How much does it cost to hold a business seminar? How do you start one? Where? who do you hire?

Question

How much does it cost to hold a business seminar? How do you start one? Where? who do you hire?

Answer 1

The cost is dependent on where you hold it and how much you wish to spend on advertising.

Cost items are a hotel conference center, brochure preparation and printing, mailing costs, clerical help for advance registration, clerical help for registration at the seminar, projectors and other display aids, take home materials for the attendees, something to put the take home materials in (briefcase, high quality folder, cheap cardboard folder, etc. with quality dependent on how much you charge.)  And, of course, the seminar leader -- unless you are planning on doing it yourself.

As to where, it depends on your target audience.  For example if you are targeting CEOs pick someplace like Hawaii or Aspen.  On the other hand if you are targeting local real estate agents pick a hotel with a conference center and plenty of parking.

If you pick an out of town hotel you should be able to arrange set things up so that the attendees get a price break if they make their hotel reservations through you -- and get a complimentary room for yourself if you have enough attendees.

Unless you are planning on conducting the seminar yourself your key hire will be whoever conducts the seminar.  Cost could range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on their name, experience and drawing power.

Most of the other help you need can be handled by for you by temp agencies.  Since using temp agencies allows you to avoid all of the headaches of employing people this is the way to go.

Hope this helps

Jerry-the-bookkeeper