Convention planning: what does it take?

Written By Sabah Karimi

Whether you're arranging an annual industry convention or a social gathering for your organization, convention planning can be a daunting task. Some companies require years to plan, design and promote an event, while others can get by on a seasonal schedule. No matter what type of event you're hosting, you'll need a step-by-step strategy to secure the venue, create a vendors list, pursue marketing opportunities and select your speakers. Qualified convention planners can provide valuable assistance every step of the way.

Selecting a location, venue, and theme
The location and venue of your location will need to be easily accessible by all attendees and sponsors. Traveling to a convention may be an obstacle for some people, so learning as much as possible about your attendees can help you make the best decision as you choose the city or town that will be your location. After that, you'll need to work with a marketing and events contact to find out available dates and options for venues in your location.

If you have a specific theme for your event in mind, your location and venue may be a factor; consider how you can coordinate your theme into the actual location of the event. Experienced event planners will have plenty of ideas on themes for your industry and situation.

Convention planning and working with vendors
One of the most valuable services event planners offer is coordinating the long list of third-party vendors that are needed to put together a convention. Here are some of the services you'll need to coordinate:

• Audio visual rentals
• Data projection
• Photographersss
• Printing, graphics and multimedia services
• Performers
• Food and beverage services

You can also get quotes on these services yourself; this gives you some flexibility for pricing, and can help improve the relationship with an existing business contact. Convention event planning services may be another valuable resource for your event as they can help you get organized and create a working 'to-do' list with ease.

Selecting presenters and speakers

Marketing and sponsorship
Promoting your event and finding sponsors will be an ongoing process during your convention planning activities; securing sponsors early on can help you market the event to other potential sponsors and companies, so you'll need a strategy to launch your marketing plans in a staged process. After the dates, location and preliminary sponsors have been selected, you can begin working with an event planner to promote the event to potential attendees through email, direct mail, advertising, and other tactics appropriate to your intended audience.

Choosing a qualified convention planner to help you organize your event is key to your ultimate success, so it's important to interview several planners before making a decision. At BuyerZone, we offer a free matching service to connect you to multiple meeting planning services in your area.

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