TECHNOLOGY SERVICES FOR CONFERENCE ORGANISERS

At first we should describe what a conference is, but if you are wondering what it takes to organise one, any definition will do. Instead, let us try to reveal a few tricks of the trade.

“We have been working in the conference world since 1980, but in truth the experience of the founder Tecnoconference, my father, dates back to the 1960s, back at the dawn of the national meetings industry. Since then, we have followed the most important institutional events that have taken place in Italy, from party meetings, to the great world-wide medical association congresses, to institutional conferences of international scope. Today, three years after the pandemic, we can say that we have gained solid experience and expertise also in the management of virtual and hybrid events, increasing our reach across our 3 offices in Milan, Rome and Florence and our subsidiary and combined business units in the creation of successful events”.

Lisa Grotti – Ceo | Tecnoconference

Yes, congresses and conventions are generally used as synonyms to describe events that bring people together to discuss, present or share information on a specific topic or sector.

However, experts use the term ‘congress’ to describe large events that last several days, with a structured programme and repeated over the years.

While the term ‘conference’ is used to describe smaller, time-limited events, often dedicated to a single topic.

The conference, on the other hand, has as a specific feature that of a ‘speech‘ or ‘single intervention‘. In the world of business and education, the term ‘conference’ is probably the most commonly used to describe events that focus on a single topic and usually last a few hours. Often the conference is an element of the programme of a convention or congress.

In the world of events, English words are widely used. Often the term ‘convention‘ is associated with the business world, ‘conference‘ with the medical-scientific or institutional world.

If we look at the scale of the event, however, the word ‘conference’ is used to indicate events with low to medium attendance. On the contrary, the word “convention” elevates its importance in terms of attendance, organisational size and technologies deployed.

In summary, we can say that the common use applies to both criteria: definition of the target market and size of the event.

The planning process behind a conference starts with its design. Designing a conference is a very long and complex process. How much time does it take? We asked Alberto Boccanelli, Sales Director of Tecnoconference, a leader in the meetings industry since 1980:

“Planning is a crucial stage, the first one. For me, it is a dynamic process that begins with an idea for a conference, continues all the way to its implementation, and even goes further. For me, the analysis phase at the end of an event is also part of this process. This allows me to collect as much data as possible and thus be able to better prepare for future events. The entire project can last from 6 to 10 months.”

In summary, defining the most appropriate TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT for an event requires strong planning skills and a lot of practical sense. Let’s see how to organize a high-tech conference.

There are different types of conferences, each with a unique focus, target audience and purpose. Here is a list of the most widespread types of conferences:

First of all, avoid all days taken up by other similar conferences in terms of target audience and topics. You risk scattering the target audience. Then pick a location. It is best to choose a strategic point in the city, served by metro or other public transport, close to the most important stations. If you are holding an international conference, preferably not too far from the airport so that you are keeping an eye on practicality, transport and accommodation costs for your guests.

Your selection of speakers and moderators should be determined by your event’s content. Any shortcomings in the IT department of the speaker or moderator at the event must be addressed with the right technical partner, so that everything runs smoothly and easily. Without too many technical distractions.

Speakers must be well-known and reputable. The topic of your conference should be addressed accurately by your speakers as experts in the field, professionals with practical experience, researchers or successful leaders. The task of the speaker is to provide information and knowledge on the topic of discussion, to spark food for thought and debate, and to entertain the audience with engaging and compelling presentations. The speaker is a focal point of the conference, and their performance can have a significant impact on the overall experience of the conference participants.

The moderator (or presenter) of a conference is a person who introduces and leads the event, guiding the audience through the agenda and introducing the various speakers and presentations. The moderator plays an important role in creating a welcoming and professional atmosphere for the participants and in maintaining the pace of the event. They must have communication and leadership skills, be able to handle unexpected events and have absolute mastery and knowledge of the schedule and the objectives of the event.

You should establish the maximum length of the speeches, study the timing of the panel discussions, round tables and Q&A sessions, think strategically about break times, organise workshops and all parallel activities. Always remember to share the detailed programme with the organising and technical team, speakers and participants so that everyone is well prepared and informed. Be ready to monitor and adapt the programme during the event to make any changes and ensure its success.

Event marketing is a very complex activity, made up of coordinated actions to be revised especially according to your target audience and its geographic position. Here are the best ways to promote your conference and attract a significant audience:

The planning, study and development stage of your conference also includes the choice of technologies. Relying on professionals in this field will allow you to successfully achieve all your goals.

A conference requires highly specialised and professional IT services for its implementation. Here is what you will definitely need:

The audio, video and lighting service provides technical support services for your conference for everything related to video and projections, lighting, microphones, amplification and sound diffusion. See in detail.

