Making a Business out of Conference Organizing
Small to medium-sized businesses, while not in the same league as corporate businesses, still need to hold conferences of one sort or another.
Your business offers to organise the event. You recommend the most suitable venue and organize transport, maps and accommodation, if necessary. You handle the conference literature, including any invitations. You also find out what specific facilities are needed at the venue and organize them: refreshments, facilities for disabled people, writing equipment, audio-visual aids, video-recording facilities, display boards, to name a few. You have to be highly organised to run this business successfully – and so do your suppliers. Check them out thoroughly beforehand. The professionalism of their service will reflect on your own.
A nice touch, which will also help to promote your business, is to have free folders, pens, pencils and notepaper printed with your business name, address and telephone number: But in terms of advertising to find customers, business magazines, your local paper if it has a business section, and mailshots are all worth investigating. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce as well. You could advertise in its magazine and possibly mail its members. Check it out.
Once up and running, this is certainly a business which will keep you busy. If you thrive on this sort of work and you’re well organised, it could be the one for you.
This will appeal if
- You’re organised and efficient.
- You have good project management skills
- You’re good at meeting deadlines.
- You’re able to talk at board level.
- You have a professional attitude.
Advantages
- Low cost start-up.
- It pays well.
- Can run more than one conference at a time
Disadvantages
- Can be highly pressurised.
- Work flow can be irregular.
- Can be affected by economic down-turns.
Future possibilities
- Move up-market, organising conferences for larger companies.
- Acquire a conference centre with full facilities, from meeting rooms to a conference hall.
- Acquire supply businesses, eg, catering, printing, design, and audio-visual operations.
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