19 Feb 10 Balancing Planning Activities for Small and Large Events
Corporate meeting planners who are in charge of planning everything from weekly meetings to annual events constantly have a lot on their plate. Because the larger events and conferences are much more time-consuming and are typically the priority as far as planning resources are concerned, it can be easy to put off planning tasks for the weekly meetings, or to simply run out of time when attempting to pull together the larger events.
If the regularly scheduled meetings are check-ins, committee meetings that stick to specific topics or other meetings that are repetitive in nature, that will make your job a bit easier; however, there is still some planning that needs to take place on an ongoing basis and that cannot simply be put in place in the beginning like scheduling the room and equipment for a year of weekly meetings.
In order to keep these weekly or monthly meetings on track while focusing primarily on your larger responsibilities, setting up as much as you can beforehand and scheduling reminders will assist you in making sure you do not forget the tasks you need to complete for each meeting, such as confirming the room reservation, arranging for room set up, organizing the food and drinks, and sending out meeting reminders to the attendees.
Set up your email program, calendar, PDA or your mobile phone to notify you with reminders and you will be able to keep your smaller meetings just as well-organized as your major annual events.
Tags: Attendees, Committee Meetings, Conferences, Corporate Meeting Planners, Events Planners, Food And Drinks, Ins, Job, Mobile Phone, More Time Consuming, Organizing, Pda, Planning Resources, Priority, Program Calendar, Reminders, Room Reservation, Scheduling
25 Jan 10 Adding Unique Additions to Your Meeting Planning Services
Every meeting planner needs a niche. While you are sure to continue getting clients when offering generic meeting planning services, finding a niche or offering something a little different to your clients is the best way to really make a name for yourself and stand out from the masses of meeting planners in the industry.
You may choose to cater to a specific type of corporate clients, to become well-known as a green meeting planner, become famous for your ability to plan exceptional international meetings or become the go-to planner for companies looking for exceptional quality on a budget. Whichever type of niche you choose, specializing is a great way to make your job easier, focus on work that you truly enjoy and increase awareness of your meeting planning services.
When it comes to adding special services to your meeting planning, it could be as simple as offering something inexpensive and easy to organize, such as an opening meditation with a meditation instructor. Meditation instructors are easy to find in just about any meeting destination and can help meeting attendees center themselves before getting down to business.
This is a great way to assist attendees in setting aside outside stresses and refraining from thinking about everything else going on in their lives so that they can focus on the task at hand. This will also improve productivity during the meeting, which will please your client, make the event memorable and make you look even more effective as a planner.
Tags: Additions, Attendees, Budget, Corporate Clients, Focus, Getting Down To Business, International Meetings, Job, Meditation Instructor, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planners, Meeting Planning Services, Niche, Opening Meditation, Organize, Productivity, Stresses
15 Jan 10 Expanding Your Knowledge of Cultural Differences and Similarities
Understanding and respecting cultural differences is an important part of planning successful meetings for diverse clients and companies, and ensuring that you do not commit unnecessary faux pas that could have been avoided. Having a basic understanding of the etiquette used in different cultures, dietary restrictions and preferences, and some of the interesting aspects that make each culture unique will assist you in planning effective, appropriate meetings and will certainly help you make a name for your business as a respectful, culturally-sensitive meeting planning service that goes the extra mile to ensure your events meet your clients’ needs.
Expanding your cultural horizons to broaden your understanding of various cultures will also make your job as a meeting planner easier. While you may not know everything there is to know about a specific diet, a particular rule of etiquette or which days are considered most auspicious for doing business, when you gain at least a basic understanding of different cultures, it will assist you in recognizing the kinds of questions to ask and the information and resources that can help you plan a great event. It also assists you in being respectful of possible cultural differences when communicating with clients and will make finding the resources you need quicker and easier.
Tags: Cultural Differences, Cultural Horizons, Diet, Dietary Restrictions, Different Cultures, Doing Business, Effective Meetings, Etiquette, Extra Mile, Information Resources, Job, Knowledge, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planning, Planning Service
08 Jan 10 The Importance of Knowing a Little About a Lot
Knowing at least a little about a lot of different topics is important to your success as a meeting planner. You never know when your next client might need food planned around a Hindu diet, may insist on a LEED-certified meeting location, will ask if you can arrange to feng shui the meeting space before their arrival, or will need a space that will accommodate attendees with various disabilities.
If you have taken the time to familiarize yourself with these particulars before you ever have a client in need of them, it will make the planning process much simpler and will allow you come across as knowledgeable and sensitive to their needs.
If you also acquire a basic understanding of the ins and outs of various industries, cultures, diets and more, it will help you communicate better with your diverse clientele and will certainly increase your referrals as folks who have a difficult time finding meeting planners sensitive to their needs will be happy to tell their friends and colleagues how wonderful you are.
While it may seem like it will take a lot of time and effort to increase your knowledge base on multiple fronts, it is well worth the effort. It will make your job easier in the long run and will open the door to an ever-expanding potential client base.
