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
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
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
28 Jun 10 Best Cities for Meeting Planners
Businesses all over the world need meeting planners, but there are some cities that are simply more desirable than others when it comes to being a meeting planner. Here are a list of great cities to consider moving to if you are a meeting planner:
Chattanooga, TN – The seat of Hamilton county is one of the most affordable places to live, is gorgeous, is situated close to Memphis and Knoxville, and has a booming tech sector that needs more meeting planners by the day.
Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas is one of the most desirable cities to live in primarily because its night life is its day life too; this city never even thinks about sleeping. Convention centers, buffets, attractions and more all make Las Vegas a great place for an active meeting planner to live in.
New York City, NY – New York is often called the capital of the world, and it certainly is one of the most popular places for a meeting planner to make a living. While everyone else says that if they can make it in the Big Apple then they can make it anywhere, it is not difficult for meeting planners to find work in New York City.
San Diego, CA – San Diego has great attractions, parks, and several large corporations that need meeting and event planners.
Tags: Apple, Best Cities, Buffets, Chattanooga Tn, Event Planners, Hamilton County, Large Corporations, Las Vegas, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planners, Memphis, Moving, Need Meeting, New York City, Night Life, San Diego Ca, Vegas Nv
25 Jun 10 Different Venues for Different Meeting Types/Sizes
Meeting and event planners are often expected to automatically know exactly where to go for almost any meeting or event. Instead of being caught flatfooted when asked for suggestions, it pays to know at least a dozen or so local venues and be ready with pricing information. Even if that pricing information is outdated, it should not be too far from accurate. Here are a few ideas of places to hold off-site meetings:
Local hotels – Most hotels of any substantially size have some sort of conference center, and may also offer catering services. Larger hotels typically have larger conference centers and better deals on rooms and/or catering.
BBB – Many local BBB offices have meeting halls, but they do tend to be limited in size and slightly expensive. On the upside, these facilities do tend to be very professional and can help add credibility to sales presentations.
Chamber of Commerce – Similar to BBB offices, many local Chambers of Commerce have meeting rooms that will lend a professional edge to any meeting. Many sales organizations find Chambers of Commerce help them close deals that are on the brink of falling apart.
Religious Community Centers – Many small churches, temples, and synagogues have given way to larger centralized facilities that have their own meeting halls. In most cases, these halls come both in denominational and secular varieties.
Tags: Bbb Offices, Brink, Catering Services, Centralized Facilities, Chamber Of Commerce, Chambers Of Commerce, Churches, Credibility, Event Planners, Hotels, Meeting Planners, Meeting Rooms, Professional Edge, Religious Community, Sales Organizations, Sales Presentations, Synagogues, Temples
23 Jun 10 Meeting Planners Are in High Demand
With the economy not being in the best of shapes, many people are looking for new jobs that are less disposable and/or difficult to outsource. Meeting planners are actually both. The two primary reasons for this are fairly simple: humans have a basic need to meet over business issues, and competition for lucrative business options continues to increase year after year regardless of the economic situation.
The best reason is arguably the fact that humans have a basic ability to measure honesty, intent, and integrity. That ability can only be used in person, and no technology has come up with a workaround for this. Even the latest video conferencing technology is simply no substitute for an in-person meeting. For this reason alone, meeting planners will always have a job in modern business culture until technology can manage pull off a modern-miracle.
As business continues to become increasingly competitive, meetings become increasingly important. This means more competitive meetings that do not skimp on the polish and niceties, and that in turn means that meeting planners will not only continue to be essential but also a valued part of the company. Since few companies can cut off their noses despite their faces, it would seem that meeting planners are likely to stick around and be valued parts of companies for the foreseeable future.
Tags: Business Culture, Business Issues, Business Options, Economic Situation, Economy, Faces, Foreseeable Future, Honesty, Integrity, Job, Lucrative Business, Many People, Meeting Planners, Miracle, New Jobs, Niceties, Noses, Shapes, Video Conferencing Technology, Workaround
18 Jun 10 Frugal Meeting Planners
Meeting planners that are looking for ways to find cost-effective meeting locations are often under a lot of pressure. After all, the boss probably wants an unreasonable number of people to be hosted in a large area for a price that is entirely unreasonable by most standards. There are a few options, however, and these options are perfect for meeting planners with bosses that happen to be a little too frugal.
Consider local parks – Many local parks have shaded areas that are both scenic and free! The lawn chairs might be expensive, and make the meeting less than formal, but it would be hard to beat the local park for a location that is both affordable and unique.
Movie theaters – Believe it or not, many movie theaters offer weekday morning access to their theaters for a fairly reasonable price. Deposits tend to be a little on the high side if the projection equipment will be used, but you can generally get it back immediately after the projection equipment is inspected.
Libraries – Many public libraries also have small conference rooms that range from free to very affordable, but you will have to keep the noise down.
