01 Sep 10 Ship Charters For When You Need to Call The Shots
Cruise events are an obvious choice for many companies and organizations, as well as an obvious fit for certain needs. The problem that many organizations planning cruises run into is that they do not necessarily want the cookie cutter cruise that takes x number of days to stop at y number of ports in a specific order. The solution is simple: ship charters. Here is what you need to know about booking ship charters:
- Ship charters can be very cost effective – Booking an entire ship might seem expensive at first, but charters are almost always more cost effective than renting cabins on a generic tour when everything is factored into the equation. Why? Simple: it is an extra tour for the cruise company and one in which they are presented with a chance to build a long lasting relationship with many high-powered guests and clients.
- Ship charters let you have incredible flexibility – Want to book a 4 am spinning session so everyone has time to shower before the breakfast seminar at 7am? No problems. Want specific menu items planned? That can almost certainly be arranged with a little preparation and advanced notice.
- Stop where you want to stop and when – Most ship charters are generally very flexible in terms of where and when stops take place so long as no scheduling conflicts exist. See what you want to see and when, it’s your call when you charter a ship.
Tags: Breakfast Seminar, Charter, Conflicts, Cookie Cutter, Cruise Company, Cruise Events, Cruises, Extra Tour, Fit, Flexibility, Ports, Relationship, Ship Charters
30 Aug 10 When Do You Need to Hold a Cruise Event?
Cruise events have been a popular choice for meetings and events of all kinds for years now, but not every meeting/event planner knows all that they need to know about planning cruise events. In fact, the lack of knowledge might turn some away from cruise ships. Here’s what a cruise ship has to offer:
- Low prices – Cruises are actually less expensive than hotels plus catering services plus entertainment expenses plus renting a conference room or meeting venue in almost all cases. Why? Because cruise companies build in the cost of all these services and distribute them across all of their customers all year long
- All inclusive options – All inclusive pricing makes cruises a cinch to plan. One price, one call, and the event can be planned. This saves time and money!
- Amazing catering – Want custom catering? You’ll have a hard time finding a better catering troop than those found on cruise ships. Shipboard caterers do catering day in and day out, every day and night. Nobody knows catering like these people!
- Custom meetings and entertainment – Want to have meetings in amazing locations instead of just a closed in room at the convention center? Try finding a better alternative than a cruise ship for even twice the price and you’ll be stumped!
- Some of the best restaurants and clubs anywhere in the world – It is important to play hard when you work hard, and that is why cruise ships pack some of the best restaurants, bars, night clubs, and even shopping centers around.
Tags: Best Restaurants, Caterers, Catering Services, Cinch, Cruise Companies, Cruise Events, Cruise Prices, Cruise Ship, Cruise Ships, Cruises, Entertainment, Event Planner, Hard Time, Lack Of Knowledge, Meeting Venue, Meetings And Events, Night Clubs, Rsquo, Shopping Centers, Time And Money
25 Aug 10 Could a Cruise Meeting be In Your Organization’s Future?
Cruise meetings are a time honored and tested alternative to holding meetings in more traditional locations, yet they strangely remain a secret. The tendency of cruise meetings as an alternative to land-bound meetings is puzzling, especially with the amazing incentives and tantalizing prices being offered by cruise lines. Could a cruise meeting be right for your next event? Maybe, but ask yourself these questions first:
• Are you and your guests looking to see amazing views? Some people just like the same old boring office interiors all day, but they won’t get that on a cruise ship. On the other hand, many people will actually benefit from the creative art designs on most cruise ships as it can get the mind working in new ways.
• Are you ready for 5 star meals and entertainment? Cruise ships have an amazing assortment of top-quality restaurants and amazing night clubs. Add to this gyms, pools, and other activities, and you really have two choices: schedule some downtime or run the risk of people being a little late to meetings because of all the entertainment. The good news is that alternative meetings are available as are group-specific mixers or bar nights.
• Are you ready to be pampered? This is more of a trick question because just about everyone says yes! That is what you and your guests will get when you plan cruise meetings. It sure beats hotel service at the same price by an unbelievable margin.
Tags: Art Designs, Assortment, Creative Art, Cruise Lines, Cruise Ship, Cruise Ships, Downtime, Gyms, Hotel Service, Incentives, Lines Cruise, Mixers, New Ways, Night Clubs, Office Interiors, Pools, Quality Restaurants, Star Meals, Trick Question, Two Choices
23 Aug 10 Tricks to Making Morning Meetings Merrier
Morning meetings can be sluggish, and may even be tepid by any measure. This is doubly true for Monday mornings, and triply true for Monday mornings after a three day weekend. Good meeting planners have a few tricks up their sleeve to make morning meetings less of a drag:
- Freshly ground coffee – Fresh coffee has more caffeine than the pre-ground varieties sold in most supermarkets.
- Energy drinks, on the house – Energy drinks are a great way to get people moving, as is coffee. Weigh the cost of beverages against the value of the time spent sloshing through a meeting, and the beverages usually come out on top.
- Lights – All lights should be on, not just most of the lights. This is true even when the sun is up.
