How to Organise A Conference

There are several types of conferences; the dictionary definition of conference says “A meeting for the exchange of views”.

My interpretation of conference, being a conference producer, is a place where people meet to confer and share knowledge. In the sharing theme I have decided to detail the elements required to ensure your conference goes smoothly. Whether you are getting a conference production company like mine to do it for you, or if you are going to manage it yourself, follow this outline and you can be assured that if you have made ample allowances for each of the items then your attendees (usually called delegates) will have a great day out. The better the feedback from the delegates the better the conference will have been received by the end client, either your MD or client depending on whether you are doing it yourself, or are an event organiser.

There are many different types of conferences, one of the most popular types are seminars which are normally an academic style forum where people go to learn about a certain subject.Quite a few companies run free seminars to teach their clients about the products they sell and how they can help to fulfil a need. Quite often the clients do not realise they have the need until the seminar is over!

I mention Forum above because this is probably (at least to my knowledge) the oldest type of meeting or conference that I am aware of. My partner Sam will cringe at this, as when I discuss my work, I always have to get the Romans in the story somehow A lot of the passion in my work comes from Roman history.

A Short History of Conferences

The forum as many people are aware was the centre of power in Rome for many hundreds of years, a Roman general would return from a successful campaign and he would have been received at the forum and made a speech from the rostrum to the Roman people.

So for thousands of years people have been having conferences around the world, the tools for doing the job have changed, but I can imagine and have indeed read about, the effort and organisation that went into preparing for one was as important then as it is today.

Things haven’t changed much no matter how large or small a conference is, there are some rules that we must all follow, if it is to be a successful event.

The Right Venue

Once you have a reason to hold a conference and an audience to attend the next step is venue selection, this is crucial as you will need a room large enough for the numbers attending, without being too large. If you are going to have a conference set with rear projection then the throw distance has to be taken into account when you are looking at the room, (I will come onto throw distance later when thing get more technical) as this uses space too.It is also a good idea to try and make sure you have extra ‘breakout’ rooms available for delegates to have private discussions and to make and receive phone calls.

Once you have a main meeting room suitable for your delegate numbers, you then have to consider where they will have tea and coffee breaks for networking and if there is potential for setting up display stands for other products. Quite often a conference you will have a large group of industry leaders and corporate decision makers, why not create a form of exhibition area to promote ancillary products or services?

An often overlooked aspect in conference production venue selection is choosing a venue location close to an airport if the majority of attendees are international.

Remember if you are going to do the job right you are also responsible for the delegate experience prior to arriving at the venue, you want them to have a pleasant journey and feel as relaxed as possible on arrival so venue location is very important, as is the type of venue.

Conference Production

Once a venue has been selected and it fits with all the criteria above, then it’s time to give your production company a call, they will normally recommend a site visit, so the room can be measured to check all of the conference production elements fit within the space proposed. There is nothing worse than turning up on the day to find something wont fit!

There are various different styles of the seating and this is an important consideration. There is theatre style seating where the delegates sit in rows next to each other. Then you have classroom style seating where delegates sit next to each other with a slim table in front similar to when you might take an exam. Then there is cabaret style seating which is where delegates are seated on round tables normally 6 feet in diameter.

After your production company has completed the site visit they will propose the elements of staging you require to achieve your purpose. This will include stage and set, video projection, sound, lighting, crew levels and any pre-production specifics.

Pre-production

Not all conferences require pre-production, for example if your conference has PowerPoint slides you may want your production company to create them for you, a lot of companies now have the resources to do this in-house, but if that is the case they need to be of a professional standard.

You may want a video to be created, there are different types of messages you could utilise a video for, for example, a short opening sting, like an advert, to give a high impact start to your show. Some of the best events start this way and it also helps to ensure you have got everyone’s attention!

Sometimes there may be presenters that can’t attend so you could have them videoed prior to the event and then played back during the conference at the allotted segment.

Not all presenters are comfortable with presenting, so a speaker coach may be a good idea, the coach will do as much or as little as is required. Usually they will come into your offices and asses the presenters, presentation techniques and will advise accordingly.

