FINAL REPORT
Conference Manager Report By Mwalimu Oduol
National Conference is a leadership conference that is held by AIESEC Kenya Every year. The objectives of the conference include: Election of the National Executive Team Provide training to Newly elected Executive Board members and team leader Motivate the members of the Country for the upcoming AIESEC Year
This year National conference was hosted by AIESEC in Strathmore University. This mandate meant that they were responsible for selecting the organizing committee, and delivering the conference under the guidance of the conference manager.
Training of the OC began in November. The main issue encountered at the beginning of the OC was the change in OCP that was necessitated by the resignation of the previous OCP. However the current OCP, Mbithe Nzomo stepped up brilliantly to Work on the delivery of the Conference. Moving forward, I suggest we outline clearly the responsibilities of the hosting LC in the operations of National OC, as this brought about a lot of confusion during the OC’s operations. Lastly I would to thank and congratulate the OC team for the successful delivery of the conference. It has truly been both an honor and a pleasure working with this team of dedicated, passionate individuals. Below are their individual reports on the delivery of the conference 1
OCP Report By Mbithe Nzomo Acknowledgements Being a member of the AIESEC Kenya National Conference 2013 OC has been a remarkable and fulfilling experience both as an AIESECer and on a personal level. For the first few months after the OC was formed, that is between September and early November 2012, I was OCVP Communications and Information Management. I later took up the role of OC President as requested by the then OCP who had to step down to focus on her EB application. My report will therefore be divided into two: as OCVP Comm. & IM and as OCP. I would like to acknowledge the conference manager Mwalimu Oduol and the rest of the OC without whom the conference would not have been a success.
OCVP Comm. & IM This was my original role in the OC. My goals were: 1. Designing a functional and aesthetically appealing conference website I designed the website on Moonfruit, a free online web design utility that is easy to use and has attractive templates. I used one of Moonfruit’s pre-existing templates but customized it in terms of colour, content and arrangement to create the unique NatConf website. http://nationalconference2013.moonfruit.com 2. Choosing the official conference colours and designing a conference logo
The entire OC helped in choosing the conference colours. After several tests and trials on the website, we agreed on light blue, dark blue, pink and orange as the official NatConf colors. Next I began to design the logo. The main part of the logo was done on Moonfruit while the colorful background was from an image I found on Shutterstock.com.
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3. Creating a conference Facebook page I created the NatConf Facebook page and was responsible for all social media updates up until I became OCP, after which I handed this responsibility over to the new OCVP Comm. & IM, Sylvia Mwangi. The page had 239 likes as of 4th February 2013. The link to the page is: http://facebok.com/NationalConference2013 4. Creating a conference Twitter page I also created a Twitter page. However, most of our social media marketing and interaction with potential delegates was done on Facebook. 5. Creating and publishing at least three delegates’ mailers I felt that it was important for the delegates’ mailers to be consistent with the NatConf brand I had created as OCVP Comm. & IM. I therefore chose to follow through with designing the mailers even in my capacity as OCP as opposed to delegating the task to the new OCVP Comm. & IM. All three mailers can be accessed using the following link: http://issuu.com/mbithe/docs 6. Designing a professional template for all proposals Lastly, I also designed a template for all NatConf proposals that were to be sent to venues, potential service providers and potential sponsors. The template implemented the NatConf logo and colors as well as the AIESEC descriptor at the top of each document.
OCP I took up this role about two months to the conference. This was by far the more challenging role as it involved assuming responsibility for the OC as a whole. My roles as OCP were: 1. Managing the team This involved assigning tasks to the OC members, offering advice and guidance, and monitoring their progress in their various portfolios. 2. Chairing meetings This involved securing the meeting venue, communicating to the OC the date, time and venue of the meetings, listening to feedback regarding their tasks and initiating discussions and sharing of ideas about the conference. 3. Reporting to the Conference Manager and the LCP I was the link between the OC and the Conference Manager. It was my responsibility to keep him up to date with what was going on in the OC. I also briefed the AIESEC Strathmore LCP and kept him up to speed on the progress of the OC.
