A professional conference organizer, also known as a professional congress organizer, PCO, or conference manager, is an individual who specializes in organizing conferences on behalf of associations, academics, and researchers. It takes a strong pair of shoulders to prepare a conference because it is labour-intensive. You need to grasp all the minute details and solidly comprehend the fundamental concepts while organizing an event to ensure that your conference runs well.
PCO stands for professional conference organizer, essentially. That business specializes mostly in the organization of conferences, events, and meetings. It is about managing conferences and events, which is their primary commercial activity rather than a supplementary service. As a result, if a PCO is hired, those in need of their services may be sure that the event will be conducted professionally. A PCO is a business that is committed to offering the best conference planning and hosting services daily. Professional conference planners aim to meet the criteria established by their clients, who are also busy professionals, in terms of the calibre of the services they offer.
Not only, but particularly in the academic or medical fields, which are their areas of expertise. In this type of work, a PCO can be the best option for those time-constrained professionals from specialized fields who cannot afford to take the time to plan and organize an event. In theory, everyone has access to the fundamental resources required to organize their own conference. Perhaps you can use Google to look up the basic procedures and some instances of "the finished product." You might ask a couple of your co-workers to assist you with some of the administrative work. However, you'll probably discover very quickly that the process requires more time and effort than you had thought. You can resume doing what you do best by appointing a PCO, and we will start working on what we do best. Some of the areas where your PCO will excel are listed below.
Why Organise a Conference?
An organization's life, like the life of an association, can be greatly impacted by conferences. A well-run conference offers attendees beneficial chances for networking and professional growth, and it raises the association's profile in the industry. For an association, conferences can also bring in much-needed funds that can be used in improving member benefits. Many medium-sized and smaller associations require the assistance of a PCO, but bigger associations may have the resources and knowledge necessary to organize conferences internally. Buyers should exercise caution when selecting a PCO because doing so could ruin your conference and significantly lower any return to your association.
A PCO might be involved in the planning process at several points. However, it is advised that a PCO be hired as soon as possible because of their knowledge and expertise, which can help you avoid the numerous traps and needless expenses that are commonly experienced during the initial phases of conference planning. Early on, a PCO may provide guidance, assistance, information, and administrative support for venue research and venue feasibility, as well as for developing a preliminary budget, shortlisting vendors, and creating a timeline for the planning and organization of your event. They can also provide assistance with planning and presenting proposals to secure a congress for a specific location; this could be done in collaboration with the neighbourhood convention bureau if appropriate. The following is a list of numerous things a PCO may handle for you:
- Websites and online sign-up tools
- Marketing Initiatives
- Enterprise Plans
- Planned media
- Preparing cash flows and budgets
- Evaluation of risks and public liability
- Sponsorship
- Sound and image setup
- Setting and Theming
- Residence Room Block
- Exhibition Direction
- A delegate's boost
- Program Management and Speaker Control
- Management of Publication, Brochure, and Printing
- Financial Administration
- Data and Mailing List Management
- Contract Direction
- On-Site Administration
- Administrative Services
- Locating a location and negotiating a contract
- managing abstracts and papers
A PCO can also oversee your event's entire financial aspect. On behalf of the conference, collect money, pay bills, and give you regular information on how things are doing in relation to the budget. The PCO will also give you a financial report and all the bills you require for the board reporting at the conclusion of the event. However, not every PCO provides the same services or takes the same approach, so it's critical that you choose the best PCO for your requirements.
Benefits of a Professional Conference Organizer
A professional conference organizer, or PCO, is an expert at organizing and running meetings. Organizing a meeting requires strong shoulders. Companies and organizations count on these professionals to successfully plan, advertise, and conduct their conferences, which include plenary speakers, delegates, sponsors, and exhibitors.
These are a few of the services that a professional conference planner might typically provide. Based on your needs and their specific services, several of them will handle more or fewer components of the conference.
Contract Negotiations With Suppliers
A qualified conference planner can find reliable conference vendors, get quotations, and then provide this data to your organizing committee for selection. This will spare you from conducting countless online research to find a dependable yet affordable supplier who can suit your expectations. The PCO serves as your committee's primary point of contact, can handle all communication, and can make sure that each supplier renders services in accordance with the standards set forth. This is particularly helpful in regions where live AV and your conference's mobile app are present.
Financial Administrations
Once your committee has decided on a conference budget, you can give it to your PCO, who will handle budgeting for each conference component. This includes haggling for the best deals, controlling spending, and handling bookkeeping and tax compliance. Every day, PCOs strive to lower expenses and boost the effectiveness of the conference they organize. They also know how to successfully manage your budget so that you can accomplish the goals of the committee without sacrificing the calibre of your conference. This simplifies and centralizes the management of your conference finances (which will come in handy during the post-conference evaluation).
