18 Jan 10 Tips for Expanding Your Understanding of Cultural Differences and Similarities (Part 2)
There are many ways to broaden your cultural knowledge, understand and appreciate cultural differences and similarities, and incorporate respect for cultural particulars in your meeting planning services.
Here are eight simple, fun ways to expand your multicultural knowledge base:
1. Dine in ethnic restaurants.
2. Research different cultures online.
3. Read books and magazines with cultural focuses that are different than your own.
4. Attend cultural events, such as Greek festivals, Asian art exhibits and Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) events.
5. Visit museums, monuments and exhibits that pertain to specific cultures.
6. Attend short courses, speaking engagements or seminars regarding cultural diversity or offering interesting information about particular cultures.
7. Get out of the tourist traps when traveling. Every trip you take is an opportunity to explore neighborhoods, markets and attractions that are popular with locals, rather than simply staying in areas that are teeming with tourists.
8. Buy ethnic cookbooks and have fun learning about new foods and cooking methods with your partner or family.
While you may begin this journey in an effort to expand your potential client base and enhance your meeting planning services, you will find that learning about other cultures and trying new foods and activities is also a personally fulfilling endeavor that will help you grow both personally and professionally.
Tags: Art Exhibits, Asian Art, Cooking Methods, Cultural Differences, Cultural Diversity, Day Of The Dead, De Los Muertos, Dia De Los Muertos, Different Cultures, Endeavor, Ethnic Cookbooks, Ethnic Restaurants, Fun Learning, Greek Festivals, Meeting Planning Services, Multicultural Knowledge, Museums Monuments, Particulars, Speaking Engagements, Tourist Traps
18 Nov 09 How to Make Networking Fun
Whether you’re on your own or an employee of another company, you know how important it is to get in touch–and stay in touch–with almost everyone. This is so important that some people are starting their own networking clubs, and many of them are highly successful. Here are some ways to start your own networking club.
First, find out how many people might be interested in your networking group. You could go so far as to post an ad in Craigslist, but you could also post on industry-specific websites if you want to be more particular. Give yourself a few weeks to establish about how many you might expect at your first event.
Next, contact some of your suppliers. See if they would be willing to offer wares and services in exchange for invitations. For instance, you could ask your beverage supplier to bring her best offerings for samples and then give her “prime real estate” in the layout of your networking event. Make sure these contacts include properties so you will have a cheap or free place to hold your own event.
Then do what you do best and plan it. No one knows better how to design, arrange, prepare, and execute an event better than those in your field, so make sure your events are top-notch even if they are only for twenty people. And keep in mind that they don’t need to be big events–you already know quality counts.
Tags: Contacts, Craigslist, Find People, Fun, How Many People, Invitations, Networking Club, Networking Clubs, Networking Event, Networking Group, Offerings, Prime Real Estate, Quality Counts, Rsquo, Top Notch, Wares
02 Nov 09 Learn How To Create An Event That Will Generate Revenue For You!
When you are thinking about getting a great event together and making it special, you will want to use a little bit of your creative mind to make it great. You will want to learn how to create an event that will generate revenue for you. You will be able to make a great profit with your event and this will be a great success.
If you are trying to plan something that will bring you a little bit of profit, you will have to spend a little bit too. You will want to make sure that you are able to find the funds to spend on your special event. This is something that will be a great idea for you and one that will defiantly work out in the end. (more…)
Tags: Creative Mind, Entertainment, Find Money, Fundraisers, Great Event, Little Bit, Love, Need Money, People, Reason, Right Start, Success
26 Oct 09 The AIG Effect
Many corporations are squirming under public scrutiny. Meetings are an essential element of corporate business; however, no one wants to be perceived a spendthrift when it comes to event planning. Ironically, teams are under more pressure than ever and get away meetings are important to corporate health.
The AIG effect refers to public outcry over frivolous spending by the American International Group, Inc. just days after receiving billions of dollars from Congress. When word got out about the $440,000 trip to a luxury resort, the public cried, “Enough!” The travel industry took a big hit and meeting planners have shied away from splashy locations for conventions and business meetings.
The good news is that regional convention centers benefit. To the public’s mind, holding a convention in Philadelphia is far more austere than holding the same event in Las Vegas. Events held on the waterfront are less popular now than ones held inland. Golf may still be part of the package, but chances are corporate golfers will pick courses that are out of the limelight.
The AIG effect isn’t completely negative. Even though planning purse strings have been tightened, events still take place. Buffets are replaced by sit down dinners and wines are less expensive. People travel by car rather than plane to events. A tough economic time reminds us all that business reputations are a valuable commodity and must reflect the times.