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Challenges & Recommendations The following were challenges I experienced in the OC and my recommendations to future OC’s: 1.
Changing roles
It was a bit of a challenge to adjust to my new role both for me and for my fellow OC members, but I think I stepped up to the challenge and was able to be the best OCP that I could be. On a going forward basis, I would urge all applicants for an OC role to be sure that they can follow the role through and not to take up other roles or major responsibilities until the conference is over. 2.
Lack of punctuality
This was the major challenge at the conference. The buses did not leave for the venue on time due to lack of time-keeping on the delegates’ part as well as a bit of disorganization on the OC’s part. Co-oordinating payments, issuing receipts, checking off names from the register and getting the delegates to board the buses proved to be quite a challenge. As a result the delegates arrived at the venue quite late and the conference was delayed considerably. Future OC’s should be aware that co-ordinating transport to the venue is no easy task, since it is always better to be fore-warned. That said, I would urge future OC’s to develop a strategy on how to go about this task to ensure that the conference is not delayed. 3.
Unfamiliarity with the venue
The OC did not make a preliminary visit to the venue so there was a little confusion when we arrived especially with respect to sleeping arrangements. Fortunately the confusion was short-lived and we managed to sort things out. I would urge future OC’s to be as familiar with the conference venue as possible before the delegates arrive so as to be able to take charge of the situation and direct the delegates to their rooms in the shortest time possible. 4.
Overwhelming turnout
A large number of delegates came for the conference, many of whom had not registered. It became overwhelming for the OC to manage the delegates as they were much more than we had anticipated. Future OC’s should devise and implement a strategy to ensure that all delegates register. This should be enforced with as much strictness as possible to avoid unpleasant surprises come conference day.
OC Successes The conference was overall a great success. The main successes of the OC can be summarized thus: it was cost-effective, it was well-branded and well-marketed, it was well-attended, and we received positive feedback from the delegates.
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OCVP Finance & Admin. Report By Charles Miano Acknowledgements Being part of the OC has been one of the most fulfilling experiences I have undergone in AIESEC. It was challenging and rewarding at the same time. I met wonderful and talented young people who taught, supported, encouraged and inspired me throughout the whole endeavor. Initially, I had the theoretical knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of the OCVP-Finance role. However putting the knowledge into practice was different task altogether. With time and effort, I became at ease in preparing budgets and financial proposals. In addition, I conducted my first cold calls while serving in the OC and I count my entire period in the OC as a time well spent. I now feel like a true AIESEcers!
Revenue National Conference 2013’s main revenue streams were: delegate fees and event partners. Since the conference did not receive any funds from corporate sponsors, it solely relied on delegate fees. Initially we had planned to charge Ksh. 5,000 per delegate but due to the change in venue, the fee was decreased to Ksh. 3,600. With over 80 delegates attending from eight universities, we had expected to accumulate Delegate fees amounting to Ksh. 288,000.
Revenue Delegate fee # of delegates
Delegate Fees
KES 288,000
KES 3,600
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However, there were a number of delegates of about 27 who did not attend the full conference and hence paid between Ksh. 2,400 and Ksh. 2,600 depending on their date of arrival, thereby reducing the amount collected from delegate’s fees. About Ksh. 4,000 in fees is owed as at 3/2/2013 by one LC
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Expenses The expenses incurred during the conference fall under the following categories: venue rental costs, transportation, session materials, miscellaneous, food & beverages and audio-visual costs. The major cash outflows were the venue rental costs and food & beverages and transport. We incurred a cost of Ksh. 55,600 for accommodation and an additional Ksh. 12,000 for the conference hall. Additionally, the total fee paid to the caterers was Ksh. 45,000 excluding the food items. The food items for the entire three days of the conference came to Ksh. 45,083. The transport costs to and fro amounted to Ksh. 47,300. Other expenses incurred to session materials such as the leaf pads, name tags and pens that amounted to Ksh. 8,610. The speakers and amplifier were obtained at a cost of Ksh. 4,000. In the end the delegate fees was able to cover the OC’s and Faci’s accommodation and their transport. National Conference 2013 had a considerable surplus of Ksh. 10,000 which will be transferred to AIESEC Kenya.
