Planning your spine course

1. What are you, your team or your hospital known for that few others can teach?
2. Is there a group of surgeons who genuinely need this training? Where are they?
3. Who is it for: residents, fellows, consultants, nurses, or a mix? How many is realistic?
4. What will delegates be able to do afterwards that they cannot do now?
5. Which courses already cover this, and how is yours different?

1. Case-based masterclass: small group, low cost.
2. Hands-on lab on cadavers or high-fidelity models: high learning value, costly and complex.
3. Conference: wide reach, sponsors and exhibition, the largest budget.
4. Which format best fits your aim and your audience?

1. Is it easy to reach for international delegates and faculty? Enough flights? Visas easy to get?
2. Is there reasonably priced, good accommodation nearby?
3. A large regional city attracts local industry; a remote venue attracts little.
4. For industry support, the venue must not have a leisure or resort character (MedTech Europe rules).
5. For labs: licensed cadaver facilities, or space for simulation models?
6. For exhibitors: goods lift, loading access, parking bays, weight and size limits, local stand builders.
7. Do your dates clash with major meetings or holidays?

1. Who chairs the course, and do they have standing in the field?
2. How much local expertise can you use? Local faculty cut travel and hotel costs.
3. How many international experts do you really need?
4. For labs: how many faculty per workstation?
5. Is the balance right between lectures, cases and hands-on time?
6. Which implants, instruments and equipment are needed, and who supplies them?

1. Which industry partners already support you, and how firm is that support?
2. What registration fee can your delegates realistically pay? How many delegates do you need to break even?
3. Main costs: venue, specimens or models, faculty travel, catering, audiovisual, marketing.
4. Hidden costs: airport shuttles and taxis, faculty dinners, per diems, speaker gifts, audiovisual not included by the venue, room extras such as layout and tablecloths, and minimum room bookings.
5. How much financial risk are you prepared to carry?

1. If industry sponsors the event, it must meet MedTech Europe rules and pass the Conference Vetting System.
2. Do you want CME credits? Allow for the application lead time.
3. Are faculty fees and expenses reasonable and documented?
4. Is any social programme modest and secondary to the science?

Smaller meetings can work to a shorter timeline.

1. Who exactly is your audience, and which channels reach them: society mailings, your network, social media, partners?
2. Marketing emails cannot be sent to anyone without consent. Which lists can you lawfully use?
3. Early-bird dates, online registration and payment, invoices for hospitals, cancellation and refund rules.
4. Fees from delegates and sponsors usually involve VAT and need a proper business account. Money taken personally may count as your personal income. Check this with an accountant before you take any payment.