Event management companies do this kind of work day in day out and so they are used to taking into account all the aspects of a successful conference, so it is recommended that you engage a professional event manager for larger, or really important conferences, until you have cut your teeth on a few smaller projects.

However, if you decide to do it yourself, then below are some useful hints and tips to creating your own successful conference production.These tips are the culmination of over 25 years working as a conference producer.

Set and Staging

A conference set is usually a timber framed construction covered in a material of a colour that fits the client’s corporate colours, normally this would have an aperture in it for rear projection with a screen, the screen should be large enough for all of the audience to see the content on the screen without straining their eyes.Remember, the larger the audience then the larger the screen needs to be.

The base of the screen, known as the under panel, needs to be at least 1.2m (5ft) to ensure the audience has a clear view over the heads of the people sat in front of them.
This is where the ceiling height comes into play. For example if you had a screen height of 2.5m, a screen base of 1.2m and a screen header, above the screen, of 300mm the minimum ceiling height required is 4m, be sure to take into account any staging or steps in your measurements.

There are many different styles of set you can use, many companies have a stock set option which is pre-built, when it is used it is recovered to suit the client’s corporate branding. Other styles of set include a bespoke set where you consult a designer who will take a brief from you regarding the theme of the event and come up with a purpose built set with various options. This is of course more expensive compared to the standard stock set options.

Whether you decide on a stock or bespoke set it is advisable to have some scale floor plans created to ensure all the elements fit into the available space and most production companies will do this in-house. if you went for the bespoke option you would receive some 3D drawings so you can visualise what the set will look like in the venue.

Once the set has been decided upon then the stage will also need to be included in the plans. The most cost effective stage option for corporate events is a standard stage the width of the set, which is normally about 2.5m deep and 450mm high.

The size also depends on what you want to have on stage during the conference, for example if you are going to have just one lectern or two, or if there is a requirement for a top table or some comfortable chairs and a coffee table for a more relaxed question and answer session.

Video Projection

Video projection is required if you want to put an image on the screen behind the speaker. The image can be data or video playback or indeed both. At small conferences this may just be a data projector and a laptop, controlled from the lectern, either with the client pushing buttons or with the help of a remote mouse so a presenter can move around the stage area freely.These are a great tool and whilst being relatively cheap to buy really help the presenter to get into their presentation!

You can also use a stage monitor screen so the presenter can see the slide changes without having to turn and look at the screen, the presenter should never have their back to the audience. To enable this you will require what we call a VCA DA this piece of equipment splits the signal from the laptop to both the projector and the stage monitor screen.

If the presenter is more akin to speaking than using a computer and doesn’t want to control their own slides then a cue light system can be used. This is a hand held controller that when pressed sends a signal to a light backstage and a technician then forwards the slides for the speaker.

If you want to play DVD’s you will require a DVD player with a preview monitor and a switcher. There are many different switchers you can use but it is recommended that if you’re going to play a lot of videos during your event then a good quality data switcher should be used.

So you’ve got your data projector, your cue light system, your stage monitor and your DVD playback.

Who else can think of a way of improving corporate events by utilising video projection technologies?

Recently I did an event which had a live camera feed.

The client wanted this for two different reasons firstly there was a presenter that didn’t have any PowerPoint slides except a name slide, so when he was presenting we had a live camera feed on the screen so the audience had a more up close and personal experience with the presentation. Then we utilised the live camera feed during the question and answer session for the same effect. By using two cameras we were able to switch between the person asking the question and the speaker responding to the question so everyone could properly see and hear both the question and the answer.

The second reason was that the client wanted to use some footage for the internet like a webcast, to be run after the live event. Certain elements of the conference were edited out and compressed for the internet so that delegates who were unable to attend could get a feeling of the content of the conference|, simply by watching it on their PC’s}.

Sound System (Public Address PA)

The sound system can range from a couple of speakers and one microphone in a small conference for say 50 delegates, or multiple speakers and microphones for up to thousands of delegates.

The basic sound system requirements are speakers, amplifiers, microphones and a mixing desk, to enable each microphone or set of speakers to be turned up and down as required.

