The Four Ps of Successful Conference Organising

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3 The Four Ps of Successful Conference Organising With world class infrastructure, famous tourist attractions and a competitive exchange rate, South Africa is set to continue its climb up the ladder of top international long-haul destinations. Add to that the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism s ambitious goal of attracting 15 million international arrivals by 2020 many of which will be business travellers and local conference organisers are faced with a golden opportunity. However, in order to capitalise, conference organisers will have to ensure they deliver a world-class conference experience from inception through to execution or risk losing valuable return business to its long-haul competitors such as Australia and Singapore. Keith Burton and Kristen Tremeer of African Agenda, a leading South African professional conference organiser (PCO) and the only sub-saharan member of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), have extensive experience in delivering world-class conference experiences to speakers and delegates from all over the world. They share some of their hard-won insight into the essential elements of a properly planned, perfectly executed and profitable conference. According to Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, South Africa has secured more than 200 international conferences scheduled to take place over the next five years, attracting delegates and providing a massive cash injection of R1.6 billion into our economy. When foreign investment of this magnitude is at stake, competition between countries for share of the international conference market becomes fierce and the margin for error small. Maintaining the very highest global standards is critically important to not only secure but grow South Africa s share of the global market, explains Burton, who heads up African Agenda. We have identified four key elements to successful conference organising the Four Ps, as we call them and we apply these rigorously to every conference in our care, adds Tremeer, a director of the company who has worked with Burton for close to a decade. To ensure a great conference experience for hosts, delegates and speakers, consider the following four points as your guideline, she adds. Preparation Advance planning and preparation is the key to success, states Burton. By having a detailed timeline and applying critical path analysis to your project plan, you can avoid bottlenecks in the implementation process and ensure the entire team understands their respective roles within the larger context of the overall conference. For Burton, proper preparation has been the most important aspect of his company s success. It extends beyond the planning team though. You need to ensure that delegates and speakers receive effective pre-conference communication and information so that they know what to expect and can also plan well in advance.

4 He says the ultimate aim is to achieve a smooth transition from the pre-conference phase to the actual conference. We know we are getting it right when we get feedback such as Speaking at this event was a breeze I knew exactly what to expect and everything was as I d been advised beforehand and The pre-conference communication was well-written and useful. The purpose of planning properly is to reduce the amount of stress for all parties involved from the organising team to the delegates to the speakers, Burton explains. Positioning Tremeer s specialty lies in ensuring brand consistency throughout the conference experience. She relies on her strict style enforcement to ensure all outgoing communication achieves the communication objectives that she determines in consultation with the client at the start of the planning process. You have to understand that the conference is a product that has its own identity, she explains. Consistency is crucial: the conference website, newsletter, printed collateral, PR it all needs to fit with the broader communication strategy. Supporting proper positioning with a strong marketing drive ensures that participants understand the purpose of the conference well in advance. It s important that the conference experience delivers to the needs of the hosts and delegates. The hosts may be aiming for profile-building or fundraising, while delegates could be attending to educate themselves, earn Continuing Professional Education points, or network with their peers. Knowing what all the parties involved want to achieve enables you as organiser to position the conference appropriately and makes for a successful experience for the hosts and delegates alike. Programme According to Tremeer, the conference programme is the key to ensuring every delegate gets what he or she wants from the event. Everybody attending a conference has his or her own varied, divergent objectives. The conference programme is the key to meeting as many of these objectives as possible. A critical role of conference organisers is determining what information must be imparted, what the proper format is and how to best deliver the knowledge to delegates. What works for a 60 year old is quite different to what works for a 30 year old, so you need to be very familiar with the needs of your audience. Once the programme has been determined, it s critical that it is implemented with minimum fuss a speaker that is stressed or faced with last-minute surprises will not deliver to the best of their abilities. There s another P that is important here Professionalism, says Tremeer. Getting the best out of your speakers means treating them with respect. The speakers are often the VIPs and must be treated as such and if there are any protocol issues, they must be dealt with respectfully and patiently. Price & Profit One of the key factors that has led to African Agenda s success over the years is Burton s ability to understand the concept of profitability and ensure that the conference moves in this direction. This may mean different things to different clients. Profit to an association could mean maximum attendance, increased membership and an enhanced profile in the media. It may even be financial, but that in itself doesn t always mean the same thing it

