This document provides guidance for organizing a Train the Trainers conference. It outlines key stakeholders in the planning process such as the National Trainers Team, facilitators, and the host Local Committee. Logistical considerations are discussed like venue selection, accommodations, promotion, and budgets. Detailed recommendations are given for activities before, during, and after the conference including using Podio for registration, setting up rooms, providing food, and handling social events. The document aims to help conference organizers successfully plan and execute a Train the Trainers event.

1. HOW TO ORGANIZE A
TRAIN THE TRAINERS
CONFERENCE
The following
pages are an
overview of
how to plan and
execute a
successful TtT.
Spring 2014
Prepared by:
National "
Trainers Team

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KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS
The NTT:
The team responsible for
overseeing all TtT’s:
Your interaction with the NTT is
limited aside from the initial
planning stages.
The NTT Coordinator will be
the main touch-point for the
facilitators. Any logistical
concerns that may affect
session flow or agenda can be
directed towards them.
Your extended team.
Facilitators:
Communication and
collaboration is key:
Talk with your facis ahead of
time to set expectations with
each other. Determine how you
can best support them before
and during the conference.
Building trust with the facis
ensures a seamless
experience for the delegates.
The Host LC:
Your go-to for hosts,
support, and materials.
Your LC is the biggest support
in the planning process, from
knowledge of campus buildings
and classrooms, to lending
cars for last-minute trips.
Be sure to promote TtT
internally to your LC so that
you can recruit enough hosts
and extra hands during the
conference.
Your OC team:
Form a good relationship
and work ethic early on!
Your OC team should be 2-3
members who are highly
dedicated and can work with
tight deadlines. Be sure each
member is prepared to take on
their fair share of work.
As OCP, you can determine
your own OC selection
process.
Communication with all these
stakeholders will make your
job easier!

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LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Duration & Dates
The Train the Trainer
conference lasts from
Friday afternoon until
Sunday afternoon. The
facilitators will arrive
Thursday afternoon or
evening.
Below are a few key pieces of information to consider as the Organizing Committee.
Application Process
A typical session of TtT
has 6-10 delegates and
2 facilitators.
For delegates to
become a member of
the National Trainers
Pool, the application
process is run by the
NTT. All delegates, even
those from the hosting
LC, must apply through
Podio.
OC Team
The preparation work
and communications
with the Faci team and
NTT can be handled by
one person. Regardless,
we recommend having
2-3 OC members for
support and to help with
logistics and setup
throughout the
conference.
Costs
A TtT should cover its
costs for materials, food,
and room reservation
fees. Roughly $50 per
delegate should cover
costs for the weekend,
but your OC should
create a budget to
ensure your LC doesn’t
make a loss.
Organization
Remember to keep
track of all receipts and
bills incurred from the
conference. The OC is
responsible for finances,
collecting delegate fees,
and budgeting.

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Before the
conference
+ Podio
+ Accommodations & Hosting
+ Promotion
+ Sponsorships
+ Delegate mailer
+ Shopping list
01

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PODIO
Registration
Include key information, such
as dietary restrictions, arrival
and departure times, etc.
Make an easy link to payment
forms. See here for a sample.
To keep track of all the information you need access to, be sure to create a Podio space!
Contact information
Collect contact information for
you OC team and facis. You
can also keep a list of key
contacts at the university,
restaurants, etc…
Materials Requests
Set a non-negotiable due
date, roughly 1 week
before the conference, to
collect material requests
from facis.
Budget
Creating a budget helps
determine the delegate fee
and keep costs in check. Find
a sample template on Podio.
Agenda
The NTT and facis should have
an agenda on hand that they
can upload. Add locations once
rooms have been booked.
Host List
Keep a list of your hosts, their
delegates, contact information,
and addresses.
References
Consolidate documents
such as this guide, the
delegate mailer, and
promotional materials.
Other
You’re not limited to these apps
– be sure to create your own
based on your needs!

