Hosting a conference can be a great marketing and networking opportunity, ideal as a product launch or as way of gaining support for your new business. It’s also a very brave move and requires a lot of prior organisation. If you’re thinking of hosting a conference, here are some tips to ensure your event is a success.

Promote heavily beforehand

Whether your conference is open to the public or for private attendees only, you need to put a lot of effort into marketing it. For public conferences, get on social media and start plugging away. Create an event page on Facebook and keep hashtagging the event on Twitter. Meanwhile contact any media people you’d like at the event in person. Posters and flyers may also be worth printing off. For private events, you’ll be doing a lot of emailing and phoning to get people to attend – start early so that people can pen the event in they’re diary. Make sure to mention incentives that will entice people to come (the chance to network with fellow professionals, free refreshments, entertainment ect.).

Choose the right venue

Your venue has to be of a good size and needs to be in a location that people can easily get to. Town halls, theatres, community centres and university lecture rooms are all good choices. If guests will be travelling from afar, consider hosting the conference in a hotel so that guests can book accommodation in the same building. You may want to offer to pay for accommodation or transport of special guests as a way of enticing them to attend.

Check the venue is geared up

You may need a microphone or speakers or a digital screen for your event, which the venue may not provide. The likes of Conference Audio Visual equipment hire may be able to supply you with this tech. Also consider things like chairs and tables if you need them – a venue like a village hall may ask that you supply your own.

Invest in catering for you guests

It’s always worth having some snacks and drinks as an extra incentive and as a way of making your guests feel more welcome. This could be anything from coffee and biscuits to champagne and canapés depending on the scale and formality of the event. You could get a catering company such as Eventologists to do this, although some venues may be able to offer this.