A conference in the world of IT is a great way to exchange knowledge between specialists, to understand which areas are the most relevant in the world, and just a possibility to spend time in an interesting way and learn more about the future of web development.
So, how to organize an event of this level?
How to work with speakers and distribute content
What to begin with?
Foremost, you should determine your target audience, and study its interests. After that, you should choose the lectures that will be read. They should be structured and divided into sections, each of which will be divided into several parts. They will cover different aspects of the same theme and together help present a comprehensive picture. In turn, sections that cover similar topics should be combined into categories.
Select reports? Where will I get them?
We need to invite speakers. There are a few rules of thumb that will help you figure out if it’s worth inviting someone to your event:
– Invited speakers should have experience in public speaking: at their company, at other conferences, or on YouTube, it doesn’t matter.
– Presentations at the conference should be of interest to the local IT community.
– The professionalism of the speaker must be confirmed by an outside opinion.
If you do everything right, you will have a list of over 200 potential speakers. Match the topics in which the speaker is excellent with the topics that are worth public speaking and, if it is useful and interesting to the audience, invite him or her to speak in one of the sections. How? You take it and … hand send everyone an invitation to participate. Yes, there’s no magic here. Social networks, correspondence in the mail, and mutual acquaintances are all in play.
How to attract listeners
No conference will happen if people don’t come to it, right? There are several ways to attract listeners.
Working with info sponsors and partners
Sections are split up for a reason. This will further help you in selecting media for each specific topic. Contact them, and discuss partnership terms and material. During the PR campaign, you will have to work through at least 30 publications in each section and establish partnerships with hundreds of thematic communities on social networks. Posting on them can attract much more attention than on other resources.
Announcements on social networks
In the event communities, you can promptly share the most important information with the audience. Tell about the event program, key speakers, and headliners, hold contests, announce ticket price increases and share information about partners.
Advertise
We also advise you to use contextual and target advertising, but on a contract basis. Experience shows that while PR promotion can be handled by two people who will meticulously build communications with journalists, with advertising it is better to cope with an outside specialist.
How early should you start to act?
Preparation for the conference on average takes 3 months with a clear allocation of areas of responsibility, but, of course, the earlier you start, the better you get.
Where to get funding for the event
The conference depends on sponsors since it’s difficult for organizers to pay all expenses themselves. Of course, if you don’t have investors. Usually, it’s enough to have 2-3 strong salespeople who work for a percentage to sell enough sponsorship packages. Offer potential sponsors both comprehensive presentation opportunities at the event and individual activities. Just first determine which companies might be interested in attending your event. Think broadly. For example, the sponsors of the IT event could be a Barbershop or a construction company, which just attracts a male-paying audience.
How to choose the right place
About renting a venue, you should think long before the event. Exactly when you understand the approximate number of participants. Analyze all the options in your city, assess their capacity, equipment, soundproofing, the presence of one large room for official ceremonies and several smaller rooms, as well as a number of areas for recreation and networking.