A guide to conference organization for Rotex International

Abstract

In this product-based thesis the goal was to produce a guide for a conference organization for Rotex International Convention. Rotex International Convention is a reoccurring international conference that is organized by a member association of Rotex International willing to host the conference in their home region. The organizing team changes each time and is made up of volunteers who do not necessarily have experience in conference organization. The guide is designed to help the organizers navigate the organizing process by offering a broad view of the planning phase. It is aimed to give an inexperienced conference organizer an idea of what they should consider and focus on when organizing Rotex International Convention.

Conference organization can be divided into three phases: planning, execution and closing. In this thesis a theory for all the phases is covered but the product only focuses on the planning phase. In the guide theory of conference organization from literature sources has been applied together with information from a promotional webinar “How to host Rotex International Convention”.

As part of the thesis a strategical analysis of Rotex International Convention was conducted. The analysis helped to define the concept of the conference. Since the conference is organized by volunteers and without any funding, that must be considered in the planning and execution. The main objective of the conference is to strengthen a community by networking and sharing knowledge.

The events industry is a large and diverse industry where conferences make up just one part of it. In this thesis a general introduction to the events industry and different types of events is included. A large part of the thesis focuses on the theoretical frameworks of conference organization and on the uniqueness of conferences compared to other events.