Conference Matters 142

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Professional Conference Organiser By ease organises international conferences and meet ings for universities, colleges, associations, institutions, and non-profit organisations, which often involve assignments from a scientific perspective. One of the upcoming conferences that By ease is proud to be involved in is Exoplanets 5, which will bring together 750 researchers from around the world, including a Nobel Prize winner. Focused on exoplanet research, the multi-day conference in Leiden in June will attract international atten tion. A home game for the By ease team, which has been organising national and international conferences and meetings for almost 40 years. The university city of Leiden is the basis for By ease, whose field of work extends far beyond national borders. “It’s great that By ease can organise such a major conference, which will draw the attention of leading scientists to Leiden. Why us? In addition to our expertise, we connected, and that gives us wings.” Part of the Leids Congres Bureau, By ease has developed into a professional conference organi ser in a highly specialised area, that of organising scientific conferences, down to the last detail. One goal always comes first, and that is: how can we make it as easy as possible for the client? “In other words, what can we do to help? How can we make sure that the customer spends as little time as possible organising and still feels confidently in control? This is the common thread that runs through all focus areas,” says Marit Wormgoor, manager at By ease and experienced By Evelien Baks

rience handling abstracts, advising on non-sub stantive parts of the call for abstracts, collecting scientific contributions, and coordinating the review process. The conference needs to be as engaging as pos sible, and communication is a pillar that allows you to strike the right chord, says Wormgoor. “Here too, our approach is to actively engage in the thought process and to present multiple suggestions and ideas to our clients.. How we properly implement the corporate brand in all areas, how to communicate with potential par ticipants and what the tone of voice will be. The last thing you want is to miss the mark. Mixing up formal and informal forms of address in langua ges where there’s a clear distinction between the two could raise some eyebrows.”

conference organiser. Make it legible. Expand. Think ahead. Think along. Think of new ways. The road to a smooth process starts well in the preliminary stages, as Worm goor emphasises. “Coordinate well and be clear. What are your objectives, what’s important for the client and the participants, and how are we going to achieve these objectives together? To what extent does our client want to handle things themselves? We can take care of the entire marketing and communication, as we often get asked, but in some cases, the client may prefer to utilise their own communication department. Everything is possible.” Handling abstracts From a scientific perspective in particular, orga nisations are more likely to rely on partners who know the ins and outs. By ease has a lot of expe

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