5 Simple tips on how to organise a conference in Leicester on a budget

1. Join with another company
As conferences can be really expensive one major way of cutting costs is to combine your conference with at least one or two other firms in the same industry.
Leicester contains many business head offices and so is the perfect place for this idea to be successful.
By halving this part of the budget, you may be able to spend more on extra features, such as catering and refreshments.

2. Venue
The cheapest option would be to hold your conference within your own office building. However, if you do need to hire a venue ensure that you book it well in advance if your conference date, as this will allow you to obtain the cheapest rate possible.
Also choosing a venue that is easily accessible for all your delegates is another way of cutting costs. This will reduce the travel expenses of your delegates and therefore save on fuel charges and transport costs.

3. Recycle
In order to save money further, try and recycle as much material as from previous conferences, this can include gifts, speeches and information. Although this will probably need adjusting to become current and relevant it will be far cheaper that investing in brand new materials.
It is also better to not offer your attendees paper hand outs. Not only does this help towards saving the environment but also saves money and time in resources. Instead upload the criteria and agenda on to the conference website.

4. Volunteers
Paying for staff for your conference is one of the most expensive choices for an event.
If you are going to offer refreshments and photography at your conference it is a much cheaper option to try and involve a local volunteer company or charity. As an incentive you could offer a cut of conference ticket sales if you have charged for attendees, or offer to raise awareness of their cause.

5. Refreshments/Catering
Decide what will be the best option for providing food and drinks at your conference.
If your conference will only be a few hours long, provide jugs of iced water, containing lemon slices, rather than choosing the more expensive option of bottled water.
If you need to provide food during your conference choose a buffet option rather than a sit down meal. This is save money regarding the food but will also save you paying out for waiting staff.