Are you in charge of planning an upcoming seminar for your company? Planning a seminar is hard work, and it can be daunting to nail down all the details in time. However, proper planning is required to make sure that everything runs like a well-oiled machine on the day. A smooth-running seminar is important as it will give a good impression of your company to your attendees.
Don’t run the risk of forgetting an important planning aspect; let this guide below help you in your planning!
Start early
A seminar starts at the conceptualisation phase – essentially, the company decides that there is a need for a seminar, and sets a tentative time-frame for it. At this point, it is crucial to nail down some important aspects of the seminar.
1. Establish the objectives and goals
Establish the purpose of the seminar. Is it to introduce a new technology? Or does it aim to educate people on a certain subject? Whatever it is, make sure that it aligns with the company’s purpose, and fix this purpose as the key direction of the seminar.
Then, set some goals for the seminar. These should be concrete, measurable parameters, that is, the KPI (key performance indicator) for your event. For example, how many attendees are you targeting to have? How many business inquiries do you want to receive after the event? If you are selling tickets to the seminar, how much do you want to profit from the seminar?
2. Create a rough budget
Before spending any money on the seminar, you should set a budget for your spending. Typically, a company will have a fixed budget you are allowed to use. From there, break down the projected expenditure in terms of the various items you need to spend on. For example, you need to find out the estimated cost of seminar room rental in Singapore, the fees for your invited speakers, the amount to spend on marketing materials, as well as any materials like booklets, souvenirs, and refreshments for the event itself.
If you are selling tickets for the event, use your estimated budget and profit goal to calculate how much your ticket price should be. If there are budget reports from previous seminars, you can also use these to help you draft your budget.
3. Choose a date
Choosing a seminar date is not as easy as pointing to a date on the calendar. You need to consider things like other important events occurring near those dates, significant holidays and so on. Then, shortlist two or three dates that would be suitable for your target audience and the purpose of your event. Later on, the final date you choose will be subject to the availability of your guests and your seminar venue.
4. Select a suitable location and venue
Unless you have the luxury of a huge office building, you will probably need to rent an events space to hold the seminar. Consider factors like your target audience and the nature of your seminar in choosing the venue. Usually, the best choice is a central area that is readily accessible by your attendees.
To decide the size of venue that you need, you should estimate the number of participants you will be expecting. Then you also need to consider what facilities you will need for your seminar, such as audio-visual equipment, Wi-Fi connection, water dispensers, and so on. This will help you narrow down your search to get the most suitable function room rental in Singapore.
Once you’ve found an event space that sounds about right for your seminar, you should liaise with the rental provider about the availability, pricing, and booking process.
5. Source for seminar speakers
In line with the theme of your seminar, you should look for speakers who are experts on the topic to speak at your seminar. These can be people in your company, or other industry experts, professors, or inspirational figures.
Contact these potential speakers with an invitation to speak at your event, and propose the topic of your seminar to them. You should also have details ready to inform your speakers, such as the length they are expected to speak for, the target audience of the seminar and the purpose of the seminar.
Things to prepare leading up the event
After setting the groundwork for your seminar, the weeks leading up to the seminar will be all about finalising the finishing touches, as well as promoting the seminar to the relevant audience.
6. Finalise on speakers
When you have successfully found speakers who are willing to speak at your event, it is time to finalise their involvement at the seminar. Discuss how the speakers will be compensated, and give them all the details they need to arrive at your venue on the day.
For your marketing materials, you should also request for the speakers’ photos and bio, so that you can introduce the speakers to your attendees. If your speakers are from overseas, it will also be a kind gesture to provide transport and accommodation for them.
7. Start promotion efforts
With the details of your event nailed down, now you can promote the event to your target audience. There are a variety of ways you can do so – through posters, social media, an e-mail subscription list, and so on. The best way to do so will depend on your target audience.
If your event is ticketed, you will also need to get your ticketing and registration system ready. If you are using hardcopy collaterals, you will need to factor in time for design and printing of posters, flyers, and tickets.
8. Prepare event materials
You’ve got your attendees, and what’s left is the big day itself. This is the time to take care of things like materials you will need on the day itself. It may include any booklets, event souvenirs, logistical setups, food catering, and so on. A good practice is also to send out reminders to your speakers and registered attendees about the event one week prior, and again one day prior.
There you have it! For a smooth planning of a seminar, these will be the main things you need to take care of in the months leading up to the event. While planning is half the battle done, the quality of the content at your seminar and the actual execution is also paramount to the success of it. So, plan it well and cheers to a successful seminar!