There are considerable benefits in staging a regular company conference for your own staff.
If you want to refresh on why they are important, check out our recent blog ‘five fundamentals for your internal company conference’.
Ok, so you are at the stage where you are starting to plan for your first or next company conference.
What do you include? What content will provide your delegates ‘your staff’ with a valuable learning and developmental experience?
As leaders in delivering conferences with content, here are our seven tips for content to include in your next company conference.
1. Welcome from your company leader
This can be an invigorating way to set the scene for the conference ahead. Whoever leads your business, whether that is a CEO, Managing Director or General Manager, this is an opportunity for them to reinforce the vision and values of the company as well as the value of all the people in the company. As a scene-setter, your leader can introduce the topic or theme of the conference and the desired outcomes so everyone has a clear focus.
2. Guest speaker
Attaining the services of a guest speaker creates another way for the delegates to engage with the topic. You will need to do your research on appropriate experts in that subject matter and their suitability as engaging presenters. Attaining testimonials or references for the speaker and meeting with them in person would be good due diligence. Often you will find that a guest speaker comes with a fresh perspective on the topic to reinvigorate your audience.
3. Inclusive forum
We have all been to a conference where the content has predominantly been someone talking at you for hours on end which can make it very difficult to maintain concentration and absorb the material. So a good tip is to vary the format and include some participatory sessions. A purpose of company conferences is to involve your people in the future of the company, so plan some sessions to create discussion, feedback and ideas on the topic area.
4. Corporate training workshop
In our recent blog on internal company conferences, our Managing Director Dwain Richardson highlighted the opportunity to use these events for the professional development of staff. Whilst your team is together, it presents an ideal time to train groups of employees which in turn can bring cost efficiencies. Some corporate training workshops are great to not only develop the personal attributes of your team and leaders, but also how to structure and empower cohesive and high performing teams.
5. Team building exercise
Once again to provide some variety in your conference to keep your delegates energised and focused, it can be beneficial to incorporate team building activities. These can be designed to reinforce the theme of the conference and get your people communicating and interacting whilst also having fun. Team building is all about understanding, appreciating, maximising and developing the people you work with, and are great to boost team culture within the organisation.
6. Technology integration
Technology plays an important part of our work and personal lives, so why not harness this within your company conference. Integrating interactive technology is a great way to engage your people and provide some options in how they can contribute at the conference rather than just verbally. Live polling and electronic surveys are useful platforms to attain immediate feedback and results. Just remember to ensure all your people know how to use the platforms effectively.
7. Reinforce the conference theme
How do you keep the spirit alive after the conference? How does your team maintain the buzz and connection that was reinvigorated? A simple thing to do is provide some visual reminders of the conference that your delegates can take with them to their everyday workplace. It may be a framed photo or another themed gift. Also provide some additional learning or developmental resources that your staff can access back in the office. Some regular communication from your boss or HR department on a topic from the conference can also complement the results achieved.
These are seven simple tips for content to include in your next internal company conference. Applying each of these will provide focus for the conference, enhance engagement from your delegates and keep them energised and invigorated throughout.
Rachael Ziccone is Conference & Events Manager for Corporate Challenge Events – a specialist in delivering conferences with content in New Zealand and Australia.
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