If you’re considering hosting a conference we can provide an initial assessment with a review of potential destinations, venues, accommodation, inbound travel and off-site requirements. We develop financial models based on worst-case, likely and best-case scenarios and identify any potential financial and contractual risks.

Initial steps

The first step we take as your conference managers will be to meet with the committee to conduct a review of information from past conferences and discuss areas to develop. This initial meeting can be via teleconference or in person. Following this meeting we will produce a detailed budget estimate and task timeline as a framework to take forward and build upon.

Venue selection & contracts

Conference Design has conducted conferences in all Australian capital cities and most regional centres throughout Australia and New Zealand. We have working relationships with all major hotel chains, convention, and exhibition centres, and conference venues.

We will manage negotiations with required venues, to ensure appropriate provisions are quoted, and contracted such as suitable room sizes, layouts, catering, access, Wi-Fi, and audio visual.

Accommodation

If accommodation is required for the physical element of a hybrid event, we will liaise with the committee to identify suitable hotels and arrange block bookings, so that a range of accommodation price points is available to your delegates.

Supplier management

Management of all elements of your conference is integral to our role as managers.  This includes liaison throughout the event from set-up through to pack-up with exhibitors, sponsors and event suppliers such as: audio-visual technicians and staging companies; venues; interpreters; catering and transport providers; security companies; photographers; videographers; and offsite venues.

Whether you are hosting a traditional face-to-face or virtual online event, your conference is a key opportunity to engage on a completely different level with your members. 

The content and other intellectual property developed is of significant value and represents a considerable return on investment before your conference begins and long after it has concluded.

Conference Design will capture, curate, update, and host your content which becomes valuable resource for your organisation and extends the reach of the conference to a global audience.

Our ability to engage with your delegates beyond an organisational role, gives our conferences a unique appeal throughout preparation and during the event.

On the lead-up, we are in regular communication with delegates via multiple channels, handling queries via email, phone or social media, processing registrations, issuing confirmation and tax invoices, accommodation bookings and destination information.

For the duration of a physical conference we offer a 24-hour presence, including the operation of a full registration desk, providing information, advice, directions, and troubleshooting. During an online event, we are managing the content delivery at every moment; providing support; time management; and direction.

The Conference Design staff your delegates deal with when registering will also be on the frontline, delivering service during your event.

By the time the conference comes around, we will know many of your delegates and almost certainly most of your presenters, if not by face, certainly by name and we take great pride in this personal approach.

Successful conference outcomes rely on credible, informative, relevant, engaging and challenging presentations and content. 

Your Conference Design team deliver complete abstract management from the distribution of the call for abstracts, author submission, review, acceptance, program development and online or print publication.

Our system handles the process and our team manages and supports each step throughout the conference presentation and beyond.

Conference Design provides the most current and innovative resources and online solutions to streamline the abstract submission and program development process.

We manage all ongoing program updates including the addition of links to speaker abstracts, biographies, and images, across all platforms – the conference website, app, and printed material – at no additional cost.

We are mindful that while technology plays a significant and increasing role in business, we continue put a strong emphasis on ‘picking up the phone’ to speak with clients, delegates, and speakers.  Our business ethos hinges on the fact that we provide a personal, friendly, authentic, and professional service to everyone we interact with.

In consultation with the committee, we develop a strategy to maximise attendance at your conference through evaluating past events, considering likely competition for your target audience, and reviewing the structure of your conference budget.

We then assess the costs and benefits of email and mail campaigns, web and print advertising, social media and promotional opportunities before implementing a measured and effective program of creative and innovative communication.

We take a fully transparent approach to the management of your conference finances.

The features of our booking and accounting systems are broad and allow us to provide accurate reporting to the committee and importantly, we regularly monitor registrations and income against budget estimates.

Together with your conference management team, your budget will be overseen by director and owner of Conference Design, Ben Thiessen and finance manager, Trish Yeomans. Ben has 30 years’ experience in managing not-for-profit meetings and Trish has been with us for 12 years, bringing 20 years’ financial management expertise to our team. Close monitoring of all expenditure will ensure your conference achieves a financial outcome within expected parameters.

