Your members are your priority. Let us take care of the conference.

Running an association conference is very different from organising a one-off event.

There are members to communicate with, committees and stakeholders to keep informed, budgets to manage, sponsors and exhibitors to look after, speakers to coordinate, registrations to process — and somewhere in amongst all of that, you still need to create an event your delegates genuinely look forward to attending.

That’s where EventSmart comes in.

We provide professional association conference management throughout New Zealand, working alongside associations, professional bodies and membership organisations to manage everything from the first planning meeting through to the final delegate heading home.

Whether you need a Professional Conference Organiser to manage the entire conference or additional expertise to support your internal team, we tailor our services around you.

You know your association. We know conferences.

Your committee and team understand your members, your industry and what the conference needs to achieve.

Our job is to take that knowledge and turn it into a professionally planned, financially controlled and smoothly delivered conference.

We become an extension of your team — managing the deadlines, suppliers, registrations, venues, sponsors, speakers and hundreds of small moving pieces behind the scenes, while keeping your committee informed throughout the process.

Most importantly, we give your team the freedom to concentrate on the programme, your members and the purpose of the conference, rather than spending months chasing rooming lists, dietary requirements, exhibitor forms and presentation files.

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Complete Association Conference Management

Every association works differently, which is why we don’t believe in a cookie-cutter approach.

EventSmart can manage your entire conference or work alongside your team to take responsibility for selected areas.

Conference Planning & Project Management

We create the structure behind your conference, including timelines, responsibilities, budgets and key milestones.

From regular committee meetings through to supplier deadlines and onsite schedules, we keep the project moving and make sure nothing quietly disappears into the dreaded “someone was going to do that” pile.

Services can include:

• Conference planning and project management
• Budget development and ongoing financial management
• Planning timelines and critical deadlines
• Committee meetings and reporting
• Supplier coordination
• Contract negotiation
• Risk and contingency planning
• Detailed onsite runsheets
• Post-conference reconciliation and reporting

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Registration & Delegate Management

Your delegate experience begins long before they arrive at the venue.

We can manage the complete registration journey, from building the registration process and taking payments through to confirmations, ticket selections, accommodation, dietary requirements and final attendee communications.

Services can include:

• Online conference registration
• Secure payment processing
• Invoicing and receipting
• Member and non-member registration categories
• Earlybird and standard pricing structures
• Workshop, dinner and social-function selections
• Accommodation bookings
• Delegate communications
• Name badges and onsite check-in
• Attendance tracking
• Registration reporting

Your committee has visibility of registrations and numbers throughout the planning process without having to manage the administration yourselves.

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Sponsorship & Exhibition Management

For many association conferences, sponsorship and exhibition income is an important part of making the event financially successful.

We can manage the sponsor and exhibitor process from the initial prospectus and bookings through to floorplans, exhibitor communications, onsite requirements and delivery.

This can include:

• Sponsorship and exhibition planning
• Prospectus development
• Sponsor and exhibitor registrations
• Exhibition floorplans
• Exhibitor manuals and information
• Furniture, power and AV requirements
• Sponsor entitlements
• Signage and branding
• Exhibitor communications
• Lead retrieval solutions
• Onsite exhibition management

Just as importantly, we help make the experience professional for your sponsors and exhibitors so they see value in being part of the conference — and want to return.

Speaker & Programme Support

Your association usually owns the technical content. We take care of the logistics around it.

We can work with your programme committee to coordinate:

• Speaker invitations and communications
• Speaker registrations
• Presentation collection
• AV requirements
• Session scheduling
• Speaker travel and accommodation
• Abstract and submission management
• Moderator and chair information
• Speaker briefings
• Onsite speaker support

That leaves your subject-matter experts concentrating on the quality of the programme rather than administration.

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Venue, Accommodation & Supplier Management

Choosing the right venue is about considerably more than finding a room big enough for everyone.

We consider delegate numbers, programme requirements, exhibition space, catering, accommodation, accessibility, transport, social functions and budget before recommending suitable options.

We can manage:

• Venue research and sourcing
• Site inspections
• Contract and rate negotiation
• Catering
• Accommodation blocks
• Audio visual and production
• Entertainment
• Transport and transfers
• Signage and printing
• Furniture and exhibition requirements
• Local activities and social programmes

With conferences delivered throughout New Zealand, Australia and internationally, EventSmart can also assist associations taking their annual conference into a new destination.

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More Than Just the Conference Programme

Some of the most valuable conversations at an association conference happen outside the plenary room.

We can help create the experiences around your programme that give members opportunities to connect.

That might include:

• Welcome receptions
• Gala dinners and awards evenings
• Networking events
• Offsite functions
• Technical and study tours
• Partner programmes
• Wellness activities
• Local destination experiences
• First-timer initiatives
• Member engagement activities

These are the touches that turn a conference into an experience your members remember.

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Conference Technology Without the Headache

Technology should make a conference easier — not create another full-time job for your team.

EventSmart can coordinate the technology supporting your conference, including:

• Registration platforms
• Conference websites
• Mobile event apps
• Digital programmes
• Push notifications
• Session selections
• Attendance tracking
• QR code check-in
• Exhibitor lead scanning
• Surveys and feedback
• Delegate engagement tools

We select and manage solutions based on what your conference actually needs rather than adding technology simply for the sake of it.

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Why Associations Work With EventSmart

Personal service

You won’t disappear into a huge agency structure.

We deliberately maintain a focused conference portfolio so our clients receive hands-on support and senior-level attention throughout their event.

Flexible support

Need us to manage everything? We can.

Already have a capable internal team but need help with registrations, exhibitions or onsite delivery? We can do that too.

Our service is built around your association rather than forcing your conference into a predetermined package.

Financial visibility

Association conferences need careful financial management.

We work with your agreed budget throughout the planning process, monitor expenditure and registrations and provide clear reporting so your committee knows where the conference stands.

Experience when things change

Anyone can write a conference plan.

The real value of an experienced conference organiser often appears when something doesn’t go according to that plan.

Speakers change. Flights get cancelled. Delegate numbers move. Venues change things. Technology occasionally decides it has other ideas.

Our role is to anticipate those issues, find solutions quickly and keep the conference moving.

Fresh ideas

An annual conference shouldn’t feel exactly the same every year.

We look for opportunities to improve the delegate journey, sponsorship experience, networking, technology, social programme and onsite experience while keeping the character of your association at the heart of the event.

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How We Work With Your Association

1. Understand

We start by learning about your association, your members, your committee, your previous conferences and what success looks like for you.

2. Plan

We create the conference framework — budget, timeline, venue, suppliers, registrations, sponsorship, programme requirements and responsibilities.

3. Build

Registration opens, communications begin, sponsors and exhibitors come onboard and the many moving pieces of the conference start coming together.

4. Deliver

Our team manages the operational detail onsite so your committee can participate in the conference rather than run around behind it.

5. Review

After the conference we reconcile the event, review feedback and outcomes, identify improvements and capture knowledge that can make the next conference even better.

For annual association conferences, that continuity can be incredibly valuable.

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Professional Conference Management Across New Zealand

EventSmart manages conferences and events throughout Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and destinations across New Zealand, as well as Australia and international locations.

Whether your association conference has 100 delegates or several thousand, the principle remains the same:

Good conference management should make life easier for your association and create a better experience for your members.

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Planning Your Next Association Conference?

Whether you’re searching for a Professional Conference Organiser in New Zealand, considering changing conference management companies, or simply need more support for your next annual conference, we’d love to talk.

Tell us a little about your association, your conference and where you’re currently up to.

We’ll take it from there.

Q&A