Do you want to use conferences as part of your work or business promotion, but don’t know the process leading up to the conference or how to manage it on the day? Conferences are open to not only business people but also the general public, so they are used as a place for information gathering and marketing. Organizers will consider measures for holding a conference with objectives and goals, and they will be able to proactively acquire new users and make their brand known.
In this article, we will explain in detail the purpose and types of holding a conference, as well as the process of holding a conference. We will also introduce examples of marketing conferences that have actually been held, so please use this as a reference if you are considering holding an event.
What is a conference?
Many people may be familiar with the term conference, but may have trouble understanding the details. Here, we will explain the meaning of a conference and its contents in a business setting.
Meaning of conference
Conference is a Japanese word that means “meeting” or “council.” Although these words are used in a variety of situations, their meanings vary greatly depending on the context in which they are used, so it is important to understand their meaning in accordance with the situation.
conferences in business
A conference in business refers to a large-scale meeting or event where 100 or more people are expected to attend. It can be said that these meetings and events are highly specialized because not only internal people but also external experts and engineers participate.
Some business conferences are open to the general public. While providing specialized information, it can also be used as a place to promote your company’s products to users.
Differences from other conferences
There are multiple words for meetings other than conference. As shown in the table below, each word has a different content, so use them depending on the content of the meeting.
| name | Content |
| meeting | A meeting held with a small number of people. However, since there is no strict definition, there are also events with a large number of people that are held under the name “meeting”. |
| discussion | A word that means “debate” or “discussion.” Each participant expresses his or her opinion on a set topic and discusses it. |
| symposium | A highly specialized conference held with a theme in a specific field. The content is highly specialized and is often conducted in small groups. |
| forum | A word that means “public meeting.” Like a symposium, it is held with a specialized theme, but the main focus is discussion among general participants. |
| convention | A meeting that is even larger than a conference. Not only people specializing in the theme, but also many general people participate. |
Conference is a term mainly used in the business field, and refers to a large-scale meeting held in a large venue, with the aim of having 100 or more participants. Discussions and symposiums are often held in small groups, and forums are often held on academic themes, so the content varies greatly.
Conventions are used for meetings with a larger number of participants than conferences. Unlike conferences, where there are many theme-specific participants, conventions are attended by many general people.
Conferences in specific fields
Conferences are used not only in business settings, but also in the medical, academic, and sports fields. We have summarized the characteristics of each field.
| field | Features |
| business | A conference/event with a target audience of 100 or more, where presentations and discussions on specific themes in business are held. |
| medical care | A meeting held to provide high quality medical care. Some meetings involve doctors and patients, while others are held by multidisciplinary teams. |
| academic | A conference to present academic research. It is called an academic society, but the name conference is sometimes used. |
| sports | In the field of sports, it has the meaning of “federation” or “alliance.” An organization in which multiple sports teams participate is called a conference. |
Conferences in the medical field can be divided into those held on-site by patients and doctors, and those held by multidisciplinary teams such as internal medicine and surgery. In the academic field, an academic meeting that is a place to present research results is called a conference.
The field of sports has a completely different meaning from business, medicine, and academia. In the field of sports, conference has the meaning of “federation” or “alliance,” and is used as the name of an organization that brings together multiple sports teams.
Conference related terms
There are several terms associated with conference, each with a different meaning. We will explain the meanings of related terms here, so let’s understand them along with the meaning of conference.
conference, CF, conference
Confer, CF, and conference are different words, but they all have the same meaning. In the medical field, it is abbreviated as conference, or CF, which is abbreviated from the spelling of conference.
The English word conference is used in various countries. The pronunciation differs depending on the country, and in some countries it is pronounced “conference”, which is why this word was born. In Japan, the common pronunciation is “conference,” so you probably don’t hear the word “conference.”
care conference
Care conference is a term used in medical and nursing care settings. It is used as the name of a place where caregivers, nurses, and medical professionals formulate optimal plans for patients and users and discuss ways to provide high-quality services.
conference center
A conference center is a facility that has rooms where meetings can be held. In addition to meeting space, the facility also provides rental services such as equipment for recording meetings, computers, and copy machines.
conference room
A conference room is a room created for the purpose of holding meetings, training, and seminars. They are equipped with desks and chairs, monitors and projectors to display materials, and audio equipment that broadcasts voices throughout the room, so they are used when it is difficult to hold large-scale meetings in-house.
conference call
Conference call is a word that means “telephone conference.” Meetings are held using online tools such as Zoom and Google Meet, so you can easily participate from a distance. Another benefit of conference calls is that the topics to be discussed can be discussed in real time.