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ACCOMMODATIONS & HOSTING
Delegates & Facis:
Hosting Delegates:
You should host together
delegates of the same gender
and similar arrival time, so you
can send them to their host at
once. Try to host at least 2
delegates in each location.
Hosting Facis:
It’s best if the facis are sharing
the same host so they can
continue prep work as needed.
Ideally, they should stay
somewhere close to the TtT
venue.
Location is especially important for a TtT due to the highly
collaborative nature of the conference.
About Hosts:
Who to have as hosts:
The best hosts are members of
your LC who are also attending
the conference. It makes it
easy to escort delegates to and
from the venue.
If the host is not attending TtT,
consider if they will be able to
take their delegates to and
from the venue every morning
and evening.
Here is a sample hosting
application.
.
Getting Around:
Directions:
Set clear, explicit directions for
delegates on how to get
around the campus (especially
for out-of-LC delegates).
Arrival times:
It’s important to know
delegates’ arrival times so you
know where and when to meet
them. If they come directly to
the venue, have a set place for
their luggage.
Tips:
Distance:
It would be ideal to host all the
delegates in one apartment/
dorm, or in the same building.
Since there is “homework,”
delegates will need to
collaborate after sessions. If
this isn’t possible, try to get
delegates within walking
distance of each other.

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PROMOTION
Announcements on national and regional
Facebook groups is an effective way to
advertise TtT opportunities.
Promotion materials should be simple,
concise, and contain graphics.
Most people will already know what a
basic TtT is: promotion should focus on
awareness of the TtT dates/deadlines and
the intended target delegates.
You can ask your Regional Chair, the
NTT, or an MC member to assist you in
encouraging people to apply.
Enlist the help of your LCP,
RC, or MC if you’re on a short
timeline.
Be clear about application deadlines,
Podio links, and who to contact with
questions.
If you don’t have the information to answer
a question, don’t hesitate to direct them to
an NTT member!

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SPONSORSHIPS
“Overall, sponsorship was a
huge part of the success of the
conference.”
Local businesses, office supply stores,
and restaurants close to your university
are a great resource for providing
discounts and free materials. Past
conferences have found businesses to be
generous to university students regarding
non-monetary sponsorships.
Your pitch can include a description of the
event and mention AIESEC’s non profit
status (with tax exemption forms, found on
Podio).
Call as many restaurants as possible just
to ask about free food and group
discounts. For example, bakeries will give
free leftover goods, or your local
Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts might donate
free coffee.
For help on sponsorships, an OC for any
type of AIESEC conference will have
experience or advice they can share.

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DELEGATE MAILER
The delegate mailer is key for conveying information before the conference.
The following information should be included in
the delegate mailer, to be sent roughly a week
before the conference:
• Directions to the venue or meeting points (by car,
by public transportation from airport, or by train, for
out-of-LC delegates and facis)
• Host information: contact information, address
• Packing list: sleeping bag/blanket, electronics,
etc…
• Agenda
• Contact information of the OC

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SHOPPING LIST
Session Materials
As with all conferences, you will need to purchase the following
materials for sessions. Some materials you may already have on
hand in the LC. Be sure to consider renting free electronic
equipment from the university, such as USBs, extension cords,
adapters, projectors, speakers, microphones, etc…
Food
Make sure someone on the OC has access to a car at all times
to make last-minute runs, pick up food, and drive extra food back
home.
Materials List Grocery List
Butcher paper ($) or Flipcharts ($$$) Cups
Markers, Pens, Pencils Plates
Post-it notes Cutlery, serving utensils
Envelopes Water bottles
String ~15 bottles of soda
Tape, Scissors Tea
Other faci material requests Fruit, snacks, chocolate

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During the
conference
+ Venue
+ Set-up
+ Food
+ Social events
02

