Conventions are social events where like-minded individuals share ideas, meet new people, sell ideas or products, and celebrate new milestones. These are especially important for businesses engaged in pop culture, entertainment, and the electronic gaming industry. The Consumer Electronics Show or CES 2020 attracted more than 170,000 guests, while the Emerald City Comic Con or ECCC 2019 had 98,000 attendees. This shows how conventions can be powerful marketing tools for businesses.
If you’re planning to organize a convention, here are some basic guidelines you should know and follow:
Pick a Location
The first thing you need to do is to pick a location. It should be convenient and accessible for its attendees. There are different types of venues to choose from: either go for a convention center or a local hotel. If you’re planning to attract more sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees, a convention center is the best choice. They offer a bigger space and have people to help you during the event. However, it can be more expensive as you need to pay for utilities, space and staff rental, and other overhead costs.
Local hotels, on the other hand, offer special packages for conventions. They usually bundle their conference spaces and ballrooms with room accommodations. The more attendees book reservations, expect more substantial discounts on space rentals. Seattle’s meeting room rental specialists also recommend that you negotiate with the hotel to include food and beverage in their package. This will help you save on catering fees.
Raise a Budget
Raising a budget can be challenging for convention organizers. Venue and keynote speaker fees consume a considerable portion of the budget. Other overhead costs like transportation and marketing fees should also be included in the overall budget. Finding sponsors and investors can help you meet your budget’s target. Another option is to initiate an early-bird registration scheme to raise money for the event. Include premium freebie packages to entice attendees to purchase their tickets early.
Contact Keynote Speakers
Keynote speakers and guests are the stars of your convention. They are one of the main reasons why people are attending your event. Start contacting your potential “special guests” by calling them or their agents. You can also send them an email or a private message on their social media accounts.
Make sure to invite a well-known speaker to your event. He or she will help entice other guest speakers to attend your event. Once you’ve booked them, don’t forget to ask them for their particular needs or preferences like their diet, accommodations, and transportation requirements.
Pick the Right Core Team and Event Staff
In any convention, it’s staff and core team are critical assets. They ensure that the event runs smoothly, and if issues do occur, they can address them accordingly. Make sure to pick the best people to be part of your core team.
The venue’s staff can be your auxiliary team to manage the attendees and ensure that the place is secure during the event. Hold meetings with them and advise them to be pleasant at all times. Your guests and attendees deserve a friendly face when they need a helping hand.
Organizing a convention is a huge task, but it can be done with proper planning and assembling a hard-working team. Your goal is to give your attendees the best experience possible. A successful con means more future conventions for you!