Challenges Some of the challenges that I experienced were: Lack of event partners. Payment issues with some delegates for instance delayed payment. Some delegates paying through cheque. Incurring extra costs for Faci requirements not budgeted for. Inadequate logistic tracking especially the number of actual delegates to properly account for them. Extra costs on food. Restructuring payment scheme for some delegates. Tracking OC expenditure.
Recommendation Based on my experience planning the National Conference, it is essential that the forthcoming OC find event partnerships as an alternative source of revenue in order to realize higher margins and cover the expenses. Moreover, pre-payments by delegates should be highly encouraged to allow the OC to do the proper financial budgetary projections and to plan adequately. Similarly, every single payment made should be well accounted and to be able to restructure payments where necessary. It should be clearly stated that delegates paying by cheques should pay a minimum of 3 days before the conference to enable the cheques to be cashed early.
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OCVP External Relations Report By Nakhumicha Masinde Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to express my appreciation at working with the OC of the AIESEC Kenya National Conference 2013. I would also like to express my gratitude towards the Conference Manager, Lionel Mwalimu Oduol for the good work he did at keeping the conference together and for the good leadership he showed to the OC. Being in the OC was a wonderful experience where I got to learn so much about AIESEC and also about working with the people around me so as to realize a common goal. When I first applied for a role in the National Conference 2013 OC, I had my eye on the Site and Logistics role. But after the reviews, the review board thought I would work best in the External Relations docket. I must say this proved to be an excellent opportunity for me to increase my AIESEC knowledge. As we all know, the journey to realizing the National Conference was not easy. Every single day came with its own challenges and dealing with them, I must say, brought us closer as the OC.
ER Roles Budget: I was expected to liaise with the OCVP Finance to see how much money the OC would need to source from potential sponsors so as to make the National Conference as a success. The OCVP ER was also expected to notify Strathmore University of the National Conference and see how they would be willing to assist AIESEC Strathmore in making it a reality. Knowledge Gathering: I was expected to find out from AIESEC Strathmore’s Business Development (BD) and Global Internship Programme (iGIP) portfolio members on how to make proper and efficient cold, warm and markeing calls. On this, the OC also got help from Ivan Mugeere, former MCP AIESEC Uganda, and Jared Babu Mwazo, former LCP AIESEC Strathmore. Identification of Potential Sponsors: I was in charge of identifying corporates, firms, companies and/or organisations that could sponsor the AIESEC-Kenya National Conference. A list of companies approached by the OC will be presented at the end of this ER report. Partner Packages: I came up with partner packages which were presented to potential sponsors during marketing calls. The conference packages were of three different types i.e gold, silver and bronze.
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ďƒ˜ Drafting of Proposals: with the help of the Organizing Committee President and the OCVP Financce, I was able to come up with proposals that were sent to different institutions dealing with different market segments/ niches. Before any proposal was sent out or tabled before a potential sponsor, it was my job to ensure that all documents fit with the template and theme colours of the National Conference. ďƒ˜ Contact Person: I was to act as the middleman between the MC and potential corporate sponsors.
ER Challenges a) The first challenge was identifying corporates, institutions and/or organisations that could be approached for the conference sponsorship. b) Drafting of proper proposals also proved to be quite a challenge. I had to design the proposals differently for the different types of corporate institutions that were to be approached. Also, coming up with the different partner packages took a lot of consultations before settling on them. c) Going on marketing calls also proved to be a huge challenge. I together with the rest of the OC had to reschedule some of the appointments made due to time constraints. Some members of the OC also had to attend some of the marketing call appointments on behalf of another because the appointments happened to clash with their class schedules or CAT timetables. d) Yet another challenge for ER was successfully securing an appointment with the identified potential sponsors so as to further discuss the proposals.