The speakers are generally on stands, however if you are organising a large conference they may be able to be flown from truss above to give an even coverage in the centre of the room.

In the event that you do have a very large audience than a delay line is required, this ensures that the signal reaches all of the speakers in the various locations around the room, or venue, at the exact same time removing any echo.

There are various different types of microphones, the most commonly used these days are the tie clip radio microphones which enables the presenter the freedom to walk around the stage without having to worry about a trailing cable.

If the presenters are going to stay at the lectern then lectern microphones which are wired are more suitable, as with most thing wired, lectern microphones are generally more reliable as they don’t have a radio frequency to worry about and batteries that need charging up.

With regards the amplifier, most professional amps will run four speakers so if you need eight speakers for good coverage then two amplifiers will be needed. When the amount of speakers and amplifiers is specified, the next piece of equipment required is a mixing desk, generally people who are doing their own event don’t plan for this, but it can be the one piece of crucial equipment that makes the difference between an amateur and a professional event.

The mixing desk takes in all the signals that need to be heard through the speakers, such as the microphones, CD players and video playback. Once the equipment is plugged into the Mixing console, a feed is taken out of the desk and into the amplifiers, then from the amplifier to the speakers.

After this has been done the sound engineer then equalises the system which in layman’s terms means making it sound good in areas of the room. A well equalised sound system will have the feeling for the delegate, that the presenter is seated next to them not shouting from the front of the room.

All mixing consoles have a basic equaliser on the unit itself, however a professional conference producer will know it is advisable to get a separate graphic equaliser which has more options on it.

In a very large room it is recommend having what is called a multicore which as the name suggests is a cable with multiple cores inside it that carries the signals up and down the room from the control position from front of house to the control position backstage.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important visual elements of the conference. If you don’t have the luxury of a bespoke conference set then lighting can make all the difference.

There are several different types of lighting available, there is up-lighting normally provided by Par 64 floor cans, which you will recognise from seeing any professionally staged event. These can have coloured gel in them to add a set wash. There are also Fresnells which is a type of lamp which can hang from a truss or floor stand and again these can have a coloured gel in them to provide a set wash or coloured lighting effects. Profile lights are used to highlight elements of the set such as logos, steps or other details.

The most modern type of lamps on the market are LED lights. They are the most expensive type of lighting but they are worth it if you have the budget, the beauty of this type of lighting is that it can change colour at the press of a button|, which saves having to use gels to set the colour, and of course is a much more flexible for of lighting. I am sure you have seen LED lights being used all over the place these days, in torches, in mirrors, in cars, there are even some new cats eyes in the road that use LED lights.

Once the Lighting type and style is specified then it’s a good idea to get a lighting designer involved.

The designer will specify the type of lamp, where it should go, and what it’s going to do, if possible it’s best to hang lighting on a truss in front of the set, as opposed to using floor mounted stands. After the lighting has been decided on then it will need power, this usually comes from the venue supply via a dimmer rack to the lamps. A mixing console then controls the different stage effects which the lighting designer programs in.

Crew

The crew is very important as they pull all the elements of the show together, professional conference production companies will know the value of a crew communication system which comprises of headphones and belt packs for each crew member allowing them to communicate with each other, and the production manager or producer.

On larger shows we have a production manager and if required a conference producer, either one of these will show call, which means they will tell the crew what they should be doing and when they should be doing it. For example, when a video is due to be played they will let the video engineer, the sound engineer and the lighting engineers know in advance so they are ready when the caller say run VT.

Transportation

Again transportation is a crucial aspect of any event, or else how is everything you have ordered going to get there at the right time on the right day? The size of the vehicle is dependent on the size of the show, it can be anything from a transit size van up to an arctic with a 40ft trailer. It is the responsibility of the conference production company to decide on the type and size of transportation, but remember if you are booking a venue and it’s a large show that requires an arctic then make sure the vehicle can get into the loading bay! Fortunately it is not from my own experience that I have learnt this but from watching a competitor learn the it the hard way many years ago at an event I was working at!

In Summary

Organising a conference requires a lot of forward planning, the more you put in to it at the beginning the smoother it will run on the day.

