The conference book

Preface ............................................................................................................ vii.

1. What is a Conference? ........................................................................... 1.

• Physical Aspects .......................................................................................... 1.
• Size ............................................................................................................ 1.
• Face-to-Face Happenings .......................................................................... 2.
• Duration ..................................................................................................... 2.
• Purposes of Conferences ............................................................................ 2.
• The Annual Affair ...................................................................................... 2.
• Learning ..................................................................................................... 4.
• Sharing Information and Experiences ........................................................ 4.
• Generating New Ideas and Proposals ........................................................ 5.
• Coordination .............................................................................................. 5.
• Decision Making ........................................................................................ 6.
• Inspirational ............................................................................................... 6.
• Combinations of the Above ........................................................................ 7.
• Related Terms ............................................................................................... 7.

2. Conference Personnel .......................................................................... 8.

• Sponsor ........................................................................................................ 8.
• Employer Sponsors (ES) ............................................................................ 9.
• Public Seminar Sponsors (PS) ................................................................... 9.
• Membership Sponsors (MS) ..................................................................... 10.
• Coordinator ................................................................................................ 11.
• Internal ..................................................................................................... 11.
• External .................................................................................................... 11.
• Participants ................................................................................................ 12.
• Resource People ........................................................................................ 14.
• Secretariat .................................................................................................. 14.
• Exhibitors ................................................................................................... 14.
• Suppliers ..................................................................................................... 15.

3. The Design Committee and the Coordinator ...................................... 16.

• The Coordinator ............................................................................................. 17.
• Responsibilities of the Design Committee ...................................................... 18.
• Recommend ............................................................................................. 18.
• React ........................................................................................................ 18.
• Decide ...................................................................................................... 19.
• Membership of the Design Committee .......................................................... 20.
• Conference Objectives ................................................................................... 24.
• Site Selection ................................................................................................. 27.
• Coordinating Resources ................................................................................. 27.
• Identifying the Participants ............................................................................. 30.
• Duration of the Conference ............................................................................ 31.
• Setting Dates for the Conference ................................................................... 33.
• Reviewing Actions of the Design Committee ................................................. 38.
• Reports of the Design Committee .................................................................. 39.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................... 39.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................... 40.
• Travel People Say .................................................................................... 40.

4. Designing the Core of the Conference ................................................ 42.

• Flow ............................................................................................................ 42.
• Climate Setting ......................................................................................... 42.
• Content .................................................................................................... 43.
• Scheduling ................................................................................................ 47.
• Climax ...................................................................................................... 48.
• Theme ........................................................................................................ 48.
• Special Theme .......................................................................................... 49.
• Communicating the Theme ....................................................................... 49.
• General Sessions ....................................................................................... 50.
• Resource People ...................................................................................... 50.
• Hosts and Introducers .............................................................................. 52.
• Moderators ............................................................................................... 53.
• Panels ...................................................................................................... 55.
• Dialogue ................................................................................................... 58.
• Media Presentations ................................................................................. 58.
• Regular Sessions ....................................................................................... 59.
• Breakout Sessions ................................................................................... 59.
• Concurrent Sessions ................................................................................ 61.
• Repeat Sessions ....................................................................................... 62.
• Prerequisite Sessions ............................................................................... 63.
• Track Sessions ......................................................................................... 64.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................... 65.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................... 65.
• Equipment Personnel Say ........................................................................ 66.

5. Designing Related Conference Activities .......................................... 67.

• Special Interest Groups (SIG) ........................................................................ 68.
• Temporary Conference Groups (TCG) .......................................................... 70.
• Cracker Barrel Sessions ................................................................................ 73.
• Lounge Areas ................................................................................................ 75.
• Job Exchange ................................................................................................ 77.
• Spouses and Children ................................................................................... 78.
• Field Trips ................................................................................................... 82.
• Conference Related .................................................................................. 82.
• Historical ................................................................................................... 83.
• Entertainment ........................................................................................... 84.
• Providing Alternatives ............................................................................... 85.
• Recreation ..................................................................................................... 85.
• Banquet ...................................................................................................... 87.
• Formal or Less Formal .............................................................................. 87.
• Seating ..................................................................................................... 88.
• Program ................................................................................................... 89.
• Recognition Sessions ..................................................................................... 90.
• Business Sessions ......................................................................................... 92.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................... 93.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................... 93.
• Travel Personnel Say ............................................................................... 94.
• Entertainment Personnel Say ................................................................... 94.
• Local Convention and Visitors' Bureau Personnel Say ............................. 95.

6. Selecting the Conference Site .............................................................. 96.

• Types of Sites ............................................................................................. 97.
• Conference Centers .................................................................................. 97.
• Higher Education Institutions .................................................................... 98.
• Hotels and Motels .................................................................................... 99.
• Cruise Ships and Theme Parks ................................................................ 99.
• Sponsor and Participant ............................................................................... 100.
• Relation to Design .................................................................................... 103.
• Rooms .................................................................................................... 103.
• Equipment ............................................................................................... 106.
• Exhibit Areas ........................................................................................... 108.
• Transportation .......................................................................................... 109.
• Air travel—Domestic ............................................................................... 109.
• Air travel—International .......................................................................... 111.
• Drive-in ................................................................................................... 113.
• Cost ........................................................................................................ 115.
• Logistics ................................................................................................... 115.
• Mobility ................................................................................................... 116.
• Bedrooms ............................................................................................... 117.
• Eating Facilities ....................................................................................... 118.
• Staff Support .......................................................................................... 120.
• Site Relevance ........................................................................................ 120.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................. 121.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................. 121.
• Travel Personnel Say ............................................................................. 123.
• Local Convention and Visitors' Bureau Personnel Say ........................... 124.
• Equipment Personnel Say ...................................................................... 125.
• Catering Personnel Say .......................................................................... 125.

