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
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
26 Jul 10 Themed Events, Colors, and Relaxation Are All Important Aspects to Consider
Companies do not have to ensure that all meetings and events are completely bland and uninteresting, even if that does have a certain old-guard appeal. Instead, consider the possibility that meetings can have elements of a party and that events could be given a theme to follow. The following ideas are not necessarily appropriate for all businesses at all times, but they may just make the daily grind a little less stressful for some:
• Holidays can be fun – Holidays can be fun, but do not go overboard. Not everyone seems to agree that celebrating holidays is fun, and some people seem more interested in complaining about cultural and religious influences than they do on having a good time. Colored napkins and other basic items that lack iconography could be appropriate and thematic.
• Colors for other purposes – There are many different non-holiday applications for colors as well. Colors can be chosen by departments or as part of promotions, and placing those colors everywhere can help build a sense of visual continuity.
• Events – Remember to take a break from the norm and relax a little bit. Some companies have discovered that short rest periods built into meetings or other events actually improve productivity instead of taking away from productivity as one might normally assume.
Tags: Applications, Break, Colors, Continuity, Elements, Fun People, Having A Good Time, Holidays, Little Bit, Meetings And Events, Napkins, Norm, Productivity, Promotions, Relax, Relaxation, Religious Influences, Rest Periods, Themed Events
12 Jul 10 Choosing Destinations
When it is time to plan a meeting, there are plenty of possibilities. The brochures and promotional materials make sound arguments in favor of many different venues, but ultimately a single venue must be selected for a single event. Here are some ideas to help you effectively reduce the number of options being seriously considered:
• To go all the way or not – If you are too busy to plan every little detail, look for all-inclusive options that handle some or all of the planning for you. This can lead to significant time savings and surprisingly, as well as a tangible amount of money saved.
• Local or long distance – There are both local venues and venues in other cities. If all the participants are from your city, then a local venue might make sense unless travel and attendance is to be considered a perk. If customers are the focus of the meeting/event, then go where they are.
• By land or by sea – Do not discount cruise ships as venues for meetings and events. In fact, cruise ships make amazing destinations for many different kinds of events. Remember that cruise events are more appropriate for certain audiences and companies than other.
• Consider price – Price is important, but that makes apples to apples comparisons difficult.
Tags: Amount Of Money, Apples To Apples, Attendance, Audiences, Brochures, Cruise Events, Cruise Ships, Different Kinds, Discount Cruise, Long Distance, Meetings And Events, Might Make Sense, Participants, Possibilities, Promotional Materials, Significant Time, Sound Arguments, Time Savings, Venue
09 Jul 10 The Value of Great Gifts
Businesses often find that offering affordable trinkets as incentives makes participation at meetings and events more personal. Furthermore, the trinkets and gifts often prove to be tangible reminders of the relationship between the participant and host, but that means that there is a potential for both good and bad gifts to make an impression. Here is how to decide which kind of gift or trinket you need to consider:
Saving is good, but too much of a good thing is a bad thing – It is important to stay on a budget, especially for a company looking to enhance their bottom line. It is also possible to be too frugal, and that can ruin the investment in the meeting or event itself while still costing money.
Branding – If a company buys trinkets and wants recipients to know where they came from in a year, then they need to associate that item/trinket with the brand. This is easily done with simply adding a logo, which is rarely expensive.
Buy in bulk – It might be intimidating to look at pricing for branded or even non-branded trinkets until you discover that bulk prices are available for almost everything.
Needs and appropriate gifts – Choose gifts that will be appreciated. A USB key might be great for a meeting of staff accountants, but the IT gurus probably have more USB devices than they need and are unlikely to appreciate anything but the most high-tech of gizmos.
