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Organising a congress is a great opportunity to build bonds with your public and audience, expand your breadth of knowledge and generate business opportunities for the development of your company. 

The organisation of an event requires exhaustive planning and careful coordination to guarantee success. In this article we will provide you with the necessary information you must take into account in order to organise a congress effectively; from what a congress is about, to the detailed steps you will have to follow.    

What is a congress and how is it organised?

A congress is an event which brings together experts, professionals and enthusiasts of a specific field. These people may represent a particular company, profession, industry or community.

The objective of this professional event is to share and exchange knowledge, present research, debate a theme, compare ideas and different opinions and  establish contact networks. Congresses usually include presentations, conferences, round tables, workshops and social activities. 

Congresses can be organised for many sectors: politics, science, medicine, technology, education, industry, commerce… They are one of the most efficient tools for promoting a sector.

They can also be organised at a local, national or international level and may last for a few days or up to several weeks depending on the magnitude or importance of the event.

Organising a congress entails a complex process which requires not only time but also creativity, proactivity, efficiency and coordination.

Steps for organising a congress

The organisation of a congress involves a series of key steps which must be followed in order to assure success. We provide you with a step by step guide below.

Define the objective and the theme of the congress.

Before the planning stage it is important to be clear about the objective and the theme of the congress. To achieve this, the objectives which we intend to meet and the public to whom the congress is directed must be defined. These aspects will be decisive in being able to take the appropriate decisions during the organisation process.

Set a budget

We must avoid unnecessary or unforeseen costs that may impact negatively on other areas of investment and consequently on the quality of the congress. Take into account the fixed costs such as rental cost of the space, catering services, conference speaker fees or marketing costs. However, we do recommend allowing for a budget provision to cover unforeseen costs.  

It is advisable to source additional financial provision such as sponsors and subsidies.

An important consideration is to decide if the congress will be free or if the attendees have to purchase a ticket.

The budget will determine the size of the event, the choice of the venue, the services offered, the speakers etc. which is why it is important to establish it in advance.

Form an organising committee

In the process of organising a congress, several teams work together: the production team, the commercial team, the comunication team, etc.

It is important to gather together a team of dedicated and competent people who can collaborate in the planning and execution of the congress.  

You must also assign roles and specific responsibilities to assure that every aspect is covered, from the logistics through to the marketing and financial management. All of those involved must be totally coordinated and they must internalise their tasks. 

In addition, during the months prior to holding the congress, the organising committee must prepare an action plan which includes the timing of tasks to be carried out.

Finding speakers

The speakers represent the real pull of a congress. Having the presence of a recognised and important speaker for the theme of the congress you are going to organise can be crucial for persuading your public to attend the event. 

In order to do this, it is important to find experts in the chosen theme, outstanding figures in the sector, both national and international.  

Contacting them with sufficient advance warning is essential in order to be sure of their presence. In this way you can organise round tables, conferences on a particular theme… in good time.

Likewise, it is a good idea for the speakers to have correlative and diverse profiles which complement each other. 

Choose the place and the date

The best dates to hold a congress are usually those that do not fall at the time of year coinciding with many events or holidays such as Easter, Christmas, or the months of July and August. Take into account the availability of  the speakers.   

You must also choose a city with easy access and a convenient location for both attendees and speakers. 

With regard to the place, you must take into consideration that it affords the necessary facilities for the activities you have in mind. Remember also that it must be in an attractive area which offers the possibility to have activities outide (or inside) the congress space, which will generate greater interest among the participants.

Make sure there is accommodation nearby in the case of the congress not being held in a hotel.

We recommend that you always reserve the chosen venue sufficiently in advance.

Prepare a  programme

Generally speaking, a congress represents a cost also for the attendees, which means that in order to be sure that they attend it is important to offer a full programme of activities to encourage them to take part. 

Design a detailed programme for the whole congress organised by time slots. Include conferences, presentations, workshops, networking sessions, meals, breaks…

Manage the  logistics

Managing the logistics is fundamental, especially as the date of the congress approaches.

Organise the details related with the registration of the participants, the accommodation, transport, translation services, catering and necessary materials. 

Make sure that the speakers are provided with the necessary equipment for their presentations such as projectors, screens, and laptops. 

Promote and publicise the congress

A key factor in the  publicity of the event is the preparation of the marketing and promotion strategy.

Using corporate social networks is an effective promotional strategy to publicise the information of the event, as is carrying out email marketing campaigns or publishing the news on the relevant media.  

How much does it cost to organise a congress?

The cost of organising a congress can vary depending on several factors, like the scale of the event, length, number of participants and the services offered. You must always consider the fixed costs such as the venue rental, promotion and logistics.

However, the cost of organising a congress not only involves economic aspects. A significant investment of time, effort, dedication and management skills is also required.

What do you need to organise a congress?

To organise a successful congress, you will need a combination of skills and resources including: 

• A committed and dedicated organising team.
• A detailed budget and financing strategies.
• Appropriate spaces for the conferences and other activities.
• An attractive programme with appealing speakers.
• Strategies for effective promotion.
• Solid and meticulous logistics management.
• Technical back up and audiovisual equipment.
• Necessary supplies and materials.
• An efficient system for the registation of participants.
• Volunteers to assist during the event.

Key points in congress organisation

There are some key points to be taken into account which will help to guarantee the success of congress organisation.

One of the most influential factors is to carry out meticulous and detailed planning concerning all aspects of the congress from the choice of the theme to the logistics and promotion. 

In order to do this planning we recommend creating documents such as Excel where attendance, transport and suppliers can be managed. This file will allow you to organise the information and manage the registration and control of the confirmed or cancelled participants and of the accepted suppliers etc. 

We also advise you to create a folder in your email programme to centralize all the information about the congress.

Additionally, it is important to set up alarms and reminders to be watchful of the timings and to have everything under control. 

As you will have noticed, organising a congress can be a challenge but with the appropriate planning and efficient execution you can create a successful and rewarding event.

