Events FAQ
Events FAQ
In the past, events run outside the main business agenda for Congress have been called 'the fringe'. The actual events which make up the programme are wider than the traditional definition of a fringe, including social events such a regional/country receptions and commercially sponsored seminars. So, for 2012 we have renamed this part of Congress: Events at Congress.
This year, events with an educational/professional development context will be themed as much as possible to allow delegates to choose the most appropriate day to attend if they are unable to be at the whole of Congress.
If you're thinking about running an event at Congress, the information below will provide you with everything you need to know.
- What is the aim of the Events at Congress programme?
- When do the events take place?
- Who can hold an event at Congress?
- What kind of events could be held?
- How do I submit an event proposal form?
- What is the deadline for submission?
- How is the programme approved?
- How do I get my event accredited?
- So what is a poster presentation?
- What support will I get to arrange my event?
- Why do I need to speak to you before contacting speakers?
- When can I confirm details with speakers?
- How do I arrange a venue?
- How do I arrange catering?
- How do I order audiovisual (AV) equipment?
- How do I fund my event?
- What are the categories and how do they apply to my event?
- How do I know what day my event will be held?
- How do I distribute tickets for my event?
- More help and information
What is the aim of the Events at Congress programme?
RCN events at Congress aim to provide high-quality employment, policy and practice debates; professional networking; and dissemination of product or practice innovations for Congress delegates and guests.
When do the events take place?
Events at Congress take place outside the main business of Congress, between 1 and 2pm or after 6pm (lunchtime events must allow enough time for delegates to eat, so there should be no more than 45 minutes of content). This allows voting members to be in the auditorium for the main business of Congress.
Who can hold an event at Congress?
Groups eligible to hold events at Congress are:
• RCN Council, Council committees, boards, national committees, forums and branches
• RCN departments and offices (if approved by an ET member)
• RCN Fellows
What kind of events could be held?
Events at Congress can be in a range of formats, for example:
• workshops
• training sessions
• lectures
• seminars
• product launches
• mini-exhibitions
• round table discussions
• Q&A sessions
• member receptions.
Events are a good way to celebrate successful work or launch new initiatives, products and services. They are also a good way to share findings from research and network with others interested in your subject.
How do I submit an event proposal form?
Submissions on behalf of RCN Council, RCN Fellows, Council committees, boards, national committees, forums and branches should complete the Congress 2012 events proposal form which then goes to the relevant member of staff to progress.
Submissions from RCN directorates should complete the form on the intranet which should then be sent to the relevant Executive Team member for approval.
Submissions for regional/country receptions and other social events should be completed on the Congress 2012 social event proposal form and approved by the relevant Executive Team member.
Forms should be completed online but will also be available as a Word document on request. Please email congress.fringe@rcn.org.uk
What is the deadline for submission?
The deadlines for submission have now closed.
The deadline for events and social events was Wednesday 14 December 2011.
The deadline for poster presentations and staff events was Friday 27 January 2012.
How is the programme approved?
Once a draft programme has been drawn up from the event proposals it will be reviewed by the Agenda Committee in January 2012. Organisers will be contacted if more information is required or action needs to be taken to address a possible conflict of interest or reputational risk. It is only after this meeting that organisers will be informed whether their event is confirmed and agree the date and venue for the event.
How do I get my event accredited?
Congress is accredited for continuing professional development, and your event is part of it. All confirmed events that have learning or training content (i.e. not social or celebratory) are automatically sent for review to the RCN Accreditation Unit. The unit checks that events meet required quality criteria and can advise on how to amend content if required.
So, what is a poster presentation?
Posters are another way of highlighting a specific piece of work/research or launch and are ideal if you can’t commit to organising an event at Congress. You will need to bring your poster to Congress and display in the designated poster area so please ensure you bring along enough Velcro (hook) to attach to the poster board.
The poster boards are 1 metre wide by 2 metres high so the poster should not exceed this. Poster dimensions can be anything that fits into this space but typically are A2 to A0 portrait.
The Congress 2012 poster presentation proposal form should be completed, approved and submitted to the RCN events team by Friday 27 January 2012.
What support will I get to arrange my event?
Once you have provided us with the specifications for your event, including numbers for catering and audio-visual requirements, the RCN events team will liaise with the venue and providers on your behalf.
Why do I need to speak to you before contacting speakers?
This is to streamline the process and make sure that registration details are not duplicated. You can contact Jayne Buchanan on 020 7647 3803 with any queries. Please note that speakers and guests can only be registered through the stakeholder relations team using this process.
Jayne can also help if you would like any suggestions of appropriate speakers for your topic and advise on the best way to approach speakers.
When can I confirm details with speakers?
Do not confirm dates or venues with speakers until you have been contacted by the events team with the proposed date and venue; this will be no later than 1 February 2012. Event organisers are responsible for identifying and organising the attendance of approved speakers for their events.
How do I arrange a venue?
All of the events (with the exception of the Sunday evening regional/country receptions) will be held in and around the Harrogate International Centre. Your room will be allocated by the RCN events team on basis of capacity. Please give as much detail as possible in your booking form. Room hire is charged at a maximum fee of £100 per event and includes time to set up. Please record the project code on the form against which this cost will be charged.
Member receptions can be arranged directly by regional/country staff. However, if you would like the RCN events team to organise the venue and catering, please indicate this on the form.
How do I arrange catering?
Lunchtime events will include a working lunch, which will be charged at a flat rate of £10 per person and will include a round of sandwiches, a piece of fruit, crisps and a drink. There will be no provision for catering at the evening events.
How do I order audiovisual (AV) equipment?
Please provide as much detail on the form as you can regarding your audiovisual requirements. AV will also be charged at a flat rate depending on the type of equipment required. The events team will advise you of the costs. Please record the project code on the form against which this cost will be charged.
How do I fund my event?
With the exception of forums, all other submitting entities budgets will be charged for their events. Please ensure all project codes are completed on the relevant forms.
Funding will be provided for forums to bid for their events and will be approved by the Forums Governance Group.
What are the categories and how do they apply to my event?
This year events will be categorised in the Congress brochure under the headings:
• Employment, workplace and workforce
• Quality, innovation and improvement
• Skills development or training
We are also running themed programmes across the week and we are asking you to indicate whether your event is on either:
• Health inequalities
• Vulnerable adults
• Other
The 'other' category will help us to develop other themes as the process progresses depending upon the proposals submitted.
The corporate relations team will be approaching external sponsors to support the programme themes.
How do I know what day my event will be held?
The RCN events team will allocate you a date and time for your event based on the availability of suitable venues and relevant time slots. If you have a preferred day please indicate this on your form and we will do our best, but this cannot be guaranteed.
How do I distribute tickets for my event?
Events don't have to be ticketed, but if you expect the event to draw a large crowd or are charging, ticketing is sometimes necessary. Tickets should either be distributed in advance of Congress or via the RCN stand in the exhibition hall. The stand can distribute free tickets and also make cash sales. Further details about arranging your ticketing will be supplied when the RCN events team confirms your venue. Information about how to obtain tickets will be included in your Congress Guide entry and on the Congress webpages.
More help and information
If you can't find the information you need on this page, please contact:
Laura Benfield 020 7647 3591
Email: congress.fringe@rcn.org.uk