Conference purpose
What is the purpose of holding a business conference? If you are considering holding an event, please refer to this page.
Attracting customers to acquire new customers
The most common purpose of conferences is to generate new potential customers. By holding events on themes that are appropriate for your company and allowing the general public to participate, you can appeal to a wide range of people.
In addition to the appeal of your own brand, if you introduce recommended products to users who are interested in your theme, you will be able to spread awareness of your products and develop new customers.
Improving loyalty for existing customers
Companies with a certain number of existing customers sometimes hold conferences to increase loyalty. Loyalty is an English word that literally means “loyalty” or “loyalty,” but in marketing, it is a word that expresses the amount of attachment and trust a customer has toward a company. By holding conferences for existing users, such as maintaining quality, improving functionality, and introducing new products that incorporate user opinions, you will increase the trust of existing customers.
Useful for branding
Some companies use conferences for
branding
as part of their marketing efforts. Branding is about increasing the credibility of your brand and differentiating it from other companies. By choosing a conference theme that focuses on your company’s appeal that other companies don’t have, you will be able to convey the benefits of your company’s brand.
Convert content into content and use it for marketing
It is also possible
to create content
from conference content that includes specialized content and useful information for users and use it for marketing.
There may be people who would like to attend a conference but are unable to do so due to their convenience. In such cases, the content of the meeting can be recorded and archived so that users who were unable to participate can view the content of the meeting. Recorded content will help you acquire new customers and increase the loyalty of existing customers.
Increase employee engagement
Holding a large-scale conference can increase employee engagement.
Engagement
is a word that means “deep involvement/relationship,” and in business, it is interpreted as “a spirit of love for the company.”
You will be proud to work for a company that can host big events, and your spirit of company loyalty will increase. It may also increase your motivation and desire to work.
Connect to CSR and human resources recruitment
You can carry out CSR activities by carefully selecting topics to discuss. CSR (corporate social responsibility) is a word that means “the social responsibility that a company assumes,” and it refers to activities aimed at consideration for employees and investors, consideration for the natural environment, and social contribution.
By highlighting the CSR activities your company is implementing through conferences, you can increase trust in your company. Companies that have a good image tend to attract people, which increases the chances of securing talented human resources.
Conference format and characteristics
Conferences, which were generally held offline, have diversified in format as the times have changed. Here, we will introduce the three formats of conferences and their characteristics.
online
Online
conferences are a format that allows you to easily participate from your home or work. By using online tools, you can communicate the status of your meeting to participants in real time. If you use a tool with a microphone function, such as Zoom or Google Meet, it is possible for the host and participants to have a discussion.
Online conferences have benefits for both organizers and participants. Organizers do not need a large meeting space, and participants do not have to travel to the meeting location, making it easier to participate from a distance.
Offline (real event)
An offline conference is a meeting held face-to-face, with participants visiting a conference space provided by the organizer. Offline conferences have the advantage of not only giving you a sense of being on-site and giving you a special feeling, but also allowing you to communicate directly with a variety of people.
hybrid
A hybrid conference is a conference that incorporates both online and offline formats. Although the host must be offline, participants in the meeting are free to choose between the two. Since you can choose the venue according to your venue and convenience, you can expect to increase your attendance rate.
Conference type
Conferences are divided into six types, and the characteristics of each type are as follows.
Even if the theme is the same, there are differences in the content provided depending on the event format. First, find a conference that the organizer would like to attend, based on its characteristics.
ProFuture Inc. holds
an HR SUMMIT
with the theme of corporate human resources strategy and organizational strengthening. So far, we have held lectures with experts on stage, panel discussions with multiple experts, and exhibitions in online format, and we are planning to hold another conference in September 2024.
The conference will be streamed on the day of the event, so if you are interested in a conference with a theme of human resources and organizations, please watch it on Vimeo. We also provide archived broadcasts for a certain period of time, so if you are unable to do so, you can watch from the archive.
