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10 Ways That a Convention Center Helps Meeting Planners

February 20, 2013 By Comments
how can I help you card in a hand

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Pretty much every city has a convention center. When you speak with meeting and event planners about using convention centers, usually the comments are about group sizes. Seems the conventional wisdom out there is that convention centers are best utilized by larger groups.

While convention centers are very well equipped to handle large groups, you’d be surprised to know that the sales staff also target medium and small sized groups as well.

Types of Convention Center Events

Convention center events range from trade shows to large association conferences. It’s ideal for trade shows as a convention center is designed with setups in mind. Quite often on set up days you will see large flatbed trucks drive right on to the tradeshow floor. For large associations, the benefit would be the breakout rooms (rooms where smaller meetings or meal functions can be setup while the conferences’ meetings are occurring simultaneously).

But smaller groups should also take a look at hosting their event at a convention center. Nowadays, there are down times at many centers where meeting planners would be able to negotiate good rates for their smaller groups. And the way that many centers are designed today, you don’t get the feeling that you are lost in a huge sea of meeting rooms.

For more information on convention centers and how they can assist, you may also want to read:

Here Are 10 Ways That a Convention Center Can Help Meeting and Event Planners

Top 10 list

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  1. Convention centers are usually connected with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). Being associated with the CVB means that there are many planner tools available at no additional cost.
  2. Convention centers have a conference services department. These people are experts in executing events in their own facilities. My advice, utilize them when the opportunity allows.
  3. Ample access for disabled attendees
  4. They are green meetings equipped. Many convention centers are LEED’s (leadership in environmental and energy design) certified.
  5. Many brand name hotels are located near convention centers
  6. They have in-house suppliers (Cater, AV). And these in-house suppliers know the facility inside out.
  7. Internet and Wi-Fi access
  8. Parking on-site
  9. Access to public transportation. This is ideal if you’re meeting or event includes local participants.
  10. Location, location, location. Most often a convention center is located in the best part of the city. Lots of access to great restaurants and attractions.

There are many benefits for hosting your meeting or event at a convention center. These facilities are designed with meetings in mind. Many meeting and event planners may shy away from using a convention center because they feel they may be cost prohibitive. However, once you factor in all of the components and tools that a planner needs to do their job, the overall cost of utilizing a convention center is very competitive.

 

 

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Event Planning Certification – A Groundhog Day Lesson

January 30, 2013 By Comments

event planning certification and groundhog dayOK, I know you’re wondering “what the heck does event planning and groundhog day have in common”? Well, the Groundhog Day that I’m referring to here is the Groundhog Day movie with Bill Murray.

First let’s get some basics covered. To jog your memory, in the Groundhog Day movie Bill Murray’s character, Phil, is a small town weatherman that was sent to see if Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow. However the movie unfolds as each morning Phil wakes up early to realize that he is reliving the same day, Groundhog Day, over and over. And only he seems to know this.

But it’s more about what Phil did during this recurring day that brings me back to the title of this blog.

You see, many meeting planners will tell you that quite often their job can become repetitive. As we become more experienced in our jobs the tasks that we used to dread become easier and easier to do. Sometimes it even gets to the point where some of the finer details get overlooked because of the routine nature of the task.

Now Back to the Groundhog Day movie for a moment.

Once Bill Murray’s character, Phil, realized that he was stuck in this loop of repeating the same day over and over again, he decided to become proactive. One example was when he took piano lessons and became a concert pianist. Much to the astonishment of everyone that he knew. Enter the comedic quality of the movie.

Like the Groundhog Day movie, meeting and event planners often duplicate several task when executing a meeting or event. So, perhaps rather than looking at this task as a mundane part of your job, why not try and master that task by improving on it each time you have to do it. For example, let’s say transportation is part of the event. And, as the event planner, your job is to ensure that the vehicles are queued so that, when required, they can easily be called upon and loaded with guests. Any seasoned meeting and event planner will tell you that transportation can often be a tricky component to an event. There are many factors that can interfere with your plans. So rather than dreading the transportation element to your event, why not draw upon your past experiences, analyzing mishaps, with the goal of improving how it will be executed.

You see what’s happening here right? When you focus on the same component of an event each time you are executing that event, eventually you are going to become a pro at it.

Once you have improved and mastered a component pick another (the menu, for example) and repeat.

Event Planning Certification

Here are a few additional posts where you can find more information regarding event planning certification and event planning education;event planning certification

 

As one of the main focuses of this website is education, naturally I’m more inclined to promote it. Education, like the Groundhog Day analysis above, should be looked upon as you becoming a professional in the meetings and events industry.

