When someone invites me to be the lecturer at their conference, they usually get a list of questions from me first. Questions that help me prepare myself for the lecture and to create the unique experience for the audience.
At first, these questions cause panic and fear among the organizers, but they soon realize these questions can help them prepare themselves better for the organization of the conference.
The question about the number and size of venues at a conference often carries much more importance than it may seem at first glance. Organizers often want to ensure flexibility and diversity for the audience, but this can have a significant impact on speakers and the quality of the presentations.
Why do I ask this?
When I ask how many venues or rooms will be used for the conference, I actually want to know the following:
- Will the presentations be held in one or more venues?
- Will presentations in different venues be held simultaneously?
- Will I need to give multiple presentations, each time in a different venue?
- Who will be presenting at the same time as me?
Why are these details important to me? Because it often happens that organizers, in order to offer as much choice as possible to the audience, prepare several parallel sessions in different venues or rooms. This allows attendees to choose the presentations that interest them the most, but it can also lead to chaos – attendees constantly moving between rooms or even buildings, losing focus from the presentations and continuously interrupting the flow of events.
If speakers know in advance how the sessions will be organized, they can prepare better. For example, if attendees are going to leave the venue before the end of a presentation to make it to the next one, it can distract the speaker and reduce the quality of the presentation. On the other hand, those who enter a few minutes after the start of the presentation miss the introduction, which often provides context for the later content.
My approach
When organizers invite me to a conference, I always want to know who will be presenting at the same time as me. Not only because there’s a fear that a “star” speaker will attract more people, but also because I often want to listen to a quality colleague. I have one colleague with whom I’ve been “joking” for a year now because we always present at the same time, just in neighboring rooms, so we can never listen to each other.
Also, it’s important for me to know in which venue my presentation will be held. If I end up on a large stage in front of a big audience, I have to prepare differently than for a smaller, more intimate room. Some speakers love big stages, while others prefer smaller rooms – these are all preferences that a quality organizer takes into account.
What if the organizer doesn’t know how many venues will be used?
If the organizer cannot answer this question, it may mean that the conference is not well-planned yet or that the organizer is not focused on the quality of the attendees’ education. Such conferences often emphasize networking more than education, which is not necessarily a bad thing – but it’s important for speakers to be aware of this. In such cases, speakers have to decide whether to accept the engagement, knowing that the audience may not be large, which can also affect the fee.
What do the best organizers do?
The best conferences I attend have all sessions in just one venue. Why? Because they want to provide all participants with the same quality of knowledge and allow them to discuss what they’ve heard during the breaks. This approach enables a better exchange of knowledge and a better atmosphere.
Of course, there may be an additional room for workshops, but if your focus is on learning, plan for all presentations to be in one venue. If you have a diverse audience – for example, managers and operatives – you can plan two strictly separate “tracks” of presentations. If your main goal is networking, then just plan great parties on the terrace and in the club – who needs a presentation room in that case? 🙂
Take a look at other questions for conference organizers, which help me prepare myself for the audience.
Also, if you want me to help you organize your event or to hire some great speakers, do no hesitate to contact me 🙂