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
30 Jun 10 Save Time When Planning
Meeting planning can take a long time, but it can also be streamlined with a little bit of practice. Here are a few tips for learning how to streamline meeting and/or event planning:
Mailing/SMS lists – If the participants are notified electronically, create lists. If certain people get left out of Monday meetings but not Tuesday meetings, then make two lists. Lists make sending notices both more reliable and much quicker. Some programs can also be used to track whether e-mails were opened or not.
Anticipate needs – Excellent meeting planners observe carefully what participants ask for at meetings and anticipate those needs recurring. If Mr. Jones from accounts receivable likes a coffee with two sugars and cream today, then chances are he will like it again next week. If Bob from sales likes an extra-soft chair cushion today, he will probably want one next week too.
Backup plans – It pays to remember that there is a heightened chance for things to go wrong when events or meetings are being held off-site. Having a backup plan makes recovering from an unforeseeable problem a lot easier. A few minutes preparing a backup plan can help save hours and save face.
Send reminders – Send reminders to participants, catering, and all other relevant parties just to ensure that everyone is on time and ready to perform their part when they are supposed to.
Use the Internet – book travel arrangements and source group cruise events entirely online to save time and money.
Tags: Accounts Receivable, Backup Plan, Backup Plans, Book Travel, Chair Cushion, Cruise Events, Event Planning, Few Minutes, Group Cruise, Internet Book, Mailing Sms, Meeting Planners, Meeting Planning, Relevant Parties, Reminders, Soft Chair, Source Group, Sugars, Time And Money, Travel Arrangements
17 May 10 Increase Productivity with an Incentive Cruise Event!
In this day and time when the economy is uncertain and resources are scarce, event planning can be difficult. However, it is important for organizations and corporations to offer their employees some incentive to motivate them and encourage them to continue to increase their productivity levels. An incentive cruise is a great way to do just that. An incentive cruise rewards top-notch employees and provides organizations with the opportunity to further increase their productivity and profitability. An incentive cruise is not just about fun-in-the-sun, but it is also about personal and professional growth.
While incentive cruises do provide employees with the chance to visit exotic destinations and enjoy various types of entertainment, cruise meetings are also an important component. Meetings at sea are an excellent way to encourage new ideas and fresh ways of thinking. Outside of the office and away from the pressures of the daily grind, employees may find the space to be more creative and think more clearly. Meetings at sea are low pressure as everything the organization needs will be provided. Meetings at sea may also cost less than traditional land meetings usually held in big cities at expensive locations. When event planning, organizations should seriously consider cruise meetings.
Tags: Corporations, Economy, Event Planning, Exotic Destinations, Fun In The Sun, Incentive Cruise, Incentive Cruises, Increase Productivity, Notch Employees, Opportunity, Productivity Levels, Professional Growth, Profitability, Top Notch
14 May 10 Doing More with Less
One of the obstacles that planners with corporations and organizations face with event planning is being asked to do more with less. That is a common phrase heard among meeting planners, and many times these individuals feel that their hands are tied. They have to be creative within a budget, and sometimes they are unsure of how to plan a memorable meeting while saving the company money. An incentive cruise may be an excellent option when event planning requires a strict budget. Cruise meetings are an ideal way to motivate and reward top-quality employees without breaking the bank.
Meetings at sea provide employees and customers with a break from the norm. Instead of the hustle and bustle of big cities, groups can enjoy the quiet and beauty of the seas. They can experience exotic locations, enjoy the sun and breezes, and refresh their senses. Cruise meetings provide much needed relaxation, which often helps employees think outside the box and come up with fresh, innovative ideas. Cruise meetings are not simply about fun and entertainment. From meeting space to entertainment, everything is inclusive with meetings at sea. A meeting planner will find that meetings at sea will come in below budget and provide the company or organization with all its meeting needs and more.
