11.5. Communication & Support

One of your main roles during a conference will be to provide support for the folks who are speaking at the event. There is no way to determine exactly what that involves as the needs of individuals are specific to that person, but it helps to be prepared with a list of possibilities.

Before the Event

Once your team has an agreement with the speakers, it is a good idea to make sure that they have a copy of anything that was signed. You should also work with them to make sure they have accommodations arranged and assist if needed to make those arrangements.

The team should determine the speaker’s audio-visual needs. Do they need a projector for slides? Are they going to bring their own microphone? Do they want items printed to hand to participants? Are there any other special requests that will enhance the experience of the speakers and/or the attendees?

Your team should provide the speaker with a copy of the conference schedule as far in advance as possible.

As a general rule – workshop leaders and panellist will make their own transportation arrangements to and from the conference. But sometimes, they may ask for recommendations regarding travel if they are not familiar with the city where the conference is being held. Sharing that information may fall on your to-do list.

It is worth considering taking the time to develop a Speaker Information Form template that is part of your Document Toolkit. You can customize it for each conference and use it as a tool to gather information from and share it with your speakers.

During the Event

While the conference is occurring, it is a good idea to check in with the speakers at least one day before they are scheduled to present. You will want to make sure that they are aware of the schedule and be prepared to answer any questions they might have. One person from the Conference Team should be selected as the speaker contact so that all speakers and special guests know who to reach out to for any concerns during the event.

On the day of their session, the Speaker Contact should ensure that all of the room requirements are taken care of and any other special requests (handouts were printed and placed in the proper room) are handled. It is common courtesy to ensure that there is water available near the front of the room should the speaker need it during their talk.

Another great idea to consider is having a Hospitality Room. This is a space in the conference center that is reserved for speakers, special guests, and the conference planning team to relax away from the crowds. If the budget allows, you could have catering arranged in this room so that speakers and guests do not have to arrange for their own snacks and meals. This room should be staffed at all hours and locked overnight to ensure that any items inside are secure.

After the Event

Once their speaking engagement is complete, showing appreciation for their time is key. How you show that appreciation is up to your Event Team. You could consider a group dinner with all the speakers, a swag bag with items donated by vendors, or a social media appreciation post.

It will be important to follow up with the speaker a short time after the event to gather their feedback. Remember when we discussed 360-degree evaluation in Chapter 7? Gathering feedback from the speakers/moderators is part of that process. Tailor the questions to their experience to ensure a response. Make sure to ask them if they’d be interested in returning in future years. You could even share feedback you received from attendees about their talk if you have collected it at the time.