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
21 Jul 10 Meeting Planner Self-Assessment
If you are a meeting/event planner that needs to have a way to perform a self-evaluation, consider the following points:
• Don’t look at success – The success of a meeting can, and probably will, be claimed by other parties. When an event or meeting does not go as planned, the onus of responsibility tends to land on the shoulders of meeting planner. This is certainly unfair, so look at the matter analytically and discover why some things and other things do not.
• Don’t look only for failures – It is easy to think that it is easier to learn from failures than success, but this is not necessarily true. Learn from everything you can.
• Create checklists – Create checklists and try to quantify the steps to what your organization considers to be a great meeting. Isolate those factors that you can control, and focus on those. Keep records in case the blame starts to roll downhill in an unfair manner, but be wary of pointing fingers uphill.
• Compare notes – Ask others for honest feedback and ideas for improvement. Remember that doing a good job is less important than finding subtle ways to remind others that you do a good job. Show your professionalism by looking for ways to improve your performance and add to your job-related skills.
Knowing how you stack up in these ways can help you negotiate raises and bonuses more effectively.
Tags: Event Planner, Good Job, Honest Feedback, Meeting Planner, Onus, Pointing Fingers, Professionalism, Rsquo, Self Assessment, Self Evaluation, Shoulders, Subtle Ways, Success
05 May 10 Selling Your Conference Session
Meeting planners work untold hours on all kind of conference details: selecting the venue, organizing the food and beverages that will be served, hiring the speaker, etc. These are essentials, but don’t forget the objective is to get people into learning sessions.
All conference attendees know about a session is what they read in the promotional packet you’ve provided. Have you thought about what elements draw their attention? The first thing they see is the session’s title. If the title is boring, their eyes will probably never slide over to the description of the session. Which session would you rather attend: A Comprehensive Dissertation on Parboiling Poultry Ovum or How to Boil an Egg? Both seem a bit boring, however the second description the better description.
Adding an element of humor to a session title can entice people to read the session description. Think of the titles of bestselling books such as How I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression by Erma Bombeck or Don’t Bend Over in the Garden Granny, You Know Them Taters Got Eyes by Lewis Grizzard. A catchy title entices people to check out the session. Keep in mind that the session has a learning objective and the title should reflect the purpose of the session.
Tags: Bestselling Books, Catchy Title, Conference Attendees, Conference Details, Conference Planners, Conference Session, Dissertation, Erma Bombeck, Food And Beverages, Garden Granny, How To Boil An Egg, Lewis Grizzard, Meeting Planners, Ovum, Post Natal Depression, Poultry, Rsquo, Session Description, Session Title, Venue
03 May 10 Positive Body Language
How important is body language in communicating with clients? Emails, texting, twittering, and phone conversations make up a great deal of client interaction, but how important is your body language when you meet face to face or through a video conference? According to a research psychologist at UCLA words make up just 7% of your communication with others. Body language weighs in at a hefty 55% of your interpersonal communication. The third component, tonality, is responsible for 38% of your communication skills. Remember when your mother told you “don’t take that tone with me?” She was right on the money.
Positive body language puts clients at ease and increases their confidence in you as a meeting planner. Good eye contact without staring is one example of positive body language. Uncrossed arms and legs convey an open attitude. Daintily locked ankles hint at resistance to an idea. Relax your shoulders and allow your arms and legs to fall naturally. Smile and nod occasionally when the other person is speaking. Nodding in this context communicates that you are listening, not necessarily agreeing.
Mirroring the other person’s body language can build rapport. Unconsciously, both parties believe they are on mutual ground and feel safer. This usually happens without notice and should not be forced. How and what your body communicates builds the memory clients retain about any meeting. Make sure it is a positive one.
Tags: Ankles, Arms And Legs, Body Language, Client Interaction, Communication Skills, Communication With Others, Confidence, Eye Contact, Good Eye, Interpersonal Communication, Meeting Planner, Open Attitude, Phone Conversations, Research Psychologist, Resistance, Rsquo, Shoulders, Tonality, Ucla, Video Conference
16 Apr 10 After the Meeting is Over
Everyone enjoys and needs positive feedback. Negative feedback can be very hard to take, especially if it is not constructive. For example, we are all quick to tell our supplier if the order is wrong yet seldom send our compliments when things run smoothly. Do you seek feedback and if so, from whom?
Have you ever included a customer satisfaction survey in an event packet or asked guests to fill out a feedback form before they went home? This can be a good way to get a fix on what worked for meeting participants and what did not. You can’t please everyone but when several people complain about the same thing, it indicates a problem that needs to be addressed.
Do you check in with vendors and convention centers that you have used? A courtesy call after the even can strengthen your relationship with vendors and make the next planning period go more smoothly. Feedback from a hotel or convention center helps a meeting planner tweak the next event, perhaps in small ways, to make it a positive experience for everyone.
Don’t forget to give feedback as well. Even in the most nightmarish situation, someone did something right. Never allow your frustration with glitches to overshadow your appreciation for jobs well done.
Tags: Compliments, Courtesy Call, Customer Satisfaction Survey, Frustration, Glitches, Jobs, Meeting Planner, Negative Feedback, Nightmarish Situation, Participants, People, Positive Feedback, Relationship, Rsquo, Tweak
12 Apr 10 Adding the Northern Lights to Your Honeymoon Cruise
Many people love the summer months and they seem ideal for a wedding. Flowers burst into bloom and all that gorgeous sunshine represents the glow surrounding a new life together. Consider the 49th state for the ceremony, and then embark on a honeymoon cruise that includes a spectacular view of the aurora borealis. The famous Northern Lights add a romantic mystique to a honeymoon that is hard to find anywhere else.
