The lineup is your product
Delegates do not apply to a conference in the abstract. They apply to a committee, a topic and a country. Your lineup is the menu they read before they pay. Treat it as a product with a shape, not a list of committees the secretariat happened to like.
A good lineup offers a path for every level of delegate likely to apply, gives each committee an identity an applicant can state in one line, and sizes every room so it is full enough to debate but not so big that most delegates never speak.
Think in a ladder, not a list
Arrange the lineup as a ladder from first-conference delegates to experienced ones. Each rung serves a different applicant.
- Beginner rung. Large General Assembly committees with accessible topics, a patient dais and a clear procedure. First-timers can sit near the back, learn from others and still make one speech. Without this rung, schools hesitate to send younger students.
- Intermediate rung. Mid-sized General Assembly committees and the more technical bodies (ECOSOC functional commissions, specialised agencies, regional bodies). Topics need research, but the procedure is still standard.
- Advanced rung. Small specialised councils, a Security Council, historical or futuristic committees, and crisis. Here the draw is intensity: fewer delegates, faster debate and more speaking time each.
The three families of committee
Beyond the ladder, most lineups mix three families. Each has its own economics.
| Family | Typical role in the lineup | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| General Assembly and large bodies | absorbs volume, carries beginners, fills the big rooms | a large room, two or three chairs, a strong procedure lead |
| Specialised bodies | gives intermediate delegates identity and depth | tighter topic research, a chair who knows the subject |
| Crisis and specialist formats | draws the experienced delegates who make a conference's reputation | a backroom team, more staff per delegate, careful scheduling |
Design from the bottom up: secure the volume rooms first, then add the formats that attract the experienced end.
How many committees you actually need
Most secretariats pick a number of committees and hope applications fill them. Work the other way: start with a realistic turnout, apply the size range each type debates well at, and let the count fall out of the arithmetic.
Size ranges that debate well
These are rules of thumb, not laws. They assume a conference running three to five sessions over two or three days.
| Committee type | Seats (delegations) | Why this range |
|---|---|---|
| Large General Assembly | 50 to 90 | below 50 it feels empty; above 90 most delegates will not reach the speakers list more than once |
| Standard General Assembly or ECOSOC body | 30 to 55 | enough blocs to negotiate, enough time for everyone to speak |
| Specialised council or agency | 18 to 35 | depth over breadth; each delegate matters |
| Security Council | 15, sometimes up to 20 with observers | the real membership, plus invited parties if the topic needs them |
| Crisis cabinet or joint crisis | 12 to 25 per room | directives and backroom capacity limit it, not chairs |
Remember that a seat is not a delegate. A double delegation puts two people behind one placard. When you plan turnout, count delegates; when you plan the room and the country matrix, count seats.
Plan for the turnout you will get, not the one you want
Take the number of delegates you are confident of (last year's turnout, plus schools that have committed, minus a margin for drop-off) and design for that. Keep one or two flexible committees that can grow or shrink. A General Assembly that can run anywhere between 50 and 80 seats is your shock absorber.
Worked example: 120 delegates
A first or second edition, often one school hosting its region.
- One large General Assembly committee (Disarmament, or Social, Humanitarian and Cultural): 40 to 45 delegates, single delegations.
- One standard body (a Human Rights Council or an Environment Assembly): 30 delegates.
- One specialised council (WHO or UNESCO): 20 to 25 delegates.
- One Security Council: 15 delegates.
- Optional fifth room: a small crisis of 12 to 15, only if you have at least four people to staff the backroom.
Resist running seven small rooms so everyone gets a "special" committee: one dropout school can leave a room at eleven.
Worked example: 300 delegates
- Two General Assembly committees of 50 to 70 delegates each (one of them can run double delegations).
- Three or four standard bodies of 30 to 45.
- Two specialised councils of 20 to 30.
- One Security Council of 15.
- One crisis room of 15 to 20.
That is nine to ten committees. A full worked lineup for this size appears later in the guide.
Worked example: 600 delegates
A large international conference. Add depth at each rung rather than inventing new rungs.
- Three large General Assembly committees of 70 to 90, at least one with double delegations.
- Five or six standard bodies of 35 to 50.
- Four specialised councils of 20 to 35.
- One or two Security Councils (a current one and a historical one work well together).
- Two or three crisis rooms, possibly a joint crisis sharing one backroom.
That is roughly 16 to 20 committees. At this size the constraint is chairs, rooms and backroom staff, not delegates. Count those first.
Opening the full guide
Checking your plan.
