How long does it take to plan a seminar?

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Recently, we wrote about how to hold a successful seminar, but it’s also important to know how long it usually takes to organise a seminar. Whether you are planning to host a seminar for the first time, or you have held many before, it’s always handy to have a checklist and clear plan of what you need to achieve success.

So, what do you need to know to plan your seminar and how long will it take?

6 months prior to your seminar

Establish your goals for the seminar

  • What is the purpose of the seminar? Think about why you are running the event and what will the attendees get out of it.
  • How many people would you like to attend? You may wish to take into account the amount of people who may be interested to attend your event virtually. This is a great way to increase your numbers but means you need to consider technological requirements.
  • What profit would you like to make? This will affect how much you spend and how you set ticket pricing and sponsorship packages (if applicable). Look at budgets from previous years for advice.

Select a venue and date

  • Think about where your attendees will be coming from and choose a venue that is convenient and also within budget. Since you have set a goal of how many people you would like to attend, this may help narrow down your venue choices.
  • Speak with the venues about which dates they have available and choose what you think will be most appropriate.
  • If you plan to webcast your seminar, confirm the venue has wifi available and check the speed and quality to avoid dissatisfied virtual attendees.
  • Ask if the venue has preferred suppliers or in-house vendors for things like audiovisual (AV) and catering, and what the pricing structure and contractual agreements are with those companies.

3 months out

Research and select your speakers

Research is important to choose the right speaker, to give the right message at your seminar. Look into previous presentations your favourite speakers have given and contact them to see if they are available and willing to present.

Consider what you need to deliver to reflect your goals

Now you know when and where your event will be held, and what your seminar will discuss, you need to decide how this will be conveyed.

  • Consider the style of room setup. Will the seminar be highly interactive with ballroom roundtables or will it be presentation style where a classroom setup will suffice?
  • How long will setup and packdown take? Does the venue have certain requirements?
  • What are your AV needs? Will you need handheld microphones for questions? Will your speakers need lapel microphones? Will you need many big screens? Put a request in for the AV equipment you will need.
  • Draft the agenda. Think about the start and finish times, meal times and what times each of your speakers will be presenting, including how long they will speak. You can use your agenda, once finalised, to increase your marketing and promotional efforts via social media and printed materials.

Organise your website and promote your event

Now you have a clear topic in mind and a venue and date, you can start encouraging your target attendees to register to attend. If you have confirmed your speakers then you can use these as a promotional tool to encourage your attendees to register. Consider offering early-bird rates to secure those initially interested.

1 month out

  • Apply for any special permits.
  • Organise a menu with the caterers.
  • Start designing your signage for the event.
  • Organise an event runsheet for the day including what time your suppliers can enter the room and start setting up.
  • Organise your shipping arrangements for big materials that cannot be personally delivered to the venue.

2 weeks out

  • Confirm all external parties involved including AV, catering, decorations and speakers. Ensure each of these groups know what they need to bring on the day and see if they have any questions.
  • Confirm your shipping arrangements – know when and where your items will be picked up and dropped off.

The day before

Write a checklist and stick to it. Think about what you need to pack to bring to the event, like attendee badges, printed programs, writing materials and what you will need to setup and organise on the day. Make sure all relevant people have a copy of the event runsheet.

This timeline will help you organise your next seminar by providing a solid plan. AVPartners serve as the preferred in-house AV suppliers to a variety of venues across Australia and can assist with lighting, audiovisual requirements and event theming and styling. If you would like help with your next seminar, contact us today.

Don’t make these mistakes when planning your next event

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Planning and executing an event can be an exciting, yet very busy time. Most require months of preparation and strong plans in place to achieve the best outcome. However, from time to time even the most seasoned of event planners can face challenges.

So, what are some common event planning mistakes and how can you avoid or overcome them?

Poor communication

As an event planner, a key responsibility is to know what is going on across your internal team and external parties like suppliers and event speakers and attendees. However, if you don’t communicate clearly to each relevant group what you are expecting from them, then it’s likely that mistakes will be made as each member of your event delivery team will be unsure of their responsibilities.

