By: JCI Mem. Allan M. Licera, CLT
2000 LOM President
Before creating sub-committees or work groups, let us first focus on the finer details of what you need to consider.
I. LIST OF ITEMS THE CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE NEEDS TO CONSIDER.
a) Area Conference Date- JCIP Policy manual provides that the simultaneous Area Conferences be held every first week-end of September of the current year. In that case, the date of Area Conference this year is September 4-6, 2009. Remember that the 1st week end of September coincides also with the city’s celebration of the Tuna Festival.
Hosting the conference simultaneously with the celebration of the Tuna Festival can be a great opportunity and a potential threat at the same time. It would be an occasion for AreaCon delegates to participate in various Tuna Festival activities lined up by the city. However, it is not the best time to look for Conference sponsors as businessmen would opt to support various festival activities than the areacon.
Venues and hotel bookings must be done earlier so to ensure delegates accommodation and avoid conflict with the Tuna Festival venues. Visitors normally increases during that time and the city’s hotels and event venues are normally booked for the festival activities.
b) Event venue & format- determine the possible venue where you are going to hold the affair. Always consider your target number of delegates in selecting the venue. To be precise about this, conduct a survey of possible delegates per chapter by getting the commitment of the incumbent LOM President and other key JCI members during the 1st Area Council Meeting.
Study closely the program format including all JCI related protocols that needs to be observed during affair. Consider the dress code, type of event and program duration. Example, the program normally ends at 3:00am and one of the highlights is the fellowship, your venue should suit to your activities.
It is always safe to choose a very accessible venue. You have to consider the lodging distance, make sure it will not take too much travel time from their hotel to the venue. You can also save a lot in terms of communication and transportation if everything is accessible to the delegates.
c) Program of activities- delegates will look at your program of activities, be sure to offer something new and different without necessarily deviating from the JCI mandated programs.
Consider inviting top caliber JCI speakers in your seminars. If you can invite Past National Presidents, CNT’s or ITF graduates, on top of other regular trainers, the better. You can sell these training seminars to JCI members. You can also invite private companies or local executives to send participants to attend the seminars in exchange for possible sponsorship or future project partnership.
d) Finance- The longer you plan, the least expensive the activity would become. Every activity necessitates funding for the expenses. It is imperative that the Finance Committee identify all possible expenses of every activity to come up with a realistic and workable financial statement.
The LOM or the chairman of the committee on ways & means can initiate an income generating activity to raise the necessary funds, or look for possible sponsors to finance the activity, as determined by the Committee.
Other committee members should be updated of the status of finances, so make sure the chairman of the Finance Committee submits a report every COC meeting. Everybody must know how much money was raised and how much is still needed.
d) Directory of LOM Presidents/Key Jaycees- get a copy of the directory of LOM Presidents and Key Jaycees in your area from the JCI Philippines secretariat. You can send e-mail or text messages on Areacon updates using this directory. Circulate a copy of this directory to the members of the secretariat and promotions team; they should help in disseminating informations.
e) Conference web site – one of the best ways to market and get JCI Members updated on the conference is coming up with a conference web site. You can give updates of the activities, provide lists of possible guests, conduct surveys of preferred seminar topics and trainers, and provide information delegates may want to know about General Santos City. This can also help you look for sponsors as they can serve as advertisers to your web site.
Contact a web designer to develop and maintain the site as pages needs to be updated regularly to keep visitors from coming back. As this also entails budget, the least you can do is to make use of the free sites available in the internet.
Promote your web site. While this is the job of the promotions Team, this is where every member of the LOM can help. They can e-mail the web address to all JCI members and probable sponsors they know.
f) Food & Entertainment – while the plenary sessions, seminars, tours, local delicacies, etc. serves as a come on to every delegate, food & entertainment should also be given importance. Make sure the kind of food & entertainment you offer is acceptable to the delegates.
Don’t make a mistake of preparing an all pork meal as other delegates does not eat pork at all due to religious belief or health reasons. Put your “lechon baboy” apart with other food. This can also save you the time of preparing an additional menu if a delegate complains about your food preferences.
The kind of entertainment you offer also matters. You have to think of activities wherein everyone can easily participate and enjoy with. Should you organize a “special entertainment” for male delegates, do it in a separate venue discreetly. It must be understood that such activity is not part of the whole conference program.
As a general rule for preparing food & entertainment, make it a point to serve the food hot and the drinks cold. The key therefore is to start the program on time so as not to delay dinner and have enough cold drinks to last the wee hours of the morning.
g) Conference merchandise & novelty items- to spice up your conference provide delegates with merchandise that will serve as conference memorabilia. T-shirts, caps, cups, ball pens, pins, bags, etc are common souvenir items. You can still think of other unique items to sell, just make sure it is affordable.
Try to coordinate with local shop owners and include locally produce products that are inherent to our place.
f) Conference plaques and Area Awards- be reminded to prepare two sets of awards. Prizes for games or contests during the conference like farthest delegation, early bird award, etc. You also have to prepare plaques which are normally given to guest speakers, seminar trainers & sponsors.
The second set of plaques and certificates will be given as awards to area E-bid projects competition. You have to coordinate closely with the Area Records and Recognition Commissioner to determine the number of certificates and plaques you need to prepare.
g) Pre & Post Conference activities-since this coincides with the city’s celebration of the Tuna Festival, the LOM can coordinate with the Festival Council to spearhead a program that can serve as a pre or post conference activity.
(You have already created the four (4) major committees as mentioned on the 1st part of this article, it is recommended that you divide the work activities of your committee into subcommittees or work groups based on the items you need to consider. Then draw your own organizational structure. )
to be continued……
