCCESS at your conference or event. If we can help you in anyway or field questions, please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-888-FIREBKS. And let us know how these tips work for you!
