Planning Successful Meetings and Events

A Take-Charge Assistant Book

Ann J. BOEHME

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Year: 1998
• eBook ISBN: 9780814415825
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Economic Theory
• Index: Business

Planning a meeting or event is no easy task. Just ask any of the administrative staffers who are increasingly being asked to do it. One minor mistake -- a plane ticket that doesn't arrive on time, not enough vegetarian meals at the luncheon, the wrong kind of audio/visual equipment -- can mean big trouble.Now this handy little how-to guide takes secretaries and assistants through the entire process step-by-step. From site selection and registration do's and don'ts to negotiating with vendors and food and beverage planning, this book gives them everything they need to get a meeting planned right.Packed with floor plans, checklists, glossaries of industry-specific terms, lists of resources, and more, Planning Successful Meetings and Events is sure to transform any take-charge assistant into the Martha Stewart of meeting and event planning. It's a good thing.

1

Planning a Meeting

What You Need to Know—What You Need to Do

There are various types of meetings, many different settings for each meeting, and many goals or objectives for conducting a meeting. The first major step will be gathering comprehensive information that will drive the development and organization of a plan to accomplish the many tasks at hand.

Who Plans Meetings?

From secretary to corporate president, everyone, in one way or another, has some involvement in planning meetings. Some plan meetings full-time, while countless secretaries and administrative assistants plan meetings on a part-time basis, as part of their overall responsibility. Whether there is full-time or part-time involvement, the end result—the meeting itself—must be perfection, as it professionally represents the sponsors and/or the corporation.

What’s in a Title?

Your title may not reflect your meeting planning responsibility. You are in good company as many full-time planners have titles that do not indicate their true responsibilities either. Planners have many titles: secretary, executive secretary, meeting director, manager, marketing services manager, travel planner, director of travel management, administrative assistant, senior program consultant, program consultant, meeting planner, group travel coordinator, director of education, executive director, continuing education coordinator, director of continuing medical education, executive assistant, vice president of sales, vice president of education, project coordinator. Need I say more?

More than twenty-three years ago as a medical secretary, I completed planning my first series of medical meetings; my employer decided to change my title to that of continuing education coordinator. To support the change, he asked me to outline my responsibilities and the amount of time allocated to each of the stated responsibilities. Diligently every task was listed and my report submitted. My employer tossed it back and said, “No one could do all that you have listed! Please provide me with a more realistic list.” I decided he was correct and that “No one could.” So I asked for an assistant. After some serious negotiations, my request was granted and a new responsibility was added to my list, that of managing staff.

What Are the Responsibilities?

You will be asked to perform a variety of tasks. The duties noted make a point about the diversity of the meeting planner role. It is a widely accepted fact that anyone who plans meetings has multiple responsibilities, works long hours to accomplish the tasks, juggles many functions at once, has high energy, develops and relies on good interpersonal relationships, has excellent written and oral communications skills, is creative and almost overorganized, and—most important—is, or becomes, unflappable!

You will need to build on many of the skills you already have. Some of the most important and basic skills you will need as you plan meetings are to:

•Work well with others.

•Be detail-oriented.

•Function as a problem solver.

•Be a good negotiator.

•Be able to manage conference finances.

•Understand hotel operations.

•Plan effective menus.

•Effectively work with audiovisual (AV) companies.

•Be computer literate.

•Be well versed in international travel.

•Be able to entertain very important persons (VIPs) and international guests.

•Be able to take groups abroad and learn protocols.

•Have a dogged determination to get it done.

Duties (or Tasks)

•Identify needs and/or plan to meet the set needs and goals/objectives of a meeting.

•Develop agenda or meeting formats.

•Research sites and facilities.

•Select or recommend sites.

•Assess facilities.

•Arrange transportation.

•Coordinate activities of staff assigned to the meeting.

•Recruit and train staff and ad hoc personnel.

•Create workable budget or prepare to work within specified budget.

•Develop timelines.

•Inspect site and facility.

•Negotiate travel arrangements and hotel contracts.

•Negotiate with all related vendors (transport companies, destination management companies, tour guides, special event companies, AV companies)

•Locate printers.

•Provide mailers.

•Plan food and beverage functions.

•Negotiate prices.

•Interact with speakers and VIPs.

Who Holds Meetings?

Meetings are produced or sponsored by corporations, associations, universities, medical centers, and private seminar or conference compani...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half title
• Title
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Planning a Meeting
• 2. Site and Destination Selection
• 3. Contracts
• 4. Suppliers and Services
• 5. Food and Beverage
• 6. Exhibits
• 7. Special Events
• 8. Budgeting
• 9. Audiovisual Materials
• 10. Promoting Your Meeting
• 11. Registration and On-Site Management
• 12. International Meetings
• Resources
• Index
• Copyright