Tips And Advice For Research Conference Organizers

Written by Researchbite | Updated on: November 26, 2022

Tips And Advice For Research Conference Organizers

Here are some tips for the organizers of the research conferences.

Introduction

The multi-day national seminar for fitness professionals and the one-day conference for young regional business leaders are examples of successful conferences. However, every successful conference has one thing in common: an organizer who made early and frequent plans for success. The conference organizers with the most success continually look for new methods to implement and tasks to complete. Conferences provide the chance to network and create new connections, but there are better methods to meet people than going to significant events, so it can be advantageous to think small. Attending a conference where there will be individuals interested in your work and topic is something you should think about. By doing this, you will have a greater chance of running across smaller groups of academics eager to collaborate on research projects with you and share your interests.

Conferences are considered to be costly in terms of budget. However, it is exceptionally typical for conference organizers to provide lower registration costs to researchers from impoverished nations or academics who are just beginning their careers. Additionally, research organizers might offer advice on the best conference to attend and any potential funding sources. Overall, conferences may be highly beneficial if one learns the art of networking and is receptive to other people's opinions on careers and research. Being proactive and selective will assist you in making the most of it at all times.

Function Of The Research Conference Organizer

The conference planner must establish goals and objectives as well as a vision. They are in charge of the conference's logistics and its overall success. The duties of an organizer include creating committees creating timetables, choosing vendors, creating conference programs, and ensuring that all deadlines are met. People who wish to share and exchange ideas can do so during conferences. Give yourself plenty of time for breaks and socializing because these are the perfect times to meet people and encourage networking among colleagues.

The organizer's duties after the scheduled conference are listed below.

Choose An Appropriate Time And Location

Choose dates that don't conflict with religious events. The location, space needed for scientific programming, exhibits, food, and parking should all be considered when choosing a venue. Carefully consider the cancellation conditions before signing a contract.

Suitable Accommodation

Blocking accommodations is one of the most challenging arranging components. Before the date is public, the organizers must reserve enough accommodations to accommodate the executive committee, visiting academics, and direct-booking delegates. All hotels raise their rates in anticipation of a demand, which does the work for organizers particularly challenging because all delegates compare hotel costs on conference days with rates on nonconference periods. Due to a shortage of resources at the start of the conference, an event manager must be hired to reserve rooms and keep track of goods since doing so would be a time and resource-intensive effort for the organizer. Maintaining a copy of the hotels' contracts and having a proper arrangement with the event manager is essential for monitoring. Still, there have been cases where the hotels have increased their rates a month before the conference, which has caused trouble for the organizers and attendees.

Developing A Budget

The budget is created by comparing the anticipated income from all sources to the expected costs. Regarding what is affordable within the parameters of the budgeted money, we need to be practical. Therefore, the cost of services is virtually always negotiable, and the budget has to be evaluated frequently.

Create A Committee

Any conference's organization and scientific preparation are its primary responsibilities. Hence the organizing committee and scientific committee must collaborate in a contemporary but coordinated fashion. Divide the extensive work into smaller assignments by creating committees and allocating people to those categories is one of the organizing committee's initial tasks.

Vendor Selection

Selecting the appropriate suppliers is essential to a conference's success—request quotes from three distinct providers. Review the cancellation policies and contracts. To confirm the dependability of their service, always examine references. Catering, venue bookings, entertainment programs, on-site registration, multimedia, photographs, souvenirs, and presents would require vendors' use. Establish a deadline for selecting vendors, and if ordering kits, make sure they arrive at least a week before the conference.

Maintaining Accurate Records

Keep copies of the contracts with vendors, the location, and sponsors, as well as minutes of all meetings. Financial records must be kept up to date, and cash handling should be limited to signed cash vouchers. To make an audit simple, notes on the transaction's specifics and intent should be kept.

Organizers Of Research Conferences Should Consider These Tips

Selecting A Location For An Academic Conference

Another crucial step in the preparation process is choosing a fantastic location for your conference. These are the significant factors to think about:

  • Location: choose a place that is simple and handy for people to go to. Make sure the site you choose is convenient for public transportation.
  • Facilities: Verify that the location has WiFi and modern AV equipment. Another huge benefit is having a technical support group on staff.
  • Size: When selecting your location, remember how many guests you need to accommodate; an overly full or empty room is not ideal.
  • Catering: Having in-house catering at a location means there is one less thing to plan.
  • Accommodations: If your conference runs for more than one day, ensure a tonne of lodging is available nearby.

Create A Budget

Good things are expensive. So go ahead. Include the cost of the professional assistance for each delegate in the registration price. Budgeting does not equate to doing things on the cheap. Cheap is typically wrong. Be polite. Establish a pricing that includes expert assistance, plenty of coffee and tea, a satisfying lunch or supper, and a contingency. The following are some excellent practices for handling your conference budget:

  • Never estimate costs; always compute your spending using the most recent prices.
  • Regarding income and expenses, always consider the worst-case situation (it doesn't seem very optimistic, but it will lead to successful budgeting).
  • Know what you must pay for before the conference and what you must pay for later.
  • Aim for a profit so that it may be utilized to support future events.
  • Make sure any financing and registration fees will cover your costs and a contingency.
  • Make sure the registration cost corresponds to the day's offerings.