Here we will provide a detailed explanation of each type of conference and the types of participants it is suitable for.
Lecture
At the lectures, experts and experts familiar with the topic will take the stage and give lectures. The lectures will be given by people with a wealth of knowledge, so you will be able to obtain information that is difficult to obtain, such as specialized content and industry trend information. Recommended for those who work in or are interested in a job related to the conference theme.
panel discussion
In a panel discussion, multiple experts related to a theme gather to discuss the topic. Experts have different views on issues arising from the conference theme. The fun of panel discussions is that you can figure out what solutions are possible by having multiple experts share different opinions. Recommended for those who want to hear a variety of opinions on a single issue.
workshop
A workshop is an event where participants can experience work, training, training, etc. related to a theme. In business, leadership training and new employee training are conducted. Participants will learn about how the company works. Recommended for those who are looking for employment and have decided on the company they would like to work for.
exhibition
At the exhibition, companies related to the theme will set up booths and promote themselves to attendees. At highly specialized exhibitions, exhibiting companies explain their products and services in detail, making it easy for people with little knowledge to participate. Recommended for those who want to deepen their knowledge of the topic or look at related products and services.
poster session
A poster session is an event where researchers and people in charge of research and development compile and explain their results in a poster. The explanations are given by the people who actually did the research and development, so you can understand the content in detail. After the explanation, you can ask questions directly to the researcher or person in charge. It is recommended for those who have research or development that interests them and would like to communicate directly with the person in charge.
Exchange meeting
An exchange meeting is a place for participants who are interested in a topic to interact with each other. There are times when only general participants interact, and other times when experts and experts participate. Although events are generally held offline, there is an increasing number of events being held online using the tool’s comment function and online business cards. Recommended for those who want to discuss the topic in detail.
Flow of conference holding
Once you have decided on the format and type of conference you want to hold, check the flow from planning to the day of the conference. Please familiarize yourself with the detailed flow and use it as a reference when making plans.
Planning, goal setting
First, let’s plan the conference. Even if the purpose is decided, there are many other things to decide on, such as who will be in charge of the event, the date and time, and the location. It is important to utilize 5W2H to understand the main points. The 5W2H at the conference is as follows.
By defining all the points specifically, you will be able to see the details of the conference. Once you understand the main points of 5W2H, the next step is to think about the goals you want to achieve by holding the conference. Examples of goals include:
Once you have set your goals, you should also set your KPIs. KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is an intermediate goal. For example, if the goal is to acquire new users, the goal is to increase the number of customers and increase corporate profits, and if the goal is to increase the repeat rate of existing users, the goal is to improve loyalty and increase corporate profits.
If it is determined that the KPIs are beneficial to the company, the plan will be easier to pass.
Decide on the format and plan the venue and speakers.
Once you’ve decided on the format of your conference, it’s time to book the venue that best suits your format. For online events, choose a venue with enough space to fit the people who will be speaking, and for offline events, choose a venue based on the number of participants. Hybrid events also require participants to travel to the venue, so just like offline events, it is important to choose a venue based on the expected number of people.
One thing you should do at the same time as choosing the venue is checking the schedules of the speakers. Please present the date and time you decided on during the planning stage and ask if you can be on stage.
Announcement and attracting customers
In order to improve your customer attraction rate, let’s announce it early on. Notification methods include advertising and posting on media, as well as online tools such as SNS, websites, and video advertisements. Online announcements are easy to disseminate to a wide range of people, so we recommend actively using them.
Operation preparation
Once the announcement has been made, it’s time to start preparing for the conference. The preparation details are as follows.
Make specific decisions based on the type of conference, such as the order of speakers and time allocation. If the time schedule is carefully planned, the speakers will be able to stay on track for the day.
It is also important to create a participation application form and prepare distribution tools. If the event is held offline, there is no need for distribution tools, but for online and hybrid events, tools are essential. Be sure to check carefully to make sure there are no problems on the day.
We will also create a survey for conference attendees to fill out. The survey will give you an idea of the participants’ reactions and expectations, which you can use for your next conference.
Same-day service
On the day of the conference, the response methods will differ depending on whether you are offline or online. Offline, you must accept and guide participants, and respond to speakers. If it is online, it is important to carefully prepare the distribution tools and check the communication status, in addition to responding to the speakers. Hybrid requires both, so make sure you have enough staff.
