5 tips to encourage guests to attend your next conference

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One of the biggest challenges when hosting an event is ensuring you have enough guests attending to make the event worthwhile. Here are 5 tips that can help you to boost your numbers at your next conference, without the last minute ‘free-ticket’ scramble.

Consider the timing of your event

It’s important to do careful research when considering what time of year to hold your conference. To encourage guests to attend, ensure there are no other competing conferences, events or holidays that may draw your delegates away from attending.

To avoid conflicting events, the first step is to conduct some research looking for other conferences, awards ceremonies and gala dinners that may be of interest to the industry. Take note of when they are being held and when there are reasonable gaps.

Secondly, think about busy holiday periods, like summer when people are inclined to travel and also any holidays that are industry specific, for example bank holidays for those in finance or school holidays for educators. Steer clear of those.

Next, consider how long you want your event to run for. While you may have a lot of content to cover, it may not be practical to host a week-long affair. You will need to consider the cost of venue hire and how much time your potential delegates are likely to get off work.

Offer early bird pricing and reward last year’s attendees

If this is an event you have held previously, an easy way to encourage attendees to register is to offer a returning delegate discount. This is a good starting point to gauge early interest in your event.

You may also wish to offer discounts for colleagues working at the same company. For example, if two delegates from the same company register (at the same time), a third can come for free!

Alternatively, ‘early-bird’ pricing for keen attendees who register far in advance is another way to draw a baseline of expected numbers. If you get good takeup for your early bird pricing, either your discount is too good to refuse or your attendees believe you really have something exciting and important to share.

Invite a high profile speaker or entertainer to present

Whether it be a celebrity in the industry or an actual Hollywood celebrity, getting a notable person involved in your event is sure to boost event registrations as your attendees want the opportunity to see and meet this high-flyer.

Remember that high flyers may ask for payment to be involved in your event, so if you plan to go down this route, make sure you factor that in to your budget.

They may also only be available at certain dates or times, so either consider this when choosing a date to host your event or make sure that your agenda is flexible.

Use reputable suppliers for your catering, audiovisual and venue needs

Choosing well-known suppliers for all your event needs, demonstrates the professional calibre of your event.

Some suppliers work in-house, like AVPartners, so they have strong knowledge of the venue you have hired and will be well connected with staff. This means aspects around setup may be integrated, creating a more cohesive event. For example, if you are choosing to have a theme, the way the room is dressed and the lighting and sound utilised to reflect this theme will be in sync.

Having a strong understanding of the venue is particularly useful for audiovisual suppliers as they will know the quirks of lighting and sound inside your chosen venue. With strong venue knowledge, they can set your lighting at the appropriate height and sound at the appropriate level to achieve best results.

Likewise, if you have any type of query, it’s easier to be pointed towards the right staff member who can assist. Using seasoned suppliers also means you have strong support should something go wrong.

Promote your event using social media

Social media has the ability to reach far and wide very quickly. It’s easy to create a social media page advertising your event and have interested people share this and talk about it. People are far more likely to be interested in an event if their friends are attending.

It’s worthwhile encouraging attendees to get involved in a conversation on social media as a way to promote the event. Or better still, provide your attendees with a ‘sneak peek’ of what they can expect to see at the event. Perhaps a short video of a speaker or photos from a past event. This is a great way to create excitement around your event and it’s easy content for your attendees to share and hopefully entice others to register.

AVPartners are the in-house audiovisual specialists for a range of hotels and event venues across Australia. Contact us so we can assist you to boost your delegate numbers at your next conference.

How long does it take to plan an award ceremony?

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An awards ceremony is an exciting opportunity to showcase talent, success and achievements. Giving an award is a great way to recognise the hard work of an individual or team and illustrates the exceptional value the person or team has contributed to their field of expertise.

When planning and hosting an award ceremony, it’s important to know what type of awards are being given and whom you are giving them to. For example, hosting a graduation ceremony has different requirements to a ‘best in industry’ event.

