Those who think they can start organising breakouts a month before the congress date are wrong. A successful congress with breakout sessions starts with early planning, preferably a year in advance. Also think about the right session leaders or speakers in time and check their availability as early as possible, as agendas fill up quickly.

So start a longlist of topics for breakout sessions well in advance, by researching the needs of your target audience well. Match the content as closely as possible to what is going on within the industry. Smart event registration software gives you handy tools to collect feedback and suggestions, allowing you to seamlessly tailor session content to your audience's preferences. This leads to a more personalised conference that people will be only too happy to sign up for.

A conclusive invitation and registration process is also essential in order to plan your breakout sessions properly logistically. Because an event registration tool automates and streamlines these tasks, you save a lot of time and minimise errors. Such a system also supports encouraging early registration for breakout sessions, which is essential for balanced logistical planning.

Of course, you want to avoid some breakout sessions getting no or hardly any registrations. To encourage balanced participation in all sessions, you can set a maximum number of registrations per session. For sessions that lag behind in the number of registrations, you can stimulate enthusiasm with pop-up recommendations or sending personalised e-mails, for example. A good spread across your sessions ensures a better experience for all participants. Such a balanced distribution of registrations is also crucial for the room planning of your breakouts. Always keep a little space in each breakout session so that you can accommodate last-minute requests from participants on the day itself.

Even on the day itself, it is important to keep a close eye on how full the breakout sessions are and whether the allocated rooms are still full in terms of capacity. After all, there will always be people who only register on the day itself. Also, sessions may be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, requiring people who had registered for that session to be placed elsewhere. Event software that allows on-site registration and real-time monitoring is therefore indispensable for good logistical planning of breakout sessions. Such software enables quick decisions on room allocation and schedule planning, which contributes immensely to the smooth running of the congress. And real-time monitoring of session occupancy allows you to react quickly to unforeseen changes, providing flexibility and improving the attendee experience.

In short: organising a conference with breakout sessions requires detailed attention to the registration process and flawless execution. With smart software for event registration and monitoring, you will be perfectly equipped to manage every aspect of your conference with breakout sessions: content, planning and execution. With specialised software from Eventpartners, you ensure a streamlined process and an unforgettable experience for all participants.