ABSTRACT
Symposia and conferences may involve hundreds or thousands of delegates, whilst workshops, round tables and seminars involve smaller numbers, perhaps ranging from less than 10 to 30. The larger the meeting the greater the risk, and the possibilities for disaster are multiplied and directly proportional to the complexity of the programme. The small decision-making meeting provides greater intimacy, and is often the ideal platform for arriving at specific treatment protocols and management plans. Management or communications workshops have, for example, proved particularly successful in achieving high attendances of hospital doctors. For large meetings, speakers may be divided into four groups: crowd pullers, programme fillers, funny turns, and product champions. The main faculty of speakers may be in one centre and debate is beamed to delegates in the regions. A suitable follow-up item to facilitate the representative's visit should be provided and the representative may indeed form part of the market research activity.