Understanding the purpose of the event will help determine these elements, along with determining a timeline for planning. Here are our timeline tips to help you plan and host your awards ceremony:

6 months out

Set a budget

Setting a budget will help you to assess the feasibility of hosting an awards ceremony and can inform your organisation’s timeline as it impacts how much marketing you complete, and helps you understand ticket pricing and how many attendees you can invite and expect to attend.

You may need to set aside funds for catering, entertainment, an MC, marketing, venue hire, audiovisual hire, decorations and judges.

Choose a date and venue

Once you know what you can afford and how many people you hope to attend the event, you can choose a venue that suits you size and location requirements.

5 months out

Set an application form

Even potential graduates need to apply to receive their testamur. Decide on the categories for your award winners and what they need to showcase to win. How will they share that information with you? You may need to create a downloadable form for them to fill out and submit. Upload this form, and the criteria applicants will need to address, to your website or a dedicated event website and share it through your marketing channels. Getting the word out about the event will encourage people to submit an application and register to attend.

Make sure you include an application deadline that will give you enough time to decide on the winners. Usually 2-3 months before the event is recommended so you can receive and carefully review each application.

4 months out

Choose a judging panel

Choose a small number of well-known industry experts to judge the award applications. You can advertise their involvement in your event as a way to encourage award applications and event registrations.

3 months out

Select your audiovisual provider and catering menu

Now is the time to book in your audiovisual provider and any technological tools you will need on the day. Will you be choosing a theme? How would you like the room to be set up? The requirements for a sit down dinner vary greatly to a stand-up networking event with canapés.

Understanding the design of your event may determine what foods you serve. If you are hosting a sit-down awards dinner, then larger main meal dishes will be required. This will also determine the timing and flow of the event, for example, the number of awards announced between courses.

2 months out

Application deadline, reviewing of applications

This is where your judges get to work. It is important to consider if you will inform the winners ahead of time so they attend the event or leave this a surprise.

Invite key industry professionals

People use events to network and meet important industry professionals. You can boost the calibre of your event by inviting experts, important people like council members, education institutes, business investors, startups and key companies in the area.

1 month out

Confirm your venue and all your suppliers

Place your final orders for materials and staff you require.

Set your on-the-day runsheet.

Consider if you’d like your award winners to have time to give a speech? Will there be guest presenters? An on-the-day runsheet outlines what will happen and when, and is crucial for each of your staff, AV vendors, and venue staff to ensure a smooth running of the event. A runsheet typically includes a list of tasks and what time they are required to be completed by. It serves as a checklist and also keeps everyone on track.

Be aware that things may change over the next four weeks, so it’s important to keep this sheet up to date. Sharing the runsheet before the day of the event ensures all staff have time to familiarise themselves with what is required and gives them time to ask questions.

2 weeks out

Use your marketing channels to engage attendees and drive excitement leading up to the event. Consider sharing who has been shortlisted, notable event sponsors and who or what the entertainment for the night is. It may also help to share a biography of the MC and any key speakers to set the tone.

On the day

Start early and stick to your runsheet. Know the relevant staff to contact if you have any problems, but most of all, have fun!


An awards night is always full of anticipation and exciting memories; to make your next award ceremony truly memorable, contact AVPartners today.

How to hold an effective business meeting

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Meetings are a regular part of the day-to-day running of a business. They enable employees across the organisation to communicate with one another and get tasks done. Businesses should hold meetings because they are a great way to boost morale, develop work skills and communicate important messages. However, if conducted poorly, meetings can be a time waster.

To avoid a disappointing, unproductive meeting, here are a few tips for holding an effective meeting and some tips on what to avoid.

Set an agenda

Be prepared and set an agenda with topics to be discussed and estimate times for each section. Distribute the agenda ahead of time so participants can understand what will be covered and can prepare accordingly. Being clear on timing of the meeting means your participants can plan their day and will be more focused, rather than worrying about what else they need to tick off the to-do list for the day.

