In this section we offer an overview of the Conference preparatory phase as well as the progress on technical and logistical issues. The preparatory phase of the conference was the longest and most demanding process. It involved a variety of activities ranging from setting up the Conference committees, consultations, invitation of participants, selection of suppliers for the number of activities envisaged (website, corporate identity, transfers, registration desk, printing company) to establishment of back office procedures, which consists in handling in a timely manner, large amounts of constantly changing information.
At the starting point of the Conference we establishment the Conference Committees, namely the scientific and the organising committees.
The Scientific Committee is composed primarily of delegates from the DG Research and Innovation and the Coordinator, PRAXI Network. It is responsible for the selection of speakers and the –development of the conference agenda. The Organising Committee is composed of the Coordinator and the cabinet of the Secretary General and the General Secretariat for Research & Technology (GSRT). The Organising Committee is in charge of certain organisational aspects of the conference such as dispatching invitations to high-level political officials on behalf of the Secretary General.
The participants of the Conference were majorly financial and SME stakeholders in the capacity of speakers and delegates. The Scientific Committee organised and handled the list of speakers to be invited. The Coordinator, in cooperation with the GSRT, was entrusted with the task of drafting distinct personalised invitations according to the needs of the agenda. DG Research and Innovation also undertook the task of identifying and pre-inviting high-caliber speakers from international stakeholder organisations.
The agenda was constantly updated and re-formulated according to availability of speakers. The final programme of the conference was be finalised two weeks before the conference.
Furthermore, undertook the responsibility of inviting conference delegates. In this regard, it extended official invitations to local stakeholders such as professional associations of SMEs, intermediary authorities, financial institutions (banks) and SMEs. In the case of high level guests and Ministry or Embassy representatives’ invitations were sent out by GSRT.
Following the establishment of the Conference committees, the identification of speakers and the smooth cooperation between Coordinator and Committees, the conference back office was established with staff from the Coordinators office. The back office was responsible for the following tasks on an on-going basis:
a. Target mailings of invitations to potentially interested parties from the European and Greek sector of financial and SME stakeholders.
b. Interaction with GSRT staff from the Cabinet of the Secretary General.
c. Reminders to invited parties.
d. Compilation of speakers CVs and biographies.
e. Detailed record keeping.
f. Preliminary transfer to be offered to all speakers.
g. Occasionally hold briefing meetings with the professional services company that will provide registration desk services etc.
Selection of suppliers was of crucial importance. Without the proper choice of suppliers), not only the successful implementation would be put at stake but the back office staff would lose valuable time rendering conference arrangements a costly process. More specifically, the procurement of the following suppliers – services was made in the framework of the preparation phase: Catering, Interpretation, Audio-visual, Professional photography services, Communications Company, Printing Company, Secretariat Services and Transfer.
