Conferences

A formal meeting of people with a shared interest, where people can discuss issues and ideas relating to a specific topic.

A group of 10 people sat on two rows of chairs.

Suitable for:

Conferences are suitable for large groups and face-to-face meetings. They are designed to achieve various goals, such as providing a better understanding of a topic, clarifying preferences for proposals, reviewing current service delivery, and gathering suggestions for improvement.

Type of engagement:

The inform, consult and involve icons in a row

Inform | Consult | Involve

How to do it: Yellow lightbulb.

  • Conferences usually take place over a full day or a half-day.
  • A common format is to have sessions with all participants, as well as smaller workshops.
  • Spread experts across different groups so everyone gets a chance to engage with them. For smaller group work and workshops, it is helpful to have facilitators for each group.
  • For larger conferences with multiple topics, allow participants to sign up for specific workshops or break-out groups ahead of the event.
  • Ensure the location is accessible to all, and that everyone can join in to any discussions or questions.
  • Provide tools like accessible communication formats, audio/visual aids, and varied engagement methods.
  • Adapt the format to the audience, such as using shorter presentations and more discussions.
  • Schedule the event at a time suitable for attendees.
yellow star Advantages warning sign Challenges
  • Allows participants to hear from a variety of people
  • Good for knowledge sharing and networking
  • Strengthens relationships between attendees
  • Listening to speakers and participating in discussions can inspire new ideas and motivate attendees to implement changes
  • Presenting at a conference can increase visibility for some organisations.
  • It may be expensive to organise, depending on venue and logistics
  • Participants can lose focus if a presentation is too long
  • There may be unexpected questions which come up
  • Bear in mind that technology can fail, and so have a plan if the slides or audio do not work
  • There may be unforeseen issues, such as a last-minute speaker cancellation or weather disruption.

Further Information: magnifying glass brown, grey and blue

Online search engines should show different organisations’ guidance on carrying out a conference which may be useful to look at.

Case study: Open book

Community Justice Conference – An Event to Inform Partners

Download a PDF of this guide (232kB)