Tags: Bottom Line, Budget, Buy In Bulk, Gizmos, Great Gifts, Gurus, Incentives, Investment, Meetings And Events, Money, Participant, Participation, Personal Gifts, Relationship, Staff Accountants, Tangible Reminders, Trinket, Trinkets, Usb Devices, Usb Key
02 Jul 10 What Does Your Choice of Venue Say About You?
Meeting and event planners often have many choices in venues whether they know it or not. While the boss or powers that be might specify a particular venue, it should not be assumed that such specific requests mean that the powers that be are not open to other ideas unless explicitly stated. Knowing what your choice in venue says about you is important; perception is reality after all. Consider the following when thinking about different venue possibilities:
Hotels – Hotels are tried and true venues for meetings and events, but they also show a lack of imagination and a commitment to doing things the traditional way. Traditional businesses tend to behave in very specific ways and are not fond of change.
Cruise ships – Cruise ships show an amazing flair for the dramatic and an appreciation for the finer things in life. Hosting meetings and/or events on a cruise ship shows that you value the other party/parties, and that you are not bound by the confines the old ways of doing business.
Convention centers – Convection centers generally have big and small chambers, but even hosting in a small chamber gives the appearance of a large organization with significant reach.
BBB conference rooms – Many local BBB offices have chambers that can be rented, and they lend a significant amount of credibility at bargain basement prices.
Tags: Bargain Basement Prices, Bbb Offices, Business Convention, Chambers, Confines, Convection, Credibility, Cruise Ship, Cruise Ships, Doing Business, Event Planners, Finer Things In Life, Flair, Imagination, Large Organization, Meetings And Events, Party Parties, Perception, Possibilities, Traditional Businesses
16 Jun 10 Cruise Meetings are Affordable
When many people think of cruises, they do not think about work. While everyone is free to have their own mental images to do with as they wish, the fact is that cruises are actually cost effective solutions for holding meetings in many cases. In fact, there are entire industries where few options for hosting meetings or events make as much sense as cruise meetings do.
Consider the alternatives for a moment, and a better picture will emerge. Renting hotel suites and a banquet hall can be expensive and somewhat bland. Add to this expenses related to catering and entertainment, and even basic meetings hosted at a hotel and/or conference center can become very expensive indeed. All of these facilities are available on a single cruise liner at prices that cannot be matched; it is like putting all of the resources under one roof, managed by a single business.
Anyone who knows a good deal about businesses and pricing can probably appreciate the value of allowing a single company to leverage its size and buying power to return the lowest cost possible. This not only makes cruise meetings a very practical alternative to hotels and/or conference centers, it makes cruise ships significantly more fun. Add to this the incentive value of bringing top talent, partners, and clients on the trip, and it is clear why many organizations host their meetings and events at sea.
Tags: Banquet Hall, Cost Effective, Cruise Liner, Cruise Prices, Cruise Ships, Cruises, Effective Solutions, Few Options, Hosting, Hotel Suites, Hotels, Many People, Meetings And Events, Mental Images, Single Company, Talent Partners
26 May 10 Two Critical Skills of a Cruise Meeting Planner
Two critical skills of a cruise meeting or event planner, and how to build them at your current job
Planning cruise meetings and cruise events can be a rewarding carrier, but it takes a certain kind of personality to be successful. Luckily, most of the skills involved in planning cruise meetings and events can be cultivated. Here are the two most basic skills required, and ways to cultivate them at your current job:
Planning backwards – events are often scheduled at specific dates and times, regardless of the planning necessary. This means that time management skills and thinking in a reverse-linear fashion are required. Starting with the event itself, what would have to be prepared? Booking of rooms, suites, conference centers, equipment, and travel arrangements. Starting with the most critical things first, a smart travel planner will plan his or her way back to today. For example, one could start by booking the rooms and conference center on a cruise liner before booking speakers and their flights and communicating dietary needs. Try project planning whenever possible to build this skill.
Planning around complaints – It is not possible to make everyone happy, but a successful cruise planner will ensure that they have prepared plenty of alternatives and options to overcome objections of participants. Speakers and performers are notoriously difficult to deal with, so be prepared to offer cabin upgrades and alternative meals before calling their representatives. To build this particular skill, try practicing dealing with difficult customers if possible.
