Real-Life Communication
Just like people, conferences come in all shapes and sizes. Since
a conference is basically a meeting of people, the focus is on whatever topic
or issue the people attending want to talk about.
If you've ever attended
a conference, you may have attended workshops or seminars, listened to speakers,
browsed display tables and watched slide presentations. Maybe there were pamphlets
to pick up, free promotional items to take home and gadgets to try out.
No
matter where or why there's a conference, they all have one thing in common
-- a location. There can't be a conference without one. But can you hold a
conference in just any old place? No!
The location must be big enough
to hold everyone who will attend. Plus, it's got to support the kinds of technology
(like videoconferencing) required. Will there be 30 people or 300 people in
attendance? Will displays be like your Grade 4 science project, or are they
more sophisticated? Are computers involved?
Is the location available
when you need it? Do you require a conference room in a hotel, so visitors
will have a place to stay?
Write a letter to a hotel, explaining what
you require for a conference of 175 people. Take these factors into account:
speakers, wheelchair accessibility, refreshments, literature to be picked
up at side of room, 8 a.m. starting time, a break partway through the day,
overheads and slide presentations.