Tags: Aig, American International Group, American International Group Inc, Buffets, Business Meetings, Corporate Business, Corporate Health, Economic Time, International Group Inc, Limelight, Luxury Resort, Meeting Planners, On The Waterfront, Public Outcry, Public Scrutiny, Purse Strings, Regional Convention, Reputations, Spendthrift, Vegas Events
23 Oct 09 Reaching Your Business Goals
Sometimes during a rough economy, people just grit their teeth and try to get through it. While there is something to be said for that position, it shifts focus away from goals to mere survival. Don’t allow dust to gather on your meeting planner business goals during hard times.
Formalize your goal. Write it down and have a good long look at it. Are you dreaming the impossible dream? If you’re planning to buy Trump Towers sometime in the next year and your checking account is overdrawn, well good luck with that. Most people don’t latch on to the extreme and unreachable, still, it’s important to know where you’re going and how to get there.
Break your goal into workable sequences that can be achieved in manageable periods. Every milestone passed moves you closer to your big ultimate goal. Persistence pays off in every field of endeavor. Increasing your clientele is an admirable and attainable goal even during a recession.
Build a work ethic that surpasses your competition. Will Smith credits his success more to his work ethic than natural talent. He comments: “I will not be outworked. You may be more talented than me. You might be smarter than me. And you may be better looking than me. But if we get on a treadmill together, you are going to get off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple.”
Tags: Attainable Goal, Business Goals, Checking Account, Clientele, Endeavor, Good Luck, Impossible Dream, Latch, Meeting Planner, Milestone, Periods, Persistence, Recession, Sequences, Survival, Teeth, Treadmill, Trump Towers, Will Smith, Work Ethic
19 Oct 09 Same Sex Wedding Etiquette
Where in the United States is same sex marriage legal? Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, District of Columbia, Iowa, and Connecticut are the correct answers. Wisconsin allows for domestic partnership with more than forty of the rights afforded heterosexual married couples.
This is great news for the wedding planner – more happy couples to celebrate their mutual commitment. It also presents a few challenges, which may mean thinking about weddings in a different way. Which name goes first on the wedding invitation? Should the decision be alphabetical or according to age? Which side of the church seats groom one and which side groom two?
Although traditional wedding etiquette hasn’t caught up with same sex marriages, there’s no reason to panic. The most important part of planning any wedding is giving the clients what they want. In all likelihood, they will come with very specific tastes and ideas on how the ceremony should go and where they want to honeymoon.
Wedding etiquette ultimately means that every effort is given to show the happy couple courtesy, respect, and best wishes for the future. Same sex marriages may not yet have specific rules of etiquette, but good manners are always in place no matter what the event.
Tags: Best Wishes, Columbia Iowa, Correct Answers, District Of Columbia, Domestic Partnership, Good Manners, Great News, Happy Couple, Happy Couples, Likelihood, Maine New York, Married Couples, Mutual Commitment, Same Sex Marriage, Same Sex Marriages, Sex Wedding, Traditional Wedding, Wedding Etiquette, Wedding Invitation, Wedding Planner
16 Oct 09 Gaining and Keeping Your Customers Trust – Part 2
Customer trust is built on job performance – yours to be exact. Are you a competent meeting planner? Do you deliver on promises? Are travel arrangements and accommodations precisely what you have led the client to believe they would be?
Your track record is your best asset. Satisfied customers are quick to speak your praises to their peers, but unhappy clients are even faster to cry about their disappointment on a sympathetic shoulder.
If you do not know the answer to a client’s question, find it or find someone who does. Clients are more patient and trusting when they sense your determination to give them the information they need.
It’s been said before but bears repeating, honesty is the best policy. If something goes wrong and you can’t deliver on services, the client needs to hear it from your own mouth and as quickly as possible. Do your best to resolve the situation or come up with a satisfactory plan B and don’t be afraid to enlist the client’s help to brainstorm over the situation. Don’t expect them to come up with a solution, however, a direct approach may make their plans more flexible in the case of disaster.
Trust takes time and energy to build and it’s well worth it. Inspire loyalty and your efforts will be rewarded.
Tags: Customer Trust, Customers Trust, Disappointment, Disaster, Honesty Is The Best Policy, Job, Loyalty, Meeting Planner, Peers, Plan B, Praises, Promises, Satisfied Customers, Travel Accommodations, Travel Arrangements, Unhappy Clients
14 Oct 09 Gaining and Keeping Your Customers Trust – Part 1
Building customer trust is key in any business undertaking and all the more so for meeting planners. Did you know that approximately 70% of revenue comes from established customers? Established customers trust your business. They are comfortable coming to you because of your shared history and track record.
