About Andrew Maxwell

With over 20 years of experience in hotel operations, Andrew has held several senior managerial positions, including Senior Operations Manager with Canada’s largest hotel, Toronto’s Delta Chelsea Inn. Andrew joined Welcome To The City, Inc. in 1996, after a successful stint as co-owner of The Exeter Group, a Toronto-based restaurant management company. Andrew’s financial acumen and ability to develop and enhance the company’s business strategy has helped propel Welcome To The City’s latest venture, WTTC.com, to its current level of success, making it the largest independent online resource in North America for the events, meetings and conventions industry.

Using an Executive Search Company to Find Event Planning Jobs

May 22, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

cartoon of a man holding a job wanted sign in reference to event planning jobs

photo by www.ecenglish.com

If you’ve been searching for those ideal hospitality or event planning jobs, then you probably know firsthand just how frustrating the whole process can be. Even at the best of times, job hunting can be extremely nerve-racking. You spend an awful lot of your time networking hoping that you’ll find that perfect contact.

But, more times than not, you find out that talk is cheap.

It’s Not That There Aren’t Good Hospitality and Event Planning Jobs out There

By now you’re getting pretty sick and tired of hearing how this economic downturn keeps dragging on and on. It almost feels like this is the new norm. But, with the right focus, your job hunting efforts may not be fruitless.

Executive search companies might be just the contact that you need. They can help lessen the stress of finding a new career.

Three Key Reasons to Use an Executive Search Company When Looking for Event Planning Jobs

Integrity. To them, reputation is everything. These companies need to set the highest standards possible as their very existence is dependent on it. No company will associate with a search company that does not, at the very least, match their service levels.

Client Research. An executive search company has done their homework. They’ve done the networking and they know what companies are looking for when they have job openings. On the other side, they also make sure that any individuals that they put forward to a potential employer is qualified.

Results. Who doesn’t love results. Executive search companies put their reputations on the line each and every day. They have to stand behind the candidates that they present. And that goes beyond the hire date. They stay involved in the process long after the position has been filled.

Global Hospitality Search Consultants Ltd. is a search firm that focuses exclusively in the placement of hospitality industry managers and executives worldwide. As a disclosure note, I’ve been made aware of this company by a colleague that teaches at a college in Toronto. But, the reason I’m singling out this particular company is to showcase their focus on the hospitality industry (it also helps that they have offices in both the United States and Canada).

Looking for Event Planning Jobs-Two Tips for Selecting the Right Executive Search Company

Always do your due diligence when considering working with a third-party. That holds true when considering an executive search company. Here are two tips to factor into your decision making process:

Industry Knowledge. Select a search company that specializes in your industry. You want one that knows the specifics of your job description.

References. I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but always ask for references. Any reputable company will have no problem whatsoever in providing you with references. At networking events, ask your colleagues to provide you with a couple of companies that you can contact.

Working with an executive search company to find event planning jobs can help take the stress out of the process. It’s not to say that you won’t have to sell yourself. It’s just that search companies specialize in understanding their clients’ needs and matching that with potential candidates.

Filed Under: Tools & Guides Tagged With: event planning jobs, eventplanning, eventprofs, Hospitality

Event Planners Need Good Communication Skills (Comedy Video)

May 17, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

two men comically using a bullhorn to demonstrate good communication skills

photo by peiliteracy. wordpress.com

It’s a funny thing, communication. You actually have to listen to what the other person is saying. How many times have you been talking to somebody when it became quite obvious that the person was really just waiting for you to finish so that they could start talking.

In other words they’ve completely zoned you out.

The Importance of Good Communication Skills

To be a great event planner means that you’re good at effective communication. Written communication skills, as well as verbal communication, are essential to an event planner as they work with many people in order to get their job done. Without expressing their expectations properly, a meeting or event could soon become a nightmare.

