Common Seminar Questions and Answers

Having produced seminars for many years, I’ve noticed there are a few common questions that people have. Here is my secret stash of seminar nuggets.

Q: How many invitations do I need to send out in order to get an audience of 50 people?

A: In terms of numbers, every brokerage varies, and only with time will you be able to estimate how many invitations you need to extend to get the attendance numbers you want. I’ve seen everywhere from 2-5 percent for larger (100 persons in an auditorium setting) to 50 percent for smaller, intimate events. Don’t be afraid to send what seems like a ridiculous amount of invitations. It’s always a great problem to have a packed room.

Q: Which is better, a morning seminar or an afternoon seminar?

A: It doesn’t matter. I haven’t seen a pattern here, but I do tend to prefer morning events for urban settings since travel in a city in the mornings tends to be a bit easier than dealing with afternoon traffic. For suburban settings, both morning and afternoon sessions work equally well.

Q: Will I get more attendees if I charge a nominal fee, like $25?

A. Some marketers believe that if you charge a fee, there is an implied sense of value in the content you are providing compared to a free event. I have experimented with this concept, and have not noticed a significant difference in attendance between the seminars I charge for versus the ones I provide free of charge.

Q: What does a seminar cost?

A: On average, on the West Coast, a seminar will cost from $2,000 – $5,000 inclusive of space, food, beverage, audio/visual and postage. As always, there are ways to cut costs by foregoing color printing and instead using black and white invitations and handouts. Bringing your own projector to a site will usually save you around $400.