Business conferences get colleagues together to develop professional relationships and learn how to succeed in their industry. Conferences intrinsically come with high expectations, so running one can be overwhelming at first. Your first task will be to get people to the conference, which can get more complicated (and expensive) than you might think. Here are some tips on how to handle the transportation problem.
Group Airfare Rates
If you have managed to book an exciting speaker from the other side of the country for your conference, you will want to book their flights immediately. However, try finalizing the guest list as well to buy the tickets at once and get a group rate. You can also use a corporate credit card that accumulates miles for future conferences.
Bus Charter
While in town, guests will require transportation to their hotel, the conference, and the airport. When you need to accommodate a large number of people, hire a bus and a driver for hourly service.
Many bus charters include high-end amenities suitable for the event, such as WiFi, television screens, and charging ports. Set up rotating, continuous pickup and drop-off times for anyone who needs it. Clarify the exact location and times of the stops to all guests. You may want to hire an additional bus at the beginning and end of the day so that people won’t need to wait.
Carpooling
If the conference isn’t too far away, many attendees will probably drive themselves to the conference. Send a memo to the people in your office who live near the conference venue promoting carpooling. If you help organize it, more staff will follow through. Similarly, you can encourage people to take public transportation if you live in a large metropolitan area with quality trains and buses.
Limousine Services
Some guests deserve special treatment for their contributions to your industry or your company. Don’t make these guests wait for other transportation. Instead, hire professional limo services for VIP service. To promote friendly competition in the office, you can provide limousine transportation (and champagne) to the conference as a reward for top performers, especially ones who will be honored at the event.
A bus charter offers a professional and cost-effective transportation solution for your conference. However, you want to provide options and have backup services available for VIP guests and emergencies. Now that you have the transportation under control, it’s time to figure out the details for when they arrive.
Bio: Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.
