|
A
well-designed conference or meeting website facilitates the
global presentation of
the event and enables efficient and
cost
effective interaction
between organizers, presenters, other delegates and non-attending
interested parties.
In
terms of content, these
features are usually considered most important:
| Website
Feature |
Description
and Use |
| Announcement |
At
the minimum, the conference or meeting website serves
to announce the event title,
venue, dates,
keynote speakers, sponsors, and organizer contact information.
The Announcement page may also include a note on such
items as registration fees and accommodation, although
such details usually deserve a separate page or even a
separate section. |
| Call
for Papers |
The
key purpose of a conference or meeting is to provide opportunities
for delegates to share knowledge or experience through
various forms of presentations. One or more themes
and a set of criteria
are usually developed by organizers to guide presenters
in developing their papers, posters, roundtable discussions,
workshops, etc. An online submission
form guarantees that proposals are received
in a standardized and easy-to-process format. |
| Registration |
The
registration process
is described, including various registration fees
(presenter, student, companion, etc.) and what they
include; dates for early, regular and on-site registration;
and forms of payment accepted. Registration can often
be completed online, as well as by fax, mail, and on
site.
|
| Venue
and Hosts |
It
is often useful to introduce the conference or meeting
host organization(s)
and the event venue,
highlighting special event facilities and providing
links of professional interest.
|
| Getting
Here |
Delegates
will appreciate information on different
means of transportation to the event, any
negotiated convention fares, online map of the host
city, a note on local weather, etc.
|
| Accommodation |
Conferences
and meeting organizers usually book a block of rooms for
delegates and their families at a discounted
rate, usually available only with advance reservations.
Reservations can often be made online, by fax and by phone.
Alternative accommodation options (e.g., for students)
may be suggested. |
|
Places
to See,
Things to Do
|
Many
delegates enjoy combining work
with fun. Providing information on tourist
attractions, activities, sightseeing tours, cruises, etc.,
can make planning the trip easier. Suggestions on dining
out, local transit and popular publications can be useful. |
| Review
Process |
This
behind-the-scenes feature can save
organizers a great deal of time
and money, especially if reviewers are located
in various places. With proposals received electronically,
it is fairly easy to set up a secure online review process. |
Conference
Program |
As
soon as all conference proposals are received and reviewed,
the schedule of conference events
can be developed and the program (albeit preliminary)
posted on the website. Delegates are often eager to look
up the program before committing funds to registration
or travel to the conference. It is useful to include the
schedule of any planned social
events. |
| Site
Map |
An
online map of the
event website can facilitate navigation. |
| Site
Search |
A
site-wide search box
is often most useful in looking up presentations in the
conference program by key words. |
The content of a conference or meeting website can certainly
be customized according to your needs. To view the options
in terms of design, please
click here.
To
see how the above features can be implemented in a conference
website, view some of our recent conference web design projects
in our portfolio.
To
discuss your specific needs and to obtain a quote,
please click here.
|
Website Content
