Conference organization is a valuable skill that can boost your career, enhance your network, and showcase your expertise. But how can you get started in this field if you have no prior experience? Here are some tips to help you gain conference organization experience when starting out.
One of the easiest ways to learn the ropes of conference organization is to volunteer for events that are already planned and run by others. You can offer your help with various tasks, such as registration, logistics, marketing, or speaker coordination. This will give you a chance to observe how conferences are organized, what challenges and opportunities arise, and what skills and tools are needed. You will also build relationships with other organizers, speakers, and attendees, who can become your mentors, collaborators, or references.
Volunteering offers a valuable experience, and participating as a volunteer in multiple conferences enhances this experience by providing greater exposure to problem-solving. It serves as a stepping stone to leadership, enabling volunteers to freely express their opinions and explore innovative roles and ideas. Engaging in various conferences allows volunteers to apply their acquired knowledge in diverse problem-solving scenarios.
Another way to gain conference organization experience is to join or start a local group that hosts regular events related to your field of interest. You can find such groups on platforms like Meetup, Eventbrite, or LinkedIn, or create your own. By being part of a group, you can share ideas, resources, and responsibilities with other members, and learn from their feedback and experience. You can also experiment with different formats, topics, and audiences, and see what works best for your goals and context.
To gain conference organisation experience, don't restrict yourself to leisure groups, think about joining a professional organisation that may be linked to your 'day job' as well. Association members welcome volunteers with open arms and will be only too pleased for someone to help organise local or occasionally, regional level, events. Being part of a professional association will allow you to network and gain knowledge from others who've organised events before.
If you want to reach a wider or more specific audience, or if you face constraints on time, budget, or location, you can create a virtual event instead of a physical one. Virtual events are becoming more popular and accessible, thanks to platforms like Zoom, Webex, or Hopin, that allow you to host online sessions, workshops, panels, or networking events. Virtual events can also be more flexible and scalable, as you can adjust the duration, frequency, and size of your event according to your needs and resources. However, virtual events also require careful planning, preparation, and promotion, as well as attention to engagement, interaction, and evaluation.
I agree, but user research is crucial here. From past experiences, organizing a conference for the first time might be based on assumptions. Conference organizers need to understand the community need and the value that this conference will add to the attendees. Organizing a conference whether virtual or in person is not an easy task. First it starts with understanding the community need, themes that need to be the focus of the conference and gain the interest of speakers and attendees and other factors. That’s why conference organizers can start with small events at first like webinars and symposiums to gauge attendees interest and diverse needs. Webinars can also be used to engage attendees and get them involved in future conferences.
If you have a specific idea or vision for a conference that you want to organize, but you lack the resources or credibility to do it on your own, you can partner with an organization that can support you. This could be a professional association, a nonprofit, a university, or a company that shares your mission and values, and that can provide you with funding, sponsorship, venue, speakers, or audience. By partnering with an organization, you can leverage their reputation, network, and expertise, and also learn from their best practices and standards.
We discovered that partnering with various startups and organizations significantly amplified our impact. This collaboration not only aided in effectively marketing the conference but also extended our reach to a broader audience. To maximize this synergy, we encouraged our partners to actively promote the conference on social media and to write blog posts about the event, thereby enhancing our promotional efforts.
Finally, whatever type of event you organize, you should always seek feedback and improvement. You can collect feedback from your attendees, speakers, sponsors, and partners, using surveys, polls, or interviews. You can also monitor and measure the impact and outcomes of your event, using indicators like attendance, satisfaction, engagement, retention, or referrals. You should use this feedback and data to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, identify areas for improvement, and plan your next steps.
We found that optimal practices involve gathering feedback both during and after the conference. Offering incentives for feedback has proven effective. Organizers might implement this as part of a prize draw or offer discounts on next year's conference for post-event feedback. Utilizing conference management software for sending feedback requests streamlines this process. Regular announcements serve as helpful reminders for attendees to complete the feedback form. Personalizing these announcements, rather than relying on generic templates, is advisable to ensure the conference's unique qualities are highlighted.
Don’t start with assumptions about what conference attendees need. I had an experience where I wanted to organize a conference on emerging technologies, but members were not proficient in basic technologies. What we did was inspiring to all members. We started to give training for two years on diverse topics from basic to advanced and when we launched our conference, we found that many attendees were interested to attend. Giving people what they need in addition to having a vision as we understand the Edtech market, was rewarding.
Finding what you're passionate about is the first step. Once you find what interests you, go volunteer and assist. Start by joining a local group. Think of it as skills you are going to learn and skills you have to contribute. Don't over complicate.