Be Systematic And Choose A Theme

It will require time and maybe resources outside of your own. Ensure your line manager is on board and indicate more resources than you anticipate being required. Finally, confirm that your workload includes all of this. If you are considering planning an academic conference, you most likely already have a great topic in mind. If you haven't already, attempt to select one that offers a fresh perspective on a well-known subject to increase your chances of drawing speakers, delegates, and attendees. Too wide and your conference won't be sufficiently targeted; too tight and not enough people will want to attend.

Avoid The Most Typical Conference Planning Pitfalls

Explain your cancellation procedure: Whatever you choose might be the actual policy. Just make sure it's apparent and crystal clear.

  • Plan additional time for speaker outreach: The fact is that only some people are as organized or email-responsive as you are. Building in a cushion for getting all the required information from various speakers may be a scramble that requires repeated outreach.
  • Event check-in personnel in the following: Attendees need a better initial impression of registration because of the long lineups and frequent difficulties. Therefore, select an easy-to-use event check-in tool, and plan a time to train your registration staff on it before the event.
  • Security should be consulted early on: Gone are the days when security was only an afterthought. If there will be security at your event, get their recommendations upfront so that you can easily include them rather than having to modify things later.
  • Create channels for team communication: In the modern world, there is no need to deal with email thread confusion or layout version misunderstanding. Instead, give team members access to your event layout tool and use project collaboration platforms like Slack or Trello to ensure everyone uses the most recent version.

Seeking Financial Support

All sponsors are crucial to the conference's success because they are the main source of funding for it.

  • Make a list of prospective sponsors.
  • Make a sponsor package that details the advantages of sponsoring.
  • Create and distribute a packet of material for exhibitors that include floor space allocation and procedural guidelines.
  • Plan the floor area for exhibitors based on the available space.
  • Dealing with sponsors is an entirely different ballgame. Organizations are subject to their own rules and regulations. While the organizers have seasoned negotiators who keep some things private, we are negotiating for the first time. To understand what prior organizers have agreed to, time should be spent with them, and the negotiators must know that we have pertinent information.
  • Sign and get contracts from sponsors and exhibitors.
  • Rules and regulations, as well as information on service tax, should be included in the contract. Keep track of all payments and keep a copy of the payment information.
  • Before the conference starts, make sure that payment is finished.

Any additional cash is usually beneficial. The following are some locations to look at:

  • Institutional financing sources
  • Subject relationships
  • Postgraduate grants for skill development
  • Higher Education Publishers Academy
  • Pertinent companies and organizations
  • Commercial businesses
  • Local businesses with ties to your field

Create A Thorough Content Strategy With Distinctive Takeaways

Follow a well-defined plan to get your information if guests attend your conference to expand their expertise. If feasible, start by asking your audience about their understanding of the main issues, subtopics, and related information. It may appear to be a Catch-22: How will you have an audience to poll if you are attracting an audience with your content? Fear not; there are some solutions: Contact past guests if this is a recurring event. Create a Facebook event group that includes a simple polling element. If all else fails, survey a sample of people who are likely to attend or whose professions or interests place them in your target audience.

Using these ideas as a guide, find and confirm appropriate speakers. Once your primary speakers have been verified, compare the lineup to your initial plan. Finally, reach out to specialists in that specialized field to fill in the gaps if there are any missing subjects (for example, a pet dog training conference where nobody discussed the most recent approaches for treating separation anxiety).

Post-Conference Thoughts

After the conference, thanks should be extended to everyone who contributed or was devoted to the event's success. Spend some time expressing gratitude to the conference's sponsors, presenters, and other participants. Utilize surveys also to get delegates' opinions on the event. Understanding the conference's strengths and faults through this report will assist to better any potential future events. The most excellent method to ensure the outcomes of your conference last is via published proceedings. Accessibility of those procedures should be maximized. Upload visual documentation of the occasion to the conference website. The evaluation's findings should be linked on the website as well. Send a final email to all delegates thanking them for their participation and providing a summary of the events since the conference. Before the last audit, kindly ensure all taxes are paid on time.

Conclusion

More effort goes into organizing than we can reasonably fathom. Yet, the conference's success depends on many different variables, including diligent planning, careful vendor selection, a committed staff, and wise financial management. To organize a conference, researchers must be ready for protracted periods of laborious effort, financial hardship, and emotional ups and downs. There is no getting around the fact that it is a significant obligation and demands a lot of time, both physically and psychologically. The key to any conference's success is planning, and as working academics or doctors, we must simultaneously manage both our usual job and the task of organizing a conference.No matter how well we plan, all we can do is pray everything goes according to plan. The best we can do is to plan as much and as early as possible in order to reduce hazards. To realize our vision and aim, organizing demands a significant amount of thinking, preparation, and effort on logistics.

References

  • https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/jan/17/how-to-organise-academic-conference
  • https://www.socialtables.com/blog/event-planning/conference-planning-tips/

         

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