Case Study 1 – Multi-component large event – Conference Management for an international academic society:
The Client:
An international academic society
Tasks:
To fully organise and manage their residential world congress and multiple pre-congress workshops at Oxford:
o For approximately 400-450 participants, over 150 oral presentations and over 150 posters
o Running up to five parallel sessions
o Held over seven days
o Various components held at multiple locations at Oxford
o Accommodation close to the congress venues
The society wanted us to:
o Find appropriate venues for their congress events, including pre-congress workshops, and accommodation
o Liaise with the venues and negotiate pricing, catering, menus, etc, and sign contracts on behalf of the society
o Set up a legal entity to hold the congress and provide accounting for taxation, including UK Value Added Tax (UK VAT)
o Open and maintain a bank account
o Set up and maintain a dedicated website for the congress, including online registration, money collections, invoicing, and management of delegate database
o Provide secretarial assistance of ‘scientific nature’ to congress organising committee and co-Presidents over a two years pre-congress preparatory period – including, for example, producing and sending letters of invitation to speakers, inviting scientific committee members, inviting and liaising with sponsors and exhibitors and communicating regularly with the various stakeholders before and after the congress
o Assist with session control and location assignment
o Point of contact for exhibitors, delegates and speakers for any logistical queries
o Full site management, including, for example, backdrop arrangements, site preparation, IT/AV equipment and WiFi
o Dedicated event liaison in advance and during the event
o On-site delegate registration and staffing, point of contact for delegates, message board and provide miscellaneous local information to attendees
o Poster display and management of poster sessions
o Assist exhibitors/sponsors in setting up their stands
o Carry out still/video photography of the event
o Issue post-congress certificates of attendance and other official documents for delegates
o Produce a congress report for the society
Conclusion:
This event was held at five different venues at Oxford. We were delighted to be a part of such an extensive and fantastic event and deal with such high-calibre scientists from across the globe. Furthermore, we are delighted that our efforts received such glaring commendations from the participants, the scientific committee and officers of the society. Some of the comments we received are below:
“I enjoyed myself immensely and learned a great deal! It’s a huge effort to organize these events especially in a manner that such a diverse audience can attend – Bravo!”
“I just wanted to offer my congratulations on a brilliant Congress. The scientific program was superb, the food was excellent, and the setting was beyond compare (as an ex-Oxonian I might be biased). I think you have set an incredibly high standard that will be almost impossible to surpass in our future meetings.”
“Congratulations on organising such a terrific meeting! The venues were unbeatable and the weather was completely on your side (people will now have a false idea about the average weather conditions in the UK!). We shall remember the Oxford congress for a long time.”
“Congratulations to you and the other conference organizers, and the staff for putting together such a successful and well-run meeting. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to participate, learned much and had a terrific time as well.”
“I am waiting on my flight out of Heathrow and thinking back on the last few days. I can only describe what you pulled off as a triumph. I am extremely pleased for you. I know that the participants were completely bowled over by the congress. The society really understands the incredible efforts you put in. Very best wishes and heartfelt thanks.“
“I would like to thank you once more and very warmly for having organized a very good Congress with an original format and a high scientific content. You have set a standard that will be difficult to exceed but that will be a very useful guide in the design of our future meetings.”
“You have collectively set a standard that will be very difficult to replicate in our future meetings. Congratulations to you all!”
“Thank you very much for organizing such a successful meeting. Great venue, great science, and a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends. Oxford is a unique and a truly inspiring place!”
“Many thanks to you for organising what was an exceptionally interesting, rewarding and productive meeting. It was a pleasure and an honour to be a part of this meeting!”
“Belated thanks to you for organizing an absolutely brilliant congress. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole meeting and have been following up several collaborative opportunities since. Having spent 7 months sabbatical at Oxford some 30 years ago, it was wonderful to have the chance to spend some time in a place that holds so many fond memories for us. The success of the congress will also be a huge boost for our society. Congratulations to you all.”
“Thanks very much for the excellent and beautiful congress at Oxford. It was extremely rewarding, both academically and socially. To have received the top award in this outstanding congress and in such a beautiful city is a highlight in my professional life…unforgetable.”
“It was definitely an exceptional pleasure for me to be a part of the Oxford meeting where I had numerous stimulating and thought provoking discussion with colleagues. There is no other way to describe it – it was just BRILLIANT. The scientific program, the Oxford style public debates, the overall organisation of such a complex meeting – all was just exceptional, everything ran in time throughout the meeting. Even the weather was on your side! And finally, thank you for your exceptional hospitality. Thank you very much and warm congratulation.”
“I also enjoyed very much the days in Oxford and the excellent congress, particularly the debates (entirely new to most of us) and the presentations for the general public. It would be a good idea if this format is taken over by the organizers of the future congresses.”
“To all participants I spoke they consider this congress as the most successful one in recent years. Thank you very much for your effort and good work.”
“Thank you all so very much for an invigorating, entertaining and very informative meeting – outstanding in every way. A terrific meeting that I hope you felt justified as result of the huge efforts you took to create it.“