Follow our advice adapting the process to your needs and be sure to offer a unique experience to your participants. 

Nowadays, showrooms have become an indispensable tool for displaying the products or services of a company to their potential public.

Although showrooms have traditionally been associated with the fashion sector, this type of event is increasingly common in different corporate sectors as they allow a company to stand out and differentiate itself in an ever more competitive market.

In this post we are going to focus on the keys to success which must be considered when organising this event to project your company.

What a showroom is and how to organise one 

The showroom is the perfect display case for a company to present its products or services in the most personalised and attractive way to potential clients.   

This is about a space which is not designed for direct sales, but rather for exhibiting samples from the catalogue, novelties, exclusive articles or whatever the brand may wish to offer. Organising a showroom for services is also possible although it is not so common for intangible products.  

The aim of organising a showroom is to increase the visibility of the brand, attract potential clients (in the form of end users, wholesalers, collaborators…) and enter into conversation with them, strengthen the image of the brand and finally to increase sales.

The organisation of the showroom requires time, dedication and planning in order for it to be a success. We are therefore going to give you some of the key points for achieving your planned objectives.

Key points for organising a showroom

Define the objectives

Prior to organising the event it is essential to define the objective you intend to reach with the showroom. Establishing a clear objective will help you to focus on the organisation of the event and make decisions regarding the important aspects.

Choose the right place

The place of the event is a key element for its success and must be chosen accordingly by considering certain criteria. Making sure that the space is accessible to potential clients and has a central location is important. Moreover, it must have sufficient space for the number of people we expect to participate in the event and for the amount of products we wish to present.    

Another important question is to be clear about the idea and the values we want to transmit with the design of the space. The reputation and prestige of the place where the event will be held will also reflect the image of our brand. 

Finally, the space must be versatile in order to be able to adapt to all the needs of the showroom. 

Design an attractive space

The design of the space is crucial to capture the attention of the clients. It is important to create an attractive and coherent ambiance with the image of the company and the products or services which are to be highlighted. In order to do this there must be a harmony of decoration, illumination and furnishings to generate a welcoming and attractive atmosphere.

When designing the space for the showroom, we must take into account the type of experience we want to offer to the clients and what sensations we want them to feel. You will also have to hire a catering service to provide food and drink for the guests and to make their visit more enjoyable. 

Choose the products and relevant information 

It is fundamental that the clients have a good knowledge of the products you are offering them. To do this, it is desirable to provide informative material which will allow them to understand the features and benefits of each product. In addition, it is a good idea to make someone available to answer questions and offer a personalised advisory service.  

There is no need to display all the products in your showroom. We suggest selecting those you wish to highlight or those that are of greatest interest to your clients. The products must be in optimum condition and exhibited in an attractive and organised way. 

Publicise the event

Promoting the event is essential to attract more clients. An effective promotional method for announcing information about the event is via coporate social networks. Reiterating the place and date and publishing information about the event will create expectation among the possible participants. Email marketing campaigns and publishing the news in other media can also be done. 

You can also use the Press or influencers to cover the event and generate content to boost the visibility of the company. Another option to attract interest and increase the participation of potential clients is to offer incentives or special discounts for the attendees. 

In this way, in order to generate brand image, you can offer a corporate gift to the attendees so that they take away a souvenir of the event. 

Measure the success of the event

Once the event has finished we will have to gather together different information in order to know its degree of succees. This follow up can be done both online and offline. 

One way of measuring the standing of the event is by taking into account the publications done with the hashtag of the event, the interactions in publications and comments… It is also important to know the balance of costs and income obtained. We can consider both monetary factors and the number of potential clients obtained, increase in followers etc.

Similiarly, after the event surveys can be carried out to know the feedback from the potential clients and obtain information to assess the organisation of future showrooms.

Now you know how to organise a good Showroom.

The organisation of a showroom requires time and planning. Many factors must be taken into account so that everything turns out as we wish. To do this, it is important to prepare a strategy where the the points we mentioned before are defined and carry out a follow up analysis to study how the strategy performed. 

If you follow the recommendations we have offered you to set up your showroom, you success will be guaranteed.

If there is one thing that we professionals of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) environment know, it is that a business trip needn´t be boring. For part of the time, work responsibilities are parked and the traveller can enjoy some leisure time. The historical, cultural and geographical richness of Spain offers the professional traveller some of the best business destinations. Cities with a great atmosphere, cosmopolitan, and a vibrant pace which contrast with other quieter ones or those where the cultural and artistic offer is the predominant element. 

In addition, Europe boasts an excellent transport and accommodation structure with ease of movement between capitals being very simple thanks to the high frequency of planes and trains, allowing professionals to move around easily. There is also, of course, a wide variety of venues for celebrating high quality events, thus offering a unique experience for business travellers. For this reason, it has not been difficult to find some of the best MICE destinations in Europe.   

Main European capitals for MICE tourism

To speak about the main European cities for MICE tourism, we would like to begin with the Spanish ones and then move on to the rest of the continent.

• Madrid. Madrid has received several times the award of best destination for European business  meetings at the World Travel Awards.Its strategic location makes it ideal for travelling within the peninsula and has direct connections with other European capitals.Here, we can find some of the largest exhibition areas in Spain , such as IFEMA.According to the twelfth annual report produced by Global Meetings & Events Forecast , Madrid has been singled out as the most sought after city for MICE tourism in 2023, followed by Barcelona.   

• Barcelona. Barcelona is a very popular MICE tourism destination due to its warm climate, unique architecture and excellent infrastructure. A perfect combination between the business world and culture.The city boasts several high quality conference venues including the Barcelona International Convention Centre ( CCIB). 
  
