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
14 Jul 10 Is Your Business Ready to Plan Its First Event?
If your business seems like it is on the verge of making it big but needs something to carry it over a hurdle, then consider planning a major event. Events can include various departments, partners, suppliers, customers, or even a combination of elements of these different groups. Here are a few key signs that you need to start planning an event:
• Squeezing efficiency out of departments is becoming harder – It might be that the departments are on the verge of losing their self-motivation to perform at their best. Threatening to downsize or outsource only creates a workforce that is willing to work just enough to not lose their jobs. A nice company picnic event at the park might not cost much and it could inspire loyalty that is impossible to put a price on.
• Getting new customers to commit seems difficult – A tour complete with local business meetings, brunches, and seminars could inspire potential customers to take the leap and buy.
• Suppliers are becoming less reliable – In down economic times it pays to not only track companies surreptitiously via D&B and other services, but it pays to plan meetings and look the other party square in the eye. Never underestimate the value of a gut feeling when looking suppliers and partners in the eye.
Tags: Amp, Brunches, Business Meetings, Business Plan, Company Picnic, Economic Times, Efficiency, Elements, Gut Feeling, Hurdle, Jobs, Leap, Loyalty, Nice Company, Outsource, Self Motivation, Seminars, Signs, Verge, Workforce
22 Jan 10 Serve Your Clients Better by Taking Care of Yourself and Your Staff
Providing absolutely stellar meeting planning services is your main goal, as it should be. That is the only way to keep your clients coming back for more and to encourage satisfied clients to refer others to you for your services. You read the trade mags, attend seminars, stay up-to-date on the latest industry news and constantly seek out new, innovative ways to wow your clients and continuously upgrade the meeting planning services you provide.
All of these things are essential to your success; however, all of the knowledge and new ideas in the world will not help your company reach its full potential if you and your staff are overworked, tired and on the brink of burnout.
Here are four things you can do to take care of yourself and your staff, which will result in happier workers and happier clients:
1. Reward yourself and your staff by implementing incentive travel programs.
2. Treat yourself and your staff to a day at the spa once a year, once a month or as often as your budget will allow.
3. During staff check-ins, don’t just ask about which deadlines have been met. Also ask how they are doing with their workload and stay updated on non-work goings-on that might influence their work-life balance.
4. While your staff might be small, company-hosted family picnics or outings are still a fun, effective way to let off steam and create a family-friendly work atmosphere.
Tags: Brink, Budget, Burnout, Family Picnics, Incentive Travel Programs, Ins, Knowledge, Latest Industry News, Main Goal, Meeting Planning Services, Rsquo, Seminars, Spa, Staff Check, Steam, Success, Work Atmosphere, Work Life Balance, Workload, Wow
11 Jan 10 How to Know a Little Bit About a Lot
So, you have come to realize that knowing a little bit about a lot will make your job easier, instill greater confidence in your clients and will assist you in acquiring a more diverse clientele. Now, it is time to determine the best ways to begin expanding your knowledge and acquiring the information that will help you grow your meeting planning business and better serve your clients.
This is actually much easier than you might think and you can begin the journey to broaden your horizons right now. You probably already attend seminars and trade shows, read trade publications and search online for the latest news in the meeting planning industry, so all you need to do is take this desire to learn and grow, and apply it to other topics.
Here are two ways you can begin your journey towards learning about new cultures, diets, industries and other particulars:
1. Read. A lot. Whether it is an eco-friendly magazine, a book about a particular religion or websites with information about particular groups of people or particular industries, reading is a great way to begin this journey.
2. Watch documentaries. There are documentaries on everything from farming and healthcare to being vegan or growing up Amish. While it is important to be careful not to assume that everyone, or every company, in a group shares every characteristic, documentaries are a great way to learn something new without even having to leave the house.
Tags: Being Vegan, Clientele, Confidence, Cultures, Desire, Documentaries, Farming, Group Shares, Groups, Growing Up Amish, Horizons, Journey, Little Bit, Meeting Planning, New Diets, Particulars, Religion, Seminars, Trade Publications, Two Ways
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