Congress management

Congress management is the ultimate discipline of any event organisation. It encompasses the skills and targeted networking in specialist areas, the good relationships with and knowledge about conference venues, hotels and suppliers, the availability of extensive collected data, experience in data protection, non-profit status, taxes and funding opportunities and, finally, the automation of various processes in order to save time and avoid errors.

Our experiences

When we started Conventus more than 20 years ago, we were very successful in running trade fairs, managing extensive marketing projects, organising glamorous and spectacular events, and organising workshops and conferences. This detailed knowledge and our experience is one of our biggest success factors in the most prestigious discipline of "congress management".

Our advantages

Another success factor which is unique within the congress industry is our in-house focus of specialised knowledge. This is a great advantage for every project in terms of synergies, efficiency and cost savings. Thus, in addition to the well-known areas of project team, personnel, financial management and sponsoring, participant, abstract and hotel management - special knowledge units have emerged at Conventus in the last decade.

Project­ management

You have your personal contact person, guarantied, ensured reliability and goal orientation, coordinated and innovative cooperation as well as an individual and perfected implementation!
Our current seven team leaders - each with more than 10 years of experience at Conventus –lead their project team administratively and with regards to content. The team leader with his team members - senior project manager, project manager, junior project manager and assistants - ensures competence, experience, man power, providing coverage in case of holidays, illness or change of personnel.

  • Project - conception, management, processing and control
  • Risk analysis
  • Milestones and schedules
  • Budget management
  • Costumer success management
  • Contractual binding of service partners
  • Coordination of service providers
  • Regular meetings with conference management
  • Personal appointments with conference management, location and industry
  • Documentation of all areas of responsibility

Financial management and funding

Your Conventus project manager will draw up a financial plan, identify and discuss significant items with you, optimise income and expenditure, and take responsibility.

  • Preparation of a financing plan
  • Optimisation of key figures and influencing factors
  • Funding
  • Controlling
  • Acquisition of funding
  • Handling of the complete payment transactions incl. dunning process
  • Tax advice
  • Regular information on budget progress
  • Transparency and (tax-prepared) accounting
  • Assumption of financial responsibility

Participant management

Whether 50 or 10,000 participants - from the correct handling of participant fees, online registration and various online payment interfaces to adept and guest-oriented telephone and personal on-site support - our prudent and experienced staff are there for every guest. To date, we have registered more than half a million participants!

  • Management of participants and cancellation fees (pricing, deadlines, queries, invoicing)
  • Consideration of data protection and general terms and conditions
  • Integration of online registration into the congress homepage
  • Individual participant communication via telephone, e-mail and chat
  • Database management incl. statistical evaluations
  • Payment processing with state-of-the-art software and payment systems, billing and dunning
  • On-site support and coordination

Speaker management

Speakers and their presentations are a fundamental element of each congress. Doing justice to them in terms of exceptional information, professional support and personal attention are challenges that our multilingual and experienced speaker management team is happy to take on.   

  • Individual support
  • General information on the congress, on personal assignments
  • Regular reminders
  • Coordination of technical requirements and support
  • Contract binding and settlement of fees, travel and hotel costs
  • Registration, travel organisation, booking of travel and hotel tickets
  • VIP transfers and personal support on site
  • Speaker gifts

Scientific secretariat 

Your greatest attention and most time will probably be devoted to the preparation of the scientific programme. We can also provide you with extensive support here!

  • Acquisition and contacting of speakers
  • Interactive, digital programme software
  • Coordination of the programmes of the specialist and working groups
  • Organisation and recording of working group meetings  
  • Review coordination
  • Programme management
  • Analysis of previous programmes and success factors
    • Success of meetings and courses/workshops
    • Repetitive vs. missing topics
  • Advice on programme structure and process
  • Optimised adaption of industry symposia
  • Efficient room management

See also speaker handling and evaluation.

Abstract ­management

Conventus not only supports the online submission process from the software side but also provides personal support for comparisons, including the number and content of topics from previous years, the evaluation modalities, the review process itself up to the transfer of abstracts into the scientific programme, and automatically transfer the data and make it available for printing.

