January 2005
Cheat Sheet: Developing conference content

Without great conference content, the best marketing possible won’t turn out attendees for your event. In the first part of this two-part series, we’ll examine how to create conference content that serves and sells. In the second part of the series, in our February 2005 issue, we’ll explore how to leverage conference content when marketing a show.

By Linda C. Chandler

Checklist for great conference content
• Relevant — focuses on hot topics, industry or legislative issues
• Credible — uses recognized experts or informed peers as presenters
• Interesting — incorporates the most appealing subject matter, presenters or, preferably, both and compelling presentation techniques to keep the audience’s attention
• Interactive — involves the audience in some activity or participation, from question-and-answer sessions to group exercises or discussion
• Pragmatic — offers immediately actionable/applicable ideas that participants can take home to implement or new skills they can use in their own businesses
• Insightful — challenges participants to think differently about a subject or problem
• Customized — separates material into appropriate tracks of interest segments or career levels and offers variety in concurrent sessions

Most popular session types
• Expert advice/peer experiences
• Case studies/best practices
• Current research/trends
• Tech solutions
• Panels with Q&A
• How-to demonstrations, hands on/eyes on
• Group problem solving
• Round table topics

Tips for effective calls for presentations
• Compile a database of potential speakers. Survey all industry programs to glean names and topics. Include past speakers with good evaluations. Seek recommendations from board, committees, members and staff.
• Issue specific call for presentations to targeted presenters, especially those with good track records.
• Issue open calls through publications and Web sites.
• Provide clear and specific guidelines and deadlines.
• Require and check references for all presenters.

Help your speakers
• Require advance outlines.
• Require speakers to be flexible and willing to adapt presentations to accommodate your suggestions.
• Provide sufficient audience background to speakers. Tell them how much experience the audience has with the subject, what sorts of job titles are likely to be attending, or even the audience’s average age and economic status. Choose demographic information that will help speakers customize their presentations appropriately.
• Require all handouts to be submitted in advance.
• Encourage speakers to solicit questions and develop rapport with the audience.
• Place someone in the room to monitor first-time presenters.

How to prevent vendor overload
• Limit vendor presentations/demonstrations to the trade show floor.
• Enlist a client co-presenter to help create a case study presentation rather than a sales pitch.
• Invent a problem/issue scenario and allow several vendors to present solutions.
• Use “new product briefings” that include multiple vendors’ recent introductions, giving each vendor equal time or having a presenter divide attention evenly.
• Create a vendor track for specific interests.
• Preview any vendor-sponsored research or survey data that will be presented to ensure it has real meaning for attendees.
• Schedule a table topics session where participants can share product questions and answers with one another and a vendor representative.
• Establish rules for vendor sales-speak or sponsorships and enforce time limits, regulations and penalties.

Content idea sources
• Past conference audiences’ evaluations/suggestions
• Surveys of potential participants via direct mail, phone, e-mail, Web site or publications
• Gleanings from listserv exchanges
• Responses/letters to the editor in the organization’s magazine or newsletter
• Board, education/conference committee suggestions/brainstorming
• Other industry-relevant magazines, conference programs and events
• Hot topics, legislative issues or legal cases
• Reputable research foundations, trend-tracking organizations or futurists
• Academic journals/professors
• Field representatives and local/chapter leadership
• Member services staff feedback and call center/online help input
• Sponsors and vendors

More from EXPO
• Cheat Sheet: Hiring celebrity speakers, EXPO January 2004
• 7 Great Conference Strategies: Try these seven tactics to move your conference sessions from good to great, November/December 2002

Sources
Deborah Alford, Director of Conferences and Professional Development, North Carolina Homebuilders Association, www.nchba.com, (919) 676-9090
Rob Bailey, Director, Conference and Tradeshow Management; BAI, www.bai.org, (312) 683-2373
Ross Mirmelstein, CMP, Director of Meetings, National Sheriffs’ Association, www.sheriffs.org, (800) 424-7827
MaryAnne Sinville, Senior Group Marketing Director, Advanstar, www.advanstar.com, (781) 239-7510