How can I engage my conference audience?

When it comes to holding a conference it can often be time consuming and costly, so you want to make sure that you, your clients and your employees get the most out of the conference. The challenging question can often be – how do I get the most out of my conference? In reality, this can be a difficult question to answer but it all starts with going back to basics and asking a few simple questions:

• What is the desired outcome of my conference?
• What messages do I want to convey to my audience?
• Who is my target audience?
• What do I want the attendees to take away from this conference?
• Why am I holding this conference?

Once you have started to answer these questions then you are well on the way to making your conference targeted and successful. By having a clear idea of the outcomes of your conference you will be able to ensure that your audience are receptive right from the very start. 

What difference does my conference layout make?

When it comes to having a receptive audience it’s important that you capture the attention of your guests and ensure that they feel involved right from the very start – this involves going back to basics and looking at the layout of your conference venue. When it comes to the layout there are several different options that you might select, depending on your target audience:

• Small, boardroom style (circle) – if you are aiming to have a rather informal conference with only a small amount of people then you may elect to go for the traditional circular layout of your conference. In turn this can allow you to give off the intimate feel and allow you to easily integrate all participants
• Small, boardroom style (rectangle) – if you are considering a conference with a slightly more formal feel then you may opt for a longer boardroom layout which allows you to easily chair the conference 
• Medium, theatre style – tailored for around 20-50 clients, this style of layout allows you to directly address your clients while keeping them involved, a smaller room may help to keep the attention of your clients
• Large, theatre style – if you are holding a large conference then you may consider a stage and a theatre style approach, this allows your participants a clear view of your conference and allows for a more formal question and answer section at the end. 

Should I use any additional tools?

When it comes to holding the attention of your clients, pictures and videos can often work well alongside text. Even the most proficient speaker can become hard to follow after several hours and humans are very visual creatures – they react well to images and videos being displayed alongside your conference, it can also be a great way to break up your speech and to promote interaction with your audience.