 

 

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All Meeting Planners Want for Christmas Is…

December 21, 2012 By Comments
all meeting planners want for Christmas is

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Meeting planners are used to making a list and checking it twice. Like Santa, it’s what they do all year long. Meeting and event planners have to work with a lot of suppliers in order to make their programs run smoothly. And inevitably you know what happens when you have to rely on several other people to make your function go off without a hitch. It’s otherwise known as Murphy’s Law.

A Meeting and Event Planners Christmas Wish List (If Only…)

We started wondering exactly what kind of a list meeting planners would make at Christmas time if they had an opportunity to correct everything that they don’t like about their job tasks.

So we present to you a meeting planners Christmas wish list for 2013 (after all, one can wish):

  • hearing suppliers say “we can do that”
  • a final program invoice that is in the ballpark of their quote
  • a proposal that actually addresses what they requested
  • submitting a request for proposal (RFP) and not getting 100 telephone calls or e-mails from suppliers asking for clarification
  • that all the venue lights are working when they arrive
  • Wi-Fi services that cover a distance more than 2 feet
  • for people to get their name right during cold calls
  • staff that understand that a “working lunch” actually means people are working in the room
  • suppliers that know how to spell
  • to stop receiving information that they didn’t request

For all of you meeting and event planners out there we hope your wishes come true for 2013. Merry Christmas.

 

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Do Meeting Planners Slow Down for the Holidays? Absolutely Not!

December 5, 2012 By Comments
meeting planners are busy

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There is no rest for the wicked. I’ve been in the conference and convention planning business for well over 20 years (that’s a whole other story). Many of my friends assume that meeting planners and industry suppliers have a lot of down time over the holidays.

Wouldn’t that be nice!

However, the truth is that when there is a perceived “quiet time” for meeting and events, that’s usually when planners are busy working on proposals, closing files and, you guessed it, attending planning conferences.

Planning Conferences Increase during Industry Downtimes

The holidays can actually be a very busy time for meeting planners.  It’s just that you’re not necessarily seeing them execute programs. But they are busy.  And really, isn’t the best time for a meeting planner to attend a conference when their clients are not meeting.

That’s why our industry’s top associations hold their planning conferences during the, so-called, shoulder months. And it makes good business sense; attendance is higher and convention center rates are lower. Meeting Planners, for the most part, are able to concentrate on the conference’s programs, many continuing their career development, without being interrupted with their own business’s demands.

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)’s annual conference is held in January. The next one is in Orlando, hosted at the Orange County Convention Centre, from January 13-16, 2013. For more information about this planning conference, visit PCMA’s convening leaders site.

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) will be hosting their annual European Meeting & Events Conference from January 29-31, 2013 in Budapest. Please click here for more information regarding this conference.

The Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI), one of the top industry supplier associations, is hosting their annual conference in Montreal, Canada from February 7-9, 2013. For more information click here.

 

Conference Facilities and Host Cities Benefit with Industry Planning Conferences

What would normally be a slow period for many convention cities can become quite lucrative for cities that host meeting planning conventions.

So, while the conference and convention industry’s meetings may be slower over the holidays and new year, meeting planners and industry suppliers are busy attending their own planning conference. In addition to networking with industry colleagues, these conferences are also an excellent way for individuals to continue their growth through education.

 

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Hesitant about Green Meetings? Two Easy Steps to Get You Underway

June 15, 2012 By Comments
Green meetings can be easier than you think

photo by blogs.softchoice.com

Are you an event planner that has been considering hosting a green meeting? And is the reason that you haven’t done so already, is that you think that it involves a lot of planning and execution? Well, you would be surprised at just how easy it is to turn your meetings green. And the beauty of it all is that you can even do it in small steps, working towards your overall goal.

Implementing Green Meeting Ideas Is Easier Than You Think

At most conventions that I attend there are always green components nowadays. As our governments continue to point fingers and be pretty much in denial of environmental changes, it’s nice to see the meetings and events industry taking its own initiative. Lord knows if we wait for our government to act today then we could be in for a very long wait. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do whatever we can to help preserve this wonderful planet of ours.

Two green meeting ideas that you can easily implement

One suggestion that I always offer a meeting or event planner is to suggest that try not to think of green meetings as one overwhelming task. Rather, break down the various components to your meeting and then review which ones you can easily apply sustainability ideas to.

Tip # 1) Go Paperless. Going paperless, especially today, is easier than you think. Do you really need to print a brochure for your meeting or conference? Can you host it on your website? There are also a lot of event planning software that is free to use that helps you communicate with your attendees electronically.

If you find you have to arrange flights or any other means of transportation for your attendees then make sure all ticketing is done electronically. Why not even take it one step further and encourage all of your attendees to download their boarding passes to their smart phones. Set up a twitter account where you can provide all of your attendees up to the minute updates as well as any changes that you need to communicate.

