Many of you know that the delivery of a successful conference or event is more than what most attendees and key stakeholders see ‘on the day’. Much goes on behind the scenes, involving time, effort and energy, often for many months leading up to an event.
Part of ensuring that an event is successful is recognising if you have the in-house resources to manage the many event tasks effectively. If you don’t have the people in-house with the right skills, or enough time to undertake necessary tasks, then perhaps a practical option is to work with a partner who can fill the gaps as needed.
We refer to an article that was recently written in ‘Third Sector’ magazine which outlines a list of key questions about deciding whether or not to appoint a third party to organise an event for your charity or association. We’ve taken some of their questions and asked our conference partner Business Professional Services Limited to add in some of their key considerations.
If you are looking for more information around conference organising please contact Rosemary Mahoney in the first instance, on 09 419 0042 or email r.mahoney@bpsl.co.nz
- What are the objectives of your conference?
- Who is the audience, how many delegates do you want to attract?
- How are you going to fund the event?
- Where is your event going to be held?
- How much time do you have to organise the event?
- Do you have a detailed list of tasks that need to be carried out?
- Is it feasible to allocate all tasks to in-house staff or volunteers?
- What is the major risk to your organisation if these tasks are not carried out?
- What will it mean to your association or charity if the event is not successful?
If you have decided to partner with an external Professional Conference Organiser:
- What services are provided by the PCO?
- Is your PCO recognised and registered?
- What sort of track-record does the PCO have?
- Does the PCO have a good fit with your organisation?
- Who owns the conference intellectual property?
- Ensure there is an agreement in place
- Clearly define what lists your organisation will do and what the PCO will do
- How will the PCO be paid?
- Who from the PCO is the day-to-day liaison and who manages the event?
These are a few of the considerations that need to be taken into account. We recommend working within your own capabilities and being honest about your capacity to manage an event. A good conference partner is invaluable. Your investment in a win-win long term relationship can pay real dividends if you are both working to a good, solid plan with clear objectives and concrete outcomes. Outsourcing also means that you can get the skills you need at a rate you can afford for the time needed.