The best way to overcome this challenge is to make a runsheet – this is a clear breakdown of what should be happening throughout the event and who will be completing each task. It must include times to start and finish certain tasks and should have the contact details of key members of the event delivery team so that each member of the team knows who to speak to if they have questions.

Lack of clear signage

Don’t have your event attendees running late for their favourite speakers or preferred sessions because they can’t find where a certain presentation is being given. The best way to overcome this challenge is to make sure each room is clearly signposted and there are clear directions to other spaces. Digital signage can assist with this as you can use one screen to give multiple directions and even feature moving maps, directing event attendees to main events like keynote speaker sessions or lunch.

Leaving equipment rental to the last minute

So you’ve organised the big ticket items like screens, projectors, lights and staging, but what about handheld microphones, lapel microphones and laser pointers? These are often requested by speakers. It’s tempting to only put in an order once you know what you require to avoid excess spending, but your AV suppliers will likely be working on many events at once and may not have excess inventory to accommodate your last minute requests. Plan in advance and order a few things, despite what your speakers may need, so you don’t miss out.

Not allowing enough time for setup

One of the biggest areas that event planners overlook is underestimating the amount of time it takes to set up their event. Event setups often take longer than anticipated as challenges generally will arise and you might have to make changes. The best way to avoid running out of time is to include setup time in your runsheet and always add more time for setup than you think you will need. It’s better to have excess time and be relaxed before your event starts than running around at the last minute. You must contact your suppliers at least 48 hours before the event to confirm what time they will be arriving and ask if they have any questions you can solve beforehand. Doing this can help to  speed up your setup on event day.

Forgetting to anticipate that problems will arise

Even the most seasoned of events organisers know problems will arise on the day. It’s Murphy’s Law! The best way to avoid this is to make contingency plans, anticipating what might go wrong. Make sure you have extra copies of programs, ensure a speaker has sent their presentation through ahead of time in case they leave their USB at home, give any materials you shipped a few extra days to arrive, check, double check and triple check how the technology works, order extra food and make a packing list. If you have a checklist of all the things you need, you will be less likely to leave anything behind.

Sometimes mistakes happen and this can be stressful. But if you are prepared, this can help lessen the blow and make your event appear smooth, professional, and seamless despite how you may be feeling inside. If you would like help with your next event, contact us today.

How to deliver engaging presentations at your next event

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Whether you’re delivering a keynote speech, running a seminar, or doing a panel discussion, it is likely that your top priority is to keep your audience engaged. Without an engaged audience, your messaging simply will not cut through. Luckily there are many ways to make your presentations more engaging.

In addition to using humour, the right body language, and practicing over and over in front of the mirror,  there are a few ways to ensure your presentations grab the attention of your audience and keep them engaged. Here are a few:

Be a storyteller

People engage with things that they can relate to. By telling stories instead of reciting reams of information you can communicate ideas in a personal way. Storytelling can help you connect with your audience on a human level. While storytelling is an effective technique for engaging audiences, it’s important to keep the story relevant to the event theme and purpose so that you can drive your message home.

Make sure the audio is perfect

There’s nothing worse than a speech that doesn’t fill the entire event room. Muffled and delayed audio are two of the biggest culprits in breaking an otherwise great presentation. Working with a professional AV team with state-of-the-art technology can really put your mind at ease leading up to and during your presentation.

Use second screen technology

Smartphones can sometimes be a distraction for people at events. So why not incorporate them into your presentation and make them work for you rather than against you? Second screen technology makes use of people’s smartphones to enhance what is being delivered on the primary event screen. It’s a great way to make your presentation interactive and encourage audiences to connect with your content.

Get the staging right

Styling and staging is what people will see surrounding you during your delivery. In other words it’s like the framing of your presentation. For this reason, the staging should support what your presentation is about. It should reflect the theme of the event and help enhance what you have to say. This can be achieved by installing branded posters, using eye-catching decorations or even positioning yourself strategically on the stage to grab the attention of your audience.

