Communicate with Confidence/Project Report

              Hosts or Hostesses... appoint a committee
How many will be needed depends on the size and format of
the event At least. theTe should always be someone at the
door to meet, greet and direct guests Other duties include ( if
applicable)
* in airports & bus stations to greet guests and direct
them to transportation. If transportation is not provided,
the committee could look into hiring cars or buses
* in parking lot to carry bags and'or direct them to
registration
* at registration to direct them to conference hall,
bathrooms, rooms, restaurant, etc.
* at strategic places in building throughout the
conference to direct to workshop locations, and other
facilities in the building.
* in the conference and workshop rooms to act as
' gophers'. ( seat guests, run messages, answer questions,
and to get maintenance persons if needed, get water for
speakers, and other duties the Chairman or MC may ask). In
business forums they may help by counting show of hand'
votes.
* at a large conference or convention, a hospitality room
might be set up The hosts will determine the hours it will
be open and the hospitality it will offer ( drinks? snacks?
information? ) Hosts will arrange shifts to manage it.
* hosts should be given easily- seen identification
( shoulder ribbons, jackets, etc.) and should make
themselves very familiar with the facility, the surrounding
town ( business, entertainment & transportation), the
program and the theme
E n t e r t a i n m e n t .. appoint a committee
It is usual to have some entertainment after the banquet.
Particularly if the audience is from out of town or province,
a good idea is local or ethnic talent. For instance, if out- of-province
guests, an " Alberta Beef" banquet could be
followed by some form of western or Native- Canadian
entertainment
Be sure to check these points when choosing entertainment:
* appropriate to the audience ( seniors might enjoy
something different from businessmen. )
Dance, only if it is a ' couples' event.)
* appropriate to the event ( the entertainment
should not give a different ' message'.
* appropriate to the facility... can everyone see?
hear?, is there room?
* have a definite time frame Do people still have to
travel or or they staying?
Inexpensive talent can often be found in local schools,
amateur theatre groups, dance classes, etc. Ask
around maybe someone has a good idea
Other' entertainment:
If there is a first evening' get together you might plan
some quiet music or a mixer type game or quiz. ( Not
necessary but might fit)
Advertising & Publicity appoint a committee
The cost and extent of advertising and publicity will
relate to the type and size of your event. A ' for profit' event
would, of course, warrant a large advertising campaign.
Even a smaller event, or a business or organization seminar,
would still require some publicity.
Think of on- site publicity such as displays, convention
buttons, handouts and freebies
Suggestion.... use the ' pull' of the scheduled speakers,
especially if one or some are well- known. Include their
names, some bio, and a bit about their topic to create
interest of potential participants.
Appointments
C h a i r p e r s o n . . . F o r a one day conference, the convener or
President may do this For longer events, it may be
delegated out ( often in pairs). Be sure the chairperson has
adequate notice Give him/ her a copy of the agenda and
include him in all plans such as workshops, displays, tours,
entertainment, hosts, etc
R e c o r d i n g Secretary... an annual convention, when
business will be discussed, needs to be recorded Appoint a
recording secretary.
I n t r o d u c e r s and t h a n k e r s . . . as early as
p o s s i b l e , appoint someone to introduce and another to
thank EACH speaker. The introducers should get a copy of
the speaker's resume ASAP.
Other details & hints
* Plan some energizers during the event. A long afternoon
of speakers should be broken up with something that gets
the audience up and stretching for a few minutes. You can
incorporate this into coffee breaks, stretches, a simple
mixer, ( check ' Energizers' in chapter 2)
It is a good rule of thumb to have some break every hour
* Mixers get the group cohesive. One idea is to have a quiz,
quasi scavenger hunt or some type of ' mixer' exercise
included in the conference package. Anything that will get
strangers meeting.
* Space door prizes throughout the event. How will winners
be chosen? ( Make it quick and easy))
* It is a good idea to award prepaid registration with a
small cut in the rate This encourages people to confirm, and
makes your job of planning seating, meals,
accommodations, conference packages, transportation,
tours, etc much easier. The speakers will appreciate
knowing numbers, too, as they will likely bring handouts.
* Displays in the convention centre, if there is room, can
be interesting to the delegates. They can be set up by
delegates, other organizations or businesses or your own
group. If your group has one, suggest a host to man it during