Determine budget –Ivents By Geico Events lists all costs and identify sources of funding/ income to cover the following items; • Hire of venues • Catering – meals, lunches, tea and coffee breaks etc. • Conference stationery; o Translation services and equipment • Evaluation report and publication of results of workshop • Local accommodation for non-paying delegates • Transport requirements – e.g. shuttle bus to/ from venue; transport for site visits • Opportunity to provide bursaries and cover the costs of participants with appropriate backgrounds and/ or experience that would be useful to include and help achieve the workshop objectives • Contact potential funders • Establish appropriate systems to control and account for all financial transactions. This must include, as a minimum, a list of confirmed registered participants detailing the amount paid and when this was received;

• Prepare a brief person specification – the type of people you think will benefit most from attending; • Recruit chairpersons • Invite VIPs and other officials • Invite speaker for opening address • Invite keynote speakers • Determine who is welcoming VIPs and other officials • Recruit opening address and keynote speakers, and panellists.

• Workshop registration • Confirm method for registration – normally by email or the mailing address for registration forms • Create registration form, thinking through all essential information required – be critical and look at this from the point of view of recipients – easy to complete? / clear and unambiguous?; • With reference to the budget, establish the registration fee and think about: 1. Late registration fees 2. Discount fees for students 3. Bursaries 4. Deposits and final payments (deadline); 5. Specify preferred currency and method(s) of payment – include bank account details and other required information for international money transfers; 6. Cancellation and refund conditions.

• Ensure all registration forms received have been processed and resolve any queries; • Send final confirmation of registration to participants; • Compile final list of registered participants; • Report updated list of participants to convener(s); • Produce name badges • Produce name badges for workshop staff;

• Confirm all acknowledgements, including logos to be included on all material for the workshop – flyers, reports, adverts, website announcements, posters etc; • Prepare a brief description of the event and use as the basis for internal communication (within your own organization) • Compile mailing list of specialist/trade journals • Compile mailing list of people useful to invite – a ‘hit list’ of people desirable to have attend, e.g. national officials, EU officials, specialists etc • Recruit graphic designer to help with production of promotional material • Create first announcement/workshop flyer, including challenge, outcome, venue, date and pre-registration deadline • Print first announcement circular and pre-registration form. • Mail first announcement circular and pre-registration form. • Ensure links established on appropriate websites as an outlet for news about the workshop.

• Identify suitable workshop site and venue – take into account remoteness of venue and ease of travel to and from venue for international participants • Determine the need for break-out rooms and their capacities • Negotiate prices and requirements and provision of equipment with venue staff – check scope for delegate day rate and reduced cost/ no cost for meeting rooms etc; • Take options on selected workshop venues – make provisional bookings wherever possible • Recruit working group(s) and/or committee(s) • Verify hotel-booking arrangements – it strongly recommended that participants are responsible for booking their own flights and accommodation. (The only exception may be to offer to book accommodation for invited guests.) A list of convenient, local accommodation with a range of prices should be provided; • Where transfer to the venue for the workshop is beneficial and possible, check incoming and outgoing train/ flights times etc and make appropriate arrangements (coaches/ buses/ taxis etc.). For all participants, describe how to get to venue of workshop from main points of arrival • Check and arrange special transport for officials and/ or delegates from and to airports etc • Determine catering facilities (coffee, tea, drinks, snacks, lunches, dinners, conference dinner) and likely requirements • Hire caterer - verify special meal requirements (dietary, vegetarian, kosher etc., extra costs) • Contact suppliers of appropriate promotional items – bags, pens, hats etc! • Contact local tourist information agency • Determine events for evening and opportunities for social interaction facilities for disabled