Navigating the Business Conference Landscape: Insights from Natalie Edward-Yesufu of Transition Stage Company

Jide Johnson Aniboxx British Film Institute (BFI) Create Central Transition Stage Company BritAsia Fund

Welcome To The World Of Event Creation

Welcome to the world of event creation, where every detail matters and the stakes are high. As the founder of Transition Stage Company, an award-winning production firm specializing in film and events co-owned with Adi Gordon, I've learned invaluable lessons from my and Adi’s? first business conference, 'StoryTown-Ideas You Own.' Here, I share the steps to success and the pitfalls to avoid, drawing from our experience of orchestrating a successful event that brought together over 900 creative minds over three days in Birmingham.

Build Audiences in Advance

?One of the first lessons I learned was the importance of building audiences well in advance. Collaborate with organizations that resonate with your target audience. In our case, we organized four events, each catering to a different creative community. However, the day dedicated to authors and publishers had fewer attendees due to a lack of familiarity with that industry. Start building your audience early and establish partnerships and sponsorships before announcing the event. Ideally, give yourself a 12-month runway for the first conference.

Mistakes Will Happen, Life Will Happen

Life is unpredictable, and mistakes are inevitable. In our case, we were simultaneously managing two Theatre Gala productions called Enter.Stage.Write alongside the conference. Two days before preparation, a director dropped out, splitting our resources. Always have a standby director or backup plan. Due to diverted resources, we encountered hiccups like spelling errors on slides. Ensure all slides and information are confirmed and proofread six weeks before the conference. Create template marketing, such as slides and social media post templates with colours and brands with a share link that the team can use.

Panels

?Plan for contingencies in your panel lineup. Have multiple panellists ready for each session to cover potential cancellations. Work closely with panellists to prepare questions in advance for more engaging sessions. Ensure key personnel like the host are available for technical rehearsals to ensure a smooth execution. Having a Host who is prepared and rehearsed is so important; an unprepared host can make your event look unpolished.

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Working with Multiple Organizations

?Coordinating with multiple organizations requires meticulous planning. Communicate clearly about equipment and logistics, considering hiring storage or transportation services for multiple locations. We had multiple organizations leave all their banners and equipment with our small team across multiple venues, which was exceedingly difficult to move about. This was a misstep on our half. But the next time, I would ensure clear arrangements with organizations responsible for their equipment.

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Communication and Ticketing

Effective communication is key. Utilize multiple channels such as email and social media for information dissemination. Clearly explain ticketing options and event details to minimize confusion. Choose user-friendly ticketing platforms to avoid issues at the door. We used Eventbrite, and it was not clear, and many attendees paid for standard entry tickets not knowing that some of the listed sessions had to be paid for. Also, people sometimes do not read all the information, so some people were going to the wrong venue.

Sessions

Strategically plan your sessions. Allow sufficient time between sessions for networking and digestion of information. Use QR codes and digital displays for easy access to schedules. Ensure the event venue is disability-friendly and provide support for attendees with special needs.

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Liability and Risk Assessment

?Prioritize safety through comprehensive risk assessments for every venue. Know staff and hosts’ medical conditions and allergies. Obtain appropriate event insurance as early as possible to mitigate unforeseen circumstances.

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Contracts and Agreements

?Streamline your administrative processes. Create templates for contracts and agreements and use digital platforms like Dropbox for efficient document management. We used DocuSign for easy signing. But to prewarn you. If you have an event for 900 people, over 60 staff employed, and have multiple invoices to follow up and stakeholders taking a while, the filling process to close accounts can take up to a month to close.

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Media and Photography of the Event

?The photography and the footage of the event were so important for proof of concept of an event across three venues over four events and three days. I would say you need two photographers a day and one videographer. We had a photographer reach out to us, and he was overly aggressive in his sales tactics. He said he was a great photographer, and we were excited. When we paid, he sent out an intern or a very inexperienced photographer team. Create a contract or agreement that the photographer will bring a crew or photographer with six years of experience.

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You can be chasing up photography for weeks, so have in the contract that you own the rights to the images and you want a five-day turnaround. Partners and people who attended the conference will be badgering you for the images. Invest in a good photographer; it's so important. Only hire a photographer with at least six years of photography of conferences and events. This is a mishap on our part, and our images are not strong. Also, make sure the photographer puts all the images in order of event in folders and has easily downloaded them. Lesson learned.

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Food & Hospitality

?Order food at the venue of the conference; we were unsure, and again life gets in the way, and we thought we could just order on the day. How wrong we were. You want to look after all your panellists and all the people who are part of the event, ask the venue to order sandwiches, food, and snacks ahead of time, and I would ask for all the staff food requirements a week before and pre-order everything so you can focus on the event. Let the venue deal with it.

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By following these steps and learning from our experiences, you can effectively plan and execute a successful business conference that leaves a lasting impression on attendees and stakeholders alike. Remember, it's not just about the event; it's about the journey and the lessons learned along the way.

GOOD LUCK!

Hi folks,

My name is Natalie Edward-Yesufu, and I am an award-winning film, events, and theatre producer. I also lecture on storytelling and its application in business.

If you would like to know more or hire me, please feel free to drop an email to Sarah at [email protected].

Best regards, Natalie

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