Desa Exceeding Expectations

Conference and Event Management

"Thanks for your diligent and tireless efforts to make our conference a successful event. You were always accessible and pleasant, even under the pressure of tight deadlines and difficult situations."

--LaTanya Butler
Deputy Branch Chief
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

The Assignment: 

Provide full-scale conference support services for the Third National Sexual Violence Prevention Conference in Los Angeles to include:
  • participating in planning meetings
  • conducting site visits, hotel management and facility planning
  • collecting and publishing more than 300 abstracts
  • managing more than 200 speakers, 25 concurrent breakout sessions and 130 workshops
  • directing exhibit and poster displays
  • preparing Evaluation Summary Reports and promotional materials
  • coordinating sign language interpreters
  • providing onsite facility and registration management
  • graphic design of  meeting materials
  • managing travel for sponsored participants and VIPs
  • tabulating Evaluation Summary Reports
  • preparing Continuing Education Units packages

Challenges:

  • The conference size grew larger than estimated, leading to increases in the number of  sessions as well as the number of guests.
  • Pre-event testing revealed problems with in-house audiovisual systems.
  • Client review and clearance of the program booklet was delayed, increasing pressure to meet printing and delivery deadlines. 

How DESA Exceeded Expectations:

  • We negotiated an amendment to the existing hotel contract to obtain additional conference space at no cost; we increased the number of rooms blocked at the conference rate; we obtained 50% more complimentary room upgrades, parlor and VIP amenities.
  • We manually tested audiovisual equipment before each meeting to confirm quality sound and re-arranged meeting rooms so that speakers needing audiovisual support had equipment required.
  • We scheduled staff to work double shifts, including weekends and evening hours to handle last minute requests and meet deadlines.