Planning a seminar in the city centre

A central venue makes a seminar easy to reach, especially for guests who can leave the office for a few hours. The hard part is no longer the location; it is getting registered guests to turn up and keeping them engaged until the end.

Build an agenda people want to attend

Lead with the question your audience is asking, not with your company's story. Put your strongest speaker early and keep each session tight. An agenda with clear takeaways in the invitation gives people a reason to protect the time in their calendar.

Reduce no-shows

• Send a reminder a few days before and another on the morning.
• Include directions, the room name and the start time in every reminder.
• Offer a calendar invitation at registration.
• Tell guests what they will receive afterwards, such as slides or notes.

On the day

A smooth check-in sets the tone. Have badges ready, keep the registration desk staffed and start on time. Late starts punish the people who arrived early.

The practical points on turn-up are covered well in filling the room for a Suntec seminar, a planning guide that also covers follow-up after the event.