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Overview
Plan, organize and host events like a pro — even if it's your very first time.
Ever notice how the best events look effortless? Everything just seems to unfold perfectly — and at just the right moment. A well-planned, well-run meeting, retreat, or convention is a thing of beauty.
After attending this seminar you will be able to:
- Understand the fundamentals of meeting planning
- Manage the details that can slip through the cracks and derail your success
- Negotiate the best deals possible from vendors
- Build an event-planning bible to keep you on track
- Plan a workable budget — and stay within it
- Assess and manage printing needs — agendas, binders, publicity, signage
- Know your critical tasks 6 months out, 30 days out, the week of the meeting and the night before
- Handle setup and teardown schedules smoothly and efficiently
- Conduct a day-after evaluation to assess your event and improve planning and management for the next one
Agenda
Ready, Set, Go — Getting Started Right
- The #1 reason events get off track, and how to avoid it
- How to determine the amount of time you need to prepare for an event
- The absolutely most important thing to do first when you're put in charge
- The six essential elements of any meeting, and how to prepare for each
- When you should hold the event at your workplace and when a hotel is a better choice
- Ways to determine how much assistance you need and what each person should handle
Building Your All-Important Project Plan
- Key factors to consider in building your timeline
- Critical questions to ask all vendors
- The one thing to always remember about negotiating with vendors
- The five basic questions every event planner must be able to answer
- How to create your own working timeline document
- The best way to research vendors for a true picture of their capabilities
- How much cushioning to include in your event budget
Dealing with the Details
- The most important consideration for setting up a registration desk
- What you can do before event day to ensure registration runs smoothly
- Five essentials to test at the hotel or meeting facility before you book
- What type of food you should serve, how much and when
- When it’s best not to offer food — or risk losing your audience’s attention
- A simple system that cuts the hassle of arranging for Internet, AV, LCD and other electronic needs
- Five common room setups and which works best for each event situation
- Tips for creating an event that pleases all the senses and earns rave reviews
- How to ensure a unified look for printed materials, from signage to programs
- Questions to ask prospective entertainersto ensure the presentation suits the audience
Managing Meeting Day
- How top planners decide how many staff members to have on hand, and where to place them
- Services for the physically challenged — you need more than a barrier-free building
- How to deal with language differences in printed materials
- The secret to creating a smooth load-in-load-out schedule that spares time and tempers
- When and how to train meeting staff for best results
- The #1 consideration when it comes to communication in planning meetings
- How to get the most out of the day-after evaluation
- Why you must evaluate the event with LBs (“like bests”) and NTs (“next times”)
