One of the best ways to make your conference a success is to give it a theme. This gives your event a clear focus, and this will make everything fall into place more easily, from the key speeches to the visual decor. Here are some steps to follow to help you choose the most inspiring theme for your conference.
Make it tangible and concise
All too often, businesses choose wordy and abstract titles for their conferences, which don’t really mean that much when you boil them down to their core essence. These kind of vague themes will fail to attract attention and keep an audience engaged. Try and stick to a concrete idea that is easy to relate to.
Identify your target audience
Your theme needs to resonate with your audience, so find out in advance who the main body of attendees will be. Are they senior or more junior employees, what are their specialisms, and what is their average level of experience in the industry? What age group and cultural background do the majority of your attendees fit into?
Tailor your content to be inclusive, relevant and interesting to your audience, rather than to impose an arbitrary topic on them.
Make it motivational or celebratory
If the event is an annual conference, a motivational theme around stronger teamwork or embracing new technology might be a good starting point. Alternatively, celebrate the company successes over the previous year, and outline how it plans to keep the momentum going over the next 12 months.
Relate it to current industry trends
If you are having difficulty finding a suitable theme, research the latest trends and innovations in your industry and find a way of relating it to your particular niche. How is your business going to embrace change and retain its competitive edge in the coming year?
Build in some audience interaction
Plan some smaller group sessions where the attendees can interact with each other and work towards a common goal. This helps to add variety to the day and keeps the audience fresh and interested in the proceedings. Even a communal break out area where attendees can get a coffee and chat informally can make the event more inclusive.
Book some keynote speakers
A good keynote speaker can really bring a conference to life. Take some time to research potential candidates to gauge how much expertise they have in the field, and if they will be able to speak with authority on the chosen subjects. Knowledge and experience should take precedence over a famous name.
Having said that, it is important that the keynote speaker has a strong stage presence, is able to connect with an audience and has a professional delivery. Check out their online profiles to view clips of their previous engagements to assess how good a fit they are for your event.
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