Are you in the midst of planning a training seminar or a webinar? Fretting over how to plan for your company’s biggest training event of the year? These events take time and money to plan and organize properly. Here are some tips to plan and host a training seminar for which attendees will both enjoy and learn.
Take Training Seminar Attendance
You must send out letters or an email to prospective training seminar attendees asking them to RSVP by a certain date. If attendance is mandatory, make that point bold so it stands out. This is important so you have an official headcount for your training seminar.
Use a spreadsheet to track attendance and send out a follow-up to all attendees who are coming. The same spreadsheet can be used to check off names when attendees arrive.
You must delegate duties when you are planning a training seminar.
Start With Scheduling
What’s your plan of action for your training seminar? Will there be multiple speakers? Multiple PowerPoint presentations? Are you providing lunch? The entire schedule for attendees should be provided when they arrive. Make sure you factor in time for lunch and 15 minute breaks so your training seminar attendees don’t lose their focus.
If you’re running out of time while you prepare your schedule, prioritize the most import training information first and remove less critical information.
Delegate Duties
Planning a seminar is hard work. You must delegate duties to stay ahead of the game. Assemble a team of employees to help you run it. You will need:
- An organizer/facilitator
- Speaker or speakers
- Someone who calls on attendees who have questions
- A tech assistant to flip your slides or handle other tech needs
- Registration volunteers
Promote and Publicize
Is your seminar exclusively for your company’s employees or is it open to other businesses in the area? Consider charging attendees to help pay for the cost of the seminar or make some money. If you are welcoming others for a fee, consider a broader range training seminar that doesn’t give away company secrets and is informative to other business officials while promoting your company in the marketplace. It’s called free publicity. Good places to promote a paid training seminar include:
- Your website and local websites
- Online event calendars
- Social media outlets
- Nonprofits and the local chamber of commerce
Audio and Visual
Audio and visual needs are crucial when planning a seminar. Will there be multiple speakers that need wireless microphones? How many computers and screens or projectors will you need? Use this checklist:
- Microphones
- Computers
- Electronic equipment and cables
- PowerPoint or other presentation
- Speakers
- Projectors
- Lighting
- Camera to record the training seminar for future use
Read our audio visual blog for more tips.
It’s important to make your training seminars interesting and interactive.
Stay Focused
Don’t make your seminar too broad. Today’s employees get all of their outside work news from quick hit reads. Focus on narrow topics to convey your message in a platform that your employees can retain easily. Try the following techniques:
- Bullet point information
- Bold important parts of information
- Hand out copies of the material employees need to remember
- Break up your information by engaging the audience with a story or some humor in between talking points.
- Know the materials and talking points so you can walk the room and look into their eyes instead of fumbling for words at a podium.
Perform a Dry Run
Worried about your seminar? Perform a dry run so it goes off without a hitch on the big day. Schedule some time at your venue the day before to test the microphones, go through your presentation and do an equipment check. If any issues arise, it’s better to get them fixed before the day of the seminar.
Venues make all the difference when selecting a location for your training seminar.
Venues Are Important
Where are you going to hold your seminar? Venues make all the difference. Your training seminar can be planned and accommodated at The Roberts Centre, which can handle all aspects of your training seminar, including food options with an on-site restaurant and catering.
The Roberts Centre’s event planning staff can help you with all of your training seminar day of event needs, including everything you need to accommodate your audio visual needs. We have more than 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space to fit your needs, including a conference center space for your training seminar. Request a proposal for your next event.
We have a Holiday Inn on site for lodging needs too. The Roberts Centre is also centrally located between Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus. Contact us today at 937-283-3272 to schedule your training seminar and other special events today.