Remember to look after your crew because they are the ones who enable it to all happen, look after your presenters because they are the ones it is happening for, and most importantly look after your delegates if you want it to happen to them again in the future.

They Knicked My Computer But I had Insurance!

You always think that bad things happen to other people. You never think that you will be the victim of a crime. That is a pretty normal feeling, but also pretty naive and rather silly when you think about it. Anyone can be the victim of a crime, yes, anyone. I am proof of that. I had the extra lock on my apartment, the high tech security system and someone still broke into my home and stole my belongings. Yes, I lost a great deal, but it could have been worse. Luckily, I had laptop Insurance and this saved me a great deal.

On that terrible morning, I went to work as usual. I set my alarm, locked my door and was off. When I returned home hours later, I found my door ajar. I pushed it open oh, so carefully and was met with utter chaos. Everything in my home had been turned upside down. The entire contents of my home had been ransacked and destroyed. My furniture was overturned; books pulled off of the shelves, even the contents of my wastebaskets were strewn across the floor. Someone had broken into my home and had made off with many of my possessions.

I began to take inventory of what was missing. My television, DVD player, jewellery, stereo, I ticked off the items one by one. Then it hit me, my laptop was missing. It felt as if someone had kicked me in the stomach! I have a second job that requires my use of my laptop. It is how I supplement my income from my regular job. Without that laptop I may not even be able to make my rent! Of all my possessions that had been stolen, this hit me the hardest. Then I remembered that I had laptop Insurance uk. What a life saver!

Laptop theft is common. People break into homes, offices and even government building all the time to get the laptops and steal them. I knew that this was true and a very common problem, so when I purchased my laptop I went ahead and got laptop insurance as well. I am so glad that I did! It was well worth the money and it has literally paid for itself. Filing a claim was super easy and I had a replacement in no time at all. I wish the replacement of my other belongings had been so easy and painless.

If you incur the expense to purchase a laptop then you owe it to yourself to have it insured. The cost in minimal and just a drop in the bucket when compared to replacing it in the event it is damaged or stolen. There are two things that you should always do to protect yourself when you are working with a computer. Always back up your hard drive on a CD and keep it in a separate place so that your records aren’t lost, and always keep laptop insurance on your computer. You will be so glad that you did, I know that I am!

How To Play DVDs On Your Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii is truly an amazing machine. For such a small piece of equipment it has a lot of power. However, in comparison to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii is missing some important features that keep it from being the number one multimedia console.

The Nintendo Wii was never intended to be a DVD player, but there’s an easy way to turn the Wii into a DVD player and get rid of the DVD player in your home entertainment system.

Here is what you need to do to enable DVD playback on your Wii. We will not be installing a mod chip into your Wii, this solution does require a free software file that possibly voids the Wii’s warranty. Just be aware that this could break your Nintendo Wii; you’ve been warned. Follow these steps and you should be ok.

To start with, install the Wii Homebrew Channel onto your Wii using the Twilight Princess hack. Do a online search on Bing and those steps are not hard to find.

After the Homebrew Channel is installed, whichever method you choose to use, install MPlayer. MPlayer is a small media player that will let you run the DVD disc like a regular DVD player. You can find it in the same place as the Homebrew Channel. Again, not hard to find.

Retrieve and install the DvdX loader program. This file somewhat changes your Wii’s system and thus starts the playback of the DVD.

Now that everything is installed, take stock of where you are. Everything still good to go? Good. Start up the Homebrew channel and begin MPlayer. You’ll see a menu that will let you choose the DVD and then begin the DVD just like you would on a common DVD player.

Once Wii Homebrew is installed there are a number of other things you can do, like play old NES, SNES, and N64 games, even listen to your CDs. Have fun with you Nintendo Wii console.

Dell W3207C HDTV Review

The Dell W3207C is a feature packed 32 inch LCD high definition that is well worth its price of $1200. It has received great scores and passed every test it has been put through thus far. The W3207C also features a beautiful design that will look good in every home.

Included in its design is both an NTSC and ATSC tuner for analog and digital signals. When all signals change to digital in the near future, you won’t have to worry about getting extra connectors to still view broadcasting channels.