Tags: Break, Breaking The Bank, Breezes, Budget Cruise, Bustle, Common Phrase, Company Money, Corporations, Event Planning, Incentive Cruise, Innovative Ideas, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planners, Norm, Obstacles, Quality Employees, Relaxation, Senses, Strict Budget, Top Quality
12 May 10 Cruise Meetings Encourage Active Participation
Organizations sometimes become stuck in a rut, and they feel that long-practiced traditional methods are as effective today as they were yesterday. However, this is not always the case as traditional methods sometimes stifle creativity and do not allow employees to express fresh, new ideas with their contemporaries. Instead of planning a meeting at the typical hotel venue in a bustling metropolitan city, consider a cruise meeting. Meetings at sea are an excellent venue in which to encourage active participation in meetings. Employers may be surprised to find just how productive meetings can be when employees are encouraged to participate and feel their ideas are valued.
Event planning is often a hassle as employees are not excited about the meeting and logistics of the meeting are often a nightmare. Employers may speak with a meeting planner than can help them find an incentive cruise that will be right for their organization. An incentive cruise may motivate employee performance and enhance the desire of employees to attend organizational meetings. Meetings at sea provide employees with a relaxing and inviting environment in which to share their ideas. Employers that choose a cruise meeting may find their employees are more willing to actively participate in the meetings and the outcome of the meetings more productive.
Tags: Contemporaries, Creativity, Desire, Employee Performance, Event Planning, Hassle, Hotel Venue, Incentive Cruise, Logistics, Meeting Planner, Metropolitan City, Nightmare, Organization, Organizational Meetings, Participation, Productive Meetings, Typical Hotel
09 Apr 10 Group Cruise Events are More Affordable
For many years companies have planned group meetings and events in cities all across the country. While there are many destinations in the U.S. and abroad that are ideal locations for corporate events, employees and clientele may be less impressed with these venues than in times past. This is because there is a new frontier now being discovered by companies that truly want to impress. This new frontier is custom cruising, and it may be more affordable than companies think.
Group cruise planning, cruise event planning, and cruise meeting planning are the new wave in corporate events, getaways, and retreats. There are organizations available to assist event planners in designing the perfect custom cruise event or cruise meeting. Group cruise planning requires attention to many details and specifics, and these organizations can assist with this venture as well.
Custom cruises are often less expensive than land meetings because with an all inclusive cruise practically everything is included. Lodging, meeting spaces, food, entertainment, linens, florals, and superior customer service are part of a custom cruise package. In addition, employees and clientele will experience breathtaking destinations and exotic ports of call. All of these features creates an atmosphere more conducive to building camaraderie and building solid relationships among those within or associated with the company.
Tags: Breathtaking Destinations, Camaraderie, Clientele, Corporate Retreats, Cruise Events, Cruise Package, Custom Cruise, Custom Cruises, Event Planners, Event Planning, Florals, Food Entertainment, Group Cruise, Group Meetings, Meeting Group, Meeting Planning, Meetings And Events, New Frontier, Ports Of Call, Superior Customer Service
15 Feb 10 Should You Add Wedding Planning to Your Event Planning Business?
Some meeting and event planners focus solely on working for corporate clients, some have found a niche in planning SMERF events and some focus primarily on more personal occasions, such as weddings, commitment ceremonies, anniversaries and retirement parties. While there are some planners who attempt be a Jack or Jill of all trades and provide every type of event planning service to every type of client, most find that specializing in a particular area is the best way to make a name for themselves and make their jobs easier. This is what is recommended by most professionals and is what works best for most meeting and event planners.
So, when is it a good idea to add wedding planning to your menu of services if you are not specifically a wedding planner? There are some occasions when going against the logic of sticking to a limited selection of events is a good idea. For example, when planners are first starting out in the field of event planning, they may be happy to take on any event that comes their way. In these beginning stages, this also allows for the opportunity to see how you feel about planning weddings and to determine if this might be the right fit for you and your future as a planner.
WEDDINGS AT SEA
Something else to consider is planning weddings at sea. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), cruise lines are reporting a huge jump in cruise weddings – up to 60% during the last decade. It’s no wonder – cruise ship weddings make planning easy and offer an unforgettable wedding destination and honeymoon in one. The ceremony takes place while the ship is in port, either onboard or at a romantic setting ashore – and the celebration continues as family and friends enjoy the fabulous dining and entertainment options onboard their ship.
But, even seasoned planners who have never planned a wedding may suddenly have one of their best corporate clients ask them if they could plan their daughter’s wedding. If you have the time and think that you can do a good job planning the event, this would be one of those times when stepping outside of your normal event range might be in order.
