I leave conferences for last because they definitely are the most complex of the three popular coaching events. You may ask, “But Joan, I can just book a ballroom, rent a projector, and have my conference”. NO you can’t. I mean you can, but we don’t do basic events that bore your audience around here. If you are going to do a conference you have to go into planning it as the best reflection of your brand. Otherwise this event can do the exact opposite of your goal. It can make you lose clients when they walk into your conference and see that your in-person experiences do not match your online experience.
Conferences are everything but the kitchen sink events. They can include speakers, breakouts, networking opportunities, vendor showcases, cocktail parties, and more. But the foundation of all conferences is to teach and sell. You stand in front of your audience and teach them more about your products or services. Then you sell them the tools to put everything you taught into practice.
To start planning a conference, I would start with the product or service you want to sell. Then work your way back into everything you need to put your audience in the perfect mental space to buy. If you get overwhelmed with the details and to-dos of planning, checkout this free checklist I created that walks you through all the practical things you will need to hold a successful conference.