7. Exhibits ............................................................................................... 127.

• Purposes .................................................................................................. 127.
• Financial Return to the Sponsor ............................................................. 128.
• Interest of Participants ............................................................................ 128.
• Sales by Exhibitors ................................................................................. 129.
• Exhibitors' Committee .................................................................................. 131.
• Relationship to Design ............................................................................. 132.
• Coordination with Design Activity ............................................................ 132.
• Integrating the Design and the Exhibits .................................................. 134.
• Special Exhibition Sessions .................................................................... 134.
• Scheduling .............................................................................................. 136.
• Getting Participants to the Exhibit Area ................................................... 138.
• Opening Ceremonies .............................................................................. 139.
• Location of Exhibit Area .......................................................................... 140.
• Prizes ...................................................................................................... 140.
• Meals and Refreshments ........................................................................ 142.
• Social Area ............................................................................................. 143.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................. 143.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................. 144.
• Equipment Personnel Say ...................................................................... 144.
• Local Convention and Visitors' Bureau Personnel Say ........................... 144.

8. The Conference Program Book .......................................................... 146.

• Floor and Room Diagrams ........................................................................... 148.
• Conference Design ....................................................................................... 150.
• Exhibit Information ....................................................................................... 150.
• Daily Events ................................................................................................. 154.
• Special Events .............................................................................................. 157.
• Conference Administrative Personnel ........................................................... 158.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................. 158.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................. 158.
• Equipment Personnel Say ...................................................................... 160.

9. Registration .......................................................................................... 161.

• Preregistration .............................................................................................. 161.
• On-Site Registration ................................................................................. 164.
• Physical Placement ................................................................................. 164.
• Time of Operation ................................................................................... 167.
• Cash Control ........................................................................................... 168.
• Availability of Materials ............................................................................ 172.
• Personnel ................................................................................................ 175.
• Resource Persons and VIPs ................................................................... 177.
• Spouses .................................................................................................. 177.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................. 178.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................. 178.
• Office Suppliers Say ................................................................................ 179.
• Security Personnel Say ........................................................................... 179.
• Local Convention and Visitors' Bureau Personnel Say ........................... 180.

10. The Participant Program Book ........................................................ 181.

• Decisions about the PPB .......................................................................... 182.
• Objectives of the Conference .................................................................. 182.
• Utilization during the Conference ............................................................ 184.
• Utilization after the Conference ............................................................... 184.
• Recognition ............................................................................................. 184.
• Reviewed by Others ................................................................................ 185.
• Form .......................................................................................................... 186.
• Carried with the Participant ...................................................................... 187.
• Not Carried with the Participant ............................................................... 187.
• Combination ............................................................................................ 188.
• Organization ............................................................................................. 188.
• By Day and Time ..................................................................................... 189.
• By Topic ................................................................................................... 190.
• Type of Session ....................................................................................... 191.
• Resource People ...................................................................................... 194.
• Combination of the Above ........................................................................ 196.
• Cost ............................................................................................................... 196.
• Planning Sheets ............................................................................................ 199.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................. 203.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................. 203.
• Printers Say ............................................................................................. 204.

11. Conducting the Conference ............................................................ 205.

• Steering Committee ................................................................................. 205.
• Purposes ................................................................................................ 206.
• Organization ............................................................................................ 207.
• Operations .............................................................................................. 208.
• Opening the Conference .......................................................................... 211.
• Informal Openings ................................................................................... 211.
• Formal Opening ...................................................................................... 213.
• Religion ................................................................................................... 215.
• Messages and Communications .................................................................... 216.
• Secretariat .................................................................................................... 219.
• Public Relations ............................................................................................ 220.
• Resource People .......................................................................................... 223.
• Closing the Conference ................................................................................ 227.
• From the Suppliers' Viewpoint ................................................................. 229.
• Site Personnel Say ................................................................................. 229.
• Public Relations People Say ................................................................... 230.
• Local Telephone Personnel Say ............................................................. 230.

12. Linkage, Evaluation, and Follow-Up .............................................. 231.

• Linkage ..................................................................................................... 231.
• Sessions .................................................................................................. 232.
• Exercises ................................................................................................. 236.
• Evaluation ................................................................................................. 239.
• Purpose ................................................................................................... 240.
• Process of Evaluation ............................................................................. 240.
• Timing of Data Gathering ........................................................................ 243.
• Follow-up ................................................................................................. 244.
• The Past Conference ............................................................................... 244.
• The Next Conference ............................................................................... 246.

13. Some Other Interesting Books on Conferences ............................ 248.

Glossary ........................................................................................................ 251.

Index ............................................................................................................... 259.