Tags: Anniversaries, Clia, Commitment Ceremonies, Corporate Clients, Cruise Lines International, Cruise Ship Weddings, Cruise Weddings, Entertainment Options, Event Planners, Event Planning, Family And Friends, Jill Of All Trades, Last Decade, Meeting Planners, Niche, Personal Occasions, Planning Service, Retirement Parties, Wedding Destination, Wedding Planner
12 Nov 09 Blogging for Success…
Blogging is a great way to promote your meeting and event planning business. It is a one of the best ways to get your message out, post by post. You can also announce events, get feedback on past events, and connect with clients and vendors.
Anyone who maintains a blog can tell you that it is not always easy to come up with regular, interesting posts. Many good blogs fall by the wayside for this very reason.
But the importance of blogs should not be ignored. A study from BlogHer, a women's blog network, found that 42 million women in the U.S. alone participate at least weekly in social media of some type. Although Facebook was first on the list, blogs are the second choice with 23 million women visiting blog sites regularly. They tend to spend more "quality" time reading blogs that are relevant to their job and industry.
For bloggers, that's a real opportunity to build a strong readership by developing and maintaining a blog that develops a loyal following.
If you decide to setup a blog for your meeting planning business, here are some tips that may be of help:
- Catchy titles – having a title that jumps out from the page can gain you more curious readers
- Quality content – the content must backup the titles. You need to provide quality information that is interesting and useful for your readers
- Update regularly – establish a schedule for your blog posts. Having a regular schedule of posts lets your readers know that your blog is active and alive.
- Respond to comments – aside from spammy comments, it is a great thing when people comment on your posts. It means they are not only visiting your site, but reading your posts, as well. Responding to their comments shows you care about what they say – even if it is on the negative side.
- Read other blogs – if you read enough blogs out there, you'll get a good idea of what works and what doesn't. Also, by following blogs related to your industry, you can stay on top of events, news and issues important both to you and your readers. You may also gain ideas for future posts on your own blog.
Tags: Blog, Bloggers, Blogging, Catchy Titles, Curious Readers, Event Planning, Indust, Job, Meeting Planning, Nbsp, Quality Content, Readership, Reason, Second Choice, Success, Time Reading, Wayside
23 Sep 09 How to Lighten Your Workload
Event planning takes a great deal of time and energy. There are a great many details that go into the smooth transition from a client’s request for an event to making that event come to life. How can you lighten your load and become more efficient as an event planner?
Instead of filling out forms and emailing them to you, require that participants use online registration forms. These are stored in an online database that you can access at any time. Using an online registration form cuts down on the amount of data entry work that you have to do.
Online registration forms can effectively cut down on other aspects of your work. They can be set to respond to online registrations by emailing receipts and any event materials that are needed for the conference. Everyone who is registered can be emailed a reminder about the upcoming event with just one click of your mouse.
This software keeps you up to date should someone cancel as well. The registrant can simply go online and cancel his registration and your file is updated immediately. The more information a registrant has access to online, the less time you will spend repeating things over and over. Give online registration forms for your next event and discover how much time and energy you save.
Tags: Data Entry, Discover, Event Materials, Event Planner, Event Planning, Filling Out Forms, Mouse Software, Online Registration, Participants, Receipts, Registrant, Registration Form, Registration Forms, Registrations, Reminder, Smooth Transition
17 Jul 09 Event Planner Certification
Meeting and Event Planning is a multi-billion dollar industry, and corporations are recognizing the need for meeting planners to hone their skills and to become more proficient at what they do. Too much money is at stake! Associations raise much of their yearly operating funds from their annual meeting, and many non-profit organizations raise a high percentage of their funds from special events.
There are several associations of Meeting Professionals that are dedicated to the education of meeting and event planners. More and more colleges and universities are offering certificate programs as well as degree programs in Meeting and Event Planning.
Having the right certification and education will help meeting and planners not only get the projects they want, but also offers the skills and knowledge to succeed.
Tags: Annual Meeting, Certificate Programs, Colleges And Universities, Corporations, Degree Programs, Dollar Industry, Education, Event Planner Certification, Event Planners, Event Planning, Meeting Planners, Meeting Planning, Much Money, Profit Organizations, Stake
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Corporate Meeting Planner Resources
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