• Benidorm. Benidorm is the only Smart Tourism Destination on the Spanish Costa Blanca. It has a wide range of leisure and restaurant options from Europe thanks to its privileged setting , which is the Alicante coast and offers 15 Michelin starred restaurants among its gastronomy offer. 300 days per year of sun and an annual average temperature of 18 ºC  makes this destination a safe bet for the celebration of outdoor events. On top of that , it is located an hour away from two of the most important airports in Spain, namely Valencia and Alicante.In Benidorm we can find the Grand Luxor Mice which has more than 20 event spaces covering an area of 200,000 m2.

• Athens. This Mediterranean city was chosen in 2022 as the best MICE destination in Europe, within the framework of the Business Destinations Travel Awards.The pleasant climate it offers most of the year makes it an attractive destination  for business travellers who wish to combine work and pleasure.Let us not forget that it has a well-connected international airport and a wide range of public transport options. 
  
• Berlin. Berlin is one of the most important business and technology centres in Europe.The city possesses numerous amenities for events and conferences including the Berlin Congress Centre and the International Congress Centre of the city of Berlin.
  
• Amsterdam. Amsterdam stands out as a cosmopolitan and vanguard citywhich makes it very popular for MICE travel.Its open, tolerant and international atmosphere favours understanding and communication between people of different countries and cultures.Another plus point is that it has an excellent infrastructure and a wide variety of facilities for events , including the RAI Convention Centre of Amsterdam
  
• Paris. One of the principle European metropolises, Paris is the most popular tourist  destination in Europe and this also goes for business travel. We emphasise the Paris Convention Centre.
  
• London. This European capital is one of the most important business centres in the world.The official language, English, makes it accessible for professionals from all over the world. Among its strong points is the large number of facilities for events and conferences of high standing such as the ExCel Exhibition and Convention Centre, London. 

All of these destinations have in common a wide range of high quality services and facilities as well as a rich culture favouring communication and the exchange of ideas at an international business level. Therefore, they deserve  recognition as the best MICE tourism destinations in Europe.

Delivering a speech or conference can be a daunting experience especially if you are not used to speaking in public. Likewise, being part of the organising team of a conference or symposium and having the reponsibility of  introducing one or more speakers can be equally important.  

There are many reasons why giving a good initial presentation will be important and will make a mark on the course of the event. In this article we will therefore help you to understand the importance of a good introduction of the speaker, together with advice and points to be considered in order to master the art of introducing a speaker.

Picture: Product School en Unsplash

The importance of introducing a speaker

The figure of the conference anchor or person responsible for introducing the speakers at a conference is not to be taken lightly. Even though there may be the temptation to feel that this person is merely there to introduce the headliner, the truth is that a good initial introduction can be important. Let us see how the introduction of a speaker can impact on the course of the event:

• Establishing the tone of the introduction: Introducing someone means to a certain extent setting the tone of the event. This is done in several ways: with dialectics, aesthetics, mindset, tone of voice, volume. In one way or another, all questions relating to tone are a letter of introduction to the general spirit of the event. 

• Introducing the speaker. Although the speaker will have time to introduce himself afterwards, the introduction of the speaker by a third party is the backdrop which defines the “Why“. Why is this person the one who is chosen to speak about this subject? What makes him important to be standing on the stage in front of the audience?   

• Helping to create a connection with the audience. In a way, if the anchor person is capable of connecting the audience with the speaker, he transfers responsibility to him. 

• Bolstering the conference as a brand. A good introduction and overall handling of the event will create a positive impression of the act and consequently of the brand or brands that are organising or supporting it. 

Advice for introducing a speaker

• Maintain a positive attitude. The anchor is the first person who must have a contagiously  enthusiastic attitude. His way of transmitting his attitude on the stage must be one of exuding the idea that being there is worthwhile. The anchor person must be the prime motivator of the event.

• Adapt the speech to the spirit of the event. The tone must be a unifying thread. Therefore, try to adapt the way you express yourself to that of the topic being dealt with by the speaker or more directly to the tone which the speaker will use.   

• Research the speaker. As we said, the anchor is the prime motivator of the event… and of the speaker too. For this reason it is important to know him well: name, position, achievements… In addition, as he must adapt his tone to the general tone of the event and therefore to the speakers. He must also know the speaker´s style of expression by, for example, watching videos of his previous conferences.  

• Speak about the merits and values of the speaker. Firstly, this is important because the audience has to understand why this speaker has been chosen to be there. Secondly, if you do not do this, then the speaker will have to highlight the value of his own work, which is always more awkward and less dignified.  

• Try to find an emotive way to connect the speaker with the audience. This is usually achieved by using an anecdote or relevant story which defines him. This is an excellent way to personalise the introduction, generating a previous connection which paves the way for the speaker. 

• Avoid being too effusive. As we said before, you must have a positive attitude but not exaggerate. Hyperbole will only create over expectation and will not favour our guest. 

• Prepare a script. Improvising on stage requires a lot of experience, so it is important to have a script which allows us to say exactly what we want to say and also makes sure that we do not forget any important details. 

• Practise the introduction. Just as you have prepared your script, try to rehearse so that it can be perfect. In this way you will not forget anything and your delivery will be better.

• If the speaker needs you to follow a script, then do so. On occasions, the performance of our speaker takes us into account as the anchor person, linking our speech with his. He is the real protagonist. If he has a script which does not impinge on the spirit of the event, then help him.   

• Be brief. The audience has attended the event to listen to the speakers, so you must realise that your role will always be a secondary one. Try to be concise in your introduction.  

• Do not disclose anything. It is the job of the speaker to decide the timings of what his narrative will tell, the way in which this will be done and the order that the information will be presented. If you know the content of the presentation do not give anything away. 

• Thank the speaker and the audience for their time and attention. If your role also includes a closing speech, try to follow the previous points and do not forget to thank the public and the speakers for attending.The event would not have been possible without them.

Examples of a presentation to a speaker

Let us now look at an example of what the script of a presentation to a speaker might look like:

Good morning everyone! First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming to this auditorium which, given the high demand we have had from professionals like yourselves who wanted to be here today, seems to have become too small.

