Before we start organizing the conference - it is very important to plan the right strategy. We should consider first of all what goal we want to achieve and what benefits we expect for the company thanks to the undertaking. The clearer the vision of the goal we have, the easier it will be for us to create a plan of action and select the necessary resources. If we do not define our priorities - it will be very difficult for us to determine the stages of the road to overcome and to organize our activities. Certainly the first step we should take is budget setting - how much money we can allocate for the event. The second step is to determine guest lists i the subject matter addressed. It is important to determine not only the number of people invited, but also prestige - the greater their importance in the world of business or science, the higher the bar set. It is also advisable to match the lecture topics and style of the conference room with the character and age of the invitees.

If we already know who and for what purpose we want to invite (for example, we want to present our company as an expert in the field, sell our products or services, or establish cooperation with new contractors), we should plan the duration of the conference and determine whether it will be one-day or several days. If it will last longer than one day - you will need accommodation. And if the guests will stay overnight - it is also good to plan meals for them and offer attractive leisure activities. Both providing the invitees with adequate relaxation and good meals will surely make them feel positive towards us. The more they feel welcomed by us - the better cooperation will result in the future. Therefore - let's answer the question, what and in what form we want to provide them. It is certainly very advisable in such situations to consult with specialists dealing with organization of conferences for companiesas they have a great understanding of the subject.

Although conferences or business events are organized for the benefit of our company - paradoxically it is the needs of our guests that we should take care of first and do our best to make them satisfied. So let's think about what could make our guests unhappy, in order to prevent it early enough. Let us start with the first contact, which we shall establish with our guests, that is with the invitations. Their form is very important. Not everyone tolerates them in an e-mail form (it is definitely less elegant and much more impersonal than a paper one). What is more - mail is easier to ignore and treat as SPAM. And if we have already decided to sending invitations by mail in paper form - Let's try to make the addressee feel, to the highest degree possible, that the correspondence concerns him personally. So let's make sure that it is aesthetic, addressed by name, and the inviter's signature should be handwritten. Nothing will make a worse impression than a photocopy of the invitation. It is also worth asking for a confirmation of participation in the conference, as this will encourage the addressee to react.

Another important issue is the location of the place where we want to organize the conference (surely the invited guests will pay attention to it). First of all - let's provide them with convenient and uncomplicated access and the possibility of parking. We can attach a detailed map and explanation of the location of the conference room to the invitation. It is also advisable to give an approximate travel time (e.g. from the center of a large city). This will certainly help to avoid delays and disturbances resulting from the search for the conference room. It also doesn't hurt to attach a photo to the invitation, showing the center, to which you've invited your guests. The more visually attractive it is, the greater the chance that the invitees will be interested. Remember that a conference invitation is also a business card of your company! And the more attractions and valuable information we include in it - the greater the chance that it will be accepted. What is more - the more prestige we provide for the event we are organising, the better it will influence our image and the more seriously the invitation will be taken.

Certainly comfort and convenience are factors of great importance for the well-being of invited guests. Visual values are extremely important in making the so called first impression, but after that our guests will pay attention to their well-being. Hence - let's check if the chairs they will be sitting on will ensure their comfort for several hours, if the conference room is adequately lit, sounded and clean. Let's pay attention, whether the air conditioning works and its sound will not disturb the speaker's voice. The smell is also very important - if it is not fresh or too intensive it will surely worsen the mood of the guests, and may even make them leave the room. We should also make sure that our guests have access to hot and cold drinks and snacks - so that they can freely use them (hunger and thirst usually make our guests feel much worse). Equally important is access to information (schedule of the day, lecture topics, names of speakers, and even menus). Changes to the day's points during the event - such as lecture topics or closing times - are also not advisable. Of course, there is a need for some flexibility and adaptation to the current needs, but if someone accepted the invitation because of the subject matter, and after the conference has an important appointment - will certainly be frustrated because of the changes to the original arrangements.

The ability to predict unexpected events, guests' needs or reasons why the course of the conference could be disrupted is a feature of professionals with extensive experience. Therefore - if we want the event organized by us to be a success - it is best to put things in the hands of specialists in organizing conferences for companies. For people working in conference and training centers Taking care of such events is the proverbial "daily bread". That's why it will be much easier and more efficient for them to take care of our guests' needs and foresee the reasons why they might feel dissatisfied, than for us. What's more - halls and rooms, which are available in this type of centers, are certainly much more representative and prepared in terms of organization of conferences for companies than those, which we could provide in our headquarters (for comparison - check the standard Training and Conference Center MOLO and see for yourself).