  • Support in the formulation of thematic priorities
  • Target group-oriented marketing (print and online)
  • Service-oriented online submission (lectures, ePosters, posters, video presentations)
  • Flexible and time-saving online review process
  • Correspondence with and help support for authors
  • Online programme module  
  • Publications (journals, digital or printed abstract book)

Participant marketing

Targeted and creative marketing measures bond your congress participants, ensure membership growth, and develop new participant groups for your congress. We achieve this for you with a unique network and an extensive in-house address pool. We discuss the marketing concept, individually tailored to your target group, with you and implement it with your approval.

Our services in detail:

  • Dialogue marketing: direct and personal recruitment of participants via e-mail and post
  •  Cross media marketing: communication on all channels
    • Advertisements/inserts in trade journals
    • Cooperation with professional societies/associations/networks
    • Displays at trade events
    • Event placement in online calendars
  • Social media: Interactive addressing of your target group

Industry marketing and sales

The industry is a valuable partner for the participants, an integral part of the scientific community and also forms a financing foundation for your congress.
Conventus has an extensive network of national and international companies. We constantly analyse the market, create project-specific exhibition and sponsorship concepts and work closely and successfully with the industry.  

  • Data and contact selection, research and provision
  • Concept development for industry participation
  • Consideration of codes (FSA, Ethical MedTech, etc.)
  • Live demonstration in virtual meetings (via Zoom/Teams)
  • Standardised administration (contract, information, accounting)
  • Efficient and subject-specific acquisition by trained and experienced personnel
  • Stand planning taking into account spatial and safety conditions
  • Coordination of all trades (such as stand construction, catering, etc.)
  • Service-oriented support for exhibitors
  • Management of the flow of participants

Press and public relations

"Do good and talk about it!" Presenting new scientific findings, research projects and treatment standards is a valuable task. Conventus has a very good network with the press, radio and television to act in a targeted manner. We organise, so that you are noticed by the public.

  • Consultation and individual conception of press relations including the elaboration of key topics, proactive communication
  • Analysis of costs and benefits
  • Preparation, research and editing of press releases including time management
  • Dispatch to relevant media and personal media contacts
  • Handling press enquiries, coordinating and arranging interview appointments, personal and active media communication
  • Creation and content maintenance of the press section of the congress homepage
  • Organisation of press conferences including preparation of media information
  • Monitoring media response before, during and after the congress and compiling a press review

Homepage

Your presentation of the Congress on the internet is of great importance. In line with the congress design, we implement this in a routine, well-structured and - with many variable components - efficient manner. Of course, we will also update it permanently.  

  • Hosting services (backup of all server data, domain backup)
  • Design development (layout grid, colour and navigation concept)
  • Implementation of the website (high-quality HTML template, content management system TYPO3)
  • Data maintenance and editing
  • Support during operation
  • Implementation of the website (search engine optimised and responsive design)
  • Implementation of an online programme planner for participants
  • Language management
  • Duration of website support approx. 2 years
  • Onsite optimisation potential
  • Storage of the website on a virtual machine with firmly guaranteed resources and maximum security

Design, printing and mailing optimisation

Whether with our graphic designers or your own preferred designer: we design with your wishes in an equally experienced and as innovative, fast, good and cost-conscious way! In addition, we naturally understand and organise the downstream processes, such as the timely creation of the various print elements, the selection and provision of postal and electronic address data and cost-optimised dispatch.
The automated transfer of programme and speaker data from online programme creation also ensures time-saving and error-free presentations.

