The first-time planning any event, conference, dinner, or gala is always the most challenging. This is particularly true if the committee or person appointed to the task has limited expertise and experience in managing these large scale projects.
There are many different factors to consider, and all need to be completed well in advance of the planned date of the event. Unfortunately, leaving issues such as finding speakers for a conference to the last minute will have an impact on the quality and options available.
To help get off on the right foot, here are some issues that any first-time conference planning committee needs to consider very early in the planning stages. Planning begins a year or so in advance for most conferences, particularly if the conference is a large corporate or public event.
Set a Reasonable Speaker Budget
There are three significant budgeting considerations for any event. These include the conference speakers, the venue, and the advertising and promotion budgets. Keep in mind, the location of the venue, the quality and name recognition of the speakers, and the ability to market and promote the event are interconnected.
Knowing your speaker budget is critical in determining what you can spend for keynote and wrap-up or after dinner conference speakers. This is true for both in-person as well as virtual types of conferences and events.
Paid Versus Volunteer Speakers
Often conference speakers are a combination of paid and free or volunteer speakers. The keynote and main event speakers are typically paid and are experienced speakers delivering a custom message to the audience. The breakout or small session speakers are often individuals in the industry or speakers sharing educational, strategic, or informational content.
Contracts and Other Details
Contracts for both paid and unpaid speakers for any event are important. These contracts can outline all aspects of the presentation, including any liability disclaimers and terms developed by the conference committee.
Working with a speaker agency helps reduce the workload on the planning committee by providing the right speaker for the event. The agencies also provide the contracts, the logistics for the speaker, and coordinate the exchange of information between the speaker and the committee. For more information, please visit JLA.
