Organising a large-scale conference requires managing many things such as logistics, securing a venue, and lining up speakers. It requires a skilled, adaptable and dedicated event team to ensure the conference runs smoothly and leaves a lasting positive impression on the delegates.
Building an event team involves careful planning, understanding the roles needed and matching the right skills to each position. Whether it is for registration, AV tech support or attendee engagement, each team member plays a crucial role.
Here’s our advice on how to build an event team for a large-scale conference:
Key Roles and Responsibilities
Before assembling the team, we would identify the roles and responsibilities needed to execute the conference. An event team for a large-scale conference would often require the following positions:
- Event Manager/Coordinator to oversee the entire event and ensure all departments are working together
- Logistics Manager to manage transportation and equipment
- Registration staff to handle delegate check-in, badges and information desks
- AV and Technical support to ensure all audio-visual equipment functions smoothly for presentations and workshops
- Marketing and Communications to manage on-site promotion, delegate communication and social media coverage
- Speaker liaisons responsible for communicating with speakers and ensuring they are prepared and punctual.
Sourcing the Event Staff
Large-scale conference events require a mix of skilled, experienced professionals and enthusiastic support staff.
If we were providing a client with staff for a large-scale conference, we would suggest that event managers, logistics coordinators and technical support staff are critical, and these individuals must have a proven track record in these roles.
We would also suggest event support staff for roles such as registration, delegate guidance and ushering. These staff would be highly motivated individuals with excellent communication skills.
Matching Skills To Each Role
When we source event staff for a large-scale conference, we match the right skill sets to each role to ensure a smooth-running event.
- Communication skills: Essential for registration staff, ushers and speaker liaison.
- Technical Aptitude: AV techs and IT support need a strong background in audio-visual systems and troubleshooting.
- Problem-solving Abilities: For roles like logistics lead or event manager.
- Organisational skills: Critical for the event coordinator.
Building a team with these strengths will ensure that each role is executed to its fullest potential and result in a well-organised and professional event.
Provide A Comprehensive Briefing
Before every event, we ensure that the event staff we provide to a client are briefed on the specific details and unique features of the conference. We cover:
- Event goals and objectives
- Event layout and schedule
- Customer Service standards expected
Encourage communication and collaboration with the team
When we provide staff for an event, we really encourage that they have an open line of communication, especially teams with overlapping responsibilities.
Establishing clear channels and routines helps maintain order, even in the busiest of moments. Items that help this are using real-time communication tools (e.g., event radios), daily briefings if the event is over several days to highlight any changes or challenges that might arise, and check-in periods where the team check-in throughout the day to provide updates or any issues.
Finally, when we build an event team for a large-scale conference, we evaluate the event with our client post-event. We conduct a debrief to assess the team performance and gather insights for future events. We gather feedback, analyse the outcomes and recognise any achievements by the team, acknowledging the hard work of the event staff.
We believe that by carrying out this de-brief, we can refine the process, improve the team structure and enhance the event staff for future conferences. With the right team in place, your large-scale conference can achieve its goals, impress delegates and reinforce your reputation as a successful event organiser.
If you would like to discuss your event staffing requirements for your next conference, please get in touch.