Coping With Grievances
If a delegate has a grievance for any reason, take them
away from the main registration area to discuss it. The benefits of this are:
Whether or not the complaint is justified, keep calm. Keep your voice steady and listen fully to what the person has to say. Obtain the facts of the matter, empathise with the complainant and assure them that you have understood their complaint. Be sure that any action promised to resolve the situation is taken and followed up as necessary.
In any situation where a query or grievance is made that cannot be dealt with immediately, assure the delegate that you will get the information or explanation they need as soon as possible (and don’t forget to do it!)
Making Registration Smooth
Keep queues as short as possible. If the registration period is reasonably long you will find delegates arrive at varying times which makes the registration process much easier, as opposed to a 15-minute registration period for 200 people when they will all arrive at the same time. If delegate bags, papers, badges, etc are to be issued, work out a system in advance so that it runs as smoothly as possible.
Providing An Appropriate Atmosphere
Providing coffee and tea during registration helps delegates to settle down after their journey before the conference starts and also helps to create a networking
environment. Many venues include coffee on arrival in the day-delegate price but do not take this for granted. Remember to check and order in advance if necessary.
Taking Messages
It is useful to have a message board next to the registration desk. Telephone messages for delegates that come in during the day can be pinned on to it. You should be able to obtain the telephone number of the registration desk in advance of the event. If so, it can be useful to issue it to delegates in the confirmation letter, together with a reminder that mobile phones must be switched off or turned to silent/vibrate whilst the conference is in session.
Contacting Other Services
Keep contact details for the local doctor, hospital, taxi and railway enquiry office in an accessible place as you will be bound to be asked for at least one of them. Also take along a tool box full of useful items, such as scissors and sellotape, that may be required.
Giving Notice Of Time
If the day is going to run to schedule, it is essential that it starts on time. Give the delegates notice when the event is due to start, first ten minutes, then five minutes, then when it starts – there are always stragglers! When the delegates are all safely stowed in their room, tidy up the registration area in preparation for the morning break. Check the toilets to see if they are clean and tidy, and adequately stocked and alert the venue staff if they are not.
Looking After Everyone
During the refreshment breaks, don’t forget to look after those people who often get waylaid, such as the chairperson and the audio visual technicians. They will be as in need of refreshment as everyone else, but often find themselves tied up with delegates and other speakers.
Refreshment Breaks
After the first refreshment break, assess how it went -were there long queues? Was there enough coffee? If there had been any problem alert the appropriate person (e.g. the venue staff) so that the later refreshment breaks can be trouble-free. Waiting time for tea and coffee can be reduced by ensuring that the number of serving points are adequate for the number of delegates. One serving point for 150 delegates is going to result in considerably longer queues than three or four serving points. A useful tip is to have the milk sugar and biscuits on a separate table so that delegates move away from the serving area as swiftly as possible.