The sound aspect is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of organising a conference: the microphone, amplification and diffusion system is a minimum and vital equipment to ensure listening. It consists of microphones, amplifiers, audio mixers and loudspeakers (or ‘speakers’), the sound system itself is a piece of technical equipment that should never be underestimated.

The Sound Service will supply you with an experienced team of sound technicians, including the ‘sound engineer’ first and foremost, to ensure a full, crisp and clean audio experience. The technicians will guide you every step of the way when performing live or in a post-production stage, indoors or outdoors.

A final tip: utmost care should also be given to safeguard the architectural and artistic beauty of the location.

The visual component of an event relates very often to the target content to be conveyed. The messages of the event, presentations, or even more so, video material, can play a key role. Delivering an engaging visual experience to the viewer, in residential as well as online events, can truly make a difference. This is where technology comes in very handy.

In particular, video services for a conference can include:

• the production of audiovisual contributions, to brief, entertain and offer an active sponsoring media
• video filming, both to ensure that participants can follow the course of events and to record, interview and perhaps package short reports, backstage and event highlights
• video projection with various display solutions and formats, such as ledwalls, projections on walls and sheets, or architectural videomapping. These are all options to support speakers, to further engage the audience at a conference
• live direction in 4K or FullHD, depending on the desired image quality, also for connections and coordination of remote speakers
  live streaming for online virtual events, or to expand the audience in hybrid events thanks to specially designed platforms such as Livebit
• video editing to optimise the archive of conference proceedings and make them always available on demand, create FADs, backstage videos and highlights

The set design element of a conference cannot be apart from the lighting of the location and the stage. In addition to service lighting for safety and visibility, it is important to create warm and welcoming atmospheres, coordinated in design and colour with the graphic image of the conference, such as

• ambience lighting
• stage lighting
• lighting effects to highlight particular points of architecture or to reproduce logos and graphic images

The lighting system is key to welcome the audience and create an engaging visual effect, in line with the aims and topics of the conference.

Simultaneous translation services break down language barriers by connecting people speaking different languages directly – and in real time.

Simultaneous translation must be supported by appropriate and user-friendly technology. From its essential technical components such as headsets or receivers, microphones and translation booths; through to its management system, such as the Bosch Group’s system proposed by Tecnoconference.

The powerful new software, Digital Congress Network (DCN) Next Generation, is the ideal solution for both small discussion groups and large multilingual conferences. It manages up to 4000 microphone positions (fixed or detachable), and ensures a very high level of third-party compatibility thanks to its 32 language channels, all transmitted with Hi-Fi sound quality.

In short, the key word here is reliability for a convention without surprises.

A major current requirement for all types of conferences are IT services. In the planning stage, you must have considered the possibility, or better still, the urge to expand the audience, to engage remote experts, to increase participant engagement and to create, store and broadcast content on demand. This is why state-of-the-art tools and bespoke convention technologies, such as those in our Software Suite, can make all the difference:

• PMS Projection Manajement System “Slidebit”.
  A unique event management software that combines in-room projection, streaming, connection of remote speakers, recording and publishing of event content and which also manages all scientific content, enhancing its usage.
• “LIVEbit” web platform
  The web platform for managing data streams, scheduling and content of hybrid and virtual events, customisable with highly interactive features and reporting.
• “App event tool” mobile app
  A native IOS and ANDROID App, a key tool for increasing on-site and remote engagement, as well as being the first of all paperless event solutions.

We asked Alberto Boccanelli, Sales Director of Tecnoconference, how to estimate the costs of technology services when planning a conference.

“It is crucial to share the goals of the event in order to target the investment in technology. Each item of spending should match a specific need. Success does not depend on the budget but on the correct resource allocation to specific services. If I had to determine a percentage, I would guess a good 30% of the available budget to be allocated to technology services. In any case, I believe that a consultation with the client prior to the event is always required for a technical assessment based on the objectives of the event. Only in this way will I be able to draw up an appropriate quote.”

Alberto Boccanelli – Sales Director | TC Group

With TC Group’s three operating offices in Florence, Rome and Milan, we are able to provide all technological services for the organization of a convention.

With Tecnoconference rooted first in Florence and then in Milan and Rome, we offer audio, video and lighting services for all kinds of events, conventions and congresses. We have a large fleet of equipment and technologies always at the forefront selected from the most important brands in the industry, guaranteeing quality and professionalism. Our operational team covers the entire national and European territory, with immediate availability. The IT support of Meetbit (in-house software house) completes our offer of convention services with a full suite of software, designed and developed for conventions.

We are present in Florence, Rome and Milan with operational offices and warehouses that are always open, to quickly reach the main convention venues.