Conference Design is at the forefront of the industry in terms of integrating technology into our conferences; we have the experience and platforms to deliver the planning, promotion, and production of your conference to world-class standards.

We use ‘EventsAIR’ which is regarded as the leading and most user-friendly event booking system.  The EventsAIR program features the ‘OnAIR’ platform which provides us with the ability to deliver your event online with ease.  The features available are broad: customised registration forms; online keynote and concurrent sessions; sponsor and exhibitor engagement opportunities; live Q&A; meeting hubs and speed networking forums; live and static poster sessions; pre-webinar marketing; speaker and delegate technical support; automatic session sign in for tracking participation; comprehensive attendance and financial reporting; smart phone app integration; and many more.

OnAIR works in conjunction with GoToWebinar, YouTube, Twilio, Vimeo and Zoom, to deliver a seamless online event.

Importantly, we have the in-house competency to discuss and evaluate with the organising committee, the costs, and benefits of different technologies. We have the skills to assess new and existing technologies against the goals for the conference and within the context of the budget.

We are mindful that while technology plays a significant and increasing role in business, we put a strong emphasis on ‘picking up the phone’ to speak with clients, delegates, speakers.  Our business ethos hinges on the fact that we provide a personal, friendly, authentic, and professional service to everyone we interact with.

Conference Design has years of experience designing, developing and hosting multi-functional conference web sites.

As a key engagement point for your conference audience, your website needs to engage and inform. Conference Design applies a continuous management program for your website to ensure appropriate, relevant and up-to-date content. 

Whilst a poorly executed web site will deter potential delegates, our well-planned web strategy will maximise attendees, reduce your expenses and be self-funding.

A well crafted conference app will put up-to-date, real time information at your delegate’s fingertips, enhancing their experience, increasing engagement and saving communication and printing costs.

We provide leading-edge app solutions, tailored especially for your event including populating content directly from your conference website. 

Across most industry sectors there is no better, or more effective method for engaging with key decision makers than through conference sponsorship and exhibition opportunities.

Whether in a face-to-face or virtual event context, Conference Design develops and manages all aspects of the sponsorship strategy for your conference: establishing sponsorship targets, creating packages that will engage the market, developing a sponsorship prospectus, sourcing new sponsors, negotiating partnerships, and working with confirmed sponsors and exhibition contractors.

We appreciate the enormous value in bringing together members and industry stakeholders at a time when it has never been more important to remain connected and engaged with community.

Physical conferences, online events or perhaps even a ‘hybrid’ of the two – whatever the format – these industry gatherings continue to be the most valuable opportunity for sharing, networking, learning and relating to one another.

The face-to-face business events we’re used to attending will still feature the social occasions we’ve come to know, albeit possibly with some physical distancing. 

Online events present a fresh opportunity to interact easily with one another in the ‘virtual’ online space. Speed networking forums, delegate meeting hubs and even live Q&A sessions for one-on-one conversations with presenters, are just some of the social elements we can incorporate in to your conference social program.

As a values-driven organisation, Conference Design are deeply committed to reducing the environmental impact of the conferences we help deliver. Sustainability is woven into every stage of our planning process, and we work closely with partners and venues that uphold strong environmental standards—without compromising the quality of the experience.

We encourage our clients to reflect on the necessity of printed materials and branded items, such as satchels. With well-designed apps and digital platforms, it’s entirely possible to create an engaging, accessible conference without relying on physical materials.

When printing is essential, we prioritise environmentally friendly options and coordinate the collection of items like lanyards and badge holders for reuse or recycling. We also collaborate with venues to ensure that single-use plastics—such as cutlery and bottled water—are eliminated wherever possible.

To support broader climate efforts, we also provide the option for attendees to add a carbon offset to their registration, contributing to meaningful environmental initiatives.

Together, we can create events that reflect our shared commitment to a more sustainable future.