Today we are fortunate to have a very special guest. Together with his team, he has already developed more than 50 applications with 1,200,000 downloads in more than 80 countries.

He is Ángel Cases Llopis, a passionate and creative professional who has dedicated his career to developing applications that make our lives easier. Ángel is an expert in his field, and his new app is a proof of that. We are convinced that it will change, in some way, the way many of us shop on Amazon.

But in addition to his professional achievements, Angel is a friendly and committed person, always willing to help and share his knowledge with others. I am sure his presentation will be as exciting as it is interesting, and that we will all leave here with a new perspective on how we can use technology to improve our lives.

Without further ado, I leave you with Ángel Cases Llopis – enjoy the presentation!

Communication problems between workers are constant in big companies. Everyday tension and differing personalities and profiles can sometimes lead to minor conflicts which affect group performance negatively and even delay projects or do not allow projects to be duly presented.

With a view to improving the performance of groups, companies are increasingly using team work dynamics; techniques to foster communication between team members, create a pleasant working environment and increase trust among workers.

In this article we will look at some of the most effective dynamics to improve the working atmosphere and boost the performance of the members of a work group.

What are team work dynamics?

Team work dynamics are a series of interactive activities which permit the reinforcement of certain aspects of team work. Each activity includes objectives to be accomplished for the company needs. In addition, the activities become enjoyable for the workers who come to internalise everyday aspects of their work. 

These work dynamics have multiple benefits for companies. Firstly, they improve communication among employees and consequently their capacity to work as a team. As these types of activities increase the knowledge of the employees, they learn to understand styles of communication of other people and therefore can adapt to one another.   

• They generate better coordination and internal cohesion among workers.
• They foment the professional qualities of each individual.
• They reduce stress levels of the staff.
• They encourage healthy competition between employees. 

Moreover, they improve the commitment of the workers to the company, getting the workers to follow the same path in order to meet objectives collectively and in this way adapt to the different situations which come up on a daily basis.

The most enjoyable team work dynamics

Below we are going to show you a series of fun dynamics to foment team work and make a difference in the working environment.

Breaking the ice

Breaking the ice is a good technique to get to know each other better. The presentation of all the members of the company in an organised fashion favours personal relations between workers.

This is a team work dynamic aimed at favouring familiarity among colleagues, especially those who have never worked together before. It can be used by having interviews among the workers or by an individual introduction in public to all the coworkers. 

For this activity we recommend a list of questions which encourages interaction of the participants. This will avoid silences among the employees if they do not have a sufficient number of relevant questions or if their participation is too brief.  

Professional development dynamics

What many workers in a company want is to be able to develop professionally, investing their time in areas that allow them to improve their positions or their professional development. 

For this reason, it is wise to include activities such as courses or extra training workshops which reinforce their development collectively and which also serve as an opportunity for coworkers to socialise and share interests together. 

Role change dynamics

Role swapping is perfect for putting yourself in the shoes of your colleague or your boss. With this dynamic, the participants will take on roles which are opposite to their own and will have to find solutions for situations and problems which the person whose role they have assumed has to face on a daily basis.   

In this way, each person can demonstrate their skills, apart from gaining awareness of the work and effort of others in their jobs. In addition, this will promote a climate of leadership and team work.

The unpredictable client

In certain business models, workers usually interact with clients both face to face and online. In this technique a member of the team will pretend to be a client visiting the company who has many doubts. The rest of the team will have to work together to respond to those doubts and quickly change their communicative strategy in order to connect with the client.   

Putting yourself in the place of the client can permit us to foresee the queries they will have in their realtionship with the brand and work to find solutions to them in advance. 

Participating in a cooking workshop

This is the perfect occasion to offer the working group an opportunity to let go of stress and work in harmony with the rest of the workers. They can also eat what they have prepared together. 

What they are going to cook does not matter, the important thing is that the idea of developing new skills together will act as a stimulus to them. Taking into account their dietary restrictions will be necessary though, so that they can all enjoy the experience together.

This team work dynamic improves group cohesion and creativity.

Beat the clock

We all know that nowadays company employees work against the clock, limited in time when solving problems or delivering projects. This dynamic consists of a competition between several groups where they are asked to solve a series of problems to achieve a final objective. These problems must be solved by the group in the shortest possible time. 

The dynamic brings great team working benefits and fosters the distribution of responsibilities in an optimal way. 

Tips for successful team working dynamics 

In order to have successful team working dynamics, we must bear in mind a series of objectives to avoid conflicts or problems between the group and the management so that the aims may ultimately be achieved successfully  

• Plan everything: Do not improvise and plan the dynamics in advance.
• Focus on the objectives: The activities must be directed towards the objective you wish to accomplish, making sure at all times that the instructions have been understood correctly.
• A clear purpose: Remember that the employees are making their time available to develop these activities. As a result, the objectives of the activity for the company must bear a correlation with those of the employees. Workers prefer activities that help them to develop skills or which allow them to strengthen relationships with their colleagues.  
• The dynamics must be continuous: You are not going to reach your objectives if you do just one activity, rather they have to be  continued over time as this is a long term process.
• Inform your workers: There must be open communication at all times where the workers are asked for their opinions so that the activities carried out are oriented to them. 

You have certainly heard of networking but do you know how you can use social networks to promote your career and expand your list of contacts? Here we will explain what it is and how to use the online tools available in order to improve your online reputation, obtain a greater portfolio of professional contacts and interact with them quickly and efficiently and achieve your objectives.  

Let us give a short introduction to the concept of Networking and after that we will explore the social media tools we all know from a professional point of view.

What is networking?

Networking is the process which is carried out with the aim of establishing professional contacts and relationships with people of a particular industry or field of activity. Those relationships are established in order to share information, opportunities and resources which can produce individual professional growth or success in business. 

Within the activities of networking, we can include the attendance of events and meetings or as we will see in this post, online connection via social platforms where information is exchanged, services are offered and recommendations are put forward.

