Conferences are a versatile event format for connecting people with a shared interest, to explore various themes and topics relevant to their profession. You can deliver them in many ways – all designed to educate, inspire, and encourage people to share knowledge and ideas.
Whether you work in the corporate, academic or third sector, there are many benefits of hosting a conference. In the corporate world, this is a powerful way to make a lasting impression on your industry, positioning your brand as a leader and enhancing your reputation.
By creating a diverse conference programme and inviting industry experts to present and participate, you will create an invaluable learning and network-building opportunity for your delegates.
In this blog, we’ll look further into the different types of conferences you can host, as well as their main benefits. Our team has a wealth of experience in conference event planning, so we’ll share some of their top tips to help you get started.
Hosted by corporate companies, business conferences build relationships both internally and externally. They can be targeted at employees, to share performance updates, strategic insights and goals, or they can bring a range of external professionals together from the same industry. In this instance, content tends to take a broader look at the trends, opportunities and innovations relevant to the whole industry.
Also referred to as a trade show, these large-scale events combine a conference programme with a showcase of products and services to potential and existing customers. Delegates can browse exhibition stands, watch or participate in live demos and grow their profile through face-to-face networking opportunities.
Usually aimed at a smaller audience and held in a more intimate environment. Seminars take a deep dive into a specific subject, usually presented by one or just a few thought leaders. Following your seminar with a Q&A session will encourage audience participation and provoke discussion.
Hosted via an online platform, these are an effective way to reach an extended, remote audience. Designed to imitate an in-person event, virtual offers many of the same benefits and great opportunities. These include access to multiple sessions presented in different ways, virtual breakouts for networking, interactive workshops, and lively discussions. To get the most out of your virtual conference content, make it available for on-demand viewing or re-purpose it for other channels.
As the name suggests, this blends the in-person and remote participation experience together. It offers your delegates greater choice to encourage their attendance and whether attending physically or virtually, they’ll benefit from the same learning and participation opportunities.
We all know it can be hard for delegates to justify spending time away from the office. However, there is huge value in the wealth of knowledge they’ll learn from different sources and of course, they’ll be flying the flag for your business while growing their network.
Hosting a conference will position you as an industry heavyweight with the influence to gather the leading companies, experts and professionals under one roof. This hugely boosts your brand perception, positioning your business at the top of its game.
The conference environment is ideal for interacting with your existing customers while developing new relationships. Some of the most beneficial conversations take place during networking sessions, on an exhibition stand or as part of a round table, often leading to new sales or collaboration opportunities! Being quick with your post-event follow up and making it relevant to the one-to-one conversations you had will maximise the potential of these leads.
Here’s a top tip from conference expert, Claire Lillis, one of our Conference & Sales Co-ordinators: “Key to engaging conference attendees is using a range of methods to present your content, as people absorb and digest information in different ways. So, including main plenaries, round table sessions, panel discussions and interactive workshops is an effective way to achieve maximum impact among a captive audience. Choosing a conference venue with multiple spaces and flexible set-up options, is a great way to achieve this!”
All you need to know about planning a successful event can be found in our comprehensive conference planning guide for beginners.
Conveniently located a short walk from Tottenham Court Road Underground, Congress Centre offers 16 versatile spaces for hosting your event. Capacities range from 10-500 delegates, making us the ideal small to large-scale conference venue. Our team are seasoned experts in corporate event planning and with catering and extensive AV facilities provided in-house, we are a one-stop venue for delivering seamless events.
Whether you’re looking for modern meeting rooms for up to 50 delegates or a conference room for up to 500, contact our team today at co*************@tu*.uk or call 0207 467 1318.