Planning Conventions
What goes into planning a convention? What are the factors that are considered in the planning – venue, budget, accessibility or accommodation? MICEtalk delves further into the process of organising conventions, with industry experts, to find out more.
Choosing a venue is of utmost importance
An important factor in planning a convention within India is - choosing an appropriate convention venue. The venue should be selected considering factors such as its accessibility or its capacity to accommodate the expected number of delegates for the convention. The theme of the conference also plays an important role in finalising the host city. If the convention is related to the Central Govt. or Ministries, Delhi will be the ideal city to host the convention. Similarly, Mumbai will be ideal for hosting financial theme based conventions and Bengaluru for IT-based conventions. We also take utmost care in choosing accommodation for the delegates. Hotels in proximity to the convention venue are preferred, in cases, where the convention venue is not the hotel itself. If the convention venue is a hotel, then we take into consideration, nearby hotels of all categories- 5-star, 4-star, 3-star and budget hotels, to cater to the requirements of all delegates. Other important factors include budget, manpower management, venue management and setup, good quality audio-visual equipment, planning transfer and shuttle routes and frequencies, food and beverage selection, requirement of interpreters, local sightseeing attractions and pre and post-tours to attract participation. For overseas conventions also, choosing a venue is of utmost importance. We shortlist venues on the basis of number of delegates attending the convention and finalise on the basis of accessibility to the airport and the city centre and the availability of Indian food. Countries which have an easy visa application process, such as Thailand, Hong Kong, UAE, get an edge over other countries for being selected as the convention venue.
Accessibility for global and local delegates plays a decisive role
Convenience of access to global and domestic delegates; location fitment in line with stature; availability of a 360-degree experience in inculcating not only formal sessions but also informal networking catch-ups and leisure events; and ease of transport between sub-locations are some of the primary factors which need to be considered when planning a convention. Apart from these, there are other factors too - such as the implications of foreign exchange fluctuations, availability of transparent and top-class vendor partners, competitive perception for the location, etc. which play a decisive role when planning a large event.