When I was writing this article, I was looking for a way to give an example of bad communication skills. I came across a comedy video, which is actually a commercial for Ameriquest Mortgage Company, that best illustrates what can go horribly wrong when there is a misunderstanding in communication.

While I’m sure you’ll get a chuckle out of the video, let’s hope its message hits home. Don’t forget to tell people what your expectations are, as I’m sure you’re aware that they “can’t read your mind”.

Filed Under: Tools & Guides, Videos Tagged With: comedy, Communication, eventplanning, eventprofs, video

How to Plan an Event on a Budget

May 15, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

photo by www.ehow.com

A seasoned event organizer knows that part of winning a piece of business means that their budgeting skills need to be sharp. In some cases it can be a deal breaker. Knowing which questions to ask a potential client can help an event organizer select the right venue.

In this post I’m going to show you why the budget planning process doesn’t have to be the toughest part of an event proposal.

The Budget Planning Process is a Key Component to an Event Proposal

For most conferences or events, it’s the social functions that can add to a planner’s overall budget. It can also be a bit of a catch 22. Most event organizers understand the importance of adding social components to a program. From the planner’s perspective, they have to make the event attractive enough so that the attendees want to come.

The budget planning process for an event begins at the initial planning stage. That’s when the meeting planner sits down and maps out the various components of their conference or event. If they have a predetermined budget, they can begin to allocate funds towards each component. Pretty soon they’ll have an understanding of which parts of the program will need to be tweaked in order to meet the event’s budget.

You might want to check out these related articles on planning an event:

How to Select the Right Venue for Your Events

Event Planning Tips for Food and Beverage Functions

Meeting and Conference Planning – Finding that Just Right Meeting Location, Location, Location!

How to Plan Your Budget around Your Event

A social event usually involves; on-site staff, transportation, venue rental fee, food and beverage, service and equipment charges and entertainment. You can easily understand where the cost will soon reach, or exceed, it’s budget. But rest assured, there are ways to still have a great social event without blowing your budget.

When I meet with a prospective client I always inquire about their budget. Sometimes planners are hesitant to disclose their budget (as they feel that that amount will get chewed up regardless of where the event is held). However if I know what their budget range is, I can find a suitable venue that will work within their parameters.

Here Are Three Areas Where You Can Trim an Event Budget

Transportation. Of course if you are holding your event off-site, depending on its location, you will have to provide transportation. Transportation vehicles can be expensive. Depending on the group’s size, you can easily spend $20-$30 per person on transportation.

Tip – look for venues that are within walking distance or consider hosting the event in-house (at the hotel).

Venue Rental Fee. Many groups like to host their events in unique spaces. Museums and art galleries are amongst the favorites. But, for facilities like these, there are venue rental fees on top of the food and beverage charges.

Tip – look for venues, such as restaurants with private rooms, that are elegant yet do not charge a venue rental fee on top of the food and beverage charges. Hotel ballrooms do not charge a rental fee if your event has food and beverage.

Service and Equipment Charges. Many standalone venues (such as museums and art galleries) are not equipped with kitchens. Therefore, the caterers are required to bring their own equipment and service staff for the event. They passed this charge along to the client, naturally. The cost for service and equipment can even be in excess of what the food menu would cost.

Tip – look for venues that have on-site kitchen facilities. Also, quite often, the in-house caterer has more access to the venue and can offer lower service and equipment charges because of that. Hotel ballrooms also do not charge for service and equipment.

Planning an event on a budget can be challenging. A seasoned event organizer knows which components of an event can be trimmed without affecting the impact of the event itself. Transportation, venue rental fees and service and equipment charges are three areas that can drive an event’s budget over the top. But there are venues out there where you do not have to pay these charges. An event proposal that addresses these areas has a very good chance of winning that piece of business.