- Morning radio – Start by finding the most annoying morning radio shows in town, but skip those that are offensive. Then, let the crew at the morning zoo antagonize your staff until the meeting starts. Everyone will be wide awake and thankful that the mindless dribble is over with.
- Open a few windows – Letting the fresh air in often helps, especially if the meeting room is packed.
- Set the temperature – If the temperature is too cold, people will naturally be inclined to start drifting off. Keep the temperature in the meeting room slightly warn, but not hot.
- Suggestions – Everyone has problems, but few people ask for help. Ask the boss to help develop an incentive program where workers can start meetings with some aspect of their job that they wish was easier to perform with some teamwork or with a fresh approach. Give rewards to the employee(s) with the best solutions to problems. It’s a win-win situation and a great way to get the creative juices flowing early in the morning.
Tags: Best Solutions, Beverages, Boss, Creative Juices, Energy Drinks, Fresh Air, Fresh Coffee, Ground Coffee, Incentive Program, Meeting Planners, Meeting Room, Mindless Dribble, Monday Mornings, Morning Meetings, Morning Radio, Morning Zoo, Radio Shows, Rewards, Supermarkets, Teamwork
18 Aug 10 Planning Meetings Abroad
Planning large scale international gatherings/meetings is complicated, but the fact that they are held abroad makes them even more complex. Here are some tips for planning the perfect meeting abroad:
- Start planning early – Planning early is the best way to get everything ready and prepared properly. Be sure to look around online forums and search engines to see if the venue(s) and/or hotel(s) being considered are reputable. Remember that reputable might mean different things to different people, and some countries allow establishments to rate themselves in terms of stars. Consider an all inclusive cruise meeting. Cruising to foreign ports is a great way to save money and still offer a fabulous itinerary.
- Passports and visas – Some countries have very laid back standards for entry, while others have very strict rules that are dutifully enforced. Know the rules of the country you plan on visiting and follow them fastidiously.
- Start slow – Jet lag is unpredictable, and thus it is best not to put critical meetings at the break of dawn on the very first day. Instead, schedule mixers and other light events on the first day and let the second day start a little slow.
- Book early – Let participants know what to expect in terms of jet lag, and suggest that people be on the ground and ready a day early. A few early bird cocktail mixers or other events could be held for these people, but remember the previous tip.
- Guides – A good host will prepare guides for their guests. Include basic language and custom tips when appropriate as well as a list of important numbers.
Tags: Basic Language, Break Of Dawn, Cocktail Mixers, Different Things, Early Bird, Establishments, Important Numbers, International Gatherings, Itinerary, Jet Lag, Laid Back, Online Forums, Participants, Passports, Ports, Search Engines, Strict Rules, Tip Guides, Venue, Visas
16 Aug 10 How to Choose a Venue for Your Next Big Event
Planning your next big event almost always involves picking a venue near the beginning of the process. With so many different venues, there must be an easy logic flow for determining how to pick the venue for your next big event. Try this logic flow:
- Size counts – Venues that are too small are not worth looking into and venues that are too large will look empty and deserted if unfilled. Determine a reasonable number of participants and use that as the basis for a venue.
- Look for deals – The number one reason why many people do not attend events and/or seminars is that they feel it is too expensive. If a deal can be arranged that includes the event and meals/accommodations, participation generally increases. Hotels often have large meeting facilities and/or deals with local meeting halls/convention centers and many such centers have deals with reputable hotels.
- Themes and art are important – If your event has some sort of theme, then assign additional importance to venues that work well with that theme over money if it is feasible. A seminar about online art and graphics design would be ideally located in a venue with an artistic theme, and perhaps offer all-inclusive stay options at an art-deco themed hotel or another hotel with a noteworthy sense of style.
Tags: Artistic Theme, Event Planning, Graphics Design, Hotels, Logic Flow, Meeting Facilities, Money, Participants, Participation, Seminars, Venue
11 Aug 10 Four Guidelines For Getting Great Catering Deals
Catering can be one of the most expensive aspects of any event or meeting, but there are ways to save money. Savvy planners can save a bundle on catering by following a few simple steps:
- Discuss long term relationships – If you can talk to an owner and/or manager at the catering company, it is often possible to save money by discussing long term agreements. Consider the first event to be a demo for long term work and prices might drop perceptibly.
- Exchange – Is there a possibility of a goods/service exchange? If so, then determine what your bottom line is and weigh it against the possible gains. If it proves to be a wash or profitable then the decision is simple. If there is a slight loss, remember that caterers are a good source for word of mouth and may consider a mutual word of mouth exchange to be valuable.
- Remember your manners – Everyone is busy, some of them may actually be more busy than you! Caterers tend to be very busy, and often appreciate both brevity and good manners. Keep things brief and polite in order to build rapport that can be leveraged later.
- Start small and get big – Start discussing price by starting with a small number of people, usually around 80% of the actual amount, and then ask for pricing on additional plates/heads. This method is often effective reducing the possibility of being oversold.
