1. Budget

Establish a budget at least 2 ½ years before the conference and update it periodically. The following list of accounts provides a broad range of income and expenditure that needs to be considered in the establishment of a budget.

Income

Bank interest
Registration:

Full participant fee – member rate
Full participant fee – member early bird
Full participant fee – non-member rate
Full participant fee – non-member early bird
Full time student fee
Speaker fee
Day participant

Catering and beverages, if separate line on registration form
Special events, e.g. tours, school visits, if applicable
Trade exhibition
Sponsorship

Seeding funds (totally refundable)

Expenditure

Accommodation (if arranging)
Audit fees
Bank and merchant fees
Catering, if separate line on registration form
Equipment hire
Gophers
Conference Management Service fee, if applicable
Insurance
Logo
Name tags
Postage and freight
Presenters:

Accommodation – keynote
Airfare/travel – keynote
Fee – keynote
Gifts – keynote
Airfare/travel – concurrent, if applicable
Fee – concurrent, if applicable
Gifts - concurrent

Printing:

Expressions of Interest/Call for Abstracts
Registration booklet
Program booklet
Certificate of attendance
Proceedings
Signage  

Publicity
Satchels
Secretariat, at conference
Special events, if applicable, linked to income stream
Stationery
Technology
Telephone, fax
Trade exhibition
Transport
Venue
Website

Contingency 10% of budget

Seeding funds return

Additional breakdown costs:

Catering

Welcome reception
Morning teas
Afternoon teas
Lunch
Conference dinner
Other catering events

Trade exhibitor (usually for two people)

Booth
Morning teas
Afternoon teas
Lunch
Conference dinner
Other catering events
Administration fee
Welcome reception
Badge
Satchel
1 item insert in satchel  

2. Pre conference

Check catering

Dates and times
Ambience and signage
Entertainment / speakers
Morning and afternoon teas
Lunch and social funcations
Number
Table layout and seating

Check stationery

Adhesive mailing labels
Biros, pencils
Blue tack
Cash box
CDs and back up
Envelopes
Highlighters
Masking tape
Name tags and plastic name tag holders as spares
Notepads
Multimedia, e.g. overhead transparencies and pens, whiteboard pens
Photocopying paper
Programs
Rubber bands
Ruler
Satchels
Scissors
Stapler / staples
Sticky tape
String
Thumb tacks

Check venue for

Amenities
Decorations
Layout
Lighting
Multimedia requirements
Seating configuration
Signs
Disabled access and facilities

Communications

Membership information
Bulletin board
Computers, including registration
Internet access
Photocopier
Post office facilities
Telephone

Confirm attendance

Speakers
Chairpersons

Miscellany

Multimedia requirements for each room
Evacuation procedures
First aid kit
Gifts, cheques for speakers
Internal communications, e.g. walkie talkie, mobile phone
Safety regulations
Speakers – chairperson guidelines and speakers biography to be ready  

Satchels

Brochures
Delegate list (respect Privacy Act)
Evaluation sheet
Handbook
Proceedings
Local information
Meal passes
Tickets
Map of venue
Name tag
Sponsor’s literature  

Tour arrangements

Host participants
Tickets, if needed
Timings
Transport – confirm bookings
Volunteers to guide
Documentation on visited sites

3. Post conference

Recover outstanding monies
Pay accounts and issue outstanding receipts
Produce a report within 3 months
Have books audited
Send thank you letters to:

Speakers
Sponsors
Venue host
Trade exhibition
Chairperson, if necessary

Write an evaluation report
Dispatch evaluation sheets to the committee organising the next conference within three months