Follow participants
After the conference, we will compile the questionnaires and send thank you emails to the participants. If you are holding an exhibition, be sure to highlight the products and services you exhibited along with your thank you email. This may be an opportunity for users who are interested in your product or service to make a purchase.
Looking back
Let’s hold a review meeting based on the survey results. Participants check whether their company is getting the response they expected and whether they are achieving the goals set during planning. Some of them have harsh opinions, so it is important to reflect them in the next conference.
Marketing conference example
If you are interested in conferences where you can learn about marketing, we recommend that you refer to actual cases. Looking at successful examples will give you a clear idea of how to organize your conference. Here we will introduce an example of a marketing conference.
adtech tokyo
Adtech Tokyo
is a company that holds various types of conferences such as lectures, workshops, and discussions. “ad:tech tokyo” has been held every year since 2015, and has content specialized in marketing, with over 10,000 participants.
A conference with lectures and workshops will be held on October 16, 17, and 18, 2024, so those interested should apply early.
Marketing Conference 2024
At
the marketing conference
, in addition to poster sessions, conferences are held in the form of presentations by academic members, including oral sessions. The conference, which is held once a year, is characterized by the ability to learn specialized content in an offline format.
The conference, to be held on October 13, 2024, will have a variety of formats, including keynote speeches, oral sessions, and poster sessions. A social gathering will be held after the conference, so you will have the opportunity to speak directly with academic members.
marketing agenda
Marketing Agenda
holds a conference that brings together over 350 top marketers from Japan and abroad. We also hold networking events with marketers from famous companies and discussions with experts, so it will be a valuable opportunity to hear directly from professionals about their knowledge and techniques.
The conference held in Okinawa from June 19th to 22nd, 2024 also featured people who hold positions at famous companies.
Marketing Week -Summer-
At
Marketing Week -Summer- which
will be held on July 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2024, many companies will be exhibiting their products and services. The conference to be held in 2024 is expected to be a large-scale exhibition, with 350 companies expected to exhibit and 28,000 people expected to attend.
A variety of companies will be participating in nine genres, including advertising media and sales promotion, so you will be able to see many products and services firsthand.
Advertising Conference Summit 2024 (Summer) Tokyo
Senden Conference Summit 2024 (Summer) In Tokyo
, we are holding a lecture by a person specializing in marketing. At the conference held on June 12, 2024, people from multiple companies from different genres took the stage and gave marketing lectures.
A major feature of conferences is that the people who speak at different times have a wide variety of workplaces. You can deepen your knowledge of marketing by listening to experts from a variety of companies, including restaurants, publishers, and life insurance companies.
MarketMedia Days
MarkeMedia Days
is a marketing conference that features lectures by people specializing in marketing and Q&A sessions from participants. The official website has a lot of content related to marketing, and also provides conference archives.
By registering as a member, you can watch the content for free. You will be able to acquire the knowledge provided by professionals.
Digital Marketing Conference 2024
Digital Marketing Conference 2024
is a conference specializing in digital marketing held on May 21st and 22nd, 2024. All conferences were held online, so you could watch from your home or office when a marketer you were interested in was on stage.
Digital Marketers Summit 2024 Winter
Digital Marketers Summit 2024 Winter
was held on February 28th and 29th, 2024 as a conference specializing in digital marketing strategies. People from well-known companies will be on stage at the conference, presenting real-life success stories. It can be said that the content was highly satisfying for participants who wanted to learn about digital marketing.
We also regularly hold hybrid-style social gatherings, so if you are interested, why not consider participating?
SNS MARKETING CONFERENCE
SNS MARKETING CONFERENCE
is a SNS marketing conference held on March 28, 2024. More than 1,000 people attended, including people who held positions at well-known companies. The content focuses on digital strategy, such as behind the scenes of SNS marketing and how to develop strategies using SNS in the future.
summary
A conference is a large-scale meeting attended by 100 or more people. In the past, offline formats where participants visited a meeting space were common, but now they are moving to online formats. Online format conferences can be converted into content after the conference, so they can be used for marketing to make your company known.
While offline offers the advantage of being able to enjoy the immersive experience of being there, online offers the advantage of being able to participate from the comfort of your own home. Consider planning an online or hybrid conference to increase the number of attendees.