Tags: Bottom Line, Brevity, Catering Company, Demo, Good Manners, Long Term Relationships, Planners, Service Exchange, Simple Steps, Term Agreements, Ways To Save Money, Word Of Mouth
09 Aug 10 Keeping Group Cruise Planning Simple
Planning a group cruise can seem like a logistical nightmare at first, but is not actually a complex as it might seem on the surface. Follow these three basic tips to keep your sanity and composure while simultaneously planning a great group cruise:
- Create lockdown dates – If last minute changes drive you crazy, then eliminate them simply by letting everyone know that the cruise line has a lockdown date for final planning. This works even when cruise lines do not have such a date, or if you put your lockdown date a little bit ahead of theirs. Remember to stick to whatever date you provide participants via e-mail or memo.
- Get help – Most cruise lines have concierge services that can take a fair portion of the planning and logistics off of your shoulders, but they need to know what you want. It might be a good idea to contact the concierge service/planner and make a point of contact that can provide you with options and details that can be passed on to participants/decision makers.
- Have alternatives ready – If you suspect that Bob Jones from sales is going to request something that is unavailable, having an alternative that is acceptable is better than a no. Be sure to explore alternatives before using those terrible two little letters: N and O.
Tags: Bob Jones, Composure, Concierge Service, Concierge Services, Cruise Line, Cruise Lines, Decision Makers, E Mail, Group Cruise, Little Bit, Logistical Nightmare, Logistics, Minute Changes, Participants, Point Of Contact, Sanity, Service Planner, Shoulders, Terrible Two
05 Aug 10 A Media Player an Investment in Your Career as a Meeting/Event Planner? Maybe…
It was not long ago that meeting and event planners were taking notes with pen and paper, but those days might just be over thanks to some of the modern media players on the market. Most modern media players have the capacity to record conversations or voice memos, and that could save a lot of time. Just image:
- Never having to ask the boss to slow down – Some bosses or participants talk so fast that details often get lost. Your brain is processing Detail A and they are already discussing Detail Z! Nothing escapes the attention of a voice recorder.
- Never forgetting a detail – Juggling hundreds of details is difficult, and sometimes notepads get lost or sloppy writing done in a hurry foils later attempts to remember what was covered. Media players with voice memo features ensure that nothing is left out of a critical planning session.
- The ability to have instant and total recall of conversations – This is exactly what media players offer. You can recall and review a memo on the subway, bus, or even while driving home.
- Looking impressive using technology efficiently – Humans are innately tool-using creatures, and digital tools are the future. Demonstrating proficiency with those tools is a great way to earn your keep.
All you need to do is look for a media player with a voice recording features to guarantee that your look impressive while being an impressive meeting/event planner.
Tags: Boss, Creatures, Digital Tools, Event Planner, Event Planners, Foils, Hurry, Media Players, Meeting Planners, Participants, Pen And Paper, Proficiency, Record Conversations, Subway, Total Recall, Using Technology, Voice Memo, Voice Memos, Voice Recorder, Voice Recording
02 Aug 10 Cruise Ship Meeting Secrets
While many people planning cruise ship meetings simply make the meetings on cruise ships somewhat similar to landlocked meetings, this does not have to be the case. In fact, planning meetings and events on a cruise ship that do not take advantage of the inherently unique nature of a cruise ship are missing the point. Follow these helpful tips to take full advantage of even the secret features available to planners of cruise events:
Alternative meeting environments – want to book a large meeting room? Ask about the theater or onboard dining halls. Chances are good that one or two such rooms are reserved for possible meetings, but may be freed up once the ship leaves port.
Super-alternative meeting environments – want to have a face to face while getting a massage in one of the onboard spas? Go for it!
The menu is not necessarily limited – cruise ships are extremely competitive when it comes to dining and lodging. This virtually assures that any ship is likely to have a wonderful assortment of top notch chefs are always on hand and are probably climbing the walls wishing that somebody would order something that is not on one of the many menus.
Compensation – Booking larger groups and venues can result in special forms of compensation once the hard price limit is reached. Free cabin upgrades, exclusive access to a little known VIP gym or club could be the result for those that know to ask.
Tags: Assortment, Case In Fact, Chefs, Climbing The Walls, Cruise Events, Cruise Ship, Cruise Ships, Dining Halls, Environments, Forms Of Compensation, Helpful Tips, Large Meeting Room, Meetings And Events, Menus, Missing The Point, Planners, Secret Features, Spas, Top Notch, Vip
Advertisement
Corporate Meeting Planner Resources
- What Makes Travel Events and Meetings Amazing?The act of hosting a meeting in an exclusive or interesting location can be made more impressive with a little planning or can be ruined as a gesture with carelessness. Here is what you need to think about in order to keep your travel events purely amazing: Events – Going to an exotic destination and failing [...] […]
- Best Plan for Meetings at SeaPlanning a meeting at sea is not as difficult or as different as it might sound on the surface but there are still a few key differences to be aware of. Some of the best meeting planners keep the following advice in mind: Equipment and space for equipment is at a premium – It might be [...] […]
- Factors to Consider When Shopping For a Cruise EventAnyone planning on hosting a cruise event should certainly check to see which cruise companies can get the job done at the best price, but there is often more to consider than just the bottom line. In fact, some customers that have not given a lot of thought to the logistics and organizational side of [...] […]