Education/Event Planning

ESTABLISH THEME

Solicit program ideas from chapter members to ensure theme meets their needs and will be of interest to them

Who is the audience?

• Are you addressing generalists or specialists?
• How well versed is the audience on the subject matter? Advanced, intermediate, novice?
• Why are you holding the program?

What is the mission?

• To gain new members
• Warn corporate leaders of troubling new legal developments
• Offer practical compliance tips
• Provide a networking opportunity

DEVELOP PROGRAM

What session format best accomplishes the program mission?

• Lecture
• Panel discussion
• Break-out groups
• Workshop
• Role-play
• Discussion of hypotheticals
• What other activities/events should take place during the program?

CREATE A BUDGET

Be sure to include cost of promotion, audio/visual equipment, food & beverage, meeting space rental fees, signage, registration materials, faculty expenses

• Use estimates provided by potential hotels for average food & beverage expenses, space rental, and audio/visual costs

Forecast income on the conservative side and reflect the worst-case scenario in expenditures

FIND APPROPRIATE VENUE

• Utilize convention & visitors bureaus and the internet to identify all possible venues
• Provide potential venues with meeting specifications, which should include schedule of events, food & beverage requirements, audience size and room setup for each event, preferred pattern/dates

Conduct a site inspection

• Is the site easily accessible? Is parking/transportation convenient?
• Are meeting rooms appropriate for events/audience?
• Is space sufficient for a registration area, materials display table, coffee break setup, etc?

Sign a contract

• Negotiate for everything you can
• Ask for meeting room rental waiver
• If utilizing sleeping rooms, ask for upgrades at the group rate or complimentary rooms for staff
• See sample contract provided as a guide for clauses such as non-construction, attrition, cancellation, and arbitration

SECURE FACULTY

Who are the appropriate faculty members for this program? Are there recognized leaders on the subject matter who should be specifically targeted?

• In-house counsel
• Non-legal managers
• Outside counsel
• Consultants
• Government officials
• Academics
• Members of the judiciary
• Evaluate potential speakers

Ask the speaker the following questions:

• What are your credentials and background? (Do they meet my needs?)
• Have you addressed similar audiences?
• Will you provide written materials in support of your presentation? (If the program is CLE-approved, faculty must submit written materials to support their presentation)
• Prep speakers

Provide your speaker(s) with as much information as possible:

• Audience size and demographics
• Topic and length of presentation
• Session format
• Name and topics of those sharing the platform
• Deadlines for materials, etc.

PROMOTE EVENT

What to promote

• Big name speakers
• Discounted registration fees
• CLE accreditation
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Delivery Methods

• Mail
• Email
• Social Media Postings
• Website Event Pages

MEETING LOGISTICS

Food & Beverage

Order appropriate food for the event

• Finger foods for reception
• No heavy rich meals — tend to make people too tired to participate in program
• Chocolate is always a winner
• Always have vegetarian option available upon request

Decide between buffet vs. seated functions

• Generally little difference in price
• Which setup is most conducive to event? (i.e. If you have a speaker at an event, you should serve a seated meal to avoid people moving about during the presentation.)
• Provide your food orders along with room setups/assignments to your hotel contact. They will produce banquet event orders(BEOs) from your information

Registration

• Encourage pre-registration in promotional materials (by setting a registration deadline) in order to accurately project number of participants in advance
• Be sure hotel has sufficient space for a registration area
• Be prepared to accept registrations and make registration changes onsite
• Have materials to be distributed ready before registration begins

Supplies

Create a "show kit" and fill it with office supplies like:

• tape
• pens(all colors), markers, pencils, highlighters
• stapler, staples, staple remover
• paper clips, binder clips
• velcro
• scissors
• post-it notes, memo pads, paper
• Replenish your kit after every meeting so you are always prepared

Audio/Visual equipment

• Request presenters provide you with their A/V needs well in advance of the meeting
• Negotiate on price for larger items (i.e. LCD projector) if you will use more than 2 of them.
• Order A/V through the hotel at least one week before the event

ONSITE

Request a pre-con meeting

Meet with your hotel contact and other members of the hotel staff to review your food orders, A/V requirements, room sets, and special requests. Make changes to your orders and provide guarantees for your food functions at this time

• Keep a copy of your BEOs with you at all times to ensure the hotel does things as planned
• Plan for the best, expect the worst and things usually work out somewhere in the middle