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: budgets, event, eventplanning, eventprofs, planning an event

Luxury Hotels That Cater to the Rich and Famous

May 10, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

photo by www.news.com.au

Have you ever wondered where the rich and ultra rich stay when they travel? Or if you’re an event manager then perhaps you’ve been fortunate enough to have worked and stayed in some of these luxury hotel chains. The Robb Report has published their list of the top 100 luxury hotels in Canada and the US.

The Robb Report has been around for over 30 years. They described themselves as the definitive authority on connoisseurship for the ultra-affluent consumers. The Robb Report provides insights, for their target audience, on subjects including; luxury automobiles, yachts, real estate, private aircraft, fashion, fine jewelry, art and of course all things travel.

Event Managers Love It When They Have an Opportunity to Work with the Leading Hotels of the World

Event organizers that have worked with luxury hotel chains understand how fortunate they are. First of all, they are working with a client that has a budget. That’s not to say that the event manager is free to spend wherever they please. But it does provide an opportunity to put together a top notch travel itinerary. Event planning for these clients can be quite rewarding. If you’ve ever been in a luxury hotel property then you may have noticed the number of staff. As a matter of fact luxury hotels typically employee several employees for every one hotel guest. It’s the attention to details, on top of the physical appearance of the hotel, that really sets luxury hotels apart from the others.

The Top 100 Luxury Hotels in the US and Canada

Robb Report, a luxury travel magazine, has published their list of the top 100 luxury hotels in the US and Canada. The list was published earlier this month. The Robb Report 100 hotels: United States and Canada provides a review (including price range) of the luxury hotels that were fortunate enough to make the list. It also provides a link to the hotel’s website.

Luxury hotel chains cater to the rich and famous. The Robb Report’s list of 100 hotels in the United States and Canada showcases the very best in hotels. Event managers love working with luxury hotels as these properties have an abundance of personnel ready and willing to help with their event planning needs.

Filed Under: Tools & Guides Tagged With: eventprofs, Hotel, luxury hotels, Robb Report

There Is Good Reason to Celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week

May 8, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

photo by www.ustravel.org

In case you didn’t know it, National Travel and Tourism Week is underway. This year it runs from May 4-12. The theme this year is Travel Effect – highlighting the effects that business travel has on the overall economy.

And judging from the statistics, there’s reason to celebrate…

A Little Bit of History on How National Travel and Tourism Week Came to Be

Established in 1993 by a joint resolution in the U.S. Congress, National Tourism Week was designated to be celebrated one week every May. President Reagan signed a presidential proclamation urging everyone to recognize the week with ceremonies and activities. And we’ve been doing it every year in May ever since.

The US Travel Association is responsible for marketing the National Travel and Tourism Week. They have an excellent toolkit that event planners, and travelers of all type, can download to help with their event planning needs.

Business Travel Is Having an Impact on the Economy

A recent study by Oxford Economics looked at the effects that business travel has had on the US economy over the last 18 years. And as this year’s theme is the “travel effect”, the results of the study are reason to celebrate.

Some of the study’s findings include:

in 2012, overall travel generated $1.9 trillion into the US economy

overall travel generated or supported 14.4 million jobs

in 2012 alone, business travel created or supported 3.6 8 million jobs

business travel generated $34.5 billion in local, state and federal tax revenues in 2012

over the 18 years which the study looked at, for every dollar spent on business travel, US companies received a return of $9.50

business travel yields $2.90 in profits for every dollar spent

business travelers have stated that prospects are two times more likely to become customers because of in person meetings

Pres. Obama's quote on national tourism and travel week over a picture of the presidential seal

photo from www.ustravel.org

Pres. Obama acknowledged that “tourism contributes to the success of the American and world economies”. Event planners take a bow. This is a week to celebrate your contributions to event planning and business travel as a whole. By reviewing the statistics of the recent Oxford Economics study related to business travel, it’s obvious that the travel industry (which includes event planning) is a major player in our economic growth.