Tags: Booking Speakers, Critical Skills, Cruise Events, Cruise Liner, Cruise Planner, Current, Dealing With Difficult Customers, Event Planner, Flights, Linear Fashion, Meeting Planner, Meetings And Events, Objections, Participants, Personality, Project Planning, Smart Travel, Time Management Skills, Travel Arrangements, Travel Planner
10 May 10 Landry & Kling Announces Seasite.com Online Community Powered by i-Meet
Social Media Strategy Launches for Planners and Suppliers; Technology Partnership Connects Customers, Embraces Open Communication
MIAMI–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Cruise event specialists Landry & Kling Inc. have announced a strategic partnership between their company Seasite.com, the first cruise portal for meetings and events, and i-Meet.com, the professional and social network for meeting and event planners and suppliers.
“Facebook and Twitter are important to our overall social media strategy, but with our new Seasite online community, we’re giving our customers and users an expanded experience in i-Meet’s global community”
The partnership introduces a unique, online community on i-Meet.com for Seasite.com users and prospects worldwide. Leveraging i-Meet’s fast-growing network and social media platform, Seasite’s online community will feature industry leading technology, group special interest “hot spots”, and provide a way for people to connect and interact with over 20,000 industry professionals around the world.
“Our customers have expressed an interest in a community-based social platform to complement Seasite’s cruise sourcing and planning tools,” said Jo Kling, CEO of Seasite.com. “We are excited to be partnering with i-Meet and its meetings industry-specific social network approach; we can now deliver a unique experience to our customers that’s in line with the way people do business today.”
“It’s really a very natural progression to introduce social networking to cruise meetings customers,” said John Pino, i-Meet’s Founder and CEO, “and marrying Seasite’s cruise sourcing technology with an online communications and collaboration channel enabled through i-Meet’s global community of planners, buyers and suppliers will create advantages for everyone.”
“Facebook and Twitter are important to our overall social media strategy, but with our new Seasite online community, we’re giving our customers and users an expanded experience in i-Meet’s global community,” said Jo Kling “This is an industry first that will allow our users to network with other professionals and communicate what’s on their minds.”
The partnership will allow the growth of active mini-communities for i-Meet and Seasite.com members based on their areas of interest. The groups will be hosted and administered by Seasite’s expert cruise industry professionals. “Friend-ing” others, “following” suppliers, and subscribing to and publishing blogs will round out the experience.
About Landry & Kling and Seasite.com
Landry & Kling Inc., cruise event specialists since 1982, recently introduced Seasite.com, the first online cruise platform for meeting professionals. Seasite is an industry sourcing tool to search, select and plan group cruises, with access to 35 cruise lines in one site, meeting-friendly search criteria, e-RFP’s, meeting/function room capacities, dining details and other unique tools available nowhere else. Visit www.seasite.com or www.landrykling.com.
About i-Meet
Created by the Founder of StarCite, www.i-Meet.com is focused on building the industry’s most relevant worldwide online community for the meeting and event industry. With 20,000 members from 130 countries around the world to date, i-Meet brings social networking, web 2.0 tools, work flow and relationship opportunities, and industry intelligence to its members and suppliers. Visit i-meet.com.
Contacts
i-Meet.com
Chip Stockman, 610-999-2186
cstockman@i-meet.com
or
Seasite.com
Maureen McKeon, 305-661-1880
mmckeon@seasite.com
Tags: Cruise Portal, Eastern Daylight Time, Event Planners, Facebook, Global Community, Kling Inc, Leading Technology, Media Platform, Media Strategy, Meetings And Events, Meetings Industry, Natural Progression, Open Communication, Social Network Approach, Social Networking, Social Platform, Sourcing Technology, Strategic Partnership, Technology Partnership, Twitter
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
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