Member Network events
Events are a valuable tool for member networks to engage with their communities, attract new members and promote the field of psychology.
About Member Network events
Whether virtual, in-person, hybrid, big or small, events provide opportunities to connect, learn and collaborate. This guide outlines several types of events and formats to help you plan and execute impactful experiences.
Annual activity plan
Member networks complete an annual activity plan for any events they wish to host. Planning ahead allows for better promotion and more time for preparation. The longer the lead time for an event, the easier it is to organise and advertise with opportunities for higher engagement.
Get started on your event by completing the event form.
Event formats
The type of event you choose will depend on the desired impact and how you want participants to engage. Below, we have explored various event formats currently used by member networks:
Webinar
A one-way, online event where presenters share information with attendees. Participants can ask questions and answer polls, but their video or audio is not required. Ideal for delivering a focused, topic-based presentation.
Workshop
A collaborative, in-person or virtual session designed to encourage active learning, problem-solving and idea generation on a specific topic. Participants are actively involved in discussions, exercises and idea sharing. Ideal for interactive and participatory learning experiences.
Connection events
Networking events bring together individuals with similar interests or professional goals. These events can take place in person or online.
Participants are encouraged to make connections, share expertise, and build professional relationships. Ideal for building a sense of community and fostering connections amongst members. These events are usually free to attend.
Conference
A multiple stream event spanning 1-3 days, featuring presentations, workshops, keynote talks and panel discussions on several topics and themes. These events can take place in person, online or both; known as hybrid.
Conferences are ideal for bringing together a large group of people. Participants can plan their own experience of the event, capitalising on relevant content from the event programme, networking opportunities and social events.
Key considerations for event planning
It is important to consider the following areas when planning your event.
Lead times
Planning ahead allows for better organisation and outreach. The more time you have, the more effectively you can promote the event, prepare content and participants can plan their attendance.
Kickstart the process and start work on your event by completing the event form.
Defining event impact
Clarifying the purpose and goal of your event will help in selecting the right format. Consider the goal of the event; is it to inform, collaborate, connect, or network?
Audience engagement
The level of audience participation varies between formats. Choose an event format to align with your intended level of attendee interaction.
Costs
Delivering high-quality events requires investment. From the venue and technical setup to the attendee experience and smooth logistics, quality comes at a cost. Whilst we are committed to supporting events to fit a wide range of budgets, it's important to recognise impactful, professional events are rarely low-cost.
We will work closely with you to understand the event goals and prioritise what matters most to your audience. Where possible, we explore opportunities to reduce costs, including building an event series or minimising spend. This ensures ticket pricing is viable for your audience and supports sound financial planning.
In line with our procurement policy, we aim to gather three quotes from venues and key suppliers. Our professional event suppliers offer complimentary venue sourcing services, helping you access quality spaces to align with your budget. Please note that venue contracts cannot be signed, and promotions of events cannot proceed, until the overall event budget has been reviewed and approved.
BPS support with planning events
We are here to support you in delivering successful member network events. Whether you need minimal help, or someone to take care of everything, our team is ready to assist you.
Member Network leads
Each Member Network is supported by a BPS staff member called a Member Network lead. They work closely with the committee to ensure the activity plan is delivered. For events, your Member Network lead is responsible for creating event budgets, allocating funds, organising awards, reviewing venue contracts and more. With years of member network event experience, they are the perfect person to discuss your event idea with and determine next steps.
Conferences and events team
Our dedicated Conference and Events team works on all BPS events. They are available to assist with any questions, ensuring processes are followed and prioritise efficient event organisation.
Complete the event form for them to start work on your event.
Professional events organisers
The BPS has partnered with professional event companies specialising in managing and delivering Member Network events. From webinars to hybrid conferences, our experienced professional event organisers manage the complex event logistics; sourcing venues, negotiating rates, building registration platforms, planning speaker travel and more, allowing you to focus on the content and delivering the programme; making the best use of everyone's time and expertise. Based on the nature of your event, you may work with one of these suppliers.
I have sourced a free venue for my event from my institution, can I sign the contract?
It’s great to have free venue hire however, there may be additional costs including catering, AV hire and staffing the venue must account for.
It's important you start work on your event prior to finalising the venue as it may not be financially viable for the event to take place there. Submit your event form prior to sourcing venues.
All venue contracts must be signed by the BPS as we are a financial entity, as a volunteer, you are not. Email the quote or venue contract to your Member Network Lead as soon as you receive this for them to start creating the event budget.I want to run an event in 4 weeks, is that possible?
We can run on short notice however, until the event form is completed, we cannot start work on this, your event doesn’t exist to us.
An event form must be submitted to start the internal processes of the event. It's important to consider the time to get the event live, budget creation, venue liaison, set up and the promotional opportunities available with a longer lead time.
Can we just set up our own registration for events?
We understand networks may find it quicker to set up their own registration and manage the event, but they shouldn’t have to.
As a BPS event, we want to support networks with events and capture the event registration detail for the network annual reports.
As an organisation, we also need to ensure we have good data governance practice – members should not be collecting and storing attendees details and emails.
How do I know how much the event will cost so we add it into our annual activity plan?
It can be hard to predict the cost of running event with so many variables.
When planning your costs for the year, think about how much of your annual budget you want to contribute to your event, if any.
Complete the quick event form and we will arrange a kick off call to discuss your event, desired outcomes and some of the finer details to begin building an event budget. We use past event data and data from other events to help us predict potential registration numbers.