An example of networking would be to perform intense activity on social networks and professional events related with your work area so that you can present the services you offer. We will look at this in detail through social networks.

Tips for effective networking on social networks

Social networks have become one of the main tools used in order to carry out intense networking activity which proves to be efficient. Tools such as Linkedin or Twitter have allowed professionals, irrespective of our sector, to connect with like-minded people of our professional circles, with profiles we can learn from, people we can share knowledge with or even connect with on a personal level.   

Consequently, as they are very useful tools for this purpose, we will give you the key to effective networking on social networks, habits which we consider you should follow if you wish to cultivate those relations with clients or contacts via social networks. 

• Choose your channels well. It is important to find the appropriate channel to draw up an action plan where we can detect the right people to support us professionally. There are professional sectors with greater presence in some channels than others.It is a question of carrying out search exercises in order to find the suitable networks. Does our sector depend strongly on visual content (Pinterest), audiovisual (Youtube), text articles (Twitter or Linkedin)? Do the professionals concerned have a free and easy character (Instagram) or is it a sector subject to protocols (Linkedin)? Is it a young environment (TikTok) or one with a more mature professional profile (Facebook)?

• Catch the attention of the users with clear, concise messages which most importantly have a hook. Many other professionals like you try to have the same presence on social networks. Are you able to offer something different that defines you? Is your style of expression easily understood?   

• Be loyal. Always deliver on what you have agreed and have impeccable behaviour on social networks. A bad move can destroy a good reputation.

• Use social networks to expand your knowledge. They are a tremendous source of information which can provide you with free training. You can also end up establishing positive relations with the people you learn from or those who learn with you.  

• Do not send SPAM. This is a very common practice on social networks and is not usually acceptable. Do not bombard other people with emails or messages.
  
• Offer value content and contacts will arrive by themselves. SPAM will not be necessary.

• Be constant. Remember, networking is a continuous process which is not only about obtaining more and more contacts, but rather a question of building valuable relationships in the long term.

• Help others to connect with each other in order to be able to establish long-lasting relations with other professionals who in the long run may be useful to you. Help and others will help you .

Having seen some of the keys for positive networking, let us now  take a look at the process of establishing positive professional relationships on some of the most popular social networks.

Doing Networking on Instagram

One of the main applications on social media is Instagram. Although you may initially see it as a more relaxed or informal platform, on Instagram you can also do networking and connect with people of interest to you.

• Identify your niche: Direct your communications towards a specific topic which will be encompassed in your professional field.

• Create a professional and recognisable profile: Make sure you have a profile photo and a clear description which show your personality and above all, your professional interests.

• Interact: Comment on similar professional profiles, share information and your experience, generate interaction via “Likes“ in publications…  

• Use relevant hashtags: Instagram thrives to a large extent on hashtags. Search for the hashtags related with your industry to increase the visibility of your publications. Connect with people interested in the same subject.

• Maintain a constant presence. Try to publish content which is interesting for the members of your sector. Do this regularly and maintain a continuous presence. Growth and contacts will start to arrive.
  
• Use the chat at the right moment. The chat is a powerful tool to connect with professionals in a far more direct way. But remember not to be invasive. Use it only with profiles you have previously had contact with on several occasions. 

Improve your networking on Facebook

Whilst it is true that the importance of Facebook has waned in recent years, it is still the most used social network in the world. Nowadays it is perhaps more common to see profiles of older age groups, as there has been an important migration of young people to Instagram or Tik Tok.  

The best tactic for networking on Facebook is to participate in groups. There are many groups created for professional relations or for sharing information on a particular subject or interest. There you will find a lot of useful information and engagement with like-minded professionals.

To particpate in these Facebook groups do not forget:

• Share relevant information which is of interest to all the users of the group.

• Comment on and suggest solutions for the discussions or interaction in progress.  

• Continue to add people who may be of use in the topics dealt with and in this way expand your list of professional contacts. 

Here it is important to maintain a good relation between private and public life. There are those who say that we must not mix professional and personal; our advice is to have a professional profile where the personal aspect is not forgotten. We all like to know that behind a professional there is a person who enjoys life, the family… In short, that there is a soul behind the professional.  

Networking on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the ultimate professional network. It has specific fields prepared for questions such as professional experience, knowledge, professional recommendations, discussion groups… It is the perfect place to grow professionally.

Here we set out some tips for doing useful, quality networking on LinkedIn:

• Complete your profile: Be sure to have a complete and professional profile  which includes information on your work experience, skills and professional objectives.

• Connect with relevant people: Search for people in your industry sector and request relevant connections. Make sure that you personalise your invitations to connect so that they are more effective. However, do not do this on a massive scale. Look after your contact network so that it does not end up becoming an interminable list of unknown people.

• Be part of relevant groups. Join relevant discussion groups related with your professional area and participate actively in discussions and debates.

• Share valuable content: Share relevant and valuable content for the professional contacts of your sector. In this way, you will be able to generate interaction and show your knowledge and experience.

• Interact with other publications: Make comments and recommend other relevant publications of professionals from your sector.

• Maintain a constant presence: Be sure to keep a constant presence on LinkedIn by publishing regularly and interacting with other people on the platform.

Networking groups on Telegram

As for this social network, groups are also used for networking on Telegram. It is a good medium for participants to contribute actively by posting content, commenting on impressions etc.

The good thing about Telegram is that it provides a more personal step in the direction of professional relations.It is a more familiar and direct messaging channel.When you establish a continued relation with a contact, you can later converse in private to deepen the connection and make mutual contributions.

With regard to the advice for networking on Telegram we can give you, it is not so different to what we offered previously for other platforms: 

• Identify the channels of your sector which may be useful to you.
• You must act professionally.
• Share and interact.
• Be constant.
• Offer information on your profile.

Ready to improve your social media career?

