Innovative strategies for successful international conference management

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Forward-thinking associations that want to engage their community, drive value, and further their missions must strike a balance between high-quality content and revenue generation in any conferences they hold. This is always a demanding task, and it’s made even more challenging for an international conference planner operating on the global stage.

As such, there’s a whole extra layer of complexity, as the need to engage attendees and create income streams is compounded by having to navigate different time zones and language barriers and overcome logistical hurdles.

So, what is it that goes into events like the 29th IAPD Congress in 2023 that makes them so successful? As you’ll find out as we move through this article, effective international conference management is about careful planning, innovation and making full use of all available resources. With the right approach, you can ensure that your events are profitable, impactful and well-attended.

Understanding association-specific conference needs

One of the fundaments of fruitful international conference management is a complete understanding of why your organisation is holding an event in the first place. While membership numbers matter to associations, there’s a much greater need to prioritise non-dues revenue generation via a variety of different avenues, like:

Ticket sales/registration fees (Including VIP or early bird pricing).
Sponsorship packages through tiered packages & other exposure opportunities.
The sale of exhibitor booths to vendors & partners.
Paid workshops, training sessions or certification courses.
Selling ad space in programmes, apps, or digital platforms.
The selling of branded merchandise, books, or conference materials.
Monetising recorded sessions, live streams, or exclusive online content.

Once you have set your conference goals, the content you’re going to offer and the ways in which you’re going to improve your ROI, you can get started on carefully planning out every aspect. Keep in mind that there are many different technologies available that can aid in international conference planning.

Innovating with digital tools & technologies

While the role of an international conference planner requires a lot of focus and great organisation, there’s a wide range of digital tools and other technologies on offer to increase efficiency and deliver a captivating, memorable conference experience. Let’s take a look at a few of the ways they can help you innovate.

Virtual & hybrid event platforms

A great way to boost the accessibility of global conferences and ensure you get as many people involved as possible is to leverage virtual and hybrid event technologies. As shown by the MCI team at the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA) National Conference, a blend of on-site and virtual programs can be used to deliver engagement content to attendees, no matter where they might be in the world.

Virtual reality (VR) & augmented reality (AR)

Associations organising international conferences need to embrace cutting-edge tools to enhance attendee engagement and streamline event management. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two technologies that can significantly elevate the conference experience, not just for exhibitors but for all participants, including attendees and organisers.

For instance, VR could be used to create dynamic virtual networking lounges or to host interactive keynote sessions, allowing participants from different regions to engage with content in real time without needing to travel.

AR, on the other hand, offers the power to transform physical event space by overlaying digital information onto the real world. Participants can use AR to navigate large conference venues more efficiently, interact with digital content via their smartphones, or even access real-time translation services: an essential tool for international attendees with diverse language backgrounds.

AI-Powered personalisation

It can be challenging to offer an experience at an international conference that could be described as ‘personalised’ and that creates a lasting emotional connection with attendees.

At this kind of international gathering, attendees will come from diverse cultural backgrounds, meaning they also have varying expectations and preferences. Meeting the needs of everyone with limited resources and time can be difficult.

However, artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to not only overcome language barriers but also make zone-based recommendations that are aligned with their interests and backgrounds. It makes it possible to make each experience ‘speak’ to each individual.

Mobile event apps

Memorable, seamless attendee experiences can also be supported using mobile event apps and platforms like our OneSystem Plus. This platform can make international conferences - i.e. events that feature people with diverse backgrounds - go more smoothly by providing localised schedules, personalised itineraries, data analytics, networking opportunities and much more.

Also made possible via our platform are features such as:

Real-time translation of presentations, conversations and documents to bridge any language barriers that exist.
On-demand content access for recorded sessions and other conference materials to accommodate attendees in different time zones.
Interactive polling and Q&A that allows direct engagement with live audiences
Customisable event branding to tailor the platform to their association

Gamification

The best conferences around the world are those that generate high levels of interaction and engagement. To achieve this end, an international conference planner can make use of gamification to take engagement levels off the chart, both during and post-event.

By introducing elements like leaderboards, scavenger hunts, and reward systems, it’s possible to boost participation and encourage networking through competition, allowing attendees to make better connections with those around them and break down any communication barriers that might exist.

Live polling & real-time feedback

To further enhance the excitement surrounding everything offered at an event like this, an international conference planner could employ live polling and real-time feedback. This allows those at your conference to share feedback and vote on the topics of the day in real time. It’s a great way to generate lively discussion while making every attendee feel heard.

Leveraging local expertise

What also shouldn’t be overlooked when holding international conferences is the wisdom of leveraging local expertise. Not only do on-the-ground teams who speak the local language help to ensure clear communication, but the knowledge they possess can help in the navigation of complex VAT and tax recovery processes - saving organisations time and money.

Also, local teams are able to build strong relationships with local suppliers meaning that international conferences have access to the best quality produce at the best prices, as well as the best deals on venues and associated services.

Enhancing the experience for international delegates

In order to leave a lasting positive experience on the international delegates at your conferences, you have to think about things through their eyes. Cultural sensitivity plays a central role and the content, activities and communication style should be tailored to appeal to a diverse range of attendees.

This means that when planning aspects like catering, networking formats and language support, the facilities you put into place must be culturally appropriate so that everyone feels connected.

For example, catering isn’t just about offering varied meal options. It’s about ensuring that food choices reflect cultural preferences, signalling that the needs of all attendees are understood. Also, when it comes to networking, some might a structured, formal format, whereas others might value more spontaneous, informal interactions.

An approach that takes the needs of everyone into account provides common ground that allows meaningful interactions to occur.

Ensuring continuity post-event

After holding a genuinely captivating conference, it’s important not to simply allow all the excitement and discussions generated to dissipate as attendees return to their home cities and countries. Effective international conference management should ensure that post-event content is available on-demand and with multi-lingual support. Also, the follow-up messaging must be culturally sensitive to hit its mark.

In order to maintain momentum and engagement after an international conference, it helps to share multi-lingual recordings of keynotes and region-specific takeaways via social media posts and email newsletters.

MCI - Years of expertise in successful conference planning

If you want to succeed in international conference management, you need to adopt an approach that balances detailed strategic planning with the adoption of technology and a laser focus on offering member value. By also understanding your fundamental goals and offering post-event content to augment the experience, you create the conditions for a truly memorable conference.

At MCI, we have years of experience in successful conference planning and we have global teams on the ground with local language expertise, VAT/tax recovery solutions and strong partnerships with local suppliers. So, if you need assistance in this area, we can help you put on international events that hit every mark.

To find out more about our work in this area, we suggest you take a look around our website where you’ll find our full range of engagement services and many case studies that demonstrate our excellent track record. Alternatively, to speak with our team about how we can help you, just enter your details into our contact form, and we’ll respond presently.

MCI Content Team

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