New Zealand

5 Best Tips for Making the Most Out of Industry Conferences

by Richard May 24, 2024

Introduction

If you have corporate industry conferences coming up on your company calendar, you need to remember these 5 helpful tips to make sure that you are getting the most out of the investment your company has made in employee development and networking through these conferences.

1. Make sure you are signing your employees up to the right conferences.

Let's be honest, conferences are increasingly becoming a sales and marketing venue aside from it being officially a learning and development endeavour.

Because of this some conferences have focused more and more on getting sponsors and exhibitors. If your goal is to find better software and outsourced services, these conferences are a great way to accomplish that. But if your objectives are to learn about the latest processes, pick up new skills and insights, and attend intensive workshops, you might want to be more critical of the conferences you are signing up for. Delegate fees are no joke and organising corporate transportation and accommodation should be a beneficial investment for the company, not a bad expense.

2. Ensure complete payment and conference rules and guidelines compliance.

After deciding on attending your chosen conferences, submit the required forms and documents to reserve your seats and/or booths at the conference. Pay all the fees required to guarantee your attendance and the set up accommodation by the event organiser. Being punctual and compliant can give you advantages as attendees. In many conferences, early bird freebies and discounts are given.

Remind the delegates about dress codes, know where the mini bus or corporate transportation coach arrivals are allowed to park, make sure you obtain all conference ID's on the first day for the delegates, and take note of prohibitions within the event. You don't want your company to be tagged as “unethical” or “tactless” just because you violated a rule or two in place.

3. Purposefully plan every delegate's schedule around the conference calendar.

As much as it's socially comfortable to stick with your office mates around the conference venue, it is important to squeeze as much juice out of the event by sending your employees to socials, workshops, talks, and seminars that will benefit their specific role in your company. For example, your head of sales can surely attend a talk about the newest AI product, but it may actually benefit your company more if she goes to that wine tasting event scheduled in the same time slot which your next big target customer is coincidentally sponsoring.

You can send each of your company's delegates a list of customised must-attend events, and if they still have energy and time, they can add more events (that pique their personal interest) to attend in the hotel.

4. Set objectives, expectations, and goal figures with your delegates.

Do you need your team to obtain at least 30 high-quality leads from the conference? Or do you need your members to gain new skills and learn about new studies and industry findings? Do you need new certifications for some of your team members? Do you need the sales team to schedule meetings and secure pitch opportunities?

Discuss conference objectives and set targets for your delegates to work towards. It;s easy to get carried away by the social and creative aspects of conferences so it's crucial for you to be aligned with delegate employees so they stay focused and productive while learning, networking, and enjoying themselves.

5. Iron out corporate transportation and accommodation details early.

Don't wait until the last minute before you book your bus hire or reserve your hotel rooms. Most of the time hotels that host conferences offer sweet corporate deals to attending companies. Take advantage of these opportunities so you can save costs, and help your employees be efficient as they would need less time walking to the conference events. Bus hire Auckland companies will surely start getting fully booked because of increased group arrivals needing corporate transportation service in the city. Secure a coach hire from the best corporate transportation provider, The Coach Company NZ, well ahead of time.

Get the most people out of your industry conferences by being well-prepared. Reserving safe, reliable, and comfortable corporate transportation services from The Coach Company NZ will guarantee that your team can transport around the city and be on time for any conference activity. Check out our affordable and well-maintained vehicles for hire and book early to secure your dates. Reserve your van, bus, or coach hire with us and look forward to a productive and memorable conference. Browse through our fleet and services and message us for your corporate transportation needs.