People often worry that it will rain on their wedding day, but hot temperatures can be just as disruptive to a summer wedding particularly if it is held outdoors. Alaskan summer temperatures are in the mid 60’s, which is ideal for food, flowers, and stress levels. Alaska Glacier Weddings can help plan a Rainforest Garden wedding. Can there be a more romantic backdrop for a ceremony than a beautiful rainforest canopy complete with waterfall?
After the ceremony, the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship is available for a seven-day trip starting in Juneau, moving to British Columbia, and finishing in Seattle. The couple enjoys all the luxury of an all-inclusive Royal Caribbean Cruise plus glaciers, whale watching, and the spectacular Northern Lights. Don’t let the summer heat melt your wedding plans, have a cruise wedding in Alaska.
Tags: 49th State, Alaska Glacier, Aurora Borealis, Cruise Ship, Food Flowers, Garden Wedding, Glacier Weddings, Honeymoon Cruise, Moving To British Columbia, Rainforest Canopy, Rainforest Garden, Rhapsody Of The Seas, Rhapsody Of The Seas Cruise, Romantic Backdrop, Royal Caribbean Cruise, Rsquo, Stress Levels, Summer Temperatures, Summer Wedding, Wedding Flowers
05 Apr 10 Dos and Don’ts While in New Orleans
Have you ever planned a meeting in New Orleans? If you haven’t you certainly should. It is a city unlike any other in the world, an epicenter of gracious dining and jazz
Don’t book a hotel on Bourbon Street. For small meetings, consider one of the smaller hotels like Loft 523. Located a few blocks off Canal Street, the atmosphere is more conducive to work and play and is still within easy reach of the city’s nightlife. International House, sister hotel to Loft 523, is a block away and offers work out facilities and takes care of room service for both hotels. The hotel is within walking distance of the French Quarter, the Aquarium, and Harrah’s Casino.
Don’t plan a meeting mid afternoon in the summertime. New Orleans is famous for her humid climate. Take advantage of cool mornings for work and relax by the pool or indulge in a nap during the afternoon.
Don’t start a diet the day before your trip. New Orleans is renowned for excellent cuisine. Please try the oysters; if you care for them at all, you won’t be sorry. Eat lightly during the day and enjoy a leisurely supper.
Don’t wear Mari Gras beads, unless it actually is Mardi Gras. It’s just tacky.
Tags: Aquarium, Bourbon Street, Canal Street, Epicenter, French Quarter, Gras Beads, Humid Climate, International House, Loft 523, Mardi Gras, Mari Gras, Mid Afternoon, Nap, New Orleans, Oysters, Rsquo, S Casino, Sister Hotel, Summertime, Walking Distance
26 Mar 10 Do You Tweet? Part 2
Promoting an upcoming event is a critical skill for a meeting and event planner. Social networking applications, such as Twitter, can make the promotion process faster and more exciting. Most people agree that once you catch on the joy of the tweet, there is no going back.
Twitter users can send a tweet to an individual, a group, or make a public tweet that is available to anyone. Confidential information must be kept private, so tweet thoughtfully and with care. Once you’ve opened your Twitter account and sent out a few experimental tweets, the next step is keeping track of incoming responses. Many people find Tweetdeck a useful tool.
Tweetdeck is an application compatible with PCs and iPhones that allows users to sign in, check their tweets, and organize followers into groups. Twitter doesn’t allow sorting followers into groups, one of the main advantages of a Tweetdeck account. It allows users to separate messages to business clients from those sent to friends or family members.
Become a follower. More and more people are joining Twitter; your clients, vendors, and professional organizations may be among them. Stay professional and use complete words at least when texting clients. Your sister might understand “How r u?” but texting abbreviations could leave your clients unimpressed.
Tags: Abbreviations, Business Clients, Confidential Information, Critical Skill, Event Planner, Family Members, Follower, Followers, Friends, Iphones, Meeting Planner, Networking Applications, Professional Organizations, Rsquo, Social Networking, That Allows Users, Tweet, Tweets
25 Mar 10 LANDRY & KLING and SEASITE.COM APPOINT MARK PHILLIPS, FORMER STARCITE EXEC, AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
For oceans of information, visit www.landrykling.com or www.seasite.com or call 800-448-9002.
Tags: Chief Operating Officer, Cruise Portal, Cruise Products, Defining Moment, Development Marketing, Event Planners, Financial Times, Global Sales, Growth Initiatives, International Markets, Kling Inc, Landry And Kling, Mark Phillips, Meetings Industry, Operational Efficiencies, Rsquo, Seasite, Starcite Inc, Strategic Partnerships, Travel Professionals
04 Feb 10 Engage Your Customer – Offer Them Benefits
Think quick. In 10 seconds, can you list the 5 key benefits you offer your customers?
I bet you said “Yes”. But are you sure you listed benefits? If you’ll bear with me for another 10 seconds, I’d like to test out a theory on you.
Recap your answers – maybe even write them down. Now list the 5 main things your meeting planning business does. In other words, what are your 5 core services? What are the 5 core features of your service?
If your first list looks anything like your second, chances are you’re mistaking features for benefits. As a result, it’s likely that your marketing materials aren’t engaging your customer. Customers don’t want to know what you can do. They want to know what you can do FOR THEM.
Don’t talk features – talk benefits. (more…)
Tags: Benefit, Bet, Business Owners, Circles, Core Features, Core Services, Dramatic Effect, Favour, Hitting The Mark, Light Years, Marketing Managers, Marketing Materials, Meeting Planning, Rsquo, Second Chances, Server Clusters, Uptime, Web Copy, Web Host
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