When viewed under a steady test of different lighting situations, the Dell W3207C passed easily. Even the brightest fluorescent did not obstruct your view on screen. Regardless of the harsh lights, it was easy to see bright and beautiful colors in varying contrast.

The Dell W3207C features a color scheme of silver and black and this makes it stand out beautifully in a way that an all black HDTV would not be able to. The TV is lifted off the floor by a base that matches the two toned color and it the base moves and turns for easy viewing and free movement.

The remote is also two toned to match the TV and its design is more reminiscent of a portable media player than a basic remote control. It also has a central control pad that is similar to the touchpad of the iPod player. Instead of soft touch control, the pad moves using four different buttons. While the remote is nice to look at, it unfortunately will not allow you to use it as a universal remote for other electronics such as a DVD player.

Even with this small fault, the remote is structured and organized to prevent confusion and to allow ease of use. When you pull up the menu on the HDTV you will find that it is as easy to use as the remote controls.

Square controls on the right side of the TV are easy to reach if not to read. You can find it difficult to see what the label reads, but a quick glance at the instructions will soon clear up any confusion involving the controls.

The only real issue that makes itself present in the Dell W3207C, concerns the audio capabilities. As you listen to what is being played, you will notice that the sound is not as exciting as you hoped it would be. In fact it is down right flat but the use of the Surround XT can give the sound a small boost. The speakers are supposed to be the very same ones placed on their previous model but the sound in the Dell W3207C seems a lot more inferior. The sound was not as clear or crisp and adjusting the audio controls did not do much to improve the sound.

The only other difference between the speakers is that you are not able to detach them like you could with the previous models. The inability to place the speakers around your media room in key locations is also a bad feature in the W3207C.

For a good HDTV at a reasonable price, this is definitely a great option. The design is beautiful, the remote is easy to use and setup is a snap. Picture quality is exquisite and you will be able to enjoy anything you choose to watch on this flat screen TV.

 

Eight Tips for Sticking to Your Workout Regimen and How To Use This Everyday That Will Help You Get In Shape Faster, Easier, And Better With A Great Diet And Excellent Workout Habits That You Will Learn From Your Home Workout Program Like P90X And Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Tranier Programs

There are many reasons for us to work out these days. People all over the world are slowly realizing these reasons and are starting to take up health activities. There are people all over the world joining exercise programs every day hoping to lose weight and stay fit. However, most of the times, we quit after a few days for many reasons. Sometimes we don’t even realize why we quit. We start thinking that exercising is a burden and a little break wouldn’t do any harm. But that little break of a day turns into two or three days than a week and then a month. After this we complain that our program is not working.  Here are a few tips to stay committed to our exercise schedule.

There are many exercises that are done by people to help in losing their weight in a effective manner. All the exercises are not found to be equally effective; while some are found to be very effective, others are seen to be not at all helpful in losing weight. Aerobic exercises have been found to be very effective in helping to lose weight in an effective manner at a very fast rate. Unlike other types of exercises, aerobic exercises are much fun to perform, and as a result are found to be very popular.

Great Advantages Of Aerobic Exercises and Using Your Own TV And Great Workout Routines. How you can get your body where you want it to be by Using Your Own TV And Great Workout Routines. There are a number of advantages of aerobic exercises, which make it the best choice for people who are interested in weight loss programs. Aerobic exercises tend to be much easier to do; making it the natural choice for women, but men can also easily do these exercises. There are several other advantages which make aerobic resources the perfect choice for effective weight loss programs.

Start your workout the right way by getting your 10 Minute Trainer and stay very active and healthier with your new P90X Accessories you can workout at home, in your office or any where you can plug in a DVD player and have room to workout. Each program is developed for every stage of workout, if you are a beginner then thier is a stage or workout program built right in to each program, if you are an Extrme workout guru then you will enjoy this as well. The Hip Hop Abs was created to make sure you will never have an excuse and will always help you get the results you want and need to be healthier and live longer.