Filed Under: Promoting Events Tagged With: business travel, eventplanning, eventprofs, National Travel & Tourism Week

What If You Plan an Event and No One Wants to Come

May 3, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

photo by www.123rf.com

Have you ever attended an event and wished you were somewhere else? Or perhaps there have been times when you couldn’t wait to get to a particular function. Can you remember what it was about the events that you didn’t want to attend? Or better yet, do you remember what it was about the events you wanted to attend. These are the questions meeting and event planners tackle as part of their everyday jobs. For me, I have attended events that I dreaded as well as events where I couldn’t get there fast enough. Truthfully, it all depended on the event itself.

Having been in the event planning industry for more years than I wish to state, I began to recognize early on in my career that the key to winning a meeting planner’s business was to create events that sparked interest, made people have fun and sometimes they even learned something new about their industry.

Five Event Planning Tips to Consider for Your Next Event

photo by www.mmidirect.com

The event should be something that an individual could not do on their own. Early on in my career, this became one of the main focal points. What I found work best was to propose events that the individuals attending would not have been able to do on their own. Of course the ideas depends entirely on the type of groups. Receptions and/or dinners in a museum is something that the average person would not be doing on their own. Depending on your client’s budget, there are many unique venues in most cities that rent their facility for private functions.

Don’t plan it for yourself. I had the luxury of taking a management course with the Walt Disney Corporation a number of years back. One of the things that has always stuck in my head was a quote from Walt Disney himself. He was once asked to describe his success. One thing he said was “you don’t build it for yourself, rather find out what the people want and build it for them”. A lot of new planners tend to plan events around their own interests. What they are forgetting, however, is that the attendees do not necessarily want to do the same types of things as the event planner.

Make it fun. I know this sounds so simple but it’s also something that gets overlooked often. Making an event fun doesn’t mean that people have to jump into bouncy blow up things (mind you, for the right group, those can be fun). If you are considering having sponsors for your event, this might be an area where they can help you. Whether it be a draw for a trip of a lifetime, or perhaps a take away prize, a little creativity can make people want to come out knowing they’re going to have a good time.

Have a star at your event. Now I’m not saying go out and hire Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie to circulate at your event (if you have the budget, go for it – I’ll bet people show up). Rather, look at some of the superstars in your industry and see if you can get them to attend your event. Maybe it’s a keynote speaker that has a topic that people want to hear.

Become known for a specialty. If you do multiple (or regular) events, become known for a certain aspect of your events. One example might be the food that you offer. Rather than the typical passed hors d’oeuvres or food stations, why not make your food unique by offering something that stands out. By becoming known for this one item, you’ll soon develop a following. People want to come to your next event to see what type of food you’re going to be offering “this time”. After all, if you go off the beaten path just a little bit you’re going to get noticed.

Creating an event that people want to attend can be a difficult task. The key to creating successful events is to think outside of the box. Reflect on the events that you’ve attended and think about the successful ones. What was it about the ones you liked? Build an event template that covers the key areas that will help make your event stand out.

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: event planning tips, eventplanning, eventprofs, events, planning

What Is It about Transportation That Drives Event Planners Nuts?

May 1, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

transportation poster of planes trains and automobiles

photo by blog.spartanrace.com

As we have talked about many times, event planners wear many hats. One of those hats usually includes transportation logistics. Most times event planners need to transfer their delegates from one location to another. And quite often the transportation involves many different types of vehicles, depending on the event itself. For example, airport transportation can utilize a coach, limousine service or an airport shuttle.

Transportation Can Be a Make or Break Component to Event Planning

As a full service Destination Management Company (DMC) we would often be tasked with booking transportation, in addition to other program components, for event planners. As the years went on, and event planners began to utilize the Internet much more frequently to secure suppliers, I found that they would still hire my company to do the transportation.

Transportation is very local. In other words the companies that an event planner would hire are expected to be experts in their fields. But so much can happen with transportation that is beyond anybody’s control. When it comes to airport transportation, event planners are dependent on the weather, both at the arrival destination as well as the many departure destinations. On top of that, there is local traffic that can throw a wrench into a well organized schedule.

