Conference and Event Management Services

Welcome to Auburn University's Conference and Event Management Services, provided by the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Developing and planning a successful conference requires a great deal of time, effort, and attention to detail. OPCE has a variety of resources available to help you plan your next conference or meeting, including services such as online registration, website creation, logistics planning, financial management, publication design and preparation, and onsite facilitation. We work with you every step of the way to plan and execute your event.

Whether your group is local to the Auburn area, or a group of international dignitaries, our goal is to allow you to focus on the content of the program and let us deal with the behind the scenes coordination. Customer service, both for our campus client and the guests who attend their programs, is our top priority. Our core belief is to represent Auburn University in positive manner and reflect the values of our institution and your discipline.

Planning and delivering a successful conference or meeting is a time-intensive endeavor. From the outset of planning, through the delivery of the program, there are a myriad of details to consider and needs to anticipate. Auburn University’s Office of Professional and Continuing Education (OPCE) is equipped to provide professional support and assistance with managing all of the details. Our commitment to excellence and customer service will ensure that your participants enjoy their experience. Regardless of how large or how small, our staff will help you the many aspects of delivering a successful conference program.

Determining the right location to host your event is one of the most important decisions you will make in planning a successful conference. OPCE’s conference management team can help you pick a venue that will be conducive to learning as well as cost-effective for your program budget.

When planning an event, there are countless details that can be overlooked and could cause a great program idea to go flat. OPCE’s team will work with you to create a timeline of milestones and a checklist of tasks to help keep everything related to your conference on target. From beginning to end, our priority will be to provide complete support every step of the way. One key service that our team can provide is the creation and maintenance of a conference website for use in marketing and sharing information with participants.

From a simple half-day workshop to a robust multi-day conference with multiple breakout sessions, OPCE can provide considerable flexibility for registration services for a conference or event. Our planning team will work with you to identify the best registration functionality to meet the varying needs of your event. We recognize that your participant registration is what drives the viability of your event, and we commit ourselves to making the registration process as smooth and seamless as possible. Our capabilities include online or paper-based registration methods, and we can process credit cards, checks, or purchase orders.

Managing the finances of a program is as important as any other activity you will undertake, and is a function that is closely tied to registration support (the source of most program income). Accounting for expenses and income can also be tedious and difficult. Our expert team will track your income (through registrations, sponsorships, exhibitors, or all of the above) and expenses to keep your program on budget and avoid any unexpected shortfalls. In addition to managing income and expenses, we can assist with navigating the spending policies of Auburn University. It is not uncommon for Auburn University departments to serve as the host organizers of events on behalf of external entities or associations. Doing so requires some pre-planning with regard to special account creation, a task that OPCE is experienced and able to help facilitate.

The opportunity for organizations and business to interact with your attendees through exhibit halls is often an added benefit of attending conferences and meetings, not to mention an additional source of revenue for your program. OPCE is able to work with you to develop a plan for exhibitors and event sponsorships that will enhance your event. Our team can provide assistance in organizing exhibit halls, as well as collecting payments exhibitor and/or sponsor payments.

OPCE’s conference planning team is capable of producing participant materials, ranging from hand-outs and program agenda booklets to conference session abstracts and other related materials. Our in-house design teams can create attractive logos, booklets, brochures, and other materials to help produce a spectacular event with a polished, professional look. In addition to printed materials, we will arrange for packet preparation, as well as procuring conference bags and promotional items for attendees.

In addition to the preparations leading up to an event, our staff can provide on-site management experience for your program. These services include staffing registration tables, insuring food functions are prepared and organized according to the event agenda, as well as serving as official hosts to your guests on behalf of you (the conference organizer) and Auburn University. We delight in making your guests feel welcome and look forward to the opportunity to be at their service. Other on-site services may include taking and accounting for walk-in registrations, coordinating audio-visual needs, and taking care of unexpected situations which may occur. Our team works will assist you in keeping the program running smoothly and ensuring your guests are satisfied.

Thank you for your interest in the Office of Professional and Continuing Education at Auburn University's Conference and Event Management Services.

Request a Quote

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, please contact Dr. Phil Chansler at pac0012@auburn.edu or 334.844.3127 to discuss your needs.

Last Updated: January 30, 2024