Attracting new customers can be difficult. For one thing, consumers are more savvy than a decade ago. Increased knowledge combined with increased financial worries makes it difficult for new customers to take a risk on your services. That does not mean it is impossible to win their business, meeting planners just have to be more mindful of establishing customer trust.
Building a rapport with new customers takes time but is well worth the effort. New customers must have a way to contact you whenever a question arises. That may mean sharing your personal cell number and indulging in some hand holding.
Keep your communications clear and to the point. It is vital that both sides understand the demands of the upcoming event and maintain their focus. Too much information can be as big a handicap as too little. Sell the first event before you plan the second.
Part 2 of this blog will explore other factors in gaining and building customer trust.
Tags: Attracting New Customers, Blog, Building Trust, Business Meeting, Business Undertaking, Consumers, Customer Trust, Customers Trust, Decade, Financial Worries, Focus, Handicap, Meeting Planners, Personal Cell, Personal Number, Rapport, Risk
26 Sep 09 New Seating Planning Software For Event Professionals
High Wycombe, UK – Oryx Digital today announce new Professional and Advanced Editions of their PerfectTablePlan seating planning software. First launched in 2005, PerfectTablePlan has helped thousands of event planners in more than 80 countries to save time and avoid embarrassing mistakes creating seating arrangements for gala dinners, fundraisers, award ceremonies, weddings receptions, bar mitzvahs and other events.
“PerfectTablePlan has grown in depth considerably over with each new version and we decided now was an ideal time to create separate PerfectTablePlan products aimed at professional event planners and frequent users.” said Oryx Digital Director Andy Brice. “This allows us to add much more powerful features without overwhelming casual users.”
The new features include: (more…)
Tags: Award Ceremonies, Bar Mitzvahs, Brice, Casual Users, Early Adopter, Event Planner, Event Planners, Event Professionals, Frequent Users, Gala Dinners, High Wycombe Uk, Meal Selection, Oryx, Planning Software, Professional Edition, Professional Event, Scaled Plan, Seat Arrangement, Weddings Receptions, Werner Schwab
22 Aug 09 Guerrilla Marketing for Meeting Planners
At the recent 2009 Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Southeast Educational Conference at the Edon Roc in Miami Beach we had the opportunity to hear Brad Nickel, VP of Marketing for Landry & Kling, speak. He gave a presentation on Guerrilla Marketing for Meeting Planners and agreed to let us publish that presentation here, for those meeting professionals who were unable to attend.
Here is the presentation – let us know if you have questions!
Brad was also excited to tell us a little about the upcoming launch of a new resource for meeting and incentive professionals: Seasite.com.
Seasite.com, a new Landry & Kling company, will be the industry’s first online cruise marketplace for global meetings and events. Mr. Nickel, explained, “Seasite.com puts cruise sourcing on par with hotel site selection along with easy RFP generation for multiple brands and ships.”
The site will be launching in late September but in the meantime they are running a contest to win an inaugural cruise aboard the new Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, billed as the worlds largest and most innovative cruise ship. To enter simply go to their web site, Seasite.com, and sign up to recieve their newsletter and be notified of the official Seasite.com launch. The contest winner will be selected at random on Sept. 10, 2009.
2009 MPI Southeast Educational Conference was held at the Edon Roc Hotel, Miami Beach, August 13th-15th. For more information visit http://mpisec.org/
Our thanks again to Brad – and here’s his bio:
Guerrilla Web Marketing
Guerrilla Web Marketing
In this interactive and innovative session, internet marketer Brad Nickel will share valuable insights on how to maximize your impact on line and how best to optimize your website with the smallest investment of time and money. Avoid the painful pitfalls of Search Engine Marketing. You will learn how to make the most out search engine marketing and best practices for garnering attention for your services and personal brand on the web with little financial expenditure. Learn powerful tools to generate new business using Search Engines and discover new ways to free advertising to generate leads on the web.
Tags: Contest Winner, Cruise Ship, Educational Conference, Global Meetings, Guerrilla Marketing, Guerrilla Web, Hotel Miami Beach, Inaugural Cruise, Incentive Professionals, Internet Marketer, Landry, Late September, Launch, Meeting Planners, Meeting Professionals International, Meetings And Events, Mpi, Roc, Royal Caribbean, Search Engine Marketing, Seasite, Site Selection, Vice President Marketing, Vp Marketing
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