Tags: Attendees, Clientele, Colleagues, Cultures, Diets, Disabilities, Feng Shui, Food Diet, Hindu, Ins And Outs, Job, Knowledge Base, Lot, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planners, Meeting Space, Particulars, Planning Process, Referrals, Success
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
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
08 Sep 09 Is Design Really Important?
Event design is one of those things that may seem dispensable in these days of bad economies and bailouts. Many are afraid the public will scrutinize everything from the front door sign to how many post-it notes the company goes through a month; consequently they may question the need for good event design.
Your answer is simple but may be difficult to present. A company shows its colors with an event. While it may not need an appearance by the full performing lineup of the Cirque du Soleil, proper and aesthetic design of events will tell the world what it truly is.
As a planner, you have choices to help the client make. Is she going to go so cheap that the schedules will be hand written and photocopied, then left in a stack at each door? How about the reception? Will it be a cash bar with two kinds of drinks available, or will the client spring for something nicer?
Okay, so there is not a lot of money to play with here, so perhaps you can axe the reception in favor of an informal networking session. Instead of booze offer a small dessert cart with shot-glass samples of to-die-for confections. It may be a lot cheaper than the disastrous reception and will serve a better purpose. Observers would rather see a networking session than a bunch of drunks at a reception anyway.
That is just one example of how important design can be. Your job is to take it out of the handwritten schedule realm and make it look important, relevant, and productive.
Tags: Aesthetic Design, Appearance, Axe, Booze, Bunch Of Drunks, Choices, Cirque Du, Cirque Du Soleil, Cirque Soleil, Colors, Dessert Cart, Glass Samples, Important Event, Informal Networking, Job, Kinds Of Drinks, Lot, Networking Session, Observers, Shot Glass, Stack, Two Kinds
24 Aug 09 Let’s Talk in a Few Months
This is one of the ways businesses are putting off spending money. Delaying is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can make your job as a planner a little rough around the edges. Rather then let it completely fray you, here are two approaches to delays and cutbacks companies are currently experiencing.
Contact Them Before the Deadline
If someone says you should talk in a few months about scheduling the meeting, call them in a few weeks and see if anything has changed. Rather than feeling like you’re bothering them, they may appreciate that you were thinking of them. You can even say that on your call: “Okay, let me give you a call in a few weeks and see if that is still your target. It will help me plan better for you.” This way you get permission to make the call and you’re doing something special for them. (more…)
Tags: Assets, Business Course, Cancellation, Contact, Friendship, Grief, Job, Loyalty, Rough Around The Edges, Scheduling, Spending Money, Target, Virtual Meeting
15 Aug 09 How to Brand a Place
You probably know important a brand can be. It helps mark a product or service with a seal of quality and assurance. It also helps customers feel confidence with consistency, making the item worry-free. And let’s face it, who wants to worry?
You can also brand the places where you want to send your clients. Some places already have some strong branding going on. However, remember that a brand is only an interim step, a visual metaphor for the item on which it resides. To choose visual metaphors that will link your clients to destinations, think about how you would create a logo for the country.
Begin with a mind map. What words remind you of France? Great food, gardens, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and maybe a few other things pop into your mind. Keep that list handy and collect images that match those words. Then when you have a client who wants a European destination, get that file out and see what images and words match your client’s business or vacation desires.
Create a brand especially for that client. Let’s do one together. You have a client who owns an architecture firm. She wants a destination with culture and variety where she can take a short company meeting. You check your files and come up with art and music, then realize that a river cruise down the Danube may be exactly what she is looking for. You were able to go there based on that little bit of information because you took the time to brand the destination.
Branding is not only a way to match clients with destinations, but more to make your job easier. You may have gotten to the Danube cruise anyway, but you saved yourself a lot of work be branding. That’s time you can spend on other things.
Tags: Architecture Firm, Branding, Collect Images, Confidence, Consistency, Culture, Danube Cruise, Eiffel Tower, European Destination, Food Gardens, Handy, Interim Step, Job, Little Bit, Louvre, Match, Mind Map, River Cruise, Vacation Desires, Visual Metaphor, Visual Metaphors
17 Jun 09 International Meeting Planning Guide
As a meeting planner, chances are good that you will be faced with planning an international meeting at some point in your career. Although this can be a nail-biter of an experience for you, good contacts and communication can make the process go much smoother. Find these three potential allies to make your job smoother.
A Currency Expert
At some point you will need this friend in the money business. Use currency exchange specialists as often as you need so that you understand everything you need to about prices, hotel rates, and the cost of other necessities.
An Attorney
You should not sign any contract without the approval of an attorney who well-versed in international law. Make sure he or she answers all your questions and that you understand the contract before you commit to anything in it, especially if it involves large fines. (more…)
Tags: Allies, Citizens, Currency Exchange Specialists, Destination Country, Homework, Host Country, Host Culture, Hotel Rates, Job, Large Numbers, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planning, Money Business, Money Currency, Nail Biter, Necessities, Passports, Planning Guide, Relationship, Sensibilities, Visas
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