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VENUE
Cultivate a strong relationship
with the venue manager and
contact him with every change
and request promptly.
The room should comfortably fit all
delegates + facilitators (8-12 people) that
feels intimate, but large enough to move
around or split up into groups when
necessary. If anything, err on the side of
having a room that’s too big, rather than
too small. Talk with the building manager
so that you are able to keep session
materials, posters, and flipcharts
overnight.
You should also book a smaller, adjacent
room for meals to offer a seamless
experience. Make sure it’s okay with the
building staff that you will be serving food
in these rooms.
When looking for venues, consider the
following:
• Access to (free) printing centers for
emergency print jobs.
• Noise level and traffic from other groups
using the spaces around you.
• Open and close times of the building, in
case sessions run over or if you need to
unlock a building early in the morning
(get a key in advance, if possible).

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ROOM SET-UP
Set-up for the main conference room can be done by facilitators on Friday morning, while the OC is in charge of arranging a separate
room for meals and snacks (2 rooms necessary for smooth transition). If you have the time and materials, be sure to bring in the
conference theme to the room (and conference in general).
Below is a diagram of how to configure the main conference room.
Projector Screen
Projector
10 chairs – semi circle
Table of creative materials

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FOOD
The OC is responsible for setting up (30
minutes beforehand) and clearing away
food. Due to the tight agenda of TtT, you
cannot always expect delegates to help
you clear away their food.
Mealtimes are very essential for an
intense conference such as TtT. It would
also be nice to surprise your delegates
with special snacks! Splurge on coffee and
caffeinated beverages if you need to.
Don’t forget to consider dietary
restrictions! Over-order for these needs
and make sure they are clearly labeled.
On the right are some meal suggestions:
Plan to cater for 6 meals: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners. Fast, simple food works best,
and if possible look for sponsorships (especially for breakfasts and coffee!)
Don’t forget to provide snacks, water, and coffee throughout the conference.
Meal
Plan Friday Saturday Sunday
Breakfast ---
Bagels, pastries,
yogurt, coffee/tea
Bagels, pastries,
yogurt, coffee/tea
Lunch ---
Sandwiches, chips,
drinks
Sandwiches, chips,
drinks
Dinner Pizza, soda Burritos ---
Breaks Goldfish, oreos, bagels, peanut butter, apples, oranges, soda, juice
Surprise snacks are always awesome! Try fun
treats such as ice cream sundaes or smoothies.

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SOCIAL EVENTS
After you’ve captured your team’s ideas
around topics and established a rough
story flow, spill all your thoughts on the
page. Don’t hold back; it doesn’t have to
be fully formed yet. Simply pour out
everything that comes to mind. Usand
information that you can choose from in
the next step. You’re also speeding past
the mental blocks that can keep you from
capturing your best ideas.
Gauge the mood of your
delegates in deciding whether
or not to have a social event.
Delegates tend to be tired after traveling
on Saturday, and may not want to
participate. If it’s the case, be
accommodating!

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All in all it was incredibly
rewarding to be the OCP of an
awesome conference.
The pros were getting to be in
direct contact with the MC and
Facis and getting close with my OC.
The cons were that, because our
conference was so small, it was
difficult to involve the OC in any of
the sessions so it is doubly
important that the OCP make sure
to have a lot of fun with the OC.
Make sure to add small but
important touches to transform
the conference experience from
something average to something
incredibly unique.
– Neha Shingane
OCP, Georgia TtT 2012
Photo: Copyright 2010 Steve Jurvetson Source: http://drte.co/qa
“
”

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QUESTIONS?
If you need further support, contact the NTT
members below:
Cassie Gianni
NTT Coordinator
ntt.coordinator@aiesecus.org
Kristen Hwang
Regional Training Coordinator
ntt.rtc@aiesecus.org
Special thanks to:
• Neha Shingane, for her OCP
guide from TtT 2012
• Elena Zhdanova, for
Germany’s TtT OC guide
• Hanne Ockert-Axelsson, for
providing TtT resources