Consider taking your meeting to a new location

Gathering at the same meeting room table at the same time every week or month is a great way to introduce boredom and disengagement among the meeting attendees. To encourage employees to interact, think creatively, and have them engage in lively discussions, take the meeting beyond the meeting room. If you are hosting an annual meeting like an AGM or making a special announcement, consider holding the event in a hotel or offsite conference room. The change of scenery will keep your audience interested and encourage creativity.

Use technology

As the saying goes, ‘a picture is worth 1000 words’. Today, with the importance and ease of access to digital technologies, there is little excuse to not use technology to keep your audience engaged. Most people are used to seeing graphics, videos and music to support the words they hear. Incorporate audiovisuals when planning your meeting. Using projectors and Smart Board presentations that encourage interaction are a wonderful change from ‘death by PowerPoint’. Also incorporate time for questions. This shows you are connecting with your audience and can give the floor to the person asking the question, making them feel valued.

Avoid status updates from all departments

Unless there is something meaningful and important that will be relevant and interesting to everyone involved in the meeting, don’t give a ‘week in review’ from each department during the meeting. Unless there is a specific need for help, a request for more resources or the need to share critical information for a larger team discussion, leave it out.  

Don’t forget to follow up

Don’t assume that everyone remembers or took a note of what their allocated tasks were from the meeting. And don’t assume that everyone understood what you were implying or intending to say during the meeting. Have someone take minutes during the meeting, then send out a meeting summary as soon as possible after the meeting outlining the action items for each individual or team, including a due date and clarifying any points that may have been debated in the meeting. Also send this to people who were unavailable during the meeting as they will need to know what was discussed.


If you would like help to set up your next business meeting for success, contact AVPartners.

How long does it take to plan a seminar?

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Recently, we wrote about how to hold a successful seminar, but it’s also important to know how long it usually takes to organise a seminar. Whether you are planning to host a seminar for the first time, or you have held many before, it’s always handy to have a checklist and clear plan of what you need to achieve success.

So, what do you need to know to plan your seminar and how long will it take?

6 months prior to your seminar

Establish your goals for the seminar

  • What is the purpose of the seminar? Think about why you are running the event and what will the attendees get out of it.
  • How many people would you like to attend? You may wish to take into account the amount of people who may be interested to attend your event virtually. This is a great way to increase your numbers but means you need to consider technological requirements.
  • What profit would you like to make? This will affect how much you spend and how you set ticket pricing and sponsorship packages (if applicable). Look at budgets from previous years for advice.

Select a venue and date

  • Think about where your attendees will be coming from and choose a venue that is convenient and also within budget. Since you have set a goal of how many people you would like to attend, this may help narrow down your venue choices.
  • Speak with the venues about which dates they have available and choose what you think will be most appropriate.
  • If you plan to webcast your seminar, confirm the venue has wifi available and check the speed and quality to avoid dissatisfied virtual attendees.
  • Ask if the venue has preferred suppliers or in-house vendors for things like audiovisual (AV) and catering, and what the pricing structure and contractual agreements are with those companies.

3 months out

Research and select your speakers

Research is important to choose the right speaker, to give the right message at your seminar. Look into previous presentations your favourite speakers have given and contact them to see if they are available and willing to present.

Consider what you need to deliver to reflect your goals

Now you know when and where your event will be held, and what your seminar will discuss, you need to decide how this will be conveyed.

  • Consider the style of room setup. Will the seminar be highly interactive with ballroom roundtables or will it be presentation style where a classroom setup will suffice?
  • How long will setup and packdown take? Does the venue have certain requirements?
  • What are your AV needs? Will you need handheld microphones for questions? Will your speakers need lapel microphones? Will you need many big screens? Put a request in for the AV equipment you will need.
  • Draft the agenda. Think about the start and finish times, meal times and what times each of your speakers will be presenting, including how long they will speak. You can use your agenda, once finalised, to increase your marketing and promotional efforts via social media and printed materials.

