Conference Staff Requirements

There are two separate but related classifications of conference staff requirements. Sometimes the phrase refers to the actual manpower requirements of the conference event, such as receptionists, doormen, keynote speakers and catering staff. The second and less common meaning of the phrase is conference staff infrastructure requirements, which refers to what physical qualities a location needs to support a particular event; for example, it might be difficult to cater an event in a location without refrigeration or a kitchen.

Minimum Conference Staffing Requirements

The absolute minimum staff complement for a successful conference held outside of normal office space is three. This group should consist of an individual who greets guests and ensures that they are on the list of invited persons or hold a valid ticket; the event's host, who will at the very least guide the audience though a video or PowerPoint presentation and give a speech; and a skilled laborer/technician of some sort to move chairs and tables, set up audio/video equipment and even tend to any emergency cleanups that may be necessary. This bare bones skeleton crew generally only works for small conferences with an upper maximum attendance of 20 to 30 people. Larger gatherings may require more staff for both logistical and safety purposes.

Conference Staffing Requirements Unique to Large Events

Larger events require more support staff to function well. In a large enough venue, seemingly small job aspects like keeping restrooms clean and stocked with toiletries can easily become a formidable task that requires the full attention of one or more maintenance workers. The same goes for catering, even if the caterers are only supplying refreshments; just imagine how hard it would be as a waiter to serve drinks for a crowd of a thousand. The key to avoiding setbacks from such daunting tasks is to adequately predict the approximate number of attendees and staff each critical section accordingly. However, the staff needs of a full scale conference do not increase in a steady multiplicative sense. The reason for this is that some municipalities have special requirements for staffing large public events. These municipal regulations generally involve some sort of special safety provisions, the most common of which are hiring extra security and paying for police and paramedics to attend the event as a preventative measure.

Small and Medium Conference Staff Infrastructure Needs

Small and mid-sized conferences can get away with using venues not specifically built for conference hosting. Churches and community centers are often used to host such events due to their typically large floor plans and full complement of basic services such as washrooms, kitchens and a janitorial room. One of the key advantages to using such a facility is that the cost of renting the space for a short conference is often far less than the cost of using a full-sized conference center, while still successfully meeting the needs of attendees. One important caveat: Be careful to avoid overtaxing the electrical systems of older buildings with too many pieces of audio/visual equipment, since they could overload the breaker box and leave guests sitting in the dark.

Unique Infrastructure Needs for Full Scale Conferences

Large conference groups require high capacity systems to operate, meaning that event organizers need to invest the extra money in renting out a full-fledged conference hall. Thankfully, holding an event at a full-size conference center can open up perks for the event promoters as well. Smaller conferences tend to only have one speaker at any given time, but multi-room conference centers can offer smaller guest panels and a more intimate feeling group event of their choice. Hiring more speakers will of course cost more money, but if the host is selling tickets to the event, multiple high profile guests can be a big draw.