Begin with your inspiration | Paul

Begin with your inspiration | Paul

What is your inspiration?

What drives you to work endlessly with little to no effort & devote hours on end without ever noticing that the day slipped away from you?

If you are able to answer those two questions the hard part of planning a conference, retreat, or seminar is almost complete.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend several years learning how to organize and plan for successful speaking and teaching events and what I learned on the job those first few years was that event day success and participant engagement depended on the amount of detail and preparation that preceded the actual day. 

I put these lessons I learned down on paper so that those of you who are planning your first or maybe your next event can have the opportunity to be a little further down the path than I was . I'll share a few of my past struggles and failures along the way. (BTW there were more than a few....) The Guide is linked below. Best of luck. 
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Guide to Successful Planning

The goal of this guide is to facilitate the planning of a successful event.

 Attention to details will facilitate the development of a cohesive flow of all aspects of the event and allow us to reach our goals.

 *What is the Desired Outcome of the event?

   The desired outcome of the event will drive how we answer organizational 

   questions and address each step of planning.

In this guide, we will fully develop the recommended steps for the planning and preparation of the following:

             

Attendees; Content; Speakers; Presentations; Manuals, Handouts, Downloads; Location & Facilities; Date(s) and Time (s) of the Event; Post Event Engagement of Attendees; Social Media and Website; Financing and Attendee Fees.

●     Note: There are a few critical areas that deserve our utmost attention and directly influence how participants perceive their experience at our event.

 Who First?

When planning an event, we can choose from a few different approaches to planning.

 We have the option to decide on the desired outcome and develop the plan accordingly and then line up the individuals that are best able to help us achieve the desired outcome. Or we can develop the speakers & presenters list and let the team guide us in how to best use their gifts and abilities.

Attendees

Now that we have determined what our desired outcome is we can focus on developing a profile of the intended participants. By knowing who our audience is we begin to understand the needs and expectations that they will bring with them to our event.

Subject Content

What is the event Theme?

            What are the KEY topics that fall under the theme?

Speakers

Who First:

When developing an event, we can choose from a few different approaches to planning.

●     This is an area that is critical for improved participant satisfaction and outcomes.

We have the option to decide on the desired outcome and develop the plan accordingly and then line up the individuals that are best able to help us achieve the desired outcome. Alternatively, (& highly recommended) we can build the team of organizers, administrators and speakers and allow the team to develop the expected outcome and event topics and presentations.  The approach we take to developing a team of should be a top priority and will affect and shape the event.

Presentations

Before our speakers devote valuable time and resources into developing their presentations we will share some of the key fundamentals of effective presentation styles and organization. Well organized and structured teaching slides and media will facilitate an “active learner” event and improve participant engagement and knowledge retention.

Manuals, Handouts, Downloads

Well planned and organized manuals are essential to delivering our intended message to participants. The most effective manual is a text reference book that expands upon the material presented in greater depth and breadth, in paragraph format, with supporting material and references for the end user to use after the course or seminar.

Location & Facilities

Logistics Resource: 

 Logistics are the nuts and bolts of a conference that make it possible: where it will be, how you’ll find presenters, what it will cost, how you’ll get people from place to place, who’ll run the slide show, etc..  This is the part where the conference organizers earn their keep.

Date(s) & Time(s) of the Event

            When are, we going to have our event? Are we going to plan the event based on availability of speakers, convenience of participants, availability of the facility site, geographical location or any number of other possibilities? If this is a annually reoccurring event, when? Was the event successful, and if so why?

Event Engagement of Attendees

●     This is an area that is critical for improved participant satisfaction and outcomes.

Pre-Event Social:

            If yes, What are we providing?

 First Day- Early/Mid-afternoon group interaction:

(Topic centered participant interaction)

First Evening Social/Fellowship

We'll also cover:

Social Media and Website
Signage, Identification & Safety
Financing and Attendee Fee
Speaker Instructions & Expectations 
Host Site Pre-Course Summary Letter 
Event Agreement