Archive for October 2011
Video Conference Trends
Videoconference trends have been changing as fast as technologies related to it do. The economic landscape and general changes in the way business is conducted is forcing businesses to embrace a more “mobile” lifestyle, of which videoconferencing is a big part.
Video Conference Usage
The number of business using videoconferencing technologies increased starting 2001, as reported by leading teleconferencing service providers Deutsche Telekom, Worldcom, and BT. Their studies show that conglomerates and multinationals are replacing in-person meetings either audio, web or video conferencing. The trend is good news to providers, big and small. They have since seen phenomenal growth year after year.
The Move to Videoconferencing
Even businesses that only used videoconferencing as temporary solutions before are now moving to more regular subscriptions. More and more employees and executives express their preference for conferencing technology to cut down on travel costs and time. If an executive had to travel every month from Denver to New York for a meeting, for example, about 134 man-hours are wasted. Let that same executive do videoconferencing instead and the company saves about not only time, but also about $9,600 – the cost of travel and accommodations.
Businesses are quickly realizing that because of the cost- effectiveness of videoconferencing, travel is not anymore the first nor the only choice. The technology is now associated to the “work smart” standard.
Positive Results
The outcomes of videoconferencing are optimistic and profound. Studies conducted on organizations that embrace videoconferencing prove that the benefits of the technology are threefold. Individuals remain productive, are able to establish and maintain relationships, and are generally happier and have more time to relax because of the conveniences afforded by the technology. Efficiency is at an all-time high because professionals are not anymore limited by time nor geographical location.
Videoconferencing is changing the way business is conducted, and providers are more than happy to adapt to the trend. Many of them are now introducing next-generation videoconferencing on an individual or bundled basis at very reasonable prices.
What a Conference Organiser Job Entails
Behind every successful conference is an exhausted and happy conference organiser. If a person possesses good organisational skills and multi-tasking abilities, here is a good opportunity for a unique career.
Let us take a closer look at a Conference Organiser Job. Given below are some details of this career.
The prime responsibility of this position is to plan, organise and co-ordinate conferences which are conducted for a range of purposes. The number of participants attending can vary – from a small group to a couple of hundreds. An organiser should research, negotiate and book appropriate venues, make arrangements for the required equipment such as PA systems, audio-visual equipment, overhead projectors, video players etc. Equipment will also vary according to the type of conference.
In the case of a residential conference, the organiser is also responsible for making accommodation arrangements for all delegates, including transport arrangements – if necessary. If the conference calls for external speakers or resource persons, all facilities for them need to be taken care as well.
A vital responsibility of a Conference Organiser Job is to discuss with the client and plan out a budget for the event. This duty plays a vital role as every aspect of the event needs to be taken into consideration. Once budgets are approved, it is also vital that the organiser keeps within this budget till the end of the event.
Marketing the event will also be one of roles in this position. It will require writing press releases and designing advertising materials, sorting out mailing lists, brochures etc. Prior arrangements need to be made at the venue, with the organiser conducting meetings with the venue staff to have them briefed on the proceedings, catering plans etc.
A Conference Organiser Job calls for this person to be present full-time when the event is in progress to handle any unforeseen situations that may arise. There can always be possibilities when a speaker is late and some re-scheduling will have to be done in order to keep the event in progress, until the speaker arrives or an alternative is found. There can be many incidents similar to this, thus the presence of the organiser on-site is very vital, from start to end of the conference.
Most conference production companies will always prefer to recruit a graduate for such a position. These companies select graduates from a variety of disciplines, thus an applicant’s chosen degree subjects are irrelevant when applying for a Conference Organiser Job. They will certainly look for applicants with strong interpersonal skills and preferably some experience.
There are certain career conscious people who would like to switch careers; conference production companies have no restrictions on entering the career. Many professionals who have been working in the fields of hotel conferences and banquet management tend to move into these companies in search for a career change. Another alternative will be to start in a secretarial role and gradually gain the necessary experience to organise conferences; other required experience can include sales, marketing or experience from a media background.
If you are an adult with experience and would like to take over a Conference Organiser Job with a degree, it will be advisable to first check out the university entry requirements, as there might be exemptions for mature students with work experience.