Coffee shops – If the meeting or event is not going to be packed with secret information, a local coffee shop or restaurant can be an affordable location and makes choosing a catering service much easier!
Tags: Boss, Catering Service, Coffee Shop, Coffee Shops, Cost Effective, Effective Meeting, Lawn Chairs, Local Park, Meeting Planners, Movie Theaters, Noise Down, Projection Equipment, Public Libraries, Secret Information, Shaded Areas, Unreasonable Number, Weekday Morning
14 Jun 10 Meeting Planners That Save Money Can Earn Big
Meeting planners are often called upon to schedule meetings and other events, but there is often a sub-surface conflict that rarely gets addressed. The issue is the bottom line: money. Simply put, meeting planners that learn how to go about their tasks cost effectively can become very popular with the powers that be. Here are some tips:
Skip the Starbucks and buy and cappuccino machine – Spending money for coffees at a meeting seems like a great idea, and it is if it is a rare treat. Instead, look into purchasing a cappuccino machine and make delicious caffeinated beverages on the spot. It saves money in the long run while simultaneously making the business look as if it cares a lot about the comfort level of its staff.
Colored markers – Markers are great tools, but they do not all have to be black or red. It is easier to express many different statistics with many different colors, and colored markers are not very expensive. More lively presentations and a lack of confusion at prices comparable to what people pay for black or red markers is a bargain by any definition.
Whiteboards and rubbing alcohol – School districts on a limited budget already know this truck, but not all businesses do; wiping down whiteboards after a meeting is important, but water alone will not do the trick. Instead, use rubbing alcohol for a deep clean that will extend the life of a whiteboard substantially.
Saving money in these ways is a great way to justify a promotion for any meeting planner.
Tags: Bottom Line, Caffeinated Beverages, Cappuccino Machine, Coffees, Colored Markers, Conflict, Confusion, Different Colors, Great Tools, Lively Presentations, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planners, Rubbing Alcohol, Saving Money, Schedule Meetings, School Districts, Spending Money, Starbucks, Whiteboard, Whiteboards
11 Jun 10 The Importance of Seating in a Meeting
Many new meeting planners might overlook the importance of proper seating, but veteran meeting planners already know that seating can be everything. The problem is that many participants in the meeting have their own ideas about how seating should work, and few of those ideas tend to be compatible.
For example, everyone wants to be on the boss’s right hand side, but nobody wants to sit near Steve from accounting due to the fact that his gout medication gives him indigestion. Unfortunately, someone has to sit next to Steve and not everyone can suck up to the boss at the same time.
Here are a few things to consider when arranging seats:
- Bosses traditionally go on the end of the table, but consider suggesting a more central location. Better yet, it might be wise to plan two or three seats that will change for different stages of the meeting so long as the boss is amenable to such an idea.
- Keep seats arranged in such a way that everyone is facing the same direction whenever possible. Unity is hard to achieve when people are opposing one another even in the manner in which they sit.
- Those who do happen to be somewhat unpopular might be a good person to seat next to the boss. Getting close to one means getting close to the other, a balance few will ignore.
Tags: Accounting, Boss, Central Location, Different Stages, Good Person, Gout, Gout Medication, Indigestion, Medication, Meeting Planners, New Meeting, Participants, Same Direction, Sit, Suck, Unity, Veteran
07 Jun 10 Meeting Planners Make Breaking the Ice Easier
Most meetings come with a measure of tension integrated deeply into their very fabric. This is not unexpected because two or more parties tend to be attempting to both work to their individual benefit, but a smart meeting planner can actually reduce this tension in a few ways. Reducing tension can create a meeting environment that is more productive and causes all parties involved to work to their mutual benefit rather than look for individual opportunities that tend to come at the expense of one another.
Tables and presentation tools – Tables and presentation tools should be arranged in such a fashion that everyone is facing the same direction. The subliminal message of seating rivals or separate parties facing one another are those of conflict, but seating people side by side creates a sense of cooperation. Make sure that the room and charts/presentation materials are properly set up.
Lighting is important – Many venues, especially corner offices, have a tendency to pick up light at specific times of the morning or afternoon. Heightened light levels that are directional in nature tend to make some parties feel as if they are being assaulted by the light, and they may become less friendly as a result.
Comfort is paramount – everyone involved in a meeting should be made to feel comfortable. A stellar meeting planner knows this and makes preparations ranging from special meals and drinks down to height adjustable chairs for the vertically challenged.
Tags: Adjustable Chairs, Breaking The Ice, Conflict, Cooperation, Drinks, Environment, Fabric, Fashion, Lighting, Meeting Planner, Meeting Planners, Mutual Benefit, Nature, Paramount, Presentation Materials, Presentation Tools, Rivals, Subliminal Message, Tendency, Tension
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