Conference

By - Sanjeet Yadav

A Conference is an act of consulting and discussing to share knowledge ,experience , thoughts ,feelings ,and opinions among a group of people who have common objectives .

A conference is generally understood as a Formal meeting of several people to discuss a particular topic. At a conference, innovative ideas are thrown about and new information is exchanged among experts .

A group of people involved in conference can discuss their individuals as well as collective problems .

Essentials of an effective conference meeting …..

The leader has to carry out the function of guiding the discussion , keeping it on track and arrive at a useful conclusion .

The number of the conferees must be limited to a reasonable extent .

The conference hall facilities must be adequate and ought to be kept in order .

The conferees invited for the meeting must be capable of making valuable contribution to the discussion .

The topics and purpose of the conference meeting must be clarified .

The conference leader and the participants must make adequate preparation for the discussion . They must be interested and enthusiastic .

Objectives behind conducting conferences….Conference are vital to decision making process .

The participants define the problem and ascertain the depth , scope and the critical factors of the problem .

Its plays a vital role in developing a analytical and questioning attitude of a Conferees .

Conference can also be used for modifying attitudes , opinions and feelings of the participants .

A employee who attends conference starts thinking in terms of the company as a whole . His participation raises his morale and strengthens his confidence .

Steps of conduct a conferenceThe leader has the responsibility to ensure that

the arrangements are made properly. The Arrangements begin with an agenda , list of participants , date and time and venue of the meeting .

Notice of meeting with agenda should be served to participants at least a week ago.

It should be ensured that there is proper ventilation/Air -Conditioning , lighting in the conference room . Chairs and table must be arranged in a way so as to provide face to face interaction with everyone .

Stationary must be arranged beforehand ; this includes notepads , pen , pencils etc .

It is necessary that arrangements must be made for refreshment like tea , lunch etc .

For meeting at which there are out-station participants or guest , it is necessary to have a team of persons to look after their accommodation , needs , tickets , booking etc .

A meeting depends to a great extend on the comfort of the members/participants . If they are comfortable about their arrangements they will pay proper attention to the proceedings that will lead to better results .

Advantages and disadvantages…. Advantages..

It has diversity of views .It encourages new creative ideas and solutions to

problems A conference has the advantage of expert opinion

given by some well informed member . Disadvantages…

Group decision taken in conference tend to be time consuming .

Blurred focus and irrelevant discussion very often defeat the purpose of a conference .

In terms of time and money , a conference proves to be very expensive .

Types of conference…1. Audio Conferencing – It is most frequently

used , most productive and inexpensive medium , it is also called “ phone meeting “ .

2. Audio Graphics Conferencing – It provides the faculty to move text , computer generated images , photographs over ordinary phone line ( like the Internet ) .

3. Video Conferencing – It is the most expensive medium of all . It allow people at different locations to see and hear each other like face to face meeting . All these together called as Teleconferencing .

Difference between conference and meeting.. People get together to exchange views in a

conference as well in a meeting . Conference is generally used for a large, formal meeting with a clear and well-defined agenda. Meeting is general , and is mostly used for smaller informal gatherings.

A meeting room might just be a simple room for a quick meeting. Whereas a conference room might be more equipped or have dedicated presentation facilities.

The place called 'Conference Hall' or a 'Meeting Room' - it usually depends on the size and the facilities available.