In an earlier post, we talked about the difference between event management and conference production. True conference production lies in the research, design, planning and finally, project management, involved in staging a conference. We might be biased in saying the research and design phases are the most crucial but we’ve seen it time and again where poorly researched conferences deliver a sub-par experience for participants, as fancy as the venue and canapés may be.
We believe analytical and creative abilities are key to being a strong conference producer; meaning it’s a rare person who can do it well.
The ideal conference producer has all these traits:
Curiosity
Creativity
Analytical ability
Confidence
Powers of persuasion
Commercial-mindedness
Detail-orientation
Entrepreneurial spirit
Above all, it takes passion for a topic and bringing it to life for the benefit of the intended community. To do well, a producer needs to immerse themselves in the subject matter and the target market. Most of the answers to the question of “what is the best possible conference for a given target community?” will come from a single source: in-depth conversations with the market.
From there, patterns will emerge that help crystallise the overall theme (or red thread, as we’ve written about before), key challenges faced by the community, and how best to design the programme, to achieve the best possible outcomes. In all likelihood, the best results are not going to come from a series of presenters on a stage talking to a set of PowerPoint slides.
Thereafter it’s about creating the plan of action to turn all the great ideas into reality.
Still with us?
As you can see, it’s a lot more than simple logistics. So why leave it to chance? Your best bet is to engage the services of a professional, such as uncommon conferences!
Let’s inspire your community
- Team UC