We hope you found these social media networking tips useful. By making good use of them, and of social media, we are convinced that you will improve your online presence and reputation in your industry.

When holding a corporate event, the set up and organisation of the accreditation for the attendees is one of the most daunting moments. As it is the first direct interaction between the attendee and the organisation, it can produce a very good image if done correctly – we can even provide a competitive advantage – or become a weakness if a bad first impression is generated.   

Due to the importance that accreditation has in the organisation of an event, we have decided to set out this guide with the aim of preparing the event accreditation of a company event in the best possible way. Here we will give you the steps to follow and recommendations to organise the passes for the event in the most successful way.

• Define the scale of the event: The organization and preparation of the accreditation for the event demands meticulous planning and an impeccable eye for detail. The first thing to take into account is to analyse the characteristics and needs of the event itself to determine its scale. Bearing in mind the number of participants to attend the event is important as this will give us information on the personnel we need to hire and what functions each one will perform.  
• When we know this, we can establish an approximate number of necessary accreditations along with a budget for this item.

• Have a dedicated team for the accreditations: It is important to have a specific team dedicated to the accreditations, taking into account the number of participants who will attend. We must also be attentive to the participants, providing them with all the information they require and informing them of the need to carry their accreditation so that they can be correctly identified. 

• Identifying the attendees with their accreditation: Once at the event, accreditations can be useful for the organization to be able to identify the different profiles of the attendees, by including all the data considered necessary for their correct identification. This data can be: name and surname, information of the company they represent or the company position they occupy among others. 

• Identifying staff with their accreditation: Similarly, it is also advisable to group the participants of the event according to their functions (speakers, suppliers, sponsors or volunteers). As an organisation it will be useful to us for each member of staff to identify themselves. In fact, it will also be useful for the attendees who will be able to visually identify the person they are adressing at any moment. 
  
• Establishing the type of accreditation: Accreditation can take several forms depending on the budget and the technology available to the company. It can be in the form of a wristband,card, badge or a more ambitious technology such as a QR code or fingerprint. In an environment where sustainability in the coporate setting is of vital importance, especially with regard to the public, we recommend the use of more sustainable systems such as reusable accreditation on recycled paper, biodegradable or digital systems.

• What information has to be included on the accreditation? Accreditations have the capacity not only to incorporate the personal or professional data the attendee provided to obtain the pass but also resources which will be useful during the visit: catering vouchers, event agenda, places of interest, virtual wallet…

• Accreditation design: Designing the accreditation is an important phase in order to create a coherent and professional image for the event. Creativity can be an opportunity to display the  personality of the event. The graphic design must be in line with the visual identity. It is important to be durable, legible and creative, which will produce an attractive and professional accreditation reflecting the image and identity of the event. 

• Setting up an access point for accreditations: It is vitally important to calculate the number of people who attended the event and those who attended each hall or speech in particular. This will be a way of measuring the success of the organisation or of specific sectors of the event. Nowadays, digital systems such as QR codes or NFC technology allow us to know in real time and from any smartphone used by the staff  how many attendees there are at the event or and in specific areas.

• Set up a verification process: So that long queues do not build up at the event entrance caused by complicated verification processes, it is advisable to give the attendees the possibility of downloading or being able to access their accreditation online in advance. With this in mind, for substantial budgets, apps can be created for this purpose or we can use applications which have previously been created for this end.

We hope we have helped you to create a good accreditation process for your event. At Grand Luxor Mice we offer solutions for this to brands who decide to hold their events and celebrations with us.Contact us for further information. 

A large part of the success of a business meeting is the image we project: confidence, professionalism, self-assurance… Our professionalism and know how will always be above all else but there are certain aspects of non-verbal communication which we can control. One of the most powerful is our clothes , so choosing a suitable outfit for a business meeting can win us many points in the negotiation (or lose them).    

At Grand Luxor Mice Business & Events we offer this guide on how to choose your look for a business meeting for men and women, depending on  variables such as the formality of the meeting or the time of year. We hope this will be useful for you to attend your upcoming appointments with confidence.

What clothes should I wear to a business meeting ?

Your dress can say a lot about you at a business meeting. It says a lot to ourselves.It gives us confidence, makes us feel in control over what we want to project to the outside world… and of course it says a lot to others. Choosing a suitable outfit for a business meeting impacts in one way or another at least, on the calling card which is the impression we make in the first few seconds. 

We are going to explain the aspects to bear in mind when choosing clothes for a meeting. We will not go into great detail regarding combinations of garments or colours, but rather we will give you the key points to take into account and the indispensable elements in order to project professionalism and a good image.

The informal meeting look

As is the case with the dress code, informal meeting look must be smart but comfortable. We must never sacrifice our professional appearance but we can permit certain liberties in order to be more comfortable. Regarding men´s clothes for a business meeting, a shirt is always the most formal option but we can go down a level and wear a more comfortable polo shirt without lowering the degree of formality too much. Dress trousers would be appropriate, combined with shoes and a light jacket.      

A business meeting outfit for women can include long trousers or a knee-length dress or skirt. Combining this with a blouse is a good option for informal business dress. As in the case of men´s outfits  for business meetings, a light jacket is also a good complement. 

In both cases the thickness of the material must be appropriate for the time of year. A summer business meeting look allows much lighter garments  which generally speaking shy away from the colour black.In winter, we change to thicker, warmer clothes including a good overcoat, parka or gabardine.

Clothes to avoid in an informal business meeting look: Tee-shirts, denims, sports shoes and garments that despite being of a recommended type, are brightly coloured or excessively ostentatious.    

Outfits for formal meetings

An outfit for a formal meeting must be impeccable, much more formal and sophisticated. For men, a suit with shirt and tie is more or less essential especially in business spheres where formality is a requisite.

We say this because we are aware that there are certain sectors that work with different codes where the style of dress in meetings does not carry so much importance. Ultimately, you are the one who has all the information and the context to make the correct decision.