Light it up

If executed well, lighting can make a presentation lively and eye catching, but if it’s executed poorly, it can make it drab or even worse, distract from your presentation. Lighting should help, not hinder your presentation, so make sure the lighting isn’t reflecting in a way that will form a distraction from your delivery – like off the podium, jewellery that you’re wearing, or your glasses! If you’re looking to add that something special to your next event, gobos are one of the most striking, versatile yet affordable lighting options. A gobo is essentially a stencil cut out of glass or metal, that is then positioned between a spotlight and the area you want lit, creating a unique projected shape. A professional lighting team like AVPartners can bring your presentation to life through effective and professional audiovisual.

Be colour conscious

It’s important to consider how the use of colour can create varying experiences during your presentation. Blue for instance, can create a calm atmosphere and is said to promote clear thought, while red can stimulate the mind and promote action.

If you would like help setting up your next presentation for success, contact AVPartners.

How to make every event unique

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For event planners, it’s important to make each of your events unique in order to encourage re-attendance, make your events memorable and promote your event messaging. Here are a few ways you can make every event unique.

Use lighting strategically

Lighting can be used to set your colour scheme, create a certain mood, revitalise guests, bring your theme to life and draw attention to areas within your event space. When used strategically, lighting can breathe life into your event agenda and can impress your guests. To make your event unique through strategic lighting, it’s important to use state-of-the-art technology and work with a team of lighting experts.

Theme your event

Theming your events is one of the most obvious ways to create a unique experience for guests. A theme is an idea or concept behind your event which can be brought to life through your visual elements, invitations, agenda, marketing, dress code, food and entertainment. By promoting your theme through all aspects of your event, you can make each event experience feel unique for guests.

Prioritise your styling

Styling creates the look and feel of your event. Event styling incorporates furniture, decor, table layouts, props, audiovisual and digital elements. It is one of the most effective ways to set the atmosphere of your event. How would you like your guests to feel at your event? Your styling will help you facilitate a certain event experience to make the day unique.

Hire entertainment

Impressive entertainment can really set your event apart from the rest. By choosing entertainment based on your theme, you can make each event unique. Entertainment doesn’t need to be limited to a musical act. You might consider hiring comedians, puppeteers, magicians, dancers, trapeze artists, balloon artists or DJs.

Incorporate augmented or virtual reality

Augmented reality involves computer-generated interactive elements appearing in the real world, usually viewed through a smartphone, tablet or headset. Virtual reality is a computer-generated experience, most commonly created through the use of a headset, that makes the user feel like they are in a different world. Using technology to create an augmented or virtual reality experience can provide an opportunity to promote your event messaging and branding and can create an exciting and unique experience for your guests.

Work with AVPartners

Through unique styling and exceptional lighting, the AVPartners team can help you put on an event that will wow your guests. Unlike most audiovisual teams who work with different event spaces for each of their events, AVPartners are AV experts in their own venues. The team is able to utilise every aspect and capability of the event space and technology to bring your event to life.

If you would like help making your next event unique through styling and audiovisual production, contact AVPartners today.

To theme or not to theme? That is the event planning question!

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Planning an event? You might be considering whether or not to have a theme.

A theme is the idea or concept behind your event that can give the event structure. Having a theme can benefit an event in many ways, but it does come with a few drawbacks. So should your event be themed or themeless?

Benefits of having a theme

It can make your event memorable. A theme can make your event distinctive and memorable for guests. By selecting a theme that is unique and fully committing to it, you can wow your attendees and drive your event message home.

It can help steer your event planning. Having a theme in place can help dictate your event planning decisions. A theme can provide a rough guideline for your event so that you can streamline your planning process.

It can engage your guests. A theme creates a point of difference that will be compelling for your guests. Themed audiovisual elements or a themed dress code will help your guests be fully committed to your event and immersed in the event experience.