Promoting And Marketing
Any inexperienced conference organizer will tell you that getting the attention of potential attendees is one of their hardest challenges. To draw writers and attendees, a professional conference organizer will handle the marketing and promotion of your event. The service may involve media releases to appropriate outlets, social media management, website design and content upkeep, and PR. PCOs have the experience, abilities, resources, and connections necessary to organize a successful conference, whether you need guidance or management of marketing and promotion. Utilizing their talents can significantly help to promote your conference.
Using Conference Management Software Properly
Your PCO can also take care of configuring and managing elements of your conference management software if you want them to. However, your event professional can handle the more administrative tasks, such as inviting reviewers, setting up your registration form, and creating your book of proceedings. Your committee will still be in charge of deciding which topics authors can submit under and how the review process operates. Therefore, your committee will have more time to focus on ensuring that the technical program for your conference is of the highest calibre.
Keeping Track Of Conference Contacts
From your plenary speakers to your reviewers, almost all of your conference connections will have a long list of obligations that arrive before your conference. People frequently lack the time to read things completely. Or they store a crucial email, which later vanishes into their inbox. Expect to have to explain a lot of things to attendees if you're organizing the conference alone. (And occasionally you might just wind up doing it for them; for example, choosing a reviewer's area of expertise or registering a plenary speaker on their behalf.) A PCO can be quite helpful in this situation by keeping track of who has been given what tasks, giving regular reminders, and stepping in and executing them when it’s appropriate.
Reporting And Assessment
It is imperative to complete an end-of-conference report and assess the conference's success once it has concluded. This enables your committee to determine what is working well and what needs to be improved for the following year. This is incredibly helpful to the chair for the following year and can guarantee that your conference keeps becoming better over time. You can get information and an assessment of each component of the conference from a PCO. They'll probably also provide you with advice on how to make the event better the next year.
Problem-Solving
Professional event planners have a knack for solving issues. They also recognize that there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer for organizations looking for conference support and that what works for one event may be terrible for another. When something goes wrong, PCOs roll up their sleeves and get things done since they have great contacts and good relationships with suppliers. Most events encounter obstacles along the way; if yours does, you'll want professional fighting for you.
Using A Qualified Conference Organizer
Good professional conference planners take delight in providing the kind of imaginative and distinctive experiences that go above and beyond what attendees anticipate. Therefore, give yourself a break and employ a PCO to handle the hard lifting if you anticipate having more than 50 delegates. And if your conference has a limited budget and you can't afford to hire a professional conference organizer for all of your needs, think about hiring someone (often a university conference office or PCO) to handle logistics before, during, and after your conference.
When To Hire A Professional Conference Organiser?
Conferences are essential for establishing new business ties, fostering current ones, and exchanging information. A Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) will carefully arrange your conference so that it generates ideas that foster shared experiences and highlight your brand. Your organization should view hiring a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) as an investment. A conference manager works on behalf of the customer to reduce costs and time spent, while concentrating on the larger picture, organizing every aspect and minimizing risks. Running a conference is frequently a secondary job obligation, and it may be a daunting undertaking with many moving parts that must be found, planned, hired for, and taken into account. A PCO serves as the go-between for all vendors, attendees, presenters, and sponsors, freeing you to concentrate on your regular tasks.
The Real Value Of A Professional Conference Organiser
There is no denying the current pandemic's direct and significant effects on the global events business. While recessions have happened before, our time has been stolen by cancellations and postponements, and border closures, lockdowns, and social estrangement have all resulted in new challenges for event planners to overcome. Working with less time and under more strain is now the norm. Hotels and conference centres have suspended operations. Money is scarcer than ever for exhibitors and sponsors. Suppliers of hospitality and entertainment have either changed what they offer or have permanently shut their doors.
Reinvention has become essential to recovery and survival in today's environment. Although many Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) have previously incorporated hybrid methods of thinking into their work, the pandemic has only increased the industry's reliance on technology. Moving toward digital event design and production is not only a fad, as seen by webinar presentations, video streaming, and online group chat rooms. Furthermore, although virtually everyone with a reliable internet connection can use Zoom or hang out on Microsoft Teams, translating this activity for hundreds or even thousands of delegates are not an easy task. PCOs are needed more than ever to properly put on a virtual event.
Meeting online is obviously not the same as meeting in person, but many of the behind-the-scenes procedures are similar. Considerations like content, pricing, scheduling and advertising all need to be carefully controlled in a congested virtual economy. It becomes apparent that PCOs are essential and of great utility. While some of the resources needed to produce a hybrid or virtual event can be provided by the client, a PCO's assistance is necessary to ensure that it is educational, creative, and financially feasible.
Conclusion
Conference planning, management, and execution are the areas of expertise for professional conference organizers (PCOs). They typically serve as consultants for non-profit, professional, and academic organizations. A complete event management service will be offered by them, including, but not limited to, abstract management, venue liaison, finance management, supplier liaison, programme formulation, marketing, sponsorship and exhibition sales and liaison, delegate management, and on-site assistance. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and a PCO can assist you in organizing a conference in a variety of ways.
References
- The real value of a Professional Conference Organiser (icms.com.au)