Organise your website and promote your event

Now you have a clear topic in mind and a venue and date, you can start encouraging your target attendees to register to attend. If you have confirmed your speakers then you can use these as a promotional tool to encourage your attendees to register. Consider offering early-bird rates to secure those initially interested.

1 month out

  • Apply for any special permits.
  • Organise a menu with the caterers.
  • Start designing your signage for the event.
  • Organise an event runsheet for the day including what time your suppliers can enter the room and start setting up.
  • Organise your shipping arrangements for big materials that cannot be personally delivered to the venue.

2 weeks out

  • Confirm all external parties involved including AV, catering, decorations and speakers. Ensure each of these groups know what they need to bring on the day and see if they have any questions.
  • Confirm your shipping arrangements – know when and where your items will be picked up and dropped off.

The day before

Write a checklist and stick to it. Think about what you need to pack to bring to the event, like attendee badges, printed programs, writing materials and what you will need to setup and organise on the day. Make sure all relevant people have a copy of the event runsheet.

This timeline will help you organise your next seminar by providing a solid plan. AVPartners serve as the preferred in-house AV suppliers to a variety of venues across Australia and can assist with lighting, audiovisual requirements and event theming and styling. If you would like help with your next seminar, contact us today.

Don’t make these mistakes when planning your next event

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Planning and executing an event can be an exciting, yet very busy time. Most require months of preparation and strong plans in place to achieve the best outcome. However, from time to time even the most seasoned of event planners can face challenges.

So, what are some common event planning mistakes and how can you avoid or overcome them?

Poor communication

As an event planner, a key responsibility is to know what is going on across your internal team and external parties like suppliers and event speakers and attendees. However, if you don’t communicate clearly to each relevant group what you are expecting from them, then it’s likely that mistakes will be made as each member of your event delivery team will be unsure of their responsibilities.

The best way to overcome this challenge is to make a runsheet – this is a clear breakdown of what should be happening throughout the event and who will be completing each task. It must include times to start and finish certain tasks and should have the contact details of key members of the event delivery team so that each member of the team knows who to speak to if they have questions.

Lack of clear signage

Don’t have your event attendees running late for their favourite speakers or preferred sessions because they can’t find where a certain presentation is being given. The best way to overcome this challenge is to make sure each room is clearly signposted and there are clear directions to other spaces. Digital signage can assist with this as you can use one screen to give multiple directions and even feature moving maps, directing event attendees to main events like keynote speaker sessions or lunch.

Leaving equipment rental to the last minute

So you’ve organised the big ticket items like screens, projectors, lights and staging, but what about handheld microphones, lapel microphones and laser pointers? These are often requested by speakers. It’s tempting to only put in an order once you know what you require to avoid excess spending, but your AV suppliers will likely be working on many events at once and may not have excess inventory to accommodate your last minute requests. Plan in advance and order a few things, despite what your speakers may need, so you don’t miss out.

Not allowing enough time for setup

One of the biggest areas that event planners overlook is underestimating the amount of time it takes to set up their event. Event setups often take longer than anticipated as challenges generally will arise and you might have to make changes. The best way to avoid running out of time is to include setup time in your runsheet and always add more time for setup than you think you will need. It’s better to have excess time and be relaxed before your event starts than running around at the last minute. You must contact your suppliers at least 48 hours before the event to confirm what time they will be arriving and ask if they have any questions you can solve beforehand. Doing this can help to  speed up your setup on event day.