Event planners, how many times have you heard that the coach you are waiting for is stuck in traffic and is just around the corner? I know that when we were organizing transportation for any of our clients, tardiness was a concern. When we would call into the transportation companies dispatch, more times than not, we were told that our vehicle was stuck in traffic and should be at their pickup location in a matter of minutes. Well, those minutes would often end up being 10 or 15. And when you’re standing on a street corner looking for a coach, with your client beside you, 10 or 15 min. can seem like an eternity.

There Are Many Types of Transportation That Event Planners Have To Consider

Quite often a meeting or event can have many transportation components. Some of the more common transportation elements are:

Airlines

Railway

Airport transportation (involving coach and limousine service)

Coach shuttles

Event transfers

Sightseeing tours

Valet service

refine search for transportation Click here to view our sister site’s, WTTC.com, transportation directory. Here you’ll get a sense as to what questions you need to think about when selecting transportation companies.

For an event planner the goal, when selecting a transportation company, is to work with a service provider that has a solid reputation. My recommendation is to always ask for references. And those references should be from similar groups. Most event planners know that with transportation there will always be situations that arise. But what sets great suppliers apart is how they react to those various situations. I might be a bit biased here but my advice to event planners, especially with regards to transportation, is to hire a local expert.

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: DMC, eventplanning, eventprofs, transportation

A Team Building Comedy Video to Help Break the Ice

April 26, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

cartoon of birds sitting on a wire as part of teambuilding

“For the Birds” video short by Pixar

It’s very common for meetings and events to include team building activities. The challenge for many event planners is to find ways to engage the audience. An event planner’s goal,when determining team building ideas, is to make all of their attendees feel comfortable enough that they’ll want to engage others and have fun. Something to break the ice, so-to-speak. After all, the goal with any teambuilding exercise is to have your team working side-by-side assisting each other to complete a common task or goal.

“For the birds”, a short 3 min. video from Pixar, has been used by meeting and event planners as a way to make people relax and have a good laugh at the same time.

A comical video is a great icebreaker. After all, where is it written that you can’t have fun while working at the same time?

Filed Under: Promoting Events, Videos Tagged With: comedy, eventprofs, teambuilding, video

Event Planning in the Age of Terrorism, Are You Prepared?

April 24, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

emergency preparedness for an event planning checklist

photo by www.hydroone.com

In light of last week’s Boston bombings, I began to reflect on how the event planning industry has changed since 9/11. Unfortunately we live in an age where terrorist attacks are an ongoing threat. Emergency preparedness, it seems, is becoming a “must include” component to an event planning checklist. Any meeting or event planner that is not prepared to react to a terrorism threat is, quite frankly, leaving their group vulnerable.

The Terrorist Attacks of 9/11 Had a Huge Impact on Event Planning

Back in September of 2001 I was part of a full service Destination Management Company (DMC). Anyone involved with event planning knows that September can be a very busy month for our industry. Like everybody, I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the awful news on that fateful Tuesday morning.

We had a group that was just getting underway (they were from Chicago). Of course in those days, we all had the false security that terrorist attacks didn’t happen on North American soil. Needless to say, it became obvious to us that this group’s activities, and the meeting itself, would not be proceeding. But, as air travel was shut down for days, the task for us was to get this group back to Chicago. Because of our supplier contacts in Toronto, we were able to secure coaches to transfer the attendees home. My company kept in contact with our local CVB, Tourism Toronto, as well as Canadian and American border officials. This coordination, albeit in the middle of chaos like we’ve never seen before, enabled us to get this group home within a couple of days.

My advice to any event or meeting planner working with a DMC would be to ask, upfront, what are their emergency plans. If they don’t have one, don’t use them.

