CINXE.COM

<!doctype html>     <html lang="en-GB" class="no-js"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8">  <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"> <title>Learn More about our Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist</title> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="True"> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="320"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/> <meta content="Ex Ordo, Abstract Submission, Abstract Management, Registration, Payment, Timetable, Blog", name="keywords"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/images/apple-icon-touch.png"> <link rel="icon" href="https://www.exordo.com/favicon.ico">   <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#f01d4f"> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/images/win8-tile-icon.png"> <link rel="pingback" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/xmlrpc.php">  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,600,700|Ubuntu:400,400i,500,500i,700,700i&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">  <meta name='robots' content='index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1' />  <meta name="description" content="Are you planning a conference? We've created a foolproof checklist to help you save time and stress in your conference organising." /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/" /> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_GB" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Learn More about our Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Are you planning a conference? We've created a foolproof checklist to help you save time and stress in your conference organising." /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Tips for Research Conference Organisers" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2024-10-04T15:30:34+00:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2025-01-16T17:00:53+00:00" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/batch_White-board-networking-seminar-concept.png" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1280" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="854" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/png" /> <meta name="author" content="Brian Campbell" /> <meta name="twitter:label1" content="Written by" /> <meta name="twitter:data1" content="Brian Campbell" /> <meta name="twitter:label2" content="Est. reading time" /> <meta name="twitter:data2" content="17 minutes" /> <script type="application/ld+json" class="yoast-schema-graph">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/","url":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/","name":"Learn More about our Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/batch_White-board-networking-seminar-concept.png","datePublished":"2024-10-04T15:30:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-16T17:00:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/#/schema/person/5987c47dbab722bcf505391cb090adb7"},"description":"Are you planning a conference? We've created a foolproof checklist to help you save time and stress in your conference organising.","inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/#primaryimage","url":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/batch_White-board-networking-seminar-concept.png","contentUrl":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/batch_White-board-networking-seminar-concept.png","width":1280,"height":854},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/#website","url":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/","name":"Tips for Research Conference Organisers","description":"Ex Ordo","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/#/schema/person/5987c47dbab722bcf505391cb090adb7","name":"Brian Campbell","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/#/schema/person/image/","url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/76476fbbb0aebd3b40f1e27339764fd9?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/76476fbbb0aebd3b40f1e27339764fd9?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Brian Campbell"},"description":"Brian is a data-driven marketeer, and responsible for helping people find Ex Ordo. He works part-time as a lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and loves quizzing his students on the latest business trends and insights. Brian enjoys hanging out with his little nephews, and playing and watching sports. He also likes to keep a keen eye on the scholarly research space, and has co-organised an academic conference to boot.","sameAs":["https://twitter.com/PaperCrowd"],"url":"https://www.exordo.com/blog/author/brian/"}]}</script>  <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//www.exordo.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s.w.org' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Tips for Research Conference Organisers » Feed" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Tips for Research Conference Organisers » Comments Feed" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/comments/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Tips for Research Conference Organisers » Your 2025 Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist Comments Feed" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/feed/" />  <script src="//www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K3C2YPSRZQ" data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false" type="text/javascript" async></script> <script data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false" type="text/javascript"> var mi_version = '8.22.0'; var mi_track_user = true; var mi_no_track_reason = ''; var disableStrs = [ 'ga-disable-G-K3C2YPSRZQ', ]; /* Function to detect opted out users */ function __gtagTrackerIsOptedOut() { for (var index = 0; index < disableStrs.length; index++) { if (document.cookie.indexOf(disableStrs[index] + '=true') > -1) { return true; } } return false; } /* Disable tracking if the opt-out cookie exists. */ if (__gtagTrackerIsOptedOut()) { for (var index = 0; index < disableStrs.length; index++) { window[disableStrs[index]] = true; } } /* Opt-out function */ function __gtagTrackerOptout() { for (var index = 0; index < disableStrs.length; index++) { document.cookie = disableStrs[index] + '=true; expires=Thu, 31 Dec 2099 23:59:59 UTC; path=/'; window[disableStrs[index]] = true; } } if ('undefined' === typeof gaOptout) { function gaOptout() { __gtagTrackerOptout(); } } window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; window.MonsterInsightsDualTracker = { helpers: {}, trackers: {}, }; if (mi_track_user) { function __gtagDataLayer() { dataLayer.push(arguments); } function __gtagTracker(type, name, parameters) { if (!parameters) { parameters = {}; } if (parameters.send_to) { __gtagDataLayer.apply(null, arguments); return; } if (type === 'event') { parameters.send_to = monsterinsights_frontend.v4_id; var hookName = name; if (typeof parameters['event_category'] !== 'undefined') { hookName = parameters['event_category'] + ':' + name; } if (typeof MonsterInsightsDualTracker.trackers[hookName] !== 'undefined') { MonsterInsightsDualTracker.trackers[hookName](parameters); } else { __gtagDataLayer('event', name, parameters); } } else { __gtagDataLayer.apply(null, arguments); } } __gtagTracker('js', new Date()); __gtagTracker('set', { 'developer_id.dZGIzZG': true, }); __gtagTracker('config', 'G-K3C2YPSRZQ', {"forceSSL":"true"} ); window.gtag = __gtagTracker; (function () { /* https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/ */ /* ga and __gaTracker compatibility shim. */ var noopfn = function () { return null; }; var newtracker = function () { return new Tracker(); }; var Tracker = function () { return null; }; var p = Tracker.prototype; p.get = noopfn; p.set = noopfn; p.send = function () { var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments); args.unshift('send'); __gaTracker.apply(null, args); }; var __gaTracker = function () { var len = arguments.length; if (len === 0) { return; } var f = arguments[len - 1]; if (typeof f !== 'object' || f === null || typeof f.hitCallback !== 'function') { if ('send' === arguments[0]) { var hitConverted, hitObject = false, action; if ('event' === arguments[1]) { if ('undefined' !== typeof arguments[3]) { hitObject = { 'eventAction': arguments[3], 'eventCategory': arguments[2], 'eventLabel': arguments[4], 'value': arguments[5] ? arguments[5] : 1, } } } if ('pageview' === arguments[1]) { if ('undefined' !== typeof arguments[2]) { hitObject = { 'eventAction': 'page_view', 'page_path': arguments[2], } } } if (typeof arguments[2] === 'object') { hitObject = arguments[2]; } if (typeof arguments[5] === 'object') { Object.assign(hitObject, arguments[5]); } if ('undefined' !