  • Creation of a corporate design
  • Realisation of any printed matter
  • Electronic conversions
  • Branding and advertising material
  • Reduction of printing costs via Green Meetings
  • Dispatch optimisation

Social events and networking

Networking evening, City tour, gamification and gala dinner - these special events are the real highlights of the congress. Many years later, hardly anyone remembers the scientific programme, but probably the extraordinary ambience, the great band, the fantastic food, the good atmosphere, the fun and the interesting contacts...
Conventus draws on a wealth of experience - from opera balls to treasure hunts, from barbecues to 6-course menus, from the Moritzbastei to the Maximilaneum, we understand occasions!
Whether rustic or luxurious, in Germany or overseas, we will find the right location for any occasion anywhere and turn your event into an unforgettable experience!

  • Conception and budgeting
  • Research and selection of service providers, locations, bands and artists, technology, catering, show acts
  • Obtaining offers, negotiation, contracting
  • Decoration, invitation management, shuttle service
  • On-site visits
  • Coordination of all subcontractors and suppliers
  • Observance of applicable compliance regulations
  • Support during the entire event

Hotel­ management

Long-standing, personal and good connections to hotels, tourism centres and hotel platforms as well as numerous bookings over 20 years ensure both sufficient capacities and the best possible conditions for us and our guests.

  • Selection and commitment of room allotments in different price segments
  • Negotiation of optimal rates and cancellation conditions
  • Bundling and provision of all information for participants
  • Reservations can be made via all communication channels
  • Permanent contact for participant queries

Venue sourcing

With more than 2,000 workshops, conferences and congresses including board meetings, speakers' and social evenings as well as overnight stays, we have a correspondingly large amount of experience, contacts and information available on hotels, conference venues, congress centres, universities, trendy locations....
We check quality, availability, costs and contracts. We optimise dates in terms of thematically related as well as competing events. Compare and find the right location, the right venue and the ideal conference venue, right for you!

  • Needs analysis, location conception and room optimisation
  • Determination of financial aspects
  • Scheduling and optimisation
  • Researching locations, obtaining offers as well as negotiations and optimising services
  • Contract and cancellation review incl. optimisation/negotiation
  • On-site inspections
  • Handling of all subcontractors, such as furniture, catering, security, decoration, etc.
  • Branding and routing
  • On-site support

Catering

Apart from being an interesting content at congresses, catering is the most important item, because the physical well-being during an event is always remembered by the most participants. Especially if a congress lasts a little longer, good catering is the be-all and end-all to keep the participants happy.

  • Needs analysis and budgeting
  • Concept
  • Researching service providers and obtaining quotations
  • Drawing up contracts
  • On-site support

Certification

Certification is very important to the participant and therefore a decision criterion that should not be underestimated. Conventus is responsible for the organisation for the purpose of participant marketing in the run-up to the congress, for the actual realisation on site as well as the processing after the congress.

  • Application for certification (CMS, UEMS-EACCME, ATF etc.)
  • Communication with the certification bodies (LÄK, etc.)
  • Handling of conflict of interest declarations
  • Electronic registration of participants
  • Presentation in the congress media
  • Manual and automated solutions
  • Careful follow-up/creation of certificates/data transfer

Evaluation

Evaluations are a prerequisite to be able to ensure a high quality of all components of the congress in the future. Topic selection, practical orientation, lecture discipline, lecture quality, break lengths and supply, marketing, information transfer, success measurement - Conventus prepares the evaluation, coordinates it with you, implements it manually or electronically on site or afterwards and provides you with a reporting.    

  • Preparation of the evaluation
  • Manual and automated solutions
  • Inclusion of apps, homepage and digital congress platform
  • Evaluation and provision of participant statistics

There is even more

Conventus organises much more on a daily basis - ask us!

  • Bid process
  • Data management
  • Decoration
  • Photographers
  • Hostesses
  • Childcare
  • Tax processing abroad
  • Security and medical service
  • Special agreements with DB and airlines
  • Tour and city guide
  • Transfer services
  • Translation services
  • Rental of congress equipment
  • Visa procurement
  • Customs declaration
  • and much more

You have your personal contact person plus a whole project team, permanently in the background, at Conventus.


No matter whether it's a small event or a large congress, national or international - with Conventus you benefit in terms of time, cost, synergies, professionalism, security and success!
 

Contact us!