Forgetting to anticipate that problems will arise

Even the most seasoned of events organisers know problems will arise on the day. It’s Murphy’s Law! The best way to avoid this is to make contingency plans, anticipating what might go wrong. Make sure you have extra copies of programs, ensure a speaker has sent their presentation through ahead of time in case they leave their USB at home, give any materials you shipped a few extra days to arrive, check, double check and triple check how the technology works, order extra food and make a packing list. If you have a checklist of all the things you need, you will be less likely to leave anything behind.

Sometimes mistakes happen and this can be stressful. But if you are prepared, this can help lessen the blow and make your event appear smooth, professional, and seamless despite how you may be feeling inside. If you would like help with your next event, contact us today.

How to deliver engaging presentations at your next event

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Whether you’re delivering a keynote speech, running a seminar, or doing a panel discussion, it is likely that your top priority is to keep your audience engaged. Without an engaged audience, your messaging simply will not cut through. Luckily there are many ways to make your presentations more engaging.

In addition to using humour, the right body language, and practicing over and over in front of the mirror,  there are a few ways to ensure your presentations grab the attention of your audience and keep them engaged. Here are a few:

Be a storyteller

People engage with things that they can relate to. By telling stories instead of reciting reams of information you can communicate ideas in a personal way. Storytelling can help you connect with your audience on a human level. While storytelling is an effective technique for engaging audiences, it’s important to keep the story relevant to the event theme and purpose so that you can drive your message home.

Make sure the audio is perfect

There’s nothing worse than a speech that doesn’t fill the entire event room. Muffled and delayed audio are two of the biggest culprits in breaking an otherwise great presentation. Working with a professional AV team with state-of-the-art technology can really put your mind at ease leading up to and during your presentation.

Use second screen technology

Smartphones can sometimes be a distraction for people at events. So why not incorporate them into your presentation and make them work for you rather than against you? Second screen technology makes use of people’s smartphones to enhance what is being delivered on the primary event screen. It’s a great way to make your presentation interactive and encourage audiences to connect with your content.

Get the staging right

Styling and staging is what people will see surrounding you during your delivery. In other words it’s like the framing of your presentation. For this reason, the staging should support what your presentation is about. It should reflect the theme of the event and help enhance what you have to say. This can be achieved by installing branded posters, using eye-catching decorations or even positioning yourself strategically on the stage to grab the attention of your audience.

Light it up

If executed well, lighting can make a presentation lively and eye catching, but if it’s executed poorly, it can make it drab or even worse, distract from your presentation. Lighting should help, not hinder your presentation, so make sure the lighting isn’t reflecting in a way that will form a distraction from your delivery – like off the podium, jewellery that you’re wearing, or your glasses! If you’re looking to add that something special to your next event, gobos are one of the most striking, versatile yet affordable lighting options. A gobo is essentially a stencil cut out of glass or metal, that is then positioned between a spotlight and the area you want lit, creating a unique projected shape. A professional lighting team like AVPartners can bring your presentation to life through effective and professional audiovisual.

Be colour conscious

It’s important to consider how the use of colour can create varying experiences during your presentation. Blue for instance, can create a calm atmosphere and is said to promote clear thought, while red can stimulate the mind and promote action.

If you would like help setting up your next presentation for success, contact AVPartners.

How to make every event unique

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For event planners, it’s important to make each of your events unique in order to encourage re-attendance, make your events memorable and promote your event messaging. Here are a few ways you can make every event unique.

Use lighting strategically

Lighting can be used to set your colour scheme, create a certain mood, revitalise guests, bring your theme to life and draw attention to areas within your event space. When used strategically, lighting can breathe life into your event agenda and can impress your guests. To make your event unique through strategic lighting, it’s important to use state-of-the-art technology and work with a team of lighting experts.

Theme your event

Theming your events is one of the most obvious ways to create a unique experience for guests. A theme is an idea or concept behind your event which can be brought to life through your visual elements, invitations, agenda, marketing, dress code, food and entertainment. By promoting your theme through all aspects of your event, you can make each event experience feel unique for guests.