Having said that, for women we return to the combination of long trousers, knee-length dress or skirt combined with a blouse or shirt and a jacket. 

In both cases, we will try to choose colours with neutral tones such as black, grey, white or discreet pale colours. No bright colours.

We will again take into account the time of year and therefore, the temperature. The outfit for a summer business meeting has to be one of light clothes which will prevent us from being hot and perspiring too much.In winter, thick material to avoid being cold.

Examples of dress styles for a business meeting 

As in this case it is preferable to show rather than to explain, we would like to recommend the social network Pinterest to see some examples of looks for business meetings. In Pinterest you can search for different outfits for business meetings  using the key words you prefer.There you can see hundreds or thousands of examples which serve as inspiration for you. We hope this information has been of great help to you. 

In this article we want to look closely at incentive travel, an option which is considered increasingly with a view to tackling certain internal difficulties such as employee relations, stress, poor motivation or retaining talent. We will do this with a brief introduction in order to discover this option for companies. Let´s get started!

What is an incentive trip?

An incentive trip is a holiday package which a company offers to its employees as a reward for obtaining certain criteria. It may be offered as a stimulus to achieve certain goals, as a recompense for a job well done or in gratitude for the length of service in the company of a worker.     

These kinds of incentive travel programmes are often useful to maintain the motivation of the employee for the purpose of reaching the objectives of the company or in the case of incentives for private individuals, and for strengthening the bond between workers as in the case of group journeys.

What special aspects do these trips have in comparison with a conventional one which an employee can take privately? The first fundamental one is that the expenses are covered by the company. Apart from this, there are several variables which define these types of reward trips.

Characteristics of incentive travel 

Let us take a look at some of the features of incentive travel to understand why it has been gaining acceptance among companies in recent times. We will do this, first of all, by asking some of the basic questions raised by workers when they discover these  types of programmes.  

• Are they individual or in a group? Both forms are possible. Group travel seeks to generate a unifying atmosphere among the workers.Individual trips are usually designed to provide the worker with an enriching experience for his work activity or simply with a leisure package.  
• Who pays the bill? Incentive trips are paid for by the company. This is the main particularity and the most noteworthy aspect. The worker enjoys the trip and associated activities completely free of charge.
• What is the duration of an incentive trip? Whatever the company considers. Generally speaking, a closed package previously acquired from an agency is offered to all the team. Although in the case of an individual reward, the worker can, in accordance with his personal needs, agree a package with  the company to finalise the details.  
• Does this trip count as used holiday entitlement of the worker?This should not be the case. We must remember this is a prize for a good worker that the company wishes to keep. If absence from work as a result of this incentive travel were classed as used holiday entitlement, then it would be seen by the worker as the company conditioning the use of his free time and the prize would in the end be considered a punishment.   
• Can the worker be joined by his family on this trip? In many cases these gratifications allow the worker to be accompanied when the trip is principally for leisure. In other cases, such as trips for a complete team which combine leisure and work, then they are normally reserved for workers only. 

Once the details are established, let us examine the principal characteristics that define these types of reward trips.  

• They usually take the form of travel with a creative element.The company does not just limit itself to the payment of the stay and the activities with this initiative, but also aims to surprise the employees with unusual activities or experiences to cause that Wow effect which makes the trip a memorable one.  
• In some cases, the aim is to achieve a combination of leisure and work. With group travel the company pursues the objective of generating a good atmosphere among the workers.This is obtained by preparing team building activities which foster teamwork.There are also incentive trips which are simply focused on getting the worker to enjoy their reward. 
• There will however  always be a fun element included.Let us remember that the main aim is to motivate the worker and take him away from his daily routine. 

Benefits of incentive travel

Now that we know the details, let us see which are the main ones of these types of incentive travel programmes, for both workers and for the company that offers them:

• Generate better relations among the workers: In the case of group travel which seeks to improve relations among workers, a climate of unity is generated, favouring coordination and understanding in the day to day work of the company.
• Reduce stress of the employees.
• Improve motivation and employee performance.
• Better qualified and educated workers: Offering alternative experiences opens and enriches the minds of the employees who experience them.
• The company retains talent: The company offers a valuable employee the framework to be content.He feels valued and settled in the company, so he will not want to leave.
• Generate brand image: The workers are the best promoters a brand can have. 

Examples of incentive trips for workers

Let us now see some ideas and examples of incentive trips for workers which any company can set up depending on its options. After that,the possibilities are dictated by the company budget and above all, the limits of the imagination. However, the best destinations for an incentive trip are always those that respond to the worker´s needs in relation to the activity he or she performs in the company.  

• Incentive travel for artistic profiles: A worker with a marked artistic profile can enjoy trips to places with beautiful landscapes or leisure options such as museums and exhibitions. 
• Incentive travel for construction backgrounds as in architects, decorators: Destinations may be urban or any that stand out by virtue of their innovative nature in these fields.
• Incentive trips for competitive profiles or for those who are submitted to stress: Perhaps the best option for these profiles is that which allows them to unwind and completely forget about work.
• Incentive trips for workers with a social profile: A good option for this type of profile can be to travel to exotic places which allow the possibility to experience a different social reality and soak up a different culture. 
• Incentive plans for mobile workforces: This worker profile is that of someone who travels frequently, which could be considered a special case to evaluate.They may place more value on having time off to spend at home or with their families.

Activities to organise on an incentive trip

We are now going to set out what form an incentive trip for workers might take. Let us visualise the situation and imagine how to get the most out of the experience. 

• Team building activities: We spoke at length about this in a previous post. Take a look at the best team building activities. Perfect leisure options for team incentive trips.   
• Mindfulness: This is what we commonly refer to as meditation. Particularly interesting for those open to acquiring new habits which will allow them to cope calmly with their everyday work.  
• Excursions and moderate sports activities: Practising sport in moderation makes the body release serotonin, the feel-good hormone. 
• Extreme activities: Only suitable for those workers who we know will enjoy activities which release a high level of adrenaline.
• Travel with a wide range of cultural options: For the more classic profiles a trip to Europe is always a good option.  
• Rural tourism: More and more in demand as it is the perfect way to get away from frenetic day to day life.
• Road Trip: The most adventurous ones perhaps only need a few days to organise a trip by themselves, hit the road and discover new horizons.This option is increasingly popular among young people. 