It can reinforce your event message. If chosen well, a theme can elevate your event message, help with your branding and make an impact on your guests. In order to enhance your event message, your theme should be chosen with your event objective in mind and at the forefront of your planning process.

The drawbacks of having a theme

It’s not always practical. Events like roundtables and seminars aren’t as well-suited to having a theme as Christmas parties and gala dinners. Information-focused events like these will have focus topics already, so having a theme could distract from the discussion topic at hand.

It can limit your choices. After selecting a theme, your event decisions will be driven by it. While this isn’t alway a problem (it can give you focus and clarity in the planning process), having a theme can make your event decisions more limited.

It might distract from your messaging. If executed well, a theme can help reinforce your event message and key takeaways, but if your theme doesn’t meld with your event objective, it can do the complete opposite. You’ll want your guests to remember your event for its message, not just the theme. So if you think a theme might distract from your message and branding, it’s better to go without.

If you choose to have a themeless event, you can still make an impact through unique styling and a branded colour scheme. Creative lighting and decorations can help deliver your branding and boost your event message.

If you choose to have a theme, you can promote it through your audiovisual elements, dress code, invitations, programs, marketing, decor, entertainment, food and music.  

Stuck for ideas? Here are a few themes that we have coordinated in the past: wild west, roaring 20s, the 80s, the 90s, pop star, masquerade, acrobatic and circus theme, chocolate fantasy, black and gold, global cuisine, the Olympics, and a jungle theme. While a theme should have a strong presence and be consistent across your event, it can be as flexible as you’d like it to be! If you would like help with your next event, contact us today.

How a destination conference can invigorate your guests

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Hosting a destination conference can create a memorable experience for your attendees. It can energise your guests and really drive your event messaging home. Here are a few reasons why a destination conference is a great option for your next event.

There are fewer distractions

Attending a destination conference means guests won’t have distractions from their daily routines like commuting to work, errands and chores. Instead, they will have a clear mind for taking in what your conference has to offer.

Guests are more dedicated

Guests attending a destination conference will have made a commitment to travel there. This extra level of commitment can translate to more engagement with your event program.

It can double as a holiday for your guests

The destination you choose can work as a big drawcard for people all across the country (and world) to attend your conference. Selecting a location that is a common holiday destination means guests can plan a vacation before or after your conference.

It’s more memorable

Being in a new setting can really make your event unique and memorable. Taking your guests away from their normal day-to-day routine and into a new location will create a new and exciting experience for them – and make your destination conference an event to remember.

It encourages a new audience to attend

If you’re hosting a conference that is open to the public, picking a destination away from your local area is a great way to encourage a wider audience to attend and tap into a new customer pool. Guests living near your chosen destination might be more likely to attend, as well as those from across the country (or world).

You can impress your guests

Choosing the right venue can really impress and rejuvenate your attendees. Choosing a venue with impressive styling, facilities and state-of-the-art technology can wow your guests and make your event memorable. AVPartners has venues all across Australia, providing expert audiovisual and styling for spectacular event experiences.

If you would like to host a destination conference, take a look at AVPartners’ venues or contact us today for more information.

How to hold a successful seminar

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So, you’d like to run a seminar. How can you make it a success?

If done effectively, holding a seminar can help you to build thought leadership and boost credibility for your brand. It can also increase brand awareness and attract more leads to your business. The more people who learn about your expertise and hear about your brand, the more chances you will have to engage new customers.

What is a seminar?

A seminar is a type of gathering that involves discussions and learnings on a chosen subject. It provides a great opportunity for like minded people to gather and build their knowledge on a particular topic of interest.

For brands, running a seminar can be an effective way to gather prospective customers or clients in the one room and share your expertise with them.

So how can you run a successful seminar?

Determine your purpose

When organising a seminar, the first thing you’ll want to establish is your purpose. Why are you holding the seminar? Is it to build thought leadership? Drive more people to your offering? Educate people about a particular topic pertaining to your brand and industry? Chances are your seminar will be able to achieve all of these things. You’ll just need to set your objectives from the get-go.

