Saturday, December 1, 2012

Thinking about preparing a conference abroad?

By Lawana Lat


Putting on the perfect conference in Cyprus

It's a truism that preparation is the key to any organised event being a success, so when you're putting something together you should always start early. Sorting things out well in advance means that you'll be ready to deal with anything that may pop up to hamper your progress, whether it's a minor or major bump in the road. This is especially important if you're organising something abroad where you have to put your trust in the skills of people on the scene while you co-ordinate everything from afar.

The added stress of holding an event abroad

Imagine you were responsible for putting together a large conference somewhere in Europe; there needs to be excellent transport links to ensure that your venue can be reached from many destinations. Somewhere like Cyprus is ideal, thanks to its central location as well as temperate climate throughout the year that will make your conference feel less like work and more like a proper getaway. But how on earth do you make sure that everything is going to go as planned when you're only going to be onsite a day or two before the event begins?

To put your mind at ease, you should first choose a venue that is experienced in dealing with big conferences. You'll be much more relaxed when you know that the hotel regularly holds major events and can expertly deal with any minor (or major) issues that may pop up along the way; often there will be a single point of contact for you to work alongside who can deal with the venue staff on your behalf. You can make sure that things are going smoothly while they sort out any requests that you might have to make your event the best it can be.

Professional assistance from Day One

In the early days of planning your event, working with a hotel means that organising accommodation for your guests couldn't be simpler, and the venue will also be able to sort out meals and entertainment in the evenings with a truly Cypriot style; ask for recommendations for local restaurants and tavernas too as some people will want to explore their surroundings. As the event approaches, things such as room layouts and break times should be finalised; don't be worried about asking for things like last minute copies of handouts to be made up for you - there will be staff on hand there to help you. When you know that the small stuff has been covered, the bigger picture will pretty much take care of itself.

Once final thing to remember is that you're not doing the whole thing on your own; the conference venue's staff are there to help you however they can. They are professional people who have plenty of experience in getting these types of events to run smoothly, so trust their judgement and skills. Perhaps next time you'll get to enjoy the conference from the other side and leave the organisation to someone else, but for now just plan well ahead and everything is sure to be fine.




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