Have we answered your doubts? We hope we have helped and given you some ideas with a view to a possible future proposal for your company. We also encourage you to share with us any ideas or alternative proposals for these types of incentive trips. Are you up for it?

Photo of Erik Odiin from Unsplash

Organising an event always implies an important challenge. Many variables have to be taken into account, we have to work with a wide range of supppliers and people, and of course, offer the optimum result in accordance with the budget that has been allocated to us. How to prepare a budget for an event is precisely one of the biggest headaches any Event Manager can be faced with.

The budget is the key cog of the organisation for a corporate event and on which all the actions carried out will depend. Consequently, in this article we will show you the necessary steps for preparing a budget for an event, along with the available tools for helping you in the planning and follow up of the expenses.

Why is it important to prepare a budget before organising a company event?

Making a budget is essential for the organisation of an event from the very beginning of the whole process and continuously up until the evaluation of the results. A detailed budget gives an idea of the dimensions of the act to be held, it sets limits, helps us to establish the priorities, and to know how profitable the actions that we have put in place have been… let us take a detailed look at it:

• It marks out our expenditure limits. It sets out a maximum amount and offers us peace of mind so that we do not stumble into actions that without realising it, allow things to get out of hand.

• It helps us to proritise. As there is a limit, it makes us plan and understand better what the best areas are to invest more in, and what the less important ones are for the final result.  

• .It makes decision making easier. As we have previously drawn up a road map based on a particular sum of money, it allows us to negotiate calmly, firm in the knowledge of what our upper limits are.

• It helps us to keep control of costs. We will always be aware of the costs we are incurring and we will never be surprised by “phantom costs“ which sometimes appear from nowhere.
  
• It allows us to establish the success of the event. If we know the exact amount of the investment, we can measure the results in accordance with our balance sheet for costs and income once the event is finished.The income does not have to be necessarily an economic income. It will be what we set out previously as our target to be achieved: a particular number of meeting with clients, a certain volume of mentions and impacts on social media, the number of attendees etc

Principallly, for these reasons a detailed budget is crucial before starting to consider all the actions and amounts to be allocated for the correct organisation of our event. Once we have the budget in our hands, we can deal with the costs. 

What are the costs of an event?

There is no closed or fixed list of costs for the organization of an event. As each event is different, the cost list will depend on the needs and aspirations of each one. To give an example, an open-air gala dinner will require a high cost in lighting whereas this would never be included in a daytime activity for team building activities. 

Therefore, it is important to get together with your working team and calmly begin to visualise your event. Out of the scenario that you come up with together, there must be a list of needs which require a certain cost. It is also advisable to manage that list individually as items which had not been contemplated always come up and additions to the list will have to made. 

Below we have a list of expenses which are usually common to all company events:

• Venue hire: Here we should probably assume sub sections such as cleaning and security.

• Catering: This will depend on the number of guests and of the aspirations as far as the supplier is concerned.This item must also include all the tableware if we understand that this will be needed independently from the service offered by the catering company. 

• Decoration: Here all decorative items will be included, both those supplied in the form of metallic structures, wooden or PVC items… and floral, decorative or lighting items.

• Entertainment: This item would incorporate everything related with artists, or personnel hired for the purpose of livening up the event: musicians, DJs, comedians, theatre shows, etc.  

•  Audiovisual services: Everything to do with multimedia equipment.Screens, speakers, computers, internet connection…
  
• Everything to do with the transportation of the guests, the staff and the material required for the celebration of the event.
• All the promotional costs of the event, for the hiring of services and material.In this item we can also include stationery and  design of material to be handed out during the event.

• Cost of hiring extra staff such as security, medical service, interpreters, attendants…

• Everything connected with the necessary insurance to celebrate the event, both social security and material for those involved.

• Other costs. It is always advisable to allow an amount for expenses which do not enter in the above items or for unexpected costs.

As we mentioned earlier, this is a typical list which can serve in principle, but each event has needs and items to be covered which  do not have to be necessarily these.

It is therefore important to make a detailed list of the elements which are required for the event and once this is done, begin to consult prices of suppliers for each one of them so that in this way, we can obtain an exact budget.Let us go deeper into this aspect in the following point.

Steps to follow for preparing an event expenses budget  

When preparing a budget for the expenses of an event, it is advisable to be very detailed in all the steps. This is the only way to have control over all of the items , so that we can adapt to the investment established for the event and to make an efficient and responsible use of it.Let us take a look at the steps we must follow:

• Identifying  the objective of the event and the public to whom it is addressed is vital in order to know what actions must be carried out and to define the nature of the act.  
• Establish the date, place and duration of the event.

• Create a detailed list of the items required for the show. This includes aspects such as those mentioned in the previous point of this article referring to expenses.They may be those previously indicated ( food, drinks, sound equipment, illumination, decoration, entertainment etc. ) which are the common ones, or some particular costs which your event may have. 
• Once all the necessary elements have been established, search and compare prices of the different suppliers for each of those elements. 
• When we know the approximate cost corresponding to  each item, allocate a budget to each of them taking the approximate cost which each one represents and proritise the cost of the the items we consider to be the most important. 
• Adjust to the total budget
• Assign responsibilities and items to each member of the working group who forms part of the organisation of the event .
• Perform constant follow up on each of the items and the cost deriving from each of them.
• Do the same review once the event has finished and come to conclusions which will be useful for future actions.

Real example of a budget for an event

We provide you with a list of items that may form part of an example budget for a real event. All the details are invented and therefore not representative of the real costs generated from a corporate event.