How do I get to the conference?
One of the first questions an organizing team asks is where to hold the event. This should be immediately followed by the question of accessibility. Visitors from other countries often arrive by plane and then switch to public transport. Suppose there is no train station near your preferred convention center, but at most a bus stop that is served twice a day. In such a case, look for an alternative with better transport connections. If you are so enthusiastic about the location that nothing else is an option, you could use a shuttle service to pick up participants from a central meeting point. Because it is rare for everyone to be accommodated in the same hotel, you must factor in increased organizational effort.
A conference during the Christmas holidays
Would you register? Or at least wonder what the organizer was thinking? If the date falls on a public holiday, it is likely to cause some confusion and ultimately deter many from even filling out the registration form.
Elsewhere, a seemingly harmless date might trigger similar reactions, as they may be observing Yom Kippur or Eid al-Adha – holidays that many organizers are not even aware of. The Interfaith Calendar, which takes many different religions into account, provides information on which dates overlap with your planned conference. It also includes very specific holidays, which is why the calendar is quite packed. Even so, finding a date for a conference amidst the many entries is not that difficult. You do not necessarily have to take everything into account, but you should be mindful of major religious holidays – especially if you know there are interested parties from countries where these have significant importance.
Why so late?
Time does not have the same meaning everywhere. Depending on the culture, the understanding of time and punctuality varies. For the first session scheduled for 10 a.m., it may be that some arrive early, while others' seats remain empty even after fifteen minutes. In South American countries, for example, it is quite normal to arrive a little late for an appointment. Often, great importance is placed on making a good impression on others. If it is necessary to change clothes beforehand, the agreed time is secondary.
Most international participants will likely stick to the times listed in the conference schedule on their own, but it never hurts to briefly point out that sessions will start exactly at the scheduled times. For many Muslim participants, you should also ensure that the most important program items do not necessarily fall within prayer times.
What shouldn't be on the menu
Have you already planned vegetarian or even vegan options for your conference dinner? Very good. For international events, it is even better if you also take religious dietary habits into account.
There are sometimes very complex rules that define what is considered kosher or halal and therefore permitted. If you want to avoid mistakes, inform visitors about the ingredients through clear labeling, or let everyone choose for themselves with a buffet.
Generally, providing an extra menu for Jewish or Muslim participants would be too much effort if it is not yet clear whether there will be any visitors for whom the dietary rules apply. Since it is difficult to estimate this in advance, it is best to ask about it during online registration. Good event management software provides appropriate options for designing the registration form.
Another sensitive topic is alcohol. There are religious regulations here too, which either allow no alcoholic beverages at all or only those that are kosher. As a precaution, ensure there is a sufficient selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. No one should feel pressured to drink alcohol. It is therefore better to forgo a champagne reception. If you replace the sparkling wine with a non-alcoholic drink, there is, of course, nothing wrong with the reception. Also, be careful with food: sauces should preferably not be prepared with wine. This also shows consideration for guests from Asian countries, who may have a genetic alcohol intolerance.
Prepare for everything
No one should have to arrive poorly prepared. However, if you provide too little information in advance, not everyone will dare to ask you about everything. Therefore, compile as much information as possible beforehand. This can be done via a circular email to everyone or via the official conference website. This gives everyone time to start their preparations in peace. For example, explain which visitors need a visa to attend and what they need to do, or provide some general information that might be of interest to anyone visiting for the first time who is not yet sure what to expect. Think about useful details regarding travel, currency, climate, and weather, or whether a travel adapter will be needed due to a different power grid.
One language is often not enough
For larger events, involve interpreters and translators. Unlike smaller workshops or conferences, many things cannot be easily clarified in person. Even if English is usually sufficient as a conference language, it makes sense to consider additional languages, especially if a large number of participants from a specific country register. Here, translating the conference website and documents would be particularly advantageous.
Sometimes marketing and information materials even convey unintended messages. Using symbols is helpful and saves many words, but the meaning is not always the same everywhere. A "thumbs up" is sometimes perceived as an insult in countries like Iran. Thanks in no small part to Facebook, the gesture is now understood as a positive sign, but it shows how quickly one can make such a mistake.
Also, avoid convoluted phrasing, complex sentence structures, and wordplay. This, too, can lead to misunderstandings. Visitors from other countries are not always familiar with typical idioms and slang, so such phrasing may end up making no sense to the reader at all.
During presentations, some speakers may feel more confident giving their talk in their native language. Discussions and questions from the audience at the end, in particular, cannot be planned, and there is a risk of talking past each other. With accurate translations, everyone learns more in the end, and speakers can focus on the content of their presentation instead of worrying about word choice and phrasing. Therefore, specifically look for interpreters with a specialization in your conference's field who are also proficient in specific vocabulary.
The safest approach when designing name badges is to use both first and last names. At some conferences, particularly those in the US, it is standard to use only first names. While this may be acceptable for younger attendees, it can be unsettling for visitors from other countries.
Last names are not always immediately recognizable as such. In China, for example, it is customary to state the surname first, which can cause issues with badge design. This can be avoided by using a registration form. The names participants enter into the first and last name fields are automatically inserted into the badge template, ensuring nothing gets mixed up.
Any questions?
You can determine if the information you have provided is sufficient by asking. Check if anything is unclear and offer additional assistance, such as detailed directions. Be helpful, but do not be overbearing. If someone has no further questions, it may be because your information was comprehensive. Visitors can get answers even faster if they know who to approach, for instance by knowing which languages staff members speak. There is room for this information on your staff's name badges. Symbols or codes can indicate who speaks which language. Most staff usually speak English, but many visitors feel more comfortable checking in or finding their way around if they can converse in their native language. To cover a wide range of languages, specifically look for students with international backgrounds to help assist attendees.
At the events we manage, we have also noticed that many long-distance travelers are very grateful for the option to check in early. The afternoon or evening before the conference begins is a great time for this, as many participants traveling from afar will likely arrive at least a day early and want to familiarize themselves with the venue. An early check-in makes this easy. It also provides enough time to calmly check in participants who may face language barriers and answer their questions in detail.
If everyone feels comfortable on-site, you have done everything right. If a minor intercultural mistake does happen, it is not a big deal. If everything else is handled well, participants will be more than willing to overlook it.