== typeof arguments[1].hitType) { hitObject = arguments[1]; if ('pageview' === hitObject.hitType) { hitObject.eventAction = 'page_view'; } } if (hitObject) { action = 'timing' === arguments[1].hitType ? 'timing_complete' : hitObject.eventAction; hitConverted = mapArgs(hitObject); __gtagTracker('event', action, hitConverted); } } return; } function mapArgs(args) { var arg, hit = {}; var gaMap = { 'eventCategory': 'event_category', 'eventAction': 'event_action', 'eventLabel': 'event_label', 'eventValue': 'event_value', 'nonInteraction': 'non_interaction', 'timingCategory': 'event_category', 'timingVar': 'name', 'timingValue': 'value', 'timingLabel': 'event_label', 'page': 'page_path', 'location': 'page_location', 'title': 'page_title', 'referrer' : 'page_referrer', }; for (arg in args) { if (!(!args.hasOwnProperty(arg) || !gaMap.hasOwnProperty(arg))) { hit[gaMap[arg]] = args[arg]; } else { hit[arg] = args[arg]; } } return hit; } try { f.hitCallback(); } catch (ex) { } }; __gaTracker.create = newtracker; __gaTracker.getByName = newtracker; __gaTracker.getAll = function () { return []; }; __gaTracker.remove = noopfn; __gaTracker.loaded = true; window['__gaTracker'] = __gaTracker; })(); } else { console.log(""); (function () { function __gtagTracker() { return null; } window['__gtagTracker'] = __gtagTracker; window['gtag'] = __gtagTracker; })(); } </script>  <script type="text/javascript"> window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/www.exordo.com\/blog\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js"}}; /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode,e=(p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0),i.toDataURL());return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r<o.length;r++)t.supports[o[r]]=function(e){if(!p||!p.fillText)return!1;switch(p.textBaseline="top",p.font="600 32px Arial",e){case"flag":return s([127987,65039,8205,9895,65039],[127987,65039,8203,9895,65039])?!1:!s([55356,56826,55356,56819],[55356,56826,8203,55356,56819])&&!s([55356,57332,56128,56423,56128,56418,56128,56421,56128,56430,56128,56423,56128,56447],[55356,57332,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56418,8203,56128,56421,8203,56128,56430,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56447]);case"emoji":return!s([129777,127995,8205,129778,127999],[129777,127995,8203,129778,127999])}return!1}(o[r]),t.supports.everything=t.supports.everything&&t.supports[o[r]],"flag"!==o[r]&&(t.supports.everythingExceptFlag=t.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&t.supports[o[r]]);t.supports.everythingExceptFlag=t.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&!t.supports.flag,t.DOMReady=!1,t.readyCallback=function(){t.DOMReady=!0},t.supports.everything||(n=function(){t.readyCallback()},a.addEventListener?(a.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",n,!1),e.addEventListener("load",n,!1)):(e.attachEvent("onload",n),a.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",function(){"complete"===a.readyState&&t.readyCallback()})),(e=t.source||{}).concatemoji?c(e.concatemoji):e.wpemoji&&e.twemoji&&(c(e.twemoji),c(e.wpemoji)))}(window,document,window._wpemojiSettings); </script> <style type="text/css"> img.wp-smiley, img.emoji { display: inline !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; height: 1em !important; width: 1em !important; margin: 0 0.07em !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; background: none !important; padding: 0 !important; } </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-block-library-css' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-includes/css/dist/block-library/style.min.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <style id='global-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> body{--wp--preset--color--black: #000000;--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray: #abb8c3;--wp--preset--color--white: #ffffff;--wp--preset--color--pale-pink: #f78da7;--wp--preset--color--vivid-red: #cf2e2e;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange: #ff6900;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber: #fcb900;--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan: #7bdcb5;--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan: #00d084;--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue: #8ed1fc;--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue: #0693e3;--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple: #9b51e0;--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(6,147,227,1) 0%,rgb(155,81,224) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(122,220,180) 0%,rgb(0,208,130) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(252,185,0,1) 0%,rgba(255,105,0,1) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(255,105,0,1) 0%,rgb(207,46,46) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(238,238,238) 0%,rgb(169,184,195) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(74,234,220) 0%,rgb(151,120,209) 20%,rgb(207,42,186) 40%,rgb(238,44,130) 60%,rgb(251,105,98) 80%,rgb(254,248,76) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,206,236) 0%,rgb(152,150,240) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(254,205,165) 0%,rgb(254,45,45) 50%,rgb(107,0,62) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,203,112) 0%,rgb(199,81,192) 50%,rgb(65,88,208) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 50%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(202,248,128) 0%,rgb(113,206,126) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--midnight: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(2,3,129) 0%,rgb(40,116,252) 100%);--wp--preset--duotone--dark-grayscale: url('#wp-duotone-dark-grayscale');--wp--preset--duotone--grayscale: url('#wp-duotone-grayscale');--wp--preset--duotone--purple-yellow: url('#wp-duotone-purple-yellow');--wp--preset--duotone--blue-red: url('#wp-duotone-blue-red');--wp--preset--duotone--midnight: url('#wp-duotone-midnight');--wp--preset--duotone--magenta-yellow: url('#wp-duotone-magenta-yellow');--wp--preset--duotone--purple-green: url('#wp-duotone-purple-green');--wp--preset--duotone--blue-orange: url('#wp-duotone-blue-orange');--wp--preset--font-size--small: 13px;--wp--preset--font-size--medium: 20px;--wp--preset--font-size--large: 36px;--wp--preset--font-size--x-large: 42px;}.has-black-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red) !important;}.has-very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-cool-to-warm-spectrum-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum) !important;}.has-blush-light-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple) !important;}.has-blush-bordeaux-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux) !important;}.has-luminous-dusk-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk) !important;}.has-pale-ocean-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean) !important;}.has-electric-grass-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass) !important;}.has-midnight-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--midnight) !important;}.has-small-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--small) !important;}.has-medium-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--medium) !important;}.has-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--large) !important;}.has-x-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--x-large) !important;} </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='bcct_style-css' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/better-click-to-tweet/assets/css/styles.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='toc-screen-css' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/table-of-contents-plus/screen.min.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='easy_table_style-css' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/easy-table/themes/default/style.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='boilerplate-stylesheet-css' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/css/boilerplate.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='grid-stylesheet-css' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/css/grid.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='exordo-stylesheet-css' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/style.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js' id='jquery-core-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js' id='jquery-migrate-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/subscribe.js' id='ex-subscribe-js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/assets/js/frontend-gtag.min.js' id='monsterinsights-frontend-script-js'></script> <script data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false" type="text/javascript" id='monsterinsights-frontend-script-js-extra'>/* <![CDATA[ */ var monsterinsights_frontend = {"js_events_tracking":"true","download_extensions":"doc,pdf,ppt,zip,xls,docx,pptx,xlsx","inbound_paths":"[]","home_url":"https:\/\/www.exordo.com\/blog","hash_tracking":"false","v4_id":"G-K3C2YPSRZQ"};/* ]]> */ </script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/libs/modernizr.custom.min.js' id='bones-modernizr-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/libs/velocity.js' id='velocity.js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/libs/waypoints/waypoints-min.js' id='waypoints.js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/libs/waypoints/waypoints-sticky-min.js' id='waypoints-sticky.js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/scripts.js' id='scripts.js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/search_bar.js' id='search_bar.js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/mobile_menu.js' id='mobile_menu.js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/cookies_message.js' id='cookies_message.js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/themes/blog-4.0/library/js/scrolled_bar_widget.js' id='scrolled_bar_widget.js-js'></script> <link rel="https://api.w.org/" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-json/" /><link rel="alternate" type="application/json" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/6428" /><link rel='shortlink' href='https://www.exordo.com/blog/?p=6428' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.exordo.com%2Fblog%2Fyour-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist%2F" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://secure.enterprise-operation-inspired.com/js/785941.js" ></script> <noscript><img alt="" src="https://secure.enterprise-operation-inspired.com/785941.png" style="display:none;" /></noscript> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(c,l,a,r,i,t,y){ c[a]=c[a]||function(){(c[a].q=c[a].q||[]).push(arguments)};t=l.createElement(r);t.async=1; t.src="https://www.clarity.ms/tag/"+i+"?ref=wordpress";y=l.getElementsByTagName(r)[0];y.parentNode.insertBefore(t,y); })(window, document, "clarity", "script", "gxmxqzlbgb"); </script> <script> window._mfq = window._mfq || []; (function() { var mf = document.createElement("script"); mf.type = "text/javascript"; mf.async = true; mf.src = "//cdn.mouseflow.com/projects/130e1fe2-cd22-413f-aca9-76de62d2a985.js"; document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(mf); })(); </script> <link rel="icon" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/apple-icon-touch.png" sizes="32x32" /> <link rel="icon" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/apple-icon-touch.png" sizes="192x192" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/apple-icon-touch.png" /> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/apple-icon-touch.png" />   <script>var w=window;var p = w.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http") < 0){p = "http"+":";}var d = document;var f = d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0],s = d.createElement('script');s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = false; if (s.readyState){s.onreadystatechange = function(){if (s.readyState=="loaded"||s.readyState == "complete"){s.onreadystatechange = null;try{loadwaprops("26468e9c574a7855429395043a0b0c714","2f4ed37a9b4b6a88c0acb0669a773c0cf","2e13d1f17faa3ff1c3d0757c7278b848acbad3f9c5f6454d4","2444275c82f3c65826c87596d6408794d","0.0");}catch(e){}}};}else {s.onload = function(){try{loadwaprops("26468e9c574a7855429395043a0b0c714","2f4ed37a9b4b6a88c0acb0669a773c0cf","2e13d1f17faa3ff1c3d0757c7278b848acbad3f9c5f6454d4","2444275c82f3c65826c87596d6408794d","0.0");}catch(e){}};};s.src =p+"//marketinghub.zoho.eu/hub/js/WebsiteAutomation.js";f.parentNode.insertBefore(s, f);</script> <noscript> <div style="display:inline;"> <img height="1" width="1" style="border-style:none;" alt="" src="//googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/1018352672/?value=0&guid=ON&script=0"/> </div> </noscript>  </head> <body class="post-template-default single single-post postid-6428 single-format-standard"> <script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var google_conversion_id = 1018352672; var google_custom_params = window.google_tag_params; var google_remarketing_only = true; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js"></script> <header class="header" role="banner"> <div class="grid-row"> <div class="header-wrapper clearfix"> <a class="exordo-logo js-track-header-logo" href="https://www.exordo.com" data-vars-ga-category="Header" data-vars-ga-action="Blog" data-vars-ga-label="Blog to website">Ex Ordo Blog</a> <div class="desktop-header"> <form role="search" method="get" id="searchform" class="search-bar" action="https://www.exordo.com/blog/" > <div class="search-bar--trigger"></div> <input class="js-search-input" type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" placeholder="Search for articles..." /> </form> <div class="menu-custom-container"><ul id="menu-custom" class="menu"><li id="menu-item-4522" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-home menu-item-4522"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog">Blog Home</a></li> <li id="menu-item-4523" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category current-post-ancestor current-menu-parent current-post-parent menu-item-4523"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/popular-post/">Popular</a></li> <li id="menu-item-5505" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children dropdown menu-item-5505"><a href="#">Topics</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-5507" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category current-post-ancestor menu-item-5507"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/conference-organising/">Conference Organising</a></li> <li id="menu-item-5509" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-5509"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/research-conferences/">Research Conferences</a></li> <li id="menu-item-5506" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-5506"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/research-world/">Research World</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul></div> </div> <div class="mobile-menu-trigger"></div> <div class="mobile-menu-panel"> <div class="close-mobile-menu-panel"></div> <form role="search" method="get" id="searchform" class="search-bar is-active" action="https://www.exordo.com/blog/" > <div class="search-bar--trigger"></div> <input class="js-search-input" type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" placeholder="Search for articles..." /> </form> <div class="menu-custom-container"><ul id="menu-custom-1" class="menu"><li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-home menu-item-4522"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog">Blog Home</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category current-post-ancestor current-menu-parent current-post-parent menu-item-4523"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/popular-post/">Popular</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children dropdown menu-item-5505"><a href="#">Topics</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category current-post-ancestor menu-item-5507"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/conference-organising/">Conference Organising</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-5509"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/research-conferences/">Research Conferences</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-5506"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/research-world/">Research World</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="page-hero"> <div class="page-hero--background"></div> </div> <div class="modal-backdrop"></div> <div class="article-wrapper"> <div class="grid-row"> <div class="grid-row--article grid-center"> <div id="main" class="content-block clearfix" role="main"> <article id="post-6428" class="main-article-page" role="article" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/BlogPosting"> <header class="article-header"> <h1 itemprop="headline">Your 2025 Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist</h1> <div class="main-article-page--read-time"> <span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix"></span> <span class="rt-time"> 12</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minute read</span></span> </div> </header> <div class="main-article-links "> <a class="twitter" href="http://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/&text=Your 2025 Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist&via=exordo" target="_blank" title="Share on Twitter"></a> <a class="facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/&t=Your 2025 Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist" target="_blank" title="Share on Facebook."></a> <a class="linkedin" href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&title=Your 2025 Foolproof Conference Planning Checklist&url=https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/" target="_blank" title="Share on LinkedIn"></a> </div> <div class="main-article--img"> <img src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/batch_White-board-networking-seminar-concept.png" height="624" width="936"> </div> <div class="main-article--meta"> <div class="main-article--meta--avatar"> <div class="author-avatar"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/author/brian/"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/76476fbbb0aebd3b40f1e27339764fd9?s=54&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/76476fbbb0aebd3b40f1e27339764fd9?s=108&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-54 photo' height='54' width='54' loading='lazy'/></a></div> </div> <div class="main-article--meta--name"> <a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/author/brian/" title="Posts by Brian Campbell" rel="author">Brian Campbell</a> </div> <div class="main-article--meta--info">4 October 2024 in <a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/popular-post/">Popular Post</a> <a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/conference-organising/conference-planning/">Conference Planning</a> </div> </div> <div class="main-article-page--content" itemprop="articleBody"> <div class="grid-row-75-col grid-center"> <div class="js-art-body-wrapper"> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Our conference planning checklist will show you how to get a handle on the mammoth task at hand.</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It usually takes event planners 12 – 14 months to</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/jan/17/how-to-organise-academic-conference"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">organise an academic conference</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. At the outset, it’s totally normal for the sheer volume of admin that lies ahead to feel a tad overwhelming when conference planning. But with a proactive team, the right software, and a well-developed plan of action, you should be confident in your ability to pull off a great event, without having to burn the candle at both ends. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having a comprehensive checklist to guide you can alleviate a lot of unnecessary stress in conference planning. Whether you’re a once off conference or organising your conferences annual meeting a checklist structures the work you need to get through. Once you break down the gazillion tasks you need to accomplish into specific time frames, everything seems – and usually is – far more manageable. Working systematically through a checklist will also provide you with a reference to revisit at the end of the conference. It can help you determine what was successful, and where there is room for improvement for future events.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A wise man (with great project management skills) once said: There’s no time like the present. So, on that note, let’s get cracking!</span></p> <h3><b>Your conference planning checklist: By month & task</b></h3> <img class="aligncenter wp-image-9006 size-full" src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/batch_pexels-anete-lusina-5239917.jpg" alt="Your conference planning checklist: By month & task" width="1280" height="854" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-woman-taking-notes-in-calendar-5239917/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Photo</a> by Anete Lusina</em></p> <h3><b>12 – 14 months before your conference: Timeline, committee, & website</b></h3> <ul> <li><b>Build your timeline. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Factor in enough time to complete each stage of your conference planning, then add some wiggle room around deadlines. You’ll thank yourself later. Make sure to restructure the timeline to match your events plan. </span></li> <li><b>Decide if you’re hiring a pro. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">If it’s your first time planning a research conference, we highly recommend you consider the services of a professional conference organiser (PCO). For a fixed fee, and sometimes also a fee per delegate, they will look after the admin and logistics of planning your conference, and ensure that everything runs like clockwork. From what our customers tell us,</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/benefits-professional-conference-organiser/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">a good PCO is worth their weight in gold</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If your keynote speaker pulls out the month before your conference, or your AV supplier goes AWOL the week before, a PCO knows exactly what to do, as they’ve seen it all before. </span><b>Note:</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> If you’re planning to do it all without the help of an event pro, you’ll need to add normal event planning tasks – like sourcing your venue and</span><a href="https://www.eventmanagerblog.com/rewarding-speaker-gift-ideas"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">buying gifts for speakers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> – to your conference planning checklist. </span></li> <li><b>Get your committee on board. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Every successful research conference needs an active</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/whos-sits-on-a-conference-organizing-committee/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">organising committee</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Committee members are there to provide expertise on content and topics of interest to your community. Ideally, your committee should be made up of the type of experts your conference aims to attract as delegates. So, form your committee now and make sure each committee member understands their specific role and responsibilities – before, during, and after the event.</span></li> </ul> <h4>Website and Venue</h4> <ul> <li><b>Build your website. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re a meeting planner within a membership organisation, it’s important to create a clear distinction between your</span><a href="https://www.mightycitizen.com/insights/articles/the-best-association-websites-weve-seen-in-2019"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">association website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and your</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/conference-website-design/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">conference website.</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Your association website should act as a focal point for your members, and promote your organisation’s work across advocacy and education. Your conference website, on the other hand, should be squarely focused on showcasing your event and converting visitors into delegates. Regardless of whether your conference website is a micro-site within a larger organisation website, or it’s flying solo, it needs to be user-friendly and </span><a href="https://webaccess.berkeley.edu/resources/tips/web-accessibility"><span style="font-weight: 400;">accessible ready.</span></a></li> <li aria-level="1"><b>Choose a conference venue.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> There’s a lot to consider when you are trying to decide on the best venue for your next conference. Accessibility and sustainability needs to be top of your list along with the finding the place that fits your costs appropriately. Of course there’s more to consider, if you’re an association you are likely to be planning much more in advance, in any case </span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/10-questions-to-ask-when-choosing-a-conference-venue/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">check out this list</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for further guidance. </span></li> </ul> <a href="https://www.exordo.com/no-panic-scholarly-event-guide"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-10071 aligncenter" src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Lead-Magnet-Image-2.png" alt="No panic conference guide" width="588" height="309" /></a> <h3><b>Conference planning 10 – 12 months before: Budget & software</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Draft your budget. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Managing your finances is vital, so create your draft budget now. Then adjust it as you secure funding and sponsorship. Don’t forget to consider things like fixed costs vs variable costs, tax, and budgeting for contingency. We’ve created a</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/budget-template"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">budget template</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to help you get started.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Investigate funding pots. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tourism budgets of many countries include funds for conferences with international delegates. When you’re considering a location, check if/how the local tourist board can help. Also check if associations or organisations within your field offer any kind of funding.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Pursue sponsorship opportunities. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">The money you bring in from registrations won’t be enough to cover your conference planning costs. So, you’ll need to look into</span><a href="https://smallbusiness.chron.com/sponsors-conference-61440.html"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">sponsorship packages</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to help cover the difference. </span></li> <li><b>GDPR compliance. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">The EU takes its</span><a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">General Data Protection Regulation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> law very seriously. GDPR rules and regulations apply to anyone who processes the personal data of EU citizens. Because you’ll be handling the personal info of authors and delegates, if any of these folks are EU citizens, by law your software needs to be</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/the-gdpr-for-conference-organisers/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">GDPR compliant</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></li> </ul> <h4>Finding the right tools</h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Sort your conference planning software.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> While a lot of generic event software boasts some conference features, these can be flimsy at best. And if you’re planning an academic conference, the software you use will probably look quite different to that used by your event-planning peers in the non-scholarly space. So, when you’re comparing packages, just make sure the platform you’re considering can handle </span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">all </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">your</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> needs.</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Features of a scholarly specific powerful system for planning a research conference should include:</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/abstract-management-software"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">abstract management</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, programme building, delegate registration, and mobile app, with an integrated hybrid platform to support online events. And it goes without saying that all this event tech should be backed by humans, not bots. Making a great first impression on delegates through your abstract management software will help</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">build your event reputation</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and this has knock-on effects for all other aspects of your conference. At Ex Ordo, our abstract management isn’t simply an add-on, it’s the system’s core functionality. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Download task management and project messaging tools. </b>There are some great free apps that can keep your committee members engaged in the planning process and help them stay on target. In terms of hyper-visual task-management, we recommend<a href="https://www.trello.com/"> Trello</a>. And in terms of project messaging, you can’t go wrong with<a href="https://slack.com"> Slack.</a> We use both extensively for our own work at Ex Ordo.</li> </ul> <h3><b>9 months before your conference: Submissions</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Define your formats.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Before you can think about sending your</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/perfect-call-for-papers/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">call for papers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, you need to decide which formats you’ll be accepting. These could be abstracts, extended abstracts, or papers. For example, will you have a maximum word count, or formatting conventions? What extra info do you need from authors? This could include things like: file uploads, anti-plagiarism statements, and copyright transfers. Make sure to include these in your guide for authors.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Decide how you’re collecting submissions. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">If the idea of managing submissions manually seems a bit old school and laborious, software that includes sturdy abstract management capabilities will be a game-changer for you and your team. Just make sure the software you’re considering has a customisable submission process, allows authors to make their own corrections, lets you track reviewers’ progress, and has an online conference platform integration.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Work out how many reviewers you need. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inviting enough reviewers for your conference is pretty important. Overloaded reviewers are not happy reviewers. And unhappy reviewers tend to withdraw their offer to review, or go MIA entirely. When they do, you’ll be left scrambling to replace them, or off-loading their submissions onto other reviewers. Use this</span><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f6Bt9eWKhexxOBNeif4XJQisFmRUjrO4mQxeDemf16g/edit#gid=965354928"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">reviewer calculator</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to work out how many you need.</span></li> </ul> <h4>Aligning Submitters and Reviewers</h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Determine how you’ll match submissions to reviewers.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Most of the conferences we work with agree on a list of submission topics. Reviewers then select the topics for which they’re best equipped to review. You also need to decide if you’ll allow</span><a href="https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/mckinley/notes/ww-nature-1997.pdf"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">nepotism</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in submission allocation. Nepotism happens when an author and a reviewer share an affiliation, such as a country or organisation (e.g. university). Preventing nepotism means that reviewers cannot be assigned to submissions if they have the same affiliations as the authors. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Clarify your review process.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Single or double-blind review? Single-blind means the reviewer knows who the author is, double-blind means they don’t. In both cases, the author doesn’t know who the reviewer is. How will reviewers score submissions? Reviewers on Ex Ordo conferences generally score on criteria like: technical merit, readability, relevance, originality, and format.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Hybrid or online component. </b>The pandemic changed the way meetings are conducted, for your conference you need to ask yourself if you will solely go for the<a href="https://www.exordo.com/product/virtual-conference-platform"> physical conference, a virtual event or a combination of both.</a> One thing to consider, is making your conference more accessible to developing nations with a virtual component. Find a software can connect your abstract management to your hybrid or virtual and it can make your conference more versatile.</li> </ul> <h3><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-9009 size-full" style="font-size: 16px;" src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/batch_pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3931500.jpg" alt="conference planning to Align Submitters and Reviewers" width="1280" height="853" /></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-having-a-discussion-3931500/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andrea Piacquadio</a></em></p> <h3><b>Conference planning 8 – 9 months before: Call for papers</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Email your call for papers. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">To make sure your message hits its mark, make it catchy, informative, and scannable. Your</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/issuing-your-call-for-papers/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">call for abstracts</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> should immediately make it clear what the conference is about, and who is organising it. The key details of the conference should be the first thing recipients see. If you have a rough idea about your conference schedule, or if you have plans for invited speakers, it would be well worth mentioning these as any kind of special events (even social events), or guest lectures, which could help attract potential authors and delegates. If your conference is partnered with an academic journal, or sponsored by an affiliate, these are all things that you may want to include.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Consent to communicate. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">GDPR requires you to include an unsubscribe feature in every email you send to your mailing list. If a potential author or delegate opts out of your mailing list, and you continue sending them unsolicited emails, your conference could be fined. Not being a pesky spammer isn’t just good practice, it’s the law.</span></li> </ul> <h4>Promotional Plan</h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>List on conference announcement sites. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Virtual and hybrid have extended the reach of conferences further than ever. Scholars from all corners of the globe can now participate in your event, and every day, around the world,</span><a href="https://armacad.info/blog/how-to-promote-academic-conference-call-for-papers"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">new people emerge</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> who are interested in your field.</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/conference-announcement-sites-single-list/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Conference announcement sites</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are a great way to expand the digital presence of your ideal</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/perfect-call-for-papers/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">call for papers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. These websites allow you to upload details of your conference under relevant categories. Once you add your event, researchers and academics who are browsing the internet, or who’ve registered an interest in your research category, get an alert about your conference. They can then access your website to submit their paper, register, or just find out more.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Ask other conferences to help promote yours. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">If a conference with similar topics to yours exists (and you’re not competing for delegates), ask if they’ll share your flyers in their delegate packs, and if you can give a short address at their event.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Write a media release for relevant publications in your field. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">To do this, you’ll need to make your announcement newsworthy, keep it concise, and include a quote from the chair. You may also want to post this on any relevant</span><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/academic-listservs-are-antidote-twitter-and-other-poisons"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">listservs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which are moderated mailing lists used by academics and researchers.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Promote on social media. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be a great way to reach interested researchers. Decide which social media platforms you’re going to use, devise a</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/event-social-media-marketing-guide/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">social media content plan</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, choose someone to manage your accounts, and start posting.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Ask your conference sponsors to help promote it. </b>They want people there as much as you do. Ask them to encourage business partners to attend, send your announcement to their contacts list, and promote on social media.</li> </ul> <img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-9004 size-full" src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/batch_pexels-alena-darmel-7710047.jpg" alt="conference Promotional Plan" width="1280" height="853" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-woman-writing-on-a-whiteboard-with-sticky-notes-7710047/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Photo</a> by Alena Darmel</em></p> <h3><b>Conference planning 7 months before: Registrations</b></h3> <ul> <li><b>Build a</b> <b>limited-access pricing model</b><b>.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Rather than selling all-in registrations, sell separate tickets for events. For example, offer delegates a basic fee that admits them to every session, and add optional charges for events like workshops, social outings, and meals. This gives delegates more freedom to design around their needs.</span></li> <li><b>Ask authors to RSVP. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you send letters of acceptance, ask the authors of accepted submissions to RSVP before they register. This can give you a good idea of numbers before</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/product/conference-registration"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">official registrations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> start rolling in. Then, if you have a list of second-round submissions, you can decide whether to accept or reject them, based on your RSVP numbers.</span></li> <li><b>Early career researchers. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Create incentives for early career researchers to register for your conferences. It’s worth putting some time into planning with the venue and your committees in the best way to support early career researchers at your conference. Will you have a bursary for early career researchers? Will you add early career researchers to your committees to capture their views appropriately?</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/no-panic-scholarly-event-guide"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10071" src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Lead-Magnet-Image-2.png" alt="No panic conference guide" width="588" height="309" /></a></p> <h4>Payment Options</h4> <ul> <li><b>Offer payment options.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> A good chunk of your fees will ultimately come from funding, bursaries, and grants, as opposed to your delegates’ own pockets. But, if you force people to pay by card, they’ll need to wait to claim it back. This can put a stress on their finances. So, give them the option to pay by invoice as well as card.</span></li> <li><b>Publicise grants and bursaries. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many early-career researchers (ECRs) can’t afford to attend conferences without a travel grant. If your conference offers any grants, you need to establish what </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">your</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> conference defines an an ECR. Will it be post-doctoral researchers only? Or will you include senior lecturers who are undertaking the first stages of their research careers? And what about students and scholars who are at the undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level? Creating clear criteria and making info like this readily available can save would-be delegates hours of funding research. You could also consider offering</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866621/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">subsidised childcare</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or allow early-career researchers to volunteer in some capacity in lieu of paying fees.</span></li> <li><b>Harness the power of early-bird registrations. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have budget constraints and find yourself having to pick between a physical or online event, doing a big push on</span><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/early-bird-registration-ds00/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">early-bird registrations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can help clear the path for clearer decision-making. You will be able to gauge how much interest your delegates are showing in an in-person vs virtual conference. This, in turn, will show where you should be allocating the bulk of your budget and resources moving forward.</span></li> <li style="list-style-type: none;"></li> </ul> <h3><b>2 months before your conference: Programme & book of proceedings</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Build your programme.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Bear in mind you’ll be making loads of changes and tweaks as your event takes shape. If you plan to have a hard copy of your programme, signing off on the final print layout can go down to the wire. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Recruit your</b><a href="http://www.aabri.com/LV11Manuscripts/LV11032.pdf"> <b>session chairs</b></a><b>. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">They will manage the</span><a href="https://blog.sli.do/fix-your-qa-session/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Q&A session</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> after each presentation, and make sure sessions run on time. </span><b>Note:</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> If your conference has a hybrid format, make sure your session chairs are tech-savvy, and capable of fielding questions from your virtual audience to physical presenters.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Collect camera-ready submissions. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are corrected drafts, ready for publication.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Compile your</b><a href="https://www.exordo.com/product/book-of-proceedings"> <b>book of proceedings</b></a><b>.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This is the official record of your conference, and includes: a front and back cover, foreword, sponsors, table of contents, full list of abstracts or papers, abstract images, page numbering, and an author index.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Invest in a mobile conference app. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">It will give you the opportunity to offer delegates an interactive </span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/make-your-conference-programme-memorable/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">version of your programme</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and book of proceedings, and allow you to connect with them in a more immediate way. A</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/product/mobile-conference-app"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">mobile conference app</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will also help your delegates navigate the conference, pick their agendas, get crucial updates from you and your chairs, network with other attendees, and more. These apps are quickly becoming a pillar of conference success and of the</span><a href="https://medium.com/@HichamMoutahir/the-ultimate-guide-for-creating-a-successful-mobile-app-in-2018-74f7311a85f1"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">delegate experience.</span></a></li> </ul> <h3><b>6 – 8 weeks before your conference: </b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Accessibility. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">A quiet room can be helpful for nursing mothers, delegates with physical or mental health issues, and people who need prayer space. Or just anyone who finds networking or big groups a bit overwhelming</span><b>. </b><a href="https://www.meetindcu.com/blog/how-to-ensure-your-conference-is-accessible-to-all"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lack of accessibility </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">also hinders the benefits delegates get from attending your event. For example, not providing food that works for everyone means some delegates will be forced to skip the meal. An accessible conference needs social events that all your delegates can attend. So include activities that are suitable for delegates with mobility issues and some events that are alcohol-free.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Contact your printers. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re planning traditional printed</span><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1472-6920-9-71"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">poster presentations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> mounted on display boards for your</span><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/planning-a-poster-session/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">poster sessions</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as opposed to e-posters that’ll be displayed on screens, now’s a good time to send off the print-ready files. The same goes for the printing of your on-site signage, book of proceedings, programme, certificates of attendance, and conference feedback forms.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Contact your branding house. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s best to get your order in early for</span><a href="https://swag.com/blog/conference-swag-ideas-to-stand-out-from-the-crowd"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">conference swag</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, to make sure there’s enough stock of the</span><a href="https://www.asicentral.com/news/web-exclusive/september-2020/2020-asi-global-ad-impressions-study-highlights/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">promo products</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you want branded.</span></li> </ul> <h3><b>1 week before your conference</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Send your delegates final info.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This should include anything they need to know regarding the programme, and how to download your mobile app. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Deliver your conference materials to the venue. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arrange for delivery and storage of printed poster presentations, on-site signage, book of proceedings, programme, certificates of attendance, and conference feedback forms.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Confirm your registration desk and information point setup.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Make sure these will be staffed by friendly, helpful people. Arrange facilities for accepting payments, if needed.</span></li> </ul> <h3><b>3 days before your conference</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Deliver final conference materials to the venue.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This includes things like: name badges, lanyards, stationery, delegate packs/swag bags and any items that go in them.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Send your delegates an official welcome email.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Include info about: parking and permits, airport transfers, the venue WiFi password, the conference hashtag to use in their social media posts, and details of the welcome reception.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Check the AV equipment.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This includes conference laptops and presentation files. Make sure everything is working as it should. </span></li> </ul> <h3><b>1 day before your conference</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Mount poster presentations. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have printed poster presentations, mount these on display boards. Also mount conference signs and directions inside and outside the venue.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Update your online programme.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> If there are any late withdrawals, do a final reshuffle of your programme.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Deliver thank you gifts to the venue.</b> These could be for: keynote speakers and VIPs, as well as session chairs and volunteers.</li> </ul> <img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-9008 size-full" src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/batch_pexels-henri-mathieusaintlaurent-8354764.jpg" alt="Photo by Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent: conference planning checklist" width="1280" height="853" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-leather-chairs-8354764/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Photo</a> by Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent</em></p> <h3><b>Day of your conference</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Set up your registration desk.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Make sure you have the delegate list, name badges, lanyards, delegate packs, and payment facilities, if needed.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Hold a pre-conference meeting. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brief your session chairs and volunteers on emergency procedure announcements. Make sure there are enough volunteer stewards on hand to man the registration desk and point delegates in the right direction. </span></li> </ul> <h3><b>End of your conference</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Clear the venue of all conference materials. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be as sustainable in your efforts as possible. Ask delegates to hand in any items that they won’t have use for after the event, which can be reused or recycled, e.g. name badges, lanyards, etc. If they wish to take their poster presentations home, provide them with eco-friendly, heavy duty cardboard art tubes. Arrange for all other conference materials to be couriered, or disposed of responsibly.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Hold a meeting with your session chairs and volunteers.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Review any issues that might’ve arisen during the conference, and/or identify any aspects which could’ve been done better. You may want to also discuss next year’s conference and choose a chair.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Distribute and</b><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/collecting-conference-feedback/"> <b>collect your conference feedback</b></a><b> forms.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Or circulate them via your mobile app.</span></li> </ul> <h3><b>After your conference</b></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Send a thank you email.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> To keynote speakers, VIPs, session chairs, and delegates.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Collect any outstanding payments.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Review all invoices for accuracy, and arrange payment.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Review your delegate survey. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also analyse the end-of-conference report from your conference management software.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Compile your post-conference report.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Consolidate all the budget and financial information, evaluation results, tech reports, and meeting notes. Include suggestions and recommendations for the incoming chair.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Prepare a full report.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> For submission to funding sources, and for internal use when it comes to conference planning.</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/no-panic-scholarly-event-guide"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10071" src="https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Lead-Magnet-Image-2.png" alt="No panic conference guide" width="588" height="309" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>In conclusion, planning a successful conference requires detailed preparation and thoughtful execution. The checklist provided by Ex Ordo simplifies this process, breaking it down into manageable tasks that allow organisers to stay on top of every detail, from selecting a venue and managing registrations to coordinating speakers and finalising event logistics. Each stage—whether securing your budget, recruiting volunteers, or ensuring a seamless tech setup—plays a crucial role in the success of your event.</p> </div> <div class="author-bio-panel is-Brian"> <div class="author-bio-panel--content"> <p class="author-bio-panel--title">Brian Campbell</p> <p>Brian is a data-driven marketeer, and responsible for helping people find Ex Ordo. He works part-time as a lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and loves quizzing his students on the latest business trends and insights. Brian enjoys hanging out with his little nephews, and playing and watching sports. He also likes to keep a keen eye on the scholarly research space, and has co-organised an academic conference to boot.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> <div class='yarpp yarpp-related yarpp-related-website yarpp-template-yarpp-template-related-post'> <div class="related-post-container clearfix"> <div class="grid-row"> <div class="grid-row--article grid-center"> <h3 class="related-post-title">Read More Articles</h3> <div class="grid-row--one-third-col"> <article class="article-container" id="post-6219" role="article"> <header class="article-container--header" style="background: url('https://www.exordo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/batch_pexels-vlada-karpovich-7433856.png') center center no-repeat; background-size: cover;"></header> <div class="article-container--content"> <div class="article-container-more"> More on <a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/popular-post/">Popular Post</a> <a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/category/conference-organising/conference-planning/">Conference Planning</a> </div> <h3 class="post-title is-related-box" itemprop="headline"> <a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/8-best-conference-management-tools-for-academics/" rel="bookmark" class="related-post-cta" data-vars-ga-category="Exordo_related_post" data-vars-ga-action="Click" data-vars-ga-label="Related post clicked"title="The 8 best conference management tools for 2025">The 8 best conference management tools for 2025</a> </h3> <div class="article-container--date"> 6 January 2025 </div> <div class="article-container--footer"> <div class="related-article-container--author"> <div class="related-article-container--author-meta--avatar"> <div class="author-avatar"><a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/author/gemma/"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e212fc3e85defa8bc14d9888d3c04fa1?s=54&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e212fc3e85defa8bc14d9888d3c04fa1?s=108&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-54 photo' height='54' width='54' loading='lazy'/></a></div> </div> <div class="related-article-container--author--info"> <a href="https://www.exordo.com/blog/author/gemma/" title="Posts by Gemma Elliott" rel="author">Gemma Elliott</a> </div> <div class="article-container--footer--reading-time"> <span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix"></span> <span class="rt-time"> 9</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix"></span></span>min read </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <footer class="footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="exordo-subscribe clearfix"> <div class="grid-row"> <div class="grid-fixed-row-340 grid-center"> <h2><strong>Subscribe</strong> for more great content</h2> <form action="/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/" method='post' class='js-subscribe-form'> <div class="exordo-subscribe--action"> <input type="text" name="ex_newsletter_email" class ='js-newsletter_email' placeholder='Enter email for fresh content, monthly'> <button></button> </div> <div class='subscribe-message'>Something happened. Please try again.</div> </form> <p>Or visit <a href="https://www.exordo.com" class="js-track-cta-visit" data-vars-ga-category="Footer" data-vars-ga-action="Blog" data-vars-ga-label="Blog to website">exordo.com</a></p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-row clearfix"> <div class="footer-row"> <div class="footer-col"> <a class="exordo-footer-logo js-track-footer-logo" href="https://www.exordo.com" data-vars-ga-category="Footer" data-vars-ga-action="Blog" data-vars-ga-label="Blog to website"></a> </div> <div class="footer-col"> <div class="footer-helper-text"> © Ex Ordo | <a href="https://www.exordo.com" class="js-track-footer-conf-soft" data-vars-ga-category="Footer" data-vars-ga-action="Blog" data-vars-ga-label="Blog to website">Exceptional conference software</a> </div> </div> <div class="footer-col footer-links"> <a href="https://twitter.com/exordo" class="twitter"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/ex-ordo" class="linkedin"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </footer> <div class="ck-notification"> <div class="grid-row"> <div class="ck-notification--text">By using this blog you agree to our <a class="js-cookies-link" href="https://www.exordo.com/legal/cookie-policy">cookie policy</a> <div class="ck-notification--close"></div> </div> </div> </div>