International Conventions - Key Planning Factors

We have divided the planning into 9 key areas. Advice is available through Hotelpacc
It is important to establish committees early. The steering committee will consist of the conference chairman plus heads of the various sub-committees.

Each event is different but possible sub-committees include:

• Administration
Choosing the venue, printing & mailing, delegate registration, catering & meeting facilities. Hotelpacc provides specialist Online registration services.


• Accommodation
Choosing a reservation company, liaising with the agent or hotels for accommodation for delegates, speakers, staff & guests. Hotelpacc provides a full reservation service with dedicated hotel websites for events


• Content & programming
  Selecting speakers, determining format, content, timings, balance and audio visual requirements.


• Exhibition
  Selling space, setting times, organizing set up and break down.


• Publicity
  Promotion of event, distribution of material, photography, guest speakers.


• Social programme
  Receptions, dinners, entertainment and leisure activities for off duty delegates.


• Travel & Tours
  Appoint airline, technical visits, sightseeing tours, accompanying person's program and pre/post convention tours. Hotelpacc provides a full spectrum of non-Air travel services.

The right destination and venue are crucial. Contact Hotelpacc for expert knowledge and impartial advice. Consider the following:

• Suitability of destination considering previous events
• Accessibility
• Affordability
• Safety
• Marketability
• Facilities of venue
• Availability of suitable accommodation
• Choices of venues for social events
• Reliability of venue management
• Availability of experienced local professional organizations

Accurate budgeting and costing is the critical issue in planning an event. If the figures don't work from the beginning things will only get worse creating stress and anguish for all involved.

All committees should be aware of their budgets and financial responsibilities. All financial arrangements must be confirmed in writing, all commitments should be incorporated into budgets and financial plans. Budgets must be reviewed regularly.

Consider the following:
(a) Target Profit or Loss

(b) Sources and Estimates of Fixed Income

1. Sponsorships & grants
2. Exhibition revenue
3. Advertising in conference program
4. Sale of papers
5. Commissions receivable

(c) Sources and estimates of per person Income

1. Delegate registration fees
2. Other delegate fees

(d) Estimates of Fixed Expenditure

1. Secretariat and administration
2. Print and promotional costs
3. Sales & Marketing and publicity costs
4. Fees for appointed professionals
5. Venue facilities
6. Equipment hire charges at venue
7. Speakers' fees and expenses
8. Transportation and travel costs
9. Security
10. Insurance and legal fees
11. Contingency allowances (possibly 10 - 15%)

(e) Estimates of Variable costs per delegate and per accompanying person

1. Accommodation (If included in registration fee)
2. Meals and refreshments
3. Functions
4. Badges
5. Presentation cases or folders
6. Entertainment (where priced per person)
7. Per capita fees - online registration, insurance etc
8. Other per capita items included in registration fee

You can now calculate the registration fees by totalling the following:
Individual delegate costs
Add Fixed costs less fixed income divided by expected minimum attendance
Add Profit required divided by expected minimum attendance

Other important financial matters to consider include:

• VAT implications
• Possibility & advantages of charitable status
• Advantages of forming a limited company
• Cash flow budgets
• Bank overdraft facilities
• Discounts and dates for early registration

Contact Hotelpacc for help if uncertain.
Even if you have a large secretariat it will almost certainly be a cost advantage, if not a necessity, to employ local professional help. It is best to do this early and make use of local knowledge, experience and advice from the outset. A conference organizer may well assist with the appointing of other companies but be careful to ensure their recommendations are not clouded by vested interest and that you are offered the best and most cost effective options. Some conference organizers organize conferences well but check if they have the systems and knowledge for hotel reservations or online registration or would specialist companies provide you with a better solution.

Consider appointments for the following:

• A conference organizer to assist you with venue finding and/or event management.
• A company to handle registration management, with real time information which you can extract online, 24 hours a day, for control purposes.
  Ask Hotelpacc about its online registration services.
• A specialist hotel reservation company to source hotels, manage allocations and deal with individual delegates preferably with online facilities.
  Ask Hotelpacc about revenue earning hotel websites for events.
• An audiovisual company for interpretation and presentation equipment.
• A production company for set build.
• A company for exhibition space design and build.
• A PR company
• A marketing and sponsorship company

If in doubt ask Hotelpacc for advice.

To attract delegates and publicity, the program needs to be topical, stimulating, informative and balanced and the initial plan will need to be flexible to allow for important issues, at the time of the event, to be featured.

High profile guest speakers can be a major marketing bonus but all speakers need to be good communicators and their speeches must be relevant, up to date and of the correct length for the time allocated. Speakers' presentation and audio visual aids must be determined and provided. Abstracts of the subject matter together with a short biography and photograph can be useful.

Meeting space must be allocated to the best advantage. Give thought to:

• Opening and closing ceremonies
• Space required for conference office and committee meetings
• Space required for registration and information desks
• Can refreshment breaks and poster sessions be in the exhibition area
• The allocation and layout of meeting rooms according to demand
• Space required for meals
• Policy regarding smoking

The standard of catering can provide a lasting impression of a conference particularly if it is especially good or noticeably bad. Expert advice on catering, banqueting and menu planning is always available from Hotelpacc.

You will need to ensure the following:

1. There is a variety of food and content is not repetitive
2. Special dietary or religious requirements and national tastes have all been catered for
3. You have the right format for meals for the time allowed and space available
4. You have chosen appropriate drinks to be served with meals and if drinks are on a cash basis delegates are aware of this and facilities are available to provide drinks efficiently and without delay
5. Special attention is given to menu and drinks choice and themeing and entertainment for gala or special dinners which should be memorable events
6. Final numbers for catering are advised by the due date and are accurate.

You will need to consider cover for the following:

1. Public liability insurance
2. Employer's liability insurance
3. Cancellation, abandonment or postponement insurance
4. Property and equipment insurance for all risks
5. Travel insurance for staff and delegates

Promoting an event to delegates and potential sponsors & exhibitors is vital for success. For established events and member organizations the target for promotion is easier to determine than for a wider audience. Consider the following:

1. Use of the internet for online announcements and news
2. Providing online facilities to facilitate easy registration and payment
3. Providing discounts for early bird registrations - set the deadline
4. Press releases to the trade press and media
5. Promotion at the previous event
6. Advertising
7. Pre-conference announcements
8. Conference mailing
9. Follow up flyer and news

Hotelpacc will provide you with a web hosting service. Announcements, news and information online 24 hours a day and targeted online mailings.
Factors you will need to consider include:

1. Appointment of an official airline - With many worldwide low cost flight deals available and the introduction of booking facilities via the internet, the appointment of an official airline is not as essential as it may have been in the past but is still worth considering.
2. Appointment of destination management company - to organize ground transportation from airports to hotels, transfers between hotels and conference venues and transportation as required during the conference program.
   Ask Hotelpacc for information on its ground handling services.
3. Meet & greet services at airports and hospitality desks in hotels - to provide assistance and information.
4. Car transportation for speakers and VIP guests - and also self drive car hire.
5. Pre and post conference tours - structured to likely delegate preferences and availability of centres of high cultural or historic interest.

Did you know Hotelpacc provides a full range of services including:

• Hotel reservations
• Registration managemento
• Ground handling

Ask for details.

Hotelpacc and its associated divisions does not accept liability or responsibility for the information, or any errors or omissions, set out in this listing, which is designed to be a guide for general reference purposes only.