Tips For Planning a Business Meeting or Event
One of the best tips for planning an
important business meeting or event, especially
a large one, is to consult with a professional
meeting planner.
These professionals bring meeting planning
expertise to the planning process and
can often save a company money by knowing
all the ins and outs of negotiating with
a meeting facility manager, a caterer and
other service providers. Also, professional
planners are adept at working within the
parameters of your budget while meeting
your goals for the event.
Professional meeting and event planners
provide valuable input by asking questions
that are not always obvious to inexperienced
planners. Also, if you have experience planning
functions, but you are out of ideas, then
a professional can fill that void and can manage
functions from conception through completion.
You can hire a professional to organize
your entire event or to oversee one aspect
of the meeting.
The professional meeting planner can help
you select a theme, choose a location, choose
a caterer, brainstorm ideas on décor and help
with budgeting, transportation, entertainment
and invitations.
During initial contact with a meeting
planner, try to have an idea of the event
date, the type of event, the number of
attendees, your budget, the need for audiovisual
equipment and if the event is in conjunction
with a larger conference. Also, the
demographics of those invited help determine
how formal the event should be, if
interpreters are needed, and the type of
food, entertainment and other services that
will be appropriate.
Carry a chosen theme throughout:
Select an overall theme for the program
that can be carried out and conveyed
through marketing, speaker selection, team
building, special events and more. This theme provides the bond that holds the
program together, creating a lasting and
memorable experience for the attendees.
Plan for your audience/goal:
Throughout the entire planning process,
never lose sight of the original goal of the
program. Is it to educate? Network? Launch
a new product? Entertain? Everything you
do should revolve around your desired goal
and contribute to its success. Keep in mind
your demographics and what has worked
well or not so well in past events or for your
competitors.
Market to your attendees:
Be creative so people are curious and
interested in attending. Come up with great
ideas by staying current with event industry trends to keep your programs (especially
annual ones) innovative and appealing.
Always develop a hook that makes them
feel your program cannot be missed and
that keeps them talking long after the event
has come and gone. Don’t forget to survey
attendees for their feedback on the program
to be sure what you provided met their
needs/expectations, and use this information
when planning future functions.
Choose good partners:
In this industry, the saying “you are only
as good as the people you surround yourself
with” couldn’t be more true. If you conduct
your initial research over the Internet, be
sure to follow up with reference checks and
ask other vendors to be sure the companies
you are choosing have a good reputation in
service and quality. Don’t always believe
that the lowest price is the best option;
there is usually a reason why.
Conduct pre-and post-event meetings:
These meetings are vital to the success
of your current and future programs. Conduct
them both with internal staff and with
your program partners. The pre-event is
your opportunity to run through the final
details of the upcoming days and make any
last-minute adjustments. When the event is
over, you may just want to put it behind you
and move on to the next, but don’t forget
the post-event. It is equally important to
review your successes and struggles as a
team and with your partners. You are only
as good as your last event!
Don’t forget about potential
sponsorships:
Most people think sponsorships go hand
in hand with not-for-profit or association
organizations. This is not so in today’s
meeting climate. A sponsorship means more
money for your organization to reach its
goals and provides potential sponsors with a
direct link to reach your employees or event
attendees. There are many ways to incorporate
sponsorship opportunities into your
program. Creative sponsorship ideas include
transportation, bar service, entertainment,
giveaways, team building, staff for the program
or a special night out for all attendees.