Jun
12
Meeting and Event Best Practices
June 12, 2009 | | Written by Lindsay Talsness
For some people, the thought of planning a meeting or event can be daunting. Here are four helpful recommendations to make planning your next meeting or event easier and more organized.
1. Ask why. As in, why are we holding this event? What are the outcomes we desire? With your overall goals as the primary focus, the rest of the event will take shape more easily.
2. Determine who, what, where, when, and how.
- Who will be attending? The theme, décor, time and location of an event for 200 college students will be (and should be) different from an event for 200 50th reunion college alumni.
- What will be the theme? A memorable theme will be one which really resonates with your target demographic. Not feeling particularly creative? Ask a professional for help! At Metro Studios, we have both the creativity and event planning expertise you need.
- Where will your event be held? Choose a venue that is convenient, offers ample parking, is appropriately sized for your event and can work with the resources you are bringing to the event. Will your attendees need air transportation, hotel transportation, rooms or meals? It’s always wise to work with a meeting planner and visit possible venues in person to get the best rates, services and overall experience when choosing a venue. Some venue ideas include: hotels, conference centers, resorts, stadiums, museums, and universities.
- When should everything happen? Having a clearly outlined timeline for event preparation is a key part of planning. Providing a copy of the timeline to all parties involved – from your caterer to your audio visual team will help everyone stay on the same page.
- How much can you spend? Until you determine how much individual items cost, set a working budget by expenditure type.
3. Use the Web to your advantage. Today, the web enables you to plan your event smarter using Internet tools for registration, collecting fees, managing assets, event promotion and post-event wrap-ups.
According to Meetings and Conventions magazine, “Among those who have used such sites for meeting planning purposes, Facebook is the most popular (74 percent), followed by LinkedIn (66 percent) and Twitter (56 percent). More than one-third (36 percent) have launched a blog to market events.”
Event planners frequently use the web to post meeting information, register participants, collect fees, post event photos and presentations and add sponsorship value to their events.
4. Choose to work with professionals who have expertise in all the areas required to support your event. Work with a team who will understand your objectives, strategically and creatively plan your event, and can provide full support – from custom media solutions to whatever technical requirements you may have. Professionals take care of details and provide seamless production services that make for a flawless, memorable event.
At Metro Studios, we’re ready to help you plan your next event – and we have the technical and creative resources to provide you with a comprehensive solution from start to finish.
Additional Resources – You are Not Alone:
- Meeting Professionals International
- International Special Events Society
- Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association
- Metro Studios
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Here are 10 Best Practice Meeting Tips from iGroupNews.
1. An effective meeting plan starts with you. Take pride in that responsibility and prepare accordingly.
2. If you are not personally or professionally prepared to plan or lead a meeting find an Associate who can assist.
3. Determine if you need to meet face-to-face or if the goals can be accomplished through email.
4. Get to your room and make sure everything is ready to go BEFORE your scheduled start time.
5. Everyone’s time is valuable, including yours. Start your meeting on time.
6. Have handouts distributed prior to your attendees arrival and move through the notes quickly and concisely.
7. If there is a “call to action” deliver it with enthusiasm and confidence.
8. Create a follow-up plan to your call to action and make sure that all stakeholders understand the deliverables.
9. Send each attendee a thank you email along with the meeting minutes attached.
10. Debrief the meeting process for continuous improvement.