ER Successes a) I was able to identify quite a number of institutions/organizations dealing with different market segments that could be approached for conference sponsorships. b) I, with the help of the rest of the OC, was able to come up with partner packages that sat well with the approached potential sponsors. c) We were invited to the Yu Kenya offices for a marketing call, although they were unfortunatley unwilling to sponsor the event.
ER Failures The biggest failure we had to deal with was the failure to bring in sponsors into the National Conference. Despite the fact that the conference proved to be a huge success, I recognise that the presence of a sponosr(s) would have gone a long way in improvong several factors in the conference.
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OCVP Sites & Logistics Report By Imelda Wairimu Acknowledgements Amazing doesn’t even begin to explain what the whole NatConf OC experience was like. I was meant to be a support member in a different OC but due to unavoidable circumstances, I got to be OCVP Sites & Logistics for the NatConf OC. At first, it seemed like a huge responsibility to be part of an organizing committee for a country-wide event that was going to include all Local Chapters in Kenya. Being part of this OC was a good start to my AIESEC experience. I interacted with different people from all over the country, made new friends, had a few fallouts, learned to be a little more patient, and gained skills that will help me in my everyday life. After being part of a successful OC, I feel like I can conquer so many other things.
Initial Goals I wanted the National Conference to be one of the most epic AIESEC conferences. It may not have been the best of the best, but am glad that the people who attended the conference had many more good things than bad ones to say about it. They made new friends, had a good experience, had fun, learnt new things and got a new perspective on life.
Job Description My role as the OCVP Sites & Logistics was as follows: Before the conference Looking for a suitable venue for the conference that would be convenient for all LC’s. Negotiating for fair prices. Booking the venue. Organizing transport both to and from the venue for all delegates regardless of location.
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During the conference Ensuring that the delegates were comfortable. Making sure the delegates had hot water to shower. Making sure the conference hall was clean and arranged for plenary. Collecting payment from the delegates who hadn’t paid. Making all final venue and transport payments. Ensuring the food was enough for all conference participants. Addressing delegates’ complaints and concerns.
Challenges I faced Working under short deadlines. Trying to balance the OC and school work. Spending my personal money on OC costs. Keeping a constant flow of communication among all OC members. Getting complaints from delegates that I can’t do anything about. Keeping a positive attitude through the whole event. Taking up the role of OCVP Finance during the conference after he had to leave due to unavoidable circumstances.
Lessons I learnt from the OC AIESEC offers a diversity of experiences. Patience goes a long way with people that you do not understand but are meant to work with. It is possible for people with opposing views to work together just as long as they all have a similar goal and respect each other.
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OCVP Comm. & IM Report By Sylvia Mwangi Acknowledgments Say AIESEC! I take this chance to thank the conference manager, the OCP who warmly welcomed me to the OC team NatConf 2013, and also the rest of the OC team for working with me during the period in which I worked with the team. I thank everyone who made this opportunity worth my time and resources.
Job Description Before the Conference Managing the online conference platforms i.e. Facebook and Twitter. Promoting the registration process. Keeping in touch with LCPs. Getting Brand Ambassadors from each LC and contacting them on various upcoming issues while getting feedback from them. Helping organize for transport for delegates outside Nairobi. During the conference Taking photos and then uploading them to the Facebook page.(Conference Photos) Overseeing my IST team (Morris Kiruga).
Challenges I faced Communicating with different LCPs, Brand Ambassadors and even the OC. Spending my own money on OC duties. Time management between school work and the OC. Getting people to register and attend the conference. Getting people to like the Facebook page.
Recommendations The Conference Manager should clearly inform the OC team on their JD so as to avoid any hiccups. The OC should visit the site before the event takes off, just to have no surprises. 11