In the world of meeting and event planning we find we are constantly sourcing for unique venues and special locations to host gatherings, both large and small.
With so many wonderful locations scattered all over this wonderful country of ours, we like to share those great experiences and exceptional locations with the rest of the meeting planning industry.
At AMI, we are always striving to create an above and beyond attendee experience and we have found that sometimes it’s the venue that helps you accomplish this.
Consider locations such as the Lake Quinault Lodge which offers wonderful meetings space indoors & outdoors, as well as theadded benefit of being located with the breathtaking Olympic National Park in Washington State. We found this location great for smaller intimate meetings such as board of directors, advisory boards, or client appreciation programs.
Mother Nature has a way of reminding us that she is in charge. Chances are if you have worked in the meeting and events industry for a number of years that you have encountered some kind of extreme act of nature that rocked the pre-planning boat.
American Meetings CEO, Andy McNeill, has experienced that first-hand. In a recent article inMidwest Meetings he shared how an unexpected snow storm in Chicago closed the airport and changed the course of an advisory board. Click here to read more about McNeill’s on the spot recovery plan.
As meeting planners, what should we take away from that?
Always be prepared.
Expect the unexpected.
Have a contingency plan for everything
Be calm when facing the unexpected and set the standard for your team
Be resourceful and helpful for all those who are there under your coordination
Consider the needs of the attendees and be accommodating. They are often out of their element and depending on you to manage things
Determine an emergency communication strategy in advance. Texting is an effective way to communicate to the masses in the face of emergency or upset plans
Establish communication early, circulating updates and critical information quickly and efficiently
Divide and conquer tasks for your back-up plan between your staff
Utilize the expertise of the hotel or venue staff. They are familiar with the area and with local-practices and will work with you to determine next steps.
In general, one should take the time to learn about the areas where you’ll be holding your meeting. West coast and earthquakes; the east coast during hurricane season. Learn what is recommended by the experts. A good meeting planner should always be prepared; and seasoned planners have learned to stay calm in the face of adversity. Enter into your next meeting anticipating what could go wrong, because with so many working pieces, most likely, something will go wrong.
What experiences have you had with contingency plans and what were the core practices you took away from it?
With downsizing work forces and increasing workloads on internal employees, often times outsourcing those annual meetings and conferences is the right move for your company. Once you have determined that outsourcing is a viable option for you, how do you make sure you select the right meeting planning partner?
Take some advice from Todd Bludworth, COO at American Meetings, and CEO and Founder Andy McNeill, who share with you a few critical points to consider when you consider outsourcing.
Before you select a meeting planning company, they recommend you ask the following questions.
Are they operating with the latest registration software?
Do they meet all the latest compliance regulations?
Can they ensure the attendee experience will be first rate?
Are they knowledgeable of the latest AV technology?
Can they strongly negotiate on your behalf?
Do they know how to put the right people in the seats?
Are they proven in cost savings?
Will they save you time and energy?
Do they provide added value through strategic planning and event consulting?
Are they capable of offering seamless execution?
Logistics partners and meeting planning companies are there to assist you and should share your goals, both short-term and long-term. Establish these goals and expectations with them upfront for a successful end result.
Contact American Meetings, (AMI) at bd@americanmeetings.com for all your meeting needs and Happy Planning.
Todd Bludworth, COO and Andy McNeill, CEO at American Meetings provide insight on why preplanning and strategy are critical to a successful tradeshow, emphasizing that the initial steps of tradeshow planning can begin as early as 18 months out. “It’s all about connecting with potential clients”, said McNeill.
/
To make the right impression and connection there are very specific things that you need to take care of such as logistics, booth management, booth design, production needs and working with the show decorator, just to name a few.
We wanted to share with you in our video blog a few tips and reminders for a great tradeshow experience.
The best meeting space will fill up quickly, so book your meeting space ahead of time.
Local restaurant reservations for lunch and dinner engagements should also be secured very early on to ensure your top restaurant choices.
Early selection of your floor space is also a major part of your strategy. A great location is essential to tradeshow success.
In order to keep your group together, lock down your room blocks far in advance. Most hotels are able to accommodate whatever size group you may have, as long as they have that advanced notice. Keep in mind, multiple groups are vying for the same space. This advanced planning avoids the inconvenience of having to secure rooms at multiple locations which may add transportation challenges to your event.
Put some thought into your promotional give-a-ways and make sure your company is strongly and appropriately represented in the branding. They recommend exploring BrandIt for a vast assortment of ideas for amenity and promotional needs ()
Event management is a precious resource when it comes to saving you time, energy and money in crafting your corporate event or sales meeting. Whether you are outsourcing to an event management company or have your own internal resources, there are basic requirements that should be met. Do you know what to expect? Here are a few defining elements of successful event management.
1. the essential part of any group activity that ensures successful results executed and monitored by skilled individuals offering strategic meeting consulting and the harmonious coordination of overlapping activities
2. the outcome or result of using experienced and certified meeting planners to deliver unswerving leadership, thoughtful promotion and onsite execution
3. that which occurs as a result of the precise orchestration of numerous logistical components which include, and are not limited to, the utilization of the latest in registration software, the knowledge and assurance of industry compliance and consistent, timely deliverables.
4. a necessary resource providing a carefully marketed and skillfully executed program for sales meetings, advisory boards, annual congress or symposiums, pharmaceutical conferences, trade shows, corporate events, sales incentive programs or product launches.
5. the assistance frequently sought to successfully and collectively coordinate and provide direction with marketing, registration, accommodations and travel for a large gathering of individuals
Know what to look for in your event management partner and keep looking until you find it. We wish you all Happy Planning!
When meeting planning meets team building, one of the best ways to create engagement and positive energy is by incorporating philanthropy as the beneficiary.
/
Team building, in general, is a wonderful opportunity for individuals to really get to know each other and bond in an entirely different and creative way outside of the office.
A philanthropic goal establishes a generous mindset and is great use of time and energy.
Create oversized gift baskets for a children’s hospital, do a food drive for a local food bank or look into how you can help disaster relief efforts. Perhaps your company is already affiliated with a charity.
Team building activities provide bonding opportunities by getting people to interact, not just connect. It also creates an opportunity to introduce good energy, allowing your team members to show and provide support to each other in new ways, which will translate into the work place.
We also typically see that a welcomed, byproduct of introducing this fun and team building exercise is a re-energized work force. And, chances are that was the goal.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