Select the right topic

The more interesting your topic is, the more likely it is that people will attend your seminar. An effective topic will explore a problem that members of your target audience have in relation to your industry or product. If your topic is too broad, there might be other seminars that you’ll have to compete with. If your topic is obscure, you’ll limit your potential audience pool.

Choose the right venue

Cost, size and location are the main things to think about when selecting a venue. A central location might be best to attract attendees. You’ll want to make sure that the space is big enough to seat all of your guests. It’s also important to consider proximity to public transport, accessibility for guests in wheelchairs, branding capabilities and technical infrastructure at the venue.

Select the right AV team

One of the most important components of a successful seminar is your AV. Without effective screen projection and sound, your seminar can easily fall flat. It’s important to select an AV team that is both professional and maintains the right technology and equipment to keep your mind at ease throughout the duration of your seminar. An AV team like AVPartners can help with ensuring your audiovisual setup is perfect on the day. They can also assist with live streaming your seminar or with styling to give your seminar a unique flair.

Make networking easy

Networking at professional events can sometimes be a little awkward for attendees. To make it easier for your guests, consider running some icebreaker games. This is a good way to encourage conversation amongst your attendees. It’s also a great way to break up your agenda and avoid information fatigue.

Spread the word

Once you’ve organised your topic, written your agenda and hired your AV team, you’ll want to get the word out. There are many ways to promote your seminar online. Some of the best ways are to create listings on event sites, create an event on Facebook or Eventbrite, engage the media or develop a landing page on your website with your event details and agenda.

If you would like help running your next seminar, AVPartners can help. Contact us today.

You’re engaged! Now what?

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Getting engaged is an exciting moment! It’s a time filled with joy, love and celebrations. But once the celebrations subside and the dust settles, it’s time to get into serious planning mode. So how can you plan your dream wedding and keep the process as stress-free as possible? The team at Novotel Twin Waters Resort share their tips.

Establish a timeline

The first and most important thing you’ll want to put in place is a timeline for planning your wedding. Your timeline will establish the different stages of planning. It will dictate when you organise different components of the day so that it doesn’t come to the month before the wedding and you still have a tonne of things to plan. Here’s a rough timeline that can help you get started with your wedding prep.

10 – 12 months to go

In the initial stages of planning, you’ll want to establish your budget, pick a date, develop your guest list and lock in your venue. Once you have a venue and guest list in place, send your save the dates.

6 – 8 months to go

Now’s the time to think of a theme for your wedding. Think of the decor, lighting, colours and floral arrangements that you want for the big day. Once you have decided on the style you would like for your wedding, find your vendors and communicate any necessary information they might need for the day. Find a caterer, book your photographer and select the right audiovisual team to create the perfect style for your wedding.

4 – 6 months to go

At the 4 month mark, you’ll want to have your transportation organised. Pick your celebrant and figure out arrangements with them. Book your music and entertainment, appoint an MC, start organising your invitations and choose your attire for the day.

2 – 4 months to go

Send your invitations, decide on the decorations you would like and prepare the logistics of your ceremony.

1 -2 months to go

Organise your marriage license, confirm your final guest count, prepare speeches and toasts. If it’s a sit down dinner, consider organising a seating plan. Don’t forget to try on your wedding garment to make sure it fits!

1 week to go

Finalise all your transport, guest list and seating plan. Confirm the speaking arrangements with your MC and celebrant and finalise arrangements with your vendors. You should have everything organised by this stage, so it’ll be a matter of finalising all your arrangements and making sure everything is ready for the day.

On the day

Put a friend, family member or wedding planner in charge of keeping the day running smoothly so that you and your partner can spend it enjoying yourselves.

Looking for a stunning location to hold your wedding, with all your planning and styling taken care of? Check out Novotel Twin Waters Weddings & Events.

If you’re looking for an audiovisual team that can create the perfect experience for your wedding day, contact AVPartners today.

Conferences are evolving – are you up to date with these conference trends?