People tend to be very careful about their weight usually, and this is the reason why nowadays many people are found to become overweight. Once you put up a lot of weight, it becomes very difficult to lose all the extra weight and get back in shape. There is a general tendency among people to register for a weight loss program or start consuming dietary supplements, in order to lose their surplus weight. But these methods are not always effective, and usually involve a lot of side effects.

You can maintain a good healthy lifsyle only if you commit and will do a daily and regular exercise program. You can gain fitness benefits from any exercise only if you are doing it in proper ways. Jumping is one of the best exercises to maintain your body fitness.

This will help us clear our self doubts and build more confidence in ourselves. Also this will help us to make sure that we are doing what is necessary and required and not divulging in unnecessary thought processes. It helps in the rehabilitation of the mind and the body. Regular practice of meditation makes sure that both our stays fit and healthy.

Stay focused. You need to know that you have to reduce or you have to stay fit. You should expect a trained behind you all the time motivating you. Be prepared to motivate yourself every day to lose weight and become stronger. Set your goals and never lose sight of them. Make sort term goals like losing a few pounds in this much amount of time rather than keeping a long term goal of getting a six pack stomach. Accomplish short term goals and these will add up to fulfill your long term plan automatically. Make sure of your diet. Without proper food you will not have the energy to exercise. Diet is necessary, not starving. Make sure that you are taking large amounts of proteins and carbohydrates.

Try a variety of exercises. Do not stick to single exercises. This way you will have a number of exercises to try out every other day and your body will also grow in proportion. This will give good shape and structure to your body. Avoid monotonous routines. These will be mentally exhausting. Therefore make sure that your routine is dynamic and there is a little change every day so that you do not get bored of doing the same exercises again and again. Make exercise a social activity. This way you will get to meet with all your friends or co workers while you are working out. It today’s busy world an opportunity to get together with friends and to work out at the same time is most beneficial.

Swimming is a good form or exercising. It exercises the entire body. Almost all muscles in the body are worked out while you are swimming. Therefore if you are looking for an exercise that works out the entire body then swimming is the sport for you. It is also highly enjoyable and more fun when done together with friends. Have fun while exercising. This is the most important factor. If exercise is a burden to you then you are physiologically holding back your body from developing. You should work out for the pleasure of working out and feeling the muscles develop in your body. This way you will stick an progress in your exercise routine.

Car Dvd Entertainment

Today’s auto market is becoming more and more varied, with Hummers lining up next to Smart Cars and Geo Metros in dealer lots.  One of the first things many people do when they buy a new vehicle is to make it their own by adding custom touches.  Bored spouses and kids make in car DVD systems one of the hottest new upgrades on the auto market.

Imagine, you’re headed across the country with your family to visit the in-laws in Omaha, and your kids are driving you crazy.  A car DVD system allows you to pop in one of their favorite movies and have them entertained for hours while on the road, now that is pure gold. 

There are two main types of in car DVD systems: portable and in-dash.  Portable systems, though not as sleek or worry-free as the in-dash systems, are considerably cheaper and more versatile.  They are usually powered by your car’s 12-volt power adapter but can be converted to run from your home’s power supply, allowing you to take the DVD player and monitor into your in-laws house when your happy family arrives. 

In-dash car DVD systems are hardwired into your vehicle’s entertainment system.  They display movies either on a screen in the centre-console, on a screen that descends from the roof of the vehicle, or on a screen which flips up from the dashboard.  Though these systems aren’t portable outside the vehicle, once installed they don’t require any extra cords or setup: you can load in your movies and drive away.  Screens located either on the centre-console or which flip up from the dashboard can double as displays for in-car GPS or navigation software, but they can be distracting to drivers.  The flip-down screens avoid driver distraction, but they are usually only convenient for back-seat viewing, leaving a front seat passenger to count license plates or play I-Spy with the driver.

In car DVD systems are perhaps the biggest boon to the long family road trip since Car Bingo, and as the technology improves you can expect the systems to get smaller, lighter, and cheaper.  Though portable systems are still the choice for families on the go since they require no expensive installation or conversion, more and more auto manufacturers have plans to include built-in systems in their vehicles, especially upscale and family autos.  It may be tough to find a driver for your next road trip, as the entire family will be stretched out in the back seat, munching on popcorn and watching a film.