Prioritise your styling

Styling creates the look and feel of your event. Event styling incorporates furniture, decor, table layouts, props, audiovisual and digital elements. It is one of the most effective ways to set the atmosphere of your event. How would you like your guests to feel at your event? Your styling will help you facilitate a certain event experience to make the day unique.

Hire entertainment

Impressive entertainment can really set your event apart from the rest. By choosing entertainment based on your theme, you can make each event unique. Entertainment doesn’t need to be limited to a musical act. You might consider hiring comedians, puppeteers, magicians, dancers, trapeze artists, balloon artists or DJs.

Incorporate augmented or virtual reality

Augmented reality involves computer-generated interactive elements appearing in the real world, usually viewed through a smartphone, tablet or headset. Virtual reality is a computer-generated experience, most commonly created through the use of a headset, that makes the user feel like they are in a different world. Using technology to create an augmented or virtual reality experience can provide an opportunity to promote your event messaging and branding and can create an exciting and unique experience for your guests.

Work with AVPartners

Through unique styling and exceptional lighting, the AVPartners team can help you put on an event that will wow your guests. Unlike most audiovisual teams who work with different event spaces for each of their events, AVPartners are AV experts in their own venues. The team is able to utilise every aspect and capability of the event space and technology to bring your event to life.

If you would like help making your next event unique through styling and audiovisual production, contact AVPartners today.

To theme or not to theme? That is the event planning question!

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Planning an event? You might be considering whether or not to have a theme.

A theme is the idea or concept behind your event that can give the event structure. Having a theme can benefit an event in many ways, but it does come with a few drawbacks. So should your event be themed or themeless?

Benefits of having a theme

It can make your event memorable. A theme can make your event distinctive and memorable for guests. By selecting a theme that is unique and fully committing to it, you can wow your attendees and drive your event message home.

It can help steer your event planning. Having a theme in place can help dictate your event planning decisions. A theme can provide a rough guideline for your event so that you can streamline your planning process.

It can engage your guests. A theme creates a point of difference that will be compelling for your guests. Themed audiovisual elements or a themed dress code will help your guests be fully committed to your event and immersed in the event experience.

It can reinforce your event message. If chosen well, a theme can elevate your event message, help with your branding and make an impact on your guests. In order to enhance your event message, your theme should be chosen with your event objective in mind and at the forefront of your planning process.

The drawbacks of having a theme

It’s not always practical. Events like roundtables and seminars aren’t as well-suited to having a theme as Christmas parties and gala dinners. Information-focused events like these will have focus topics already, so having a theme could distract from the discussion topic at hand.

It can limit your choices. After selecting a theme, your event decisions will be driven by it. While this isn’t alway a problem (it can give you focus and clarity in the planning process), having a theme can make your event decisions more limited.

It might distract from your messaging. If executed well, a theme can help reinforce your event message and key takeaways, but if your theme doesn’t meld with your event objective, it can do the complete opposite. You’ll want your guests to remember your event for its message, not just the theme. So if you think a theme might distract from your message and branding, it’s better to go without.

If you choose to have a themeless event, you can still make an impact through unique styling and a branded colour scheme. Creative lighting and decorations can help deliver your branding and boost your event message.

If you choose to have a theme, you can promote it through your audiovisual elements, dress code, invitations, programs, marketing, decor, entertainment, food and music.  

Stuck for ideas? Here are a few themes that we have coordinated in the past: wild west, roaring 20s, the 80s, the 90s, pop star, masquerade, acrobatic and circus theme, chocolate fantasy, black and gold, global cuisine, the Olympics, and a jungle theme. While a theme should have a strong presence and be consistent across your event, it can be as flexible as you’d like it to be! If you would like help with your next event, contact us today.

How a destination conference can invigorate your guests

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Hosting a destination conference can create a memorable experience for your attendees. It can energise your guests and really drive your event messaging home. Here are a few reasons why a destination conference is a great option for your next event.