5 could simply be that the conference doesn t run at a loss. Whatever the objective is, it s important that it is made clear early on and that it becomes the primary guiding element throughout the planning and implementation process, explains Burton. He adds that profit extends beyond the conference itself, to factors such as an enhanced profile for the organising committee, the chair of the conference or the host organisation or destination. Professorship or tenure can also be fast-tracked through high-level involvement in a conference, so in academic circles the concept of profit takes a completely different form. Conferences represent an opportunity for the host city or town to receive an economic boost, with increased revenue and tourist numbers being the profit of hosting the event. Conference organisers need to be very clear about what profit represents for each conference in order to deliver to the objectives of the client, says Burton. Each conference may be unique, but the rules that guide the successful planning of conferences are universal and can be applied by any organiser. By making these four elements the centre of your planning and implementation process, you lower the risk of making costly mistakes and help ensure that every person attending the event has a valuable, memorable and positive experience, Burton finishes. About African Agenda African Agenda is a leading professional conference organiser that specialises in planning and hosting national and international conferences. With more than ten years' experience, African Agenda can put its considerable skill and expertise into action and find innovative solutions to ensure the success of any conference, meeting or event. African Agenda is the only member of IAPCO in sub-saharan Africa and the preferred partner for any international associations wishing to hold conferences anywhere on the African continent. About Keith Burton Keith Burton is the Managing Director of African Agenda, a privately-owned professional conference management firm that specialises in planning and hosting national and international conferences for local and international associations, societies and corporations. Burton graduated with a business degree from the University of Cape Town and started his career in financial management in the business world and then project management in the construction industry. In 2000, Burton embarked on his career in the conference industry. Driven by his astute business savvy and entrepreneurial flair, he established African Agenda shortly thereafter in As the head of African Agenda, Burton manages a team of 10 and aligns their skillsets to the company s numerous projects. His superior financial and project management skills deliver efficient budgeting and financial management and ensure best possible outcomes for the company s clients. An inherent service focus, high ethical standards and a focus on relationships have resulted in excellent supplier relationships, strong buying power and a highly credible Level 2 BBBEE certification. Under Burton s stewardship, the company has become the only Sub-Saharan member of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), an association that

6 demands an arduous application process and holds its members to the highest standards of professionalism. Burton is a regular speaker at industry events and contributor to industry publications, recognised as a thought leader in sustainability, technology and conference format. He has served on the board of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), was responsible for the organisation of the association s own conference in 2007 and is currently serving on the programme advisory panel for the 2013 conference. His attention to detail, excellent management, project management skills and leadership ability are without peer in the Southern African conference sector and these have played no small role in the establishment of African Agenda as one of the leading and most respected conference organisers on the continent. Burton is married to Belinda with two children Cassidy, aged nine, and Jordan, aged six. In his spare time Keith enjoys mountain biking, K2 paddling, water-skiing, tennis and is a part time pig, Protea and chicken farmer. About Kristen Tremeer US-born Kristen Tremeer is a director of African Agenda, a leading professional conference management firm that specialises in planning and hosting national and international conferences. Tremeer completed a Bachelor s Degree in Political Science at the University of Colorado before heading to South Africa. After completing a Master s Degree in International Studies at Stellenbosch University in 2002, Tremeer made a transition to the conference industry. In 2004, she joined African Agenda and now handles the vital aspect of speaker engagement and liaison, working hand-in-hand with conference speakers to help ensure that conferences organised by African Agenda have compelling content and showcase the unique knowledge and experience of each speaker. Tremeer has a particular talent for ensuring brand consistency throughout the conference experience, and her strict style enforcement ensures that every piece of conference-related communication is well-written, concise and consistent with the overall communication objectives and brand of the conference. She also ensures all speakers and VIPs are treated with the care and attention that their senior positions demand, and takes responsibility for the post-conference analysis and comprehensive report-writing that shows African Agenda s clients how the company delivered on their key objectives. She has benefitted from the educational offerings of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), of which African Agenda is the only sub-saharan member. The association demands an arduous application process and holds its members to the highest standards of professionalism, and offers on-going educational support to ensure its members are at the forefront of conference planning. She is married to husband Shane and they have a one and a half year-old son, Will. Today, Tremeer calls Cape Town home, but when she has a spare moment she still enjoys keeping

7 up with the excitement and drama of US politics. She also loves walking with her son on the Sea Point Promenade, and exploring her creativity in the kitchen.