Tip #2) Energy. Nowadays, most hotels and meeting venues utilize environmental light bulbs. When you are booking your meeting make sure to request that this is the case for the room where your meeting will be held. It’s also not a bad idea to ensure that all of the lights are turned off as well as the heating or cooling is set to minimal levels while you are not utilizing the room.

Going green does not need to be considered simply added responsibilities to your job. The two tips above can be easily implemented. The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) is an excellent resource for the convention industry on green meeting standards as well as additional ideas that you can implement. Green meetings also show your delegates and attendees that you are serious about sustainability. Our planet will love you for it.

 

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Contract Negotiation-and You Thought a Meeting Planner Had It Tough (Comedy Video)

May 30, 2012 By Comments

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Contract negotiation is a major part of a meeting planner’s job. Naturally, some meeting planners like doing these negotiations more than others. I guess it really depends on the personality type. One thing that’s certain is that anyone entering into negotiations any type had better be prepared.

Which got me thinking, for this post, imagine if God had to negotiate for the contract to create Earth. What would be his closing pitch? What areas would he be willing to walk away from in order to win the contract? Well, watch below as our friends from Funny or Die present us with a comical approach of how the contract negotiations would have proceeded.

 

 

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Convention Planning Security-Meeting Planners Show Concern for Concealed Gun Laws

May 1, 2012 By Comments

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Okay, you know the world is getting crazier when delegates CANNOT BRING lumber, hatchets, gas mask, chains, and super soakers to a convention but they ARE ALLOWED to bring concealed guns. Yep, you read it correctly, of all the things that are on the list of what you can’t bring to an upcoming convention in Tampa, concealed guns is not one of them. The convention planning that we are talking about is, ironically, the Republican National Convention.

This year is a presidential election year in the US. And as part of that process the major parties both host conventions where they announce and/or confirm their leaders. Obviously the Democrats will host Pres. Obama in his bid to win re-election. And, as it’s pretty much all over but the writing, the Republicans will present Mr. Romney as their candidate to take on Pres. Obama for the Oval Office. Florida and North Carolina have been selected by the respective parties to host their conventions. Florida and North Carolina also have laws which allow concealed weapons.

Security Has Become a Large Part of Convention Planning

Convention planning is a daunting task. Just read a few of our other blog post here and you’ll quickly get an idea of just how diverse the job of the convention planner really is. However, as most meeting planners will tell you, the security of their delegates is top priority.

So you could understand why the convention planners and organizers for the Republican National Convention are showing concern over Florida’s concealed weapon law. And under most other circumstances I can give them that argument without any irony being applied. But not this convention. You see it’s the Republicans themselves (with support from some Democrats) that are responsible for these concealed weapon laws that are law in over 20 states. But, as I said above, irony seems to be alive and well with this gang. Last week Tampa’s City Council passed a resolution to ask Republican Gov. Rick Scott to implement a temporary ban on concealed weapons. This is so they can take added precautions to make sure that their delegates and attendees are safer. Isn’t that the goal for politicians all of the time, not just temporarily??

Perhaps Politicians Need a Lesson in Convention Planning Security

Some meeting and convention planners, that I’ve spoken with, tell me that they are outraged that a political organization can be exempt from a particular law but not their own conferences. Now, I do understand that there are a lot of high profile and powerful leaders that will attend the Republican and Democrat conventions. So does this mean that the convention planners and organizers for the political parties think that the concealed weapon law is okay for 99.9% of the conventions and their delegates but should be temporarily pre-empted when their conventions roll into town?

I guess the saying “it would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic” is appropriate for this situation. From my take, I think that if the lawmakers think that this law is appropriate in their respective states, then they should put their money where their mouth is. Otherwise, perhaps these conventions will also show these lawmakers that wanting a little security for your delegates doesn’t mean you are in violation of the second amendment.

I would be very interested to find out from meeting planners, that are hosting meetings in states where concealed weapons are allowed, exactly what their thoughts are regarding security and how it relates to their convention planning.

 

 

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Planning a Meeting – Booking the Right Venue

April 14, 2012 By Comments
frustrated woman pulling out her hair

Photo courtesy of BrittneyBush on flickr

When your boss told you it was your responsibility to plan the next meeting, you freaked out. You weren’t sure what to do and how to go about doing it. But most importantly, you didn’t want to mess up.

So you spent months planning it and you’re sure you’ve got everything right. You agonized over every decision and second guessed yourself on most of them. But after asking questions and determining the needs of your company, you’re sure you booked the perfect hotel. It’s right in the heart of an amazing area with all of the amenities that your boss asked for. So what if meetings aren’t their specialty, the contact person has been great and you feel like everything is ready to go. You’ve double checked, confirmed and approved all of the details. What could go wrong?

But when you show up your contact person is nowhere to be found (yikes) and all of sudden they are telling you that the property is over booked. But don’t worry, the hotel assures you that they can accommodate both you and the other group booked into the space (double yikes). “This happens all of the time” they tell you. “You won’t even notice the difference.” But you will. And you do.

