Interested in conference management?

A commonly used acronym, MICE stands for ‘Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions’. These are organized to increase awareness and visibility, foster and develop new relationships and generate business and thus increase profits.

How do you Define a Conference?

A formal event that could last a single or several days, conferences are held to bring together people with common interests. Generally closed to the public, conferences are dictated by a one-way communication with subject matter experts doing most of the speaking.

Conference Management and its Importance

Conference management entails planning, monitoring, and execution of the event, once the objectives have been set by the conference holders. Conferences are held by organizations that believe they have an audience that is interested and willing to attend. A great way to increase awareness and confidence in the subject matter and also the organization holding the conference, they are used by many different types of organizations – from businesses to political parties, from academia to cultural organizations.

Skills to Look For in a Conference Management Service Provider

Organizing a successful conference requires skills to ensure that the event runs smoothly, within budget and without any untoward incidents. A conference management service provider must ensure that both the micro and macro details are taken care of. Organizations looking at selecting the best conference management services provider need to ensure that they have ample experience, a good and efficient team and pay attention to details.

Some of the skills to look for are:

• Communication skills are a must for good conference management service providers. Teamwork is essential for delivering successful results. Thus, conference management service providers need to have excellent interpersonal skills and ensure that there are no communication breakdowns between the different teams working for the event.
• The service provider must have proven decision-making qualities. A successful conference requires the service providers to make sound and strategic decisions which ensures that the event flow is smooth and sans hitches.
• ‘What can go wrong, will go wrong’. A good service provider should be able to think and act fast should any unanticipated issue arise in the course of the event. Creativity, flexibility, and ingenuity are the hallmarks of a good conference management service provider.

Other skills include:

• Attention to detail is one of the crucial attributes that a conference management service provider should ensure. There are numerous aspects and elements in a conference and even the smallest of them can ruin the event if not handled properly and efficiently.
• Time management skills are a quality that is a must for a service provider. Equally crucial is the ability to prioritize different tasks to achieve maximum productivity in minimum time.
• Co-ordination between different teams and different vendors is a critical component of successful conference management. The service provider must have the ability to not only delegate tasks efficiently but also ensure that each team and vendor work in tandem and time-bound manner to complete their assigned jobs.

The Bottom Line

Managing a successful conference is about teamwork, attention to details and timely delivery.