Conference management is an exciting opportunity for personal and professional growth for the planner/organizer.

There are hundreds of details that are done in order to make a conference successful for the attendees that are often unseen by others.

The following is a summary of what conference attendees over the past several years want and don’t want. You should seriously consider them as you plan your conference or seminar.

What do Attendees want?

• Advance knowledge of the program and social activities so that they can prepare.
• Comfortable, convenient housing that is near or at the conference site.
• To be welcomed as individuals and appreciated as such.
• A quick, efficient registration process that is handled by positive, helpful personnel.
• A diversified conference that includes innovative programs, the most current educational materials, techniques and theory, and opportunities to discuss current legislative and social developments.
• Program offerings that are oriented to various groups: administrators, counselors, tutors, classroom teachers, and parents.
• Practical, new and specific ideas.
• Opportunities to speak with other conferees, speakers, and VIPs and ask questions if they are necessary.
• Roundtable sessions with emphasis on group discussion.  Veteran conference goers often want opportunities to talk and network with others.
• Plenty of sessions each and every hour.
• Strands of sessions throughout the conference (e.g., math, study skills, counseling etc.).
• Committee and meetings at different times throughout the conference so people can attend more than one.
• Comfortable furniture that is located throughout the facility to provide conversation locations and better comfort.
• Daily newsletter giving updated information to all attendees and events.
• Opportunities for conference participants to use any and all purposed technology.
• A large Exhibit Hall with many vendors.

What do attendees not want?

• To be trapped in crowded meeting rooms.
• Long registration lines in the hotel and at the conference itself.
• Expensive meals, poor meals, or poor service.
• A lack of proper and easy to access parking facilities.
• Speakers, who do not show up, run overtime or change topics too much.
• Insufficient program offerings in all areas and at all times.
• Programs allowing no time for breaks.
• To get lost while trying to locate concurrent session rooms.
• Inhospitable conference hosts.
• Insufficient ventilation and heating

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