11.4. Planning Sessions

You know where the event will be held, you have an idea of how many folks are going to be in attendance; you have the Keynote speaker’s contract signed, and folks have written proposals for sessions they would like to host and sent them in with their registration forms. This conference is starting to take shape!

How do you decide what kind of sessions to hold? What will engage the attendees and make them feel like they have their money’s worth?

Conference Session Types

There are four major types of sessions at an industry conference:

• Keynote – this is usually held at the beginning of the conference and is the only option for attendance at the time.
• Breakout sessions – these are smaller sessions where a presenter shares information about a specific topic in-depth. It is not usually interactive and is often occurring concurrently with several other sessions. Attendees choose one of the options to attend in a time frame. At most large conferences, the breakout sessions are offered more than once so that folks can attend several topics that interest them.
• Workshops – these sessions are better suited for smaller events where attendees are encouraged to engage in hands-on learning. This style offers the opportunity to engage with other attendees and the presenter.
• Panel Discussions – These are a great option for really large events where there just isn’t enough space or time for all of the breakout sessions that folks would like to attend. The panel give an opportunity for several folks to talk about a common topic and share their knowledge with many attendees. They are usually led by an informed moderator who can keep the conversation on topic.

Schedule Considerations

When planning the conference flow, especially if you have several days to consider, it is important to balance session length. For instance, rather than having one long session that lasts the entire morning, break it up into three (3) hour-long breakout sessions with five or six topics that are presented in each block. Attendees rotate between the sessions to see three different speakers. See below for a sample of what that might look like for a conference hosted by IAAP – International Association of Administrative Professionals: