In a nutshell: Successful conference planning is based on clearly defined deadlines, sufficient time buffers, and transparent communication. With a structured schedule, you avoid delays and ensure satisfied attendees.
Every conference begins with planning the timeframe. This is the foundation of a great conference. The more precisely the conference planning is timed at an early stage, the fewer problems will arise during the execution of the event.
When should I start planning my conference?
It is best to start looking for a date as early as possible.
Important considerations when choosing a date:
- Where should the conference take place?
- When is the venue available?
Create a list of several locations or inquire about their availability. Are there any alternative dates available?
Your conference is likely not the only one in your field. When are the others taking place? Avoid scheduling conflicts. If possible, try not to schedule your conference in the week immediately following another major event, as this might be a bit too much for your attendees.
The peak times for conferences are in the spring from March to June and in the fall from September to November. You should aim to use these periods for your conference and your most important deadlines.
How do I determine the requirements for my conference?
The individual phases of the conference are crucial here.
What is planned for your conference?
Are you starting directly with attendee registration? Or is there more involved?
- There is a call for papers.
- Researchers submit scientific contributions.
- Reviewers evaluate the submissions.
- You invite specific speakers.
- There is a pre-registration phase.
⌛Depending on the number of phases, you will need more time and more deadlines. When does what need to be done? We have compiled help and detailed checklists for the call for papers and the review of submissions.
Furthermore, the size of the conference is naturally a key factor:
- How many submissions are you expecting?
- How many attendees are you anticipating?
You should adjust the timeframe for submissions and registration accordingly.
These questions will give you an idea of the number and scope of the steps you need to plan.
How do I create a schedule for my conference?
Once you have all the framework parameters in place, it is time to start planning your timeline.
- The date is set. You know when your conference is taking place.
- Now, plan all phases in reverse.
- Each phase is a rough block of time. Line them all up.
- Now, list all the tasks that need to be completed during each phase.
- Check: Are there any dependencies between the individual steps?
I would like to illustrate this using the example of attendee registration.
Start by allocating a 6-month window for attendee registration.
Then, break this large block down into steps, for example:
- Setting up the software used to manage your conference
- Configuring all parameters in the software (registration types, offers, prices, vouchers, etc.)
- Testing the registration process (Always perform test bookings!)
- Opening registration
- Informing all interested parties: Registration is now open
- Managing registration periods for early bird, standard, and late registration
Ideally, the software will handle the final step regarding registration periods and discounts entirely for you. You simply define which prices apply during which period at the very beginning. When the period changes, the software automatically switches to the new pricing.
⚠️Important: Such timeframes are sometimes flexible. For example, organizers often extend the early bird discount. Don't forget that the software needs to be updated to reflect this as well.
This makes the individual actionable tasks visible and establishes a necessary sequence in the schedule.
How do I factor delays into conference planning?
A common mistake: Organizers miscalculate. Phases usually take more time than initially expected.
It is better to plan the individual steps of your conference generously and factor in unpredictable delays.
For example: When researchers submit their contributions, some abstracts often arrive after the deadline. Here, you must decide: Either agree in advance that the deadline is final, or be a little more lenient.
Lenient or not: How to handle deadline delays
In any case, plan ahead for how you will deal with latecomers and delays. If none occur, all the better. But if abstracts or reviews arrive late, you will be well-prepared and know what to do.
What buffers have you planned?
Building in a little room for delays beforehand is generally a good idea. However, these buffers should not be too long if the next block of tasks follows immediately. Which steps come next? If abstracts arrive a day or two late, that is likely fine. A week after the deadline, however, is more critical. Determine what is acceptable for you.
Sometimes this also depends on the situation. If you were expecting more abstracts, those arriving after the deadline are naturally still welcome. If you are already receiving a massive number of abstracts during the submission period, it is also okay to be strict. If you are too late, your contribution will no longer be considered.
After that, you will assign the abstracts to the reviewers. Be careful not to overload them with work.
This leads directly to the next deadline problem. Further delays can occur during the review process, for example, if reviewers do not finish evaluating the papers on time. Again, it is better to plan a buffer from the start. This leaves time to remind reviewers of their tasks.
Buffers are extremely valuable. For every phase, schedule a short period reserved for potential delays.
Especially with abstract submissions, paper evaluations, and attendee registration, peak loads can occur shortly before deadlines.
We analyzed data from conferences that use our Converia software to look into this. Regarding early-bird discounts, it turns out that most participants don't register for the conference until just before the deadline.
The distribution is usually exponential, meaning that traffic increases significantly right before a deadline. Fortunately, software can take a lot of the workload off your hands and save you time here. For example, you can draft deadline reminder emails in advance and send them all out at once. Plus, such a tool can easily handle the surge in traffic right before a deadline expires.
How do I account for "dead periods" when planning a conference?
When planning a conference, organizers often follow the calendar strictly. In doing so, they often overlook the fact that there are "dead periods" throughout the year. These play a major role for a conference. Think of the summer holidays, for example: this often affects participants as well. Very few people will postpone their vacation for a conference. Even the people you invite might be away and will neither accept nor decline at first.
📆July to mid-August is generally an unfavorable time for a conference. Extra caution is advised for conferences taking place for the first time, where there isn't yet a community that always attends and keeps the date free in their calendar. The same applies to the time around Christmas. The Chaos Communication Congress always meets between Christmas and New Year's. That has become established and works great, but it is not a good date for most conferences.
However, these timeframes are also important for all other deadlines. Reviewers also don't want to read abstracts during the Christmas season. Plan for this in advance and set the deadlines for each conference phase either before or after these periods.
Biology professor Terry McGlynn from California State University Dominguez Hills, for instance, writes on his blog that he generally does not attend conferences during his Christmas break. Many US scientists are on vacation until the beginning of January and, according to McGlynn, do not want to attend conferences immediately afterward either.
How do I communicate deadlines for my conference?
Another important parameter when running a conference is how you communicate your deadlines.
Use all available channels:
- Where do your potential participants hang out? LinkedIn? Bluesky? You know best, so place reminders there repeatedly.
- You can reach people who have already registered or are involved as reviewers or speakers most effectively via direct email.
- A dedicated conference newsletter is a great way to reach everyone personally.
✅Sending 2-3 notifications per deadline has proven effective. For example, you can send a reminder one month, ten days, and 2 days before the deadline. Direct contact via email generates more attention than social media, for instance, where a reminder can easily get lost.
Further tips and help for conference planning with deadlines
If you incorporate all the arguments mentioned above, you have already addressed a large portion of the critical points in your conference planning. However, we have put together a few more tips for your conference planning.
Planning your conference program is easier when you know all the pitfalls in advance. 5 typical mistakes and how to avoid them.
You would like to have certain speakers in your conference program, but they are unable to attend. We show you how to find and invite replacements without much effort.
It happens reliably and unexpectedly: A speaker cancels. Stay calm and read the tips here.
Without deadlines, these also tend to get out of hand: participation fees. Incoming payments, cancellations, invoices - how to keep track without being a finance expert.
