Our expert for the organization of seminars gives insights into her everyday work
As a team assistant at Lorenz-Seminare, Anja Christmann is responsible for the planning and implementation of seminars and shares her tips with us. With her many years of experience in organizing seminars and training courses, she shows us what needs to be prepared step by step. There are many things to do – the most important thing is perfect preparation and conception, because that’s half the battle.
Hello Ms. Christmann! Thank you for taking the time for our interview. As a team assistant at Lorenz Seminare, you organize many seminars and training courses each year. Can you briefly explain what kind of seminars these are?
Ms. Christmann: We offer seminars in all areas of HR development, whether in-house or online. Last year, there was a clear shift towards online training due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the moment, however, it is also possible to offer face-to-face training again. These are of course a bit more interesting for me, as there is more to organize.
What steps do you take to organize and plan a seminar?
As a rule, a customer calls me to start the planning process. I have a checklist that I go through with the customer. If it’s a new customer, the basic data is recorded first, such as contact details, contact person, etc.
The next step in clarifying the assignment is to define the content and objectives of the training. This involves clarifying questions such as: what exactly does the customer mean by this and what does he or she want to achieve with the training?
Once the content has been agreed, the next step is to determine framework factors such as the size and composition of the group of participants. Is it a young group, a mixed group or are very experienced employees taking part? It is also important what functions the participants have in the company, whether they come from the same department and whether they already have qualifications and can build on them.
The next step is to set a date, discuss any preferred dates and trainers and choose a conference venue. There are usually three options to choose from, whether in-house at the customer’s premises, in a conference hotel or online. Once these points have been discussed with my contact person, I can submit a concrete offer.
How do you prioritize the tasks within the organization of a seminar?
The most important thing is to find an appointment first. I start as soon as the offer has been accepted by the customer, the topic fits and the content is right. With face-to-face training, the difficulty lies in reconciling the schedules of several people. Finding a date always becomes a sticking point in the organization, as the desired trainer often already has appointments and the various participants and departments must also have time. In contrast, you can always find a suitable option when looking for a venue.
What tools and systems do you use to keep yourself organized?
The Office package contains everything I need. Above all, a well-functioning calendar and Outlook are important for communication and keeping an overview. The big key is to organize yourself and approach things in a structured way, as well as keeping an overview in your head. If three or four events with different trainers are taking place at the same time, they really need to be kept separate.
Now we come back to the planning of the seminar schedule in detail.
As the venue for the event, the location is an important image factor and plays a major role in the well-being of the participants and, together with the content and objectives of your event, represents the image of your company.
How do you find the right venue?
It’s not that difficult. As a rule, we conduct in-house training courses that take place on the customer’s premises. If an external event is desired because the premises are not suitable, or if you want to leave your familiar surroundings for certain seminar topics, we always have a selection of hotels with which we have already had good experience. However, we and our trainers are flexible and happy to accommodate customer requests.
Especially in team building or seminars with unusual goals, it can be very helpful to leave the usual external framework. Do you have a current example for us?
The group we had at the last team building event had chosen an “outdoor activity” for decided on a one-and-a-half-hour walk along the adventure trail and a visit to the treetop walk. Additional activities such as archery or climbing a tree would also have been possible. The opportunity to do something outdoors in summer was particularly attractive – although of course you have to be lucky with the weather. The group from the training in Fischbach was surprised by rain during the walk; you have to take that into account.
What is the framework program of a seminar based on and how is it determined?
In principle, I am making a rough proposal in which I include key points such as the BI record the start and end of the seminar as well as the customer’s desired content. The trainer then considers how this content can be implemented, in what time interval this is feasible and whether group work fits in. The trainer then draws up an agenda, which is presented to the customer for approval.
What are other fundamental factors for a successful seminar?
The basic condition is that the participants approach the matter with an open mind, then they can also take something away with them. A successful seminar is a combination of a good trainer who knows how to pick up the participants and a high level of receptiveness and openness on the part of the participants. The overall atmosphere must also be right. If I have a top trainer and motivated participants, but the room is too cold or the air conditioning doesn’t work in the middle of summer, then this will also slow down the success of the seminar. Of course, catering for the participants and adherence to break times must also be guaranteed.
So it has to be an all-round package: a prepared trainer with a lot of sensitivity, participants who are ready and willing to absorb something and the all-round harmony with the objectives as an optimal place for learning.
What is the typical equipment for a seminar?
Meeting rooms are now equipped in such a way that a projector or screen can always be found and a pin board is quickly organized. This is the basic equipment of a good meeting room.
What other issues arise after a successful seminar or training course?
Once the work is done, the first task is to issue the invoice. This is followed by tasks such as sending the photo protocol or presentation by email to all participants and asking for feedback, which I always do for online seminars. I also inform the participants that they can register for the expert letter from us.
Finally, do you have any tips for the optimal organization of seminars?
I always say you have to make a plan and follow it through from start to finish and keep an overview. That’s actually the most important thing when organizing seminars. Especially when clarifying important points, you often have to ask questions until you have all the key data. It’s important to clarify all points – but you shouldn’t get lost in the details and always keep the big picture in mind.
