Lunchtime Links: 3 Ideas for Conference Planners

Planning a conference? Great! Depending what stage you are at in the event-planning process, that might mean choosing the right speaker or the right way to engage attendees. A few ideas from the association world:

Control the chaos when picking speakers: Still at the drawing board? As Jim Longo, senior vice president of client development and marketing at VoteIt, explains on Aptify’s blog  (opens in a new tab), picking speakers can lead to chaos if you’re not careful — but if you are, you can make better choices. “The bottom line is to pick and choose the input that you incorporate, because a system of checks and balances is the only way to prevent mob rule.”

Build excitement: Still months away from the event? Blogger and consultant Cynthia D’Amour notes the importance of having a clever pitch to build excitement  (opens in a new tab). She cites the Craft & Hobby Association’s goofy, low-budget attempt to get members ready for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show:

Why it works: It’s creative, it gets real people involved, and people look like they’re having fun. Cynthia asks, “How do you give your events energy months before they happen?” What do you try?

Ask event-goers what they want: Pretty close to event time and looking to engage participants? Adrian Segar, author of Conferences That Work, suggests throwing up a board where event-goers can add Post-it notes  (opens in a new tab) with ideas for what they want to hear at the conference.

What techniques do you use — at the beginning, middle, or end stages — to plan your conferences? Shoot us a comment below!