An Event Planning Checklist Must Include Emergency Preparedness

Like many businesses, my company’s revenues were devastated after 9/11. After all, that was the goal of the terrorists. According to a study group that was put together by New York City officials shortly after 9/11, some of the economic losses hit the event planning industry hard. For example:

over 138,000 jobs were lost in the airline industry

roughly 15,000 jobs in the travel industry (hotels and service companies) were lost

hotels, restaurants and theaters in the greater New York area lost an estimated $2.3 billion because of 9/11

Since 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security has issued guidelines on how to prepare for an emergency situation. On their website, The National Terror Alert Response Center, are excellent tips on how to prepare for a terrorist attack as well as many other types of emergencies.

Some of the topics on the website include:

creating an emergency communications plan

having a disaster supply kit

an evacuation plan

what to do if disaster strikes (and you are not injured)

Event Planning and Emergency Preparedness, Did the Boston Bombings Reflect a Change?

What we did see during the reaction to the Boston bombings was a city prepared. From the emergency services personnel, to the good Samaritan citizens, Boston reacted in a way that made us proud. While a tragic loss of life did occur, the citizens stood strong, the businesses pitched in where necessary, and best of all they brought the hunt for the culprits to a quick, successful close.

While there’s no doubt there was economic loss to the area, what’s nice to see is that people got back to their normal lives quickly. While we will always remember those that did lose their lives from this horrible crime, the best that we can do to honor those lost souls would be to stand up and fight the fear.

Additional resources:

Department of Homeland Security (for US groups)

Public Safety Canada (for Canadians)

Unfortunately we have not seen the last of terrorist attacks. But we have learned that the best way to deal with terrorism is to not allow the fear and therefore major economic losses that these criminals are trying to achieve. It is vital that your event planning checklist includes a contingency plan for an emergency. Plan for it and then pray that it never happens.

Filed Under: Tools & Guides Tagged With: Boston, checklist, CVB, Department of Homeland Security, DMC, event planning, eventplanning, eventprofs, terrorism

Guess Which Country Has the Most Honest Hotel Guests

April 19, 2013 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

photo by perezhilton.com

According to a recent survey by hotels.com, Denmark has the highest percentage of honest hotel guests. For many hotels, amenities are becoming a bit of a Catch-22 for them. You see the more plush or attractive hotels make their amenities, the more likely it is that guests will want to “take them” home with them.

For meeting planners, while it’s not directly their responsibility, guest room theft does play a role in establishing room rates. So for planners that are executing meetings and events in hotels, it does help to discourage people from taking items home. The more that can be done to keep attrition at a minimum, the more opportunity there is to keep room rates reasonable.

Hotel Management Are Becoming Proactive with Their Amenities

Attrition is an important component to a hotel’s operating budget. Property theft has become such a common occurrence for hotels that they even have an acceptable percentage that they incorporate into their budgeting. It’s not that they are simply turning a blind eye to the problem, rather they have determined a mathematical breakeven point for addressing the situation.

Some hotels have turned a negative into a positive. Have you ever been in a guest room and have seen a card that says; if you like your bathrobe, towel etc. please feel free to take it and will just add “X” dollars to your room bill upon departure. Personally, I think this is a brilliant strategy. First of all, it tells me that the amenities that they are providing might be worth actually keeping. And, secondly, it addresses the temptation properly. Basically, the hotel chain is saying; we know you’re going to love our amenities so much that you want to take them home with you. So go right ahead and take them and will make it so convenient that will just add the cost to your bill.

Certain Hotel Items Seem to Be More Popular Than Others

Magazines and books are the most common items that are taking from guest rooms. After that, it seems that people like the linens and towels. From the hotels.com survey, people in China seem to be interested in the furnishings (just how they would get those through the lobby is beyond me).

The US ranks 23rd in honesty, out of 29 countries included in the survey. The following chart breaks down the honesty of each country’s hotel guests and which items are most often taken within those countries.