And that’s every meeting planners nightmare. Arriving at the venue and being told that there is a problem (or double booking) with your confirmed space. What’s a planner to do?

Hopefully, that’s a scenario that you will never have to deal with! But take a look at what happens when one company meeting doesn’t go quite as planned, courtesy of our friends at Hyattmeetings.com.

Double Booked – watch more funny videos
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Has Stand Your Ground Had an Impact on Event Planners Decisions

April 13, 2012 By Comments

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Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you have heard all the news surrounding the tragic Trayvon Martin shooting. We’re not going to get into the political debate surrounding this controversial law but it did get me wondering if all this attention has had an impact on whether or not event planners will hold meetings in states where this type of law exists.

Event planners walk a fine line. Their main objective is to successfully execute and host meetings and conventions where all the delegates are satisfied. And let’s face it that’s probably a pretty tall order to execute. You know the old saying – you’ll never please 100% of the people 100% of the time. So I’m sure there are always those that will approach meeting planners with some type of an issue that needs to be resolved.

Event Planners Do Not like Controversy

But there’s also another side to event planners. The last thing they want is for their meeting or event to be held in an area where controversial issues are taking place.

With all the negative news coverage that we’ve been seeing around Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, Convention and Visitors Bureau officials are raising alarm bells. After all, tourism plays a very large role in the Florida economy.

In a recent Tampa Bay Times article, it reported that Nikki Grossman, director of the Broward County Convention and Visitors Bureau, would be the first person to present to a state task force on the negative impact that the law has had, or is having, on Florida’s tourism.

Are Politicians Making Life Difficult for Event Planners?

There is no doubt that the Stand Your Ground law is having a political impact. Obviously laws are often legislated as a result of the majority party making good on promises that they have made to their constituents. That, in and of itself, is understandable as an elected official will need those constituents to be on their side for the next election. But are our elected officials implementing the right laws that will help their states economies? Well, judging by the reaction from the state’s tourism officials, I would have to think the answer is no.

If any event planners reading this article are currently planning meetings or events in states where Stand Your Ground type laws exist I would be interested to hear how they plan on proceeding. I guess time will tell as to whether or not there will be a dramatic effect on meetings and events where event planners feel there’s too much controversy to host a successful meeting.

 

 

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What Are Your Expectations of a Meeting Planners Guide?

March 30, 2012 By Comments

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I keep hearing a lot of talk about how important a meeting planners guide is. While I don’t doubt that, it does make me wonder what exactly are planners’ expectations of a meeting planners guide. There are certainly no shortage of meeting planners guides to choose from. But, we thought for this post that we would review some of, what we consider to be, the key items that a meeting planners guide should cover.

Meeting Planners Guide Can Help You Develop a Checklist

We’ve often talked about how a meeting planner has to wear many different hats. So it only stands to reason that a good meeting planners guide will help a planner breakdown the various components of a meeting into workable objectives. So let’s review some of these “hats”, as it were, that a meeting planner is required to wear from time to time.

Important Items That a Meeting Planners Guide Should Include Are:

Planning. While this may seem like an obvious item, planning is crucial especially at the early stages of organizing and executing a meeting.

Budgets. With planning, budgets almost go hand-in-hand. Budgets are crucial, especially in the planning stages as it will help ascertain which components of the meeting are necessary versus components which can be eliminated should the budget not accommodate these items. Budgets help a planner determine what they need to achieve in order for the meeting to be a success and, in some cases, a revenue producer.

Meeting Room Set up and Requirements. A meeting planner needs to know all of the various meeting room set up configurations like the back of their hands. This is probably one of the earlier items that a new meeting planner learns as it is crucial in determining the type and size of meeting required. In addition, requirements can include items such as audiovisual needs and the type of speakers , etc.

Negotiating. This is probably one hat that sets seasoned meeting planners apart from the crowd. A good negotiator knows how to arrive at their desired results without offending or burning any bridges. A good negotiator also has to know what they are prepared to give up in order to achieve their overall results.

Contract. I remember studying contracts in my law classes in school. I dreaded those classes. But, lo and behold, understanding contracts has become a vital part of the meetings and events industry. So now I have to thank those professors for giving me the ability to read and understand contracts.

Suppliers. Many planners tend to think of suppliers as additional expenses to their budget. However, talk to a season planner about how they use their local suppliers and they’ll tell you quite often they request that their suppliers develop a program that works within the budget parameters assigned. Think of suppliers as the local experts in their field.

The above items will probably be found in most good meeting planners guides. Unfortunately the meeting planners guide cannot do the task for a meeting planner, rather they are designed to provide the planner with a map of key items that need to be addressed in order to make their meetings and events successful.

 

 

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