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When running a conference, the most important thing to nail is keeping your audience engaged. A dull and slow-moving event can leave your guests bored and frustrated, while a lively and captivating atmosphere can boost awareness for your brand and create a more memorable experience for your event guests.

Successful audience engagement comes down to how well you can keep your guests not just interested, but delighted throughout the entirety of your event.

These new conference trends are helping event planners do just that.

Multisensory events

In the past, conference planners haven’t gone out of their way to energise the senses in their event design and agenda. While most events do provide stimulus for most of the senses – for example through food, entertainment, speeches and decorations – event planners are only recently paying close attention to how they can use the senses strategically.  More and more events are using knowledge on the five senses to engage their audiences and drive their event goals home. We’re seeing more immersive lighting shows, life-size games and visually unique food offerings, all of which are used to enhance event messaging.

Daytime into night

While this type of binary event isn’t completely new, the way it is being executed is starting to change. For a while now, we’ve seen events transition from one venue to the next, with the first event concentrating on the icebreakers, presentations and activities and the last on networking, dinner and entertainment.

Now we’re seeing more event planners execute both daytime and nighttime events in the one place. Many are transforming daytime conferences into a gala dinners within the same event space. This is a perfect way to reignite energy into your room and keep your guests engaged from daytime to night. Running a binary event in the one venue has proven to create a memorable experience for guests, while keeping costs down.

Hybrid events

A hybrid event is an event which has a virtual component to it. As technology continues to advance, we’re seeing this trend more and more. Event planners create their in-person event as well as engage an online audience through live streams and digital seminars. Providing an online experience to accompany your event is the perfect way to grab the attention of a wider audience of people who might be unable to attend in person on the day. It can present your brand to people who would have missed out otherwise.

Digital immersion

Event technology is evolving at a rapid speed. We’re now seeing technology used to entertain, captivate and shock. Virtual and augmented reality, digital holograms and drone technology are changing the way people experience events. Virtual and augmented reality are being used to create an immersive experience for guests and to heighten event branding. Digital holograms are being used for entertainment and to provide the wow-factor, and drones are being used to film highly immersive event videos.

If you would like to boost audience engagement through AV technology at your next event, contact AVPartners today.

What to do after your event to ensure its ongoing success

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The success of an event doesn’t need to be dictated by what happens on the day alone. Yes, everything should run smoothly on the day, your guests should be engaged and you’ll want to make sure you meet your event objectives. However, an event’s success can extend well beyond the actual day.

Even a successful day can be tainted by a lack of post-event follow up and evaluation. So here’s what you can do to ensure the success of your event after the event itself.

Follow up

Following up with your guests after your event is an important way to let them know that you care about them. A follow up can be as simple as thanking them for attending on your event’s Facebook page or sending an eDM that reinforces your event objectives and says thank you.

Post-event evaluation

Undergoing a post-event evaluation is the best way to analyse what went well and what you can improve on next time. It can help you identify areas where you might be able to tighten up your budget and things you missed that you might like to include in your event next time around.

Feedback surveys

What a post-event evaluation might miss, feedback surveys can make up for. Who better to analyse your event than the event guests themselves? Asking your guests to answer questions about the different aspects of your event can help you to view your event from the perspective of your guests. This type of analysis can really help with improving the event experience at your next event.

Showcasing your event on social media

Social media is one of the best ways to communicate information effectively and efficiently to a wide audience. It is also a great way to show-off your event, boost brand awareness and build anticipation for any upcoming events. Showcasing your event on social media might include sharing footage from the event, developing and sharing an event video that showcases the event’s highlights, or creating and sharing a photo album from the day.

Provide a next-step

Whether it’s on social media or via email marketing, providing a next step for your guests is a great way to keep them engaged with your brand and event. It can also increase the likelihood of guests attending your future events. Provide one simple call-to-action in your communications with guests, for example “Visit our events page to find out what’s coming up” or “Sign up to our mailing list to stay in the loop”.

If you would like to maximise the experience at your next event, contact AVPartners today.