There are fewer distractions

Attending a destination conference means guests won’t have distractions from their daily routines like commuting to work, errands and chores. Instead, they will have a clear mind for taking in what your conference has to offer.

Guests are more dedicated

Guests attending a destination conference will have made a commitment to travel there. This extra level of commitment can translate to more engagement with your event program.

It can double as a holiday for your guests

The destination you choose can work as a big drawcard for people all across the country (and world) to attend your conference. Selecting a location that is a common holiday destination means guests can plan a vacation before or after your conference.

It’s more memorable

Being in a new setting can really make your event unique and memorable. Taking your guests away from their normal day-to-day routine and into a new location will create a new and exciting experience for them – and make your destination conference an event to remember.

It encourages a new audience to attend

If you’re hosting a conference that is open to the public, picking a destination away from your local area is a great way to encourage a wider audience to attend and tap into a new customer pool. Guests living near your chosen destination might be more likely to attend, as well as those from across the country (or world).

You can impress your guests

Choosing the right venue can really impress and rejuvenate your attendees. Choosing a venue with impressive styling, facilities and state-of-the-art technology can wow your guests and make your event memorable. AVPartners has venues all across Australia, providing expert audiovisual and styling for spectacular event experiences.

If you would like to host a destination conference, take a look at AVPartners’ venues or contact us today for more information.

How to hold a successful seminar

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So, you’d like to run a seminar. How can you make it a success?

If done effectively, holding a seminar can help you to build thought leadership and boost credibility for your brand. It can also increase brand awareness and attract more leads to your business. The more people who learn about your expertise and hear about your brand, the more chances you will have to engage new customers.

What is a seminar?

A seminar is a type of gathering that involves discussions and learnings on a chosen subject. It provides a great opportunity for like minded people to gather and build their knowledge on a particular topic of interest.

For brands, running a seminar can be an effective way to gather prospective customers or clients in the one room and share your expertise with them.

So how can you run a successful seminar?

Determine your purpose

When organising a seminar, the first thing you’ll want to establish is your purpose. Why are you holding the seminar? Is it to build thought leadership? Drive more people to your offering? Educate people about a particular topic pertaining to your brand and industry? Chances are your seminar will be able to achieve all of these things. You’ll just need to set your objectives from the get-go.

Select the right topic

The more interesting your topic is, the more likely it is that people will attend your seminar. An effective topic will explore a problem that members of your target audience have in relation to your industry or product. If your topic is too broad, there might be other seminars that you’ll have to compete with. If your topic is obscure, you’ll limit your potential audience pool.

Choose the right venue

Cost, size and location are the main things to think about when selecting a venue. A central location might be best to attract attendees. You’ll want to make sure that the space is big enough to seat all of your guests. It’s also important to consider proximity to public transport, accessibility for guests in wheelchairs, branding capabilities and technical infrastructure at the venue.

Select the right AV team

One of the most important components of a successful seminar is your AV. Without effective screen projection and sound, your seminar can easily fall flat. It’s important to select an AV team that is both professional and maintains the right technology and equipment to keep your mind at ease throughout the duration of your seminar. An AV team like AVPartners can help with ensuring your audiovisual setup is perfect on the day. They can also assist with live streaming your seminar or with styling to give your seminar a unique flair.

Make networking easy

Networking at professional events can sometimes be a little awkward for attendees. To make it easier for your guests, consider running some icebreaker games. This is a good way to encourage conversation amongst your attendees. It’s also a great way to break up your agenda and avoid information fatigue.

Spread the word

Once you’ve organised your topic, written your agenda and hired your AV team, you’ll want to get the word out. There are many ways to promote your seminar online. Some of the best ways are to create listings on event sites, create an event on Facebook or Eventbrite, engage the media or develop a landing page on your website with your event details and agenda.

If you would like help running your next seminar, AVPartners can help. Contact us today.