So you've been handed the responsibility of planning a business meeting off
the premises. Welcome to a task that isn't as easy as it seems. Before long,
you'll be making decisions and following up on details that
will ensure a successful business meeting. You may find yourself searching
madly for reference materials on planning a business meeting, meeting
planning services or interviewing professionals to help you organize. Don't
worry, there's no shortage of either.
Measuring the Value of a Successful Business Meeting
The best meetings support an organization's business objectives and help
convey its overall message to those attending. The best meeting planners
actively participate in honing the content to ensure that the meeting
furthers the goals of the organization and is consistent with its mission.
To measure the meeting's effectiveness, they are prepared to demonstrate its
return on investment (ROI) to management.
Through ROI, organizations justify the dollars spent on meetings by
measuring desired criteria, say, the knowledge gained by attendees or the
increase in sales directly attributable to their participation. Determining
ROI is accomplished through a variety of means, such as feedback from
management, post-meeting evaluations and surveys.
Questions to Ask When Planning a Meeting
When handed the task of planning a meeting, first ask yourself whether there
are alternatives to having a meeting at all. Is there a less costly way to
communicate with this group, say, with videoconferencing or computer
conferencing?
Chances are your organization will decide there is no substitute for a
face-to-face gathering, so two other questions are in order:
The answers to these questions will form the basis of all logistical
decisions to come, such as where the meeting is to be held, the size of the
budget, what type of hotel or other facility you will use, the content of
the agenda, what type of recreation will be called for, and even how the
chairs in the meeting room will be set up.
An incentive meeting held as a reward for salespeople will likely be held in
an upscale resort hotel with recreation as part of the program. On the other
hand, a short, hastily called brainstorming meeting is best staged at a
business hotel, perhaps one located near an airport so that attendees can
get in and out quickly. Obviously, fancy meals and recreation will not be
necessary. And a meeting called to teach salespeople a new skill will best
fit in a conference center that specializes in training and team-building
programs. There, some form of recreation may provide a welcome break.
Site Selection
Only after you are sure of the nature of the meeting and what type of hotel
or facility you will use, can you go about selecting a venue. For openers:
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Contact the convention and visitors bureau in the destination you are
considering. The bureau will send you literature that describes local
hotels.
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Consult a hotel directory.
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Contact the sales offices of major hotel chains for directories of their
properties.
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Internet
After compiling a list of possible venues, send the sales department of each
a request for proposal (RFP) outlining the requirements of your meeting. (If
you're contacting several hotels in a destination, the convention and
visitors bureau may serve as a middleman.) The RFP should include such
information as the preferred dates for your meeting, the number and type of
sleeping rooms you require, the range of acceptable room rates, food and
beverage requirements, a tentative agenda and the amount and type of meeting
space needed. This information will help the hotel decide whether it is able
to host the meeting according to your specifications.
Based on the hotels' responses to your RFP, narrow down the field and
arrange to inspect the hotel or hotels you're considering. Things to
consider during a site inspection: overall appearance of the hotel and its
guestrooms, lobby and meeting space; proximity to the airport and
availability of shuttle services; attitude of the service staff; whether
meeting rooms have obstructions, such as pillars or overhangs, that
interfere with audiovisual presentations; accessibility for people with
disabilities.
If you cannot inspect the site in person, a detailed questionnaire will
suffice. Also, many hotels have web sites that include layouts of their
meeting space.
Negotiating a Contract
By now, you should be ready to accept a letter of agreement from one
property. This outlines the space reserved for your group. You can begin to
negotiate with the salesperson form the property on the terms of the
contract that will eventually be signed. If you've held a similar meeting
before, you may strengthen your bargaining position by mentioning how much
was spent on basic items.
Nearly everything is negotiable: the sleeping room rate; the meeting room
rental, which may be waived if the group generates sufficient guestroom and
food and beverage revenue; upgrades to suite accommodations; meeting room
equipment; and the complimentary room ratio.
Regardless of the venue, make sure you have a written contract that outlines
the guestroom commitment, room rate, complimentary accommodations,
reservation and deposit procedures, method of payment, meeting space,
banquet space and cancellation policy.
Details, Details in Planning a Business Meeting
After the contract is signed, your meeting file will be turned over to the
property's convention services manager. Think of this person as your
in-house meeting planner, the person who, from now until your meeting ends,
will coordinate all your needs and serve as liaison between you and other
departments within the property.
Leading up to the meeting, you will be confronted with countless details
such as:
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Transportation. Will flights be booked by your organization's in-house
travel department or an outside agency? Airlines have special departments
that handle groups. They offer discounted fares and cargo rates,
complimentary tickets (depending on the number of seats booked), and special
ticketing and billing. How will attendees get from the airport to the
meeting property? Taxi? Hotel shuttle? If you're expecting high-level
executives or other VIPs, you'll have to arrange limousine transfers.
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Check-in. To expedite check-in, the property will need to be briefed on the
arrival pattern of attendees.
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Agenda. As the meeting nears, a schedule of meeting-related activities and
food and beverage functions should be drafted and shared with the convention
services manager.
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Meeting-room setup depends on the nature of the sessions. Use an
auditorium-style setup when a speaker is addressing the group. Arrange
tables in a U for sessions where attendees will be interacting.
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Audiovisual. Well before the meeting, talk to the convention services
manager about your requirements and how the equipment should be set up. Bear
in mind that some rooms have structural elements that are not conducive to
audiovisual presentations.
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Food and beverage. Menus should be discussed and confirmed with the
convention services manager and with the catering department.
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Recreation and special events. The convention services manager can assist in
setting up recreational programs on the property, such as a golf tournament.
Off-site events, such as dinners and outings, are best arranged through a
destination management company (DMC), a type of tour operator that focuses
on groups. Production companies can assist you with organizing themed
banquets, Broadway-style shows or multimedia presentations. Ask the local
convention and visitors bureau for a list of such companies.
Make Your Meeting Interactive
Interactive technology is having a huge impact on the meetings industry by
providing new ways to improve understanding and learning, then measure the
progress. Now planners have a more precise and immediate system for
evaluating the results of a meeting.
A key element of this revolution in learning is the audience response
system, which enables a presenter to ask questions and have the answers
displayed instantly on a large screen in front of the audience. (Questions
and answers can also be printed out and distributed after the meeting.)
Attendees are given a wireless keypad with which they answer questions. They
can pick Yes or No or punch in a number that corresponds to a
multiple-choice answer. Answers are tabulated by an on-site computer, then
displayed on the screen in various formats, such as bar graphs of pie
charts.
Besides getting people involved in the learning process, the system makes it
possible to obtain something long sought by presenters: immediate feedback.
That makes it especially useful for business meetings, media testing and
focus groups. Often, the audience is divided into teams that compete for the
best score.
Audience response systems can be used at virtually any meeting facility,
whether in-house, off-site, or at several remote sites linked by
videoconferencing. Setup time is nominal and price varies depending on the
size and duration of the meeting and the amount of customization required.
On-site /Aftermath
Ideally, the meeting planner should arrive at least a day before the
attendees. At that time, the meeting planner, the convention services
manager and the appropriate department heads can discuss last-minute needs.
Some form of post-meeting evaluation is necessary to determine the meeting's
ROI. Example: a questionnaire distributed to attendees plus follow-up
interviews with attendees and managers.
