Meeting Planner Careers

Whether you’re in Washington, D.C. or Los Angeles, CA, government entities can be a different breed of client to work with when planning meetings. It’s never an easy task when dealing with multiple entities with different rules. Your goal is to understand the differences between state run agencies and federal agencies and their rules and work your plan around those differences. Following are a few tips to help get you through the quagmire.

State Guidelines vs. Federal Guidelines
One of the most important things to understand is that there are differences between the guidelines that state agencies must follow and the guidelines that federal agencies must follow. In a nutshell, the state is only required to do the minimum federal guidelines, however, states like Texas have their own additional rules that must be followed. The easiest way to ensure that you have the proper guidelines is to utilize the U.S. General Services Administration and check which rules you must follow and what the agencies are required to do. Another option is to take the new designation course offered by the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) and become a certified government meeting planner.

Accepted Practices
Most government agencies aren’t allowed to cover the cost of food and drink. However, a savvy meeting planner who understands this can bundle meeting rental and break service rather than itemizing everything separately. Another avenue to explore is a joint project between SGMP, the Convention Industry Council and Meeting Professionals International called the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX). This group offers standardized contracts, RFPs and other tools that will help you with government meeting planning.

Working as a government planner can be very rewarding. The sealed bids can be worth thousands, but understanding the rules of the game is an incredibly important step on the road to success in this segment of the industry.

From the Civil War to Civil Rights, Alabama is a state filled with the history that forged a nation. Interestingly enough, Alabama is also a state that makes meeting and event planning easy. From the multiple Convention and Visitors Bureaus to the hotels and golf courses scattered along the gulf coast, Alabama provides a venue that functional, memorable and educational.

Groups, whether small or large, are perfect for Alabama. Affordability ranks high on the list of most meeting planners in today’s economy and Alabama comes through with flying colors. Group rates on hotels and discounts on many of the amenities make it an extremely attractive venue. The Gulf Coast CVB has become a favorite destination for meeting planners. Over 87,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 15,000 condominium and hotel units provide ample accommodations for any group.

Attractions in Alabama include the Alleyway, which is an entertainment area along the riverfront in Montgomery. Birmingham features the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The sister cities of Auburn and Opelika are both home to major universities and excellent golf courses. Huntsville touts its new Davidson Center for Space Exploration and the coastal venues pull attendees into the Mardi Gras tradition. Alabama beckons to groups of any size.

The Web has helped create a movement toward simplifying the everyday tasks of event and meeting planning through the use of Web applications or “Apps” for short. Following are four Web Apps that can make your life easier.

Which Date Works?
This Web app is an all-in-one tool that allows you to handle contact lists, has a calendaring system that helps you see who is available and finalize dates for meetings or events that work for everyone. Which Date Works can be found at http://whichdateworks.com.

My Punch Bowl
This event planning application helps you organize an event from conception through invitation. It even handles creating the date, online invitations, supplies and sharing via different social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. My Punch Bowl can be found at http://www.mypunchbowl.com.

Set Dot
Set Dot is an events management Web app for creating and managing events and meetings. You can create the event and stylize it with a theme, send out invitations to the event and manage guest responses and messages. This app will even allow you to find maps and directions to your event. Set Dot can be found at http://www.setdot.com.

Anyvite
This application uses more than just the Web to help you plan events. Anyvite works with mobile, IM and SMS tools to help you invite associates to different events. It features a plethora of invitation designs, ease of use, location search and the ability to incorporate photos or video. This handy tool also features a way to export a guest list. Anyvite can be found at http://anyvite.com.

Architecturally astounding and implicitly beautiful, W Fort Lauderdale is the newest and hottest destination for relaxation or event planning in Fort Lauderdale. With over 12,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space, there are very few events that couldn’t be handled at this hotel. W Fort Lauderdale boasts 517 guest rooms and suites and 5,500 square feet of additional outdoor meeting space.

Whether you’re hosting a board meeting or planning a world-class event, W Fort Lauderdale will accommodate your needs with a helpful staff of professionals. The hotel also features exclusive offers for meeting and event planners such as a complimentary room for each 25 rooms that are booked, 4% credit to master and a complimentary airline ticked for every 25 tickets booked.

W Fort Lauderdale is conveniently located only 7 miles from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International airport, 32 miles from Miami International and only 46 miles from Palm Beach International airport. If you add in the convenience of W’s signature Whatever/Whenever® service, you’ll never have to worry about finessing the details.

W Fort Lauderdale truly goes above and beyond for corporate planning or events and provides an atmosphere that is both relaxing and attractive.

For more information or to make reservations, contact Paula Walker-Carlson at (954) 414-8202 or e-mail her at: paula.carlson@whotels.com.

Exclusive offers source: http://specialoffers.starwoodhotels.com/W_Fort_Lauderdale/mp.htm

Most events planners might scoff at the idea of Disneyland Resorts as a meeting destination for hardcore business groups, but Paul Garcia would like event planners to think a bit more magically.

“What sets the Disneyland Resort apart as a meeting destination is that it’s an inspiring, iconic place. We want groups to be inspired,” says Garcia.

And inspiring it is. With roughly $1 billion worth of inspiration being poured into this concept, Disneyland resorts is determined to become a meeting and events destination.

One such feature is the Disney Institute, which is Disney’s professional development company. While this institute isn’t new, the program that is at the heart of it has been revamped with a new emphasis on innovation and learning. The institute gives attendees an insider view of how the Disneyland Resort works on a daily basis. In essence, they want people to see the “magic”.

Obviously, $1 billion is a lot of money to spend and not all of it is going toward the Disney Institute. In fact, much of the money is being spent on expansion of the resort, itself. The expansion will add 200 new rooms and 50 villas for vacationers at the Grand Californian Hotel.

Overall, the future looks more than bright for Disneyland resorts. In fact, it appears to be magical.

As an event or meeting planner, you’re always faced with the difficult prospect of what to plan during off hours. Do you plan for complete freedom or offer alternatives for attendees to choose from. In general, a good event planner will put together options for participants outside of the meetings that will engage and entertain them. Following are some educational alternatives to the standard drinks and hors d’oeuvres receptions.

Tacoma’s Museum of Glass
Tours of the museum and a stop in the “Hot Shop” allow guests to learn about the history and art of blowing glass.

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry
This museum is one of the world’s leading science and industry museums. It houses over 35,000 artifacts and hosts almost 14-acres of interactive displays.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
A 10,000-square-foot Energy Gallery is one of the premier displays at this museum. Another area, Innovation Studios, features five interactive science and history areas for guests.

Science Museum of Virginia
The Science Museum of Virginia is one of the most noted museums of its kind. Not only does it feature amazing hands-on displays, it also has a number of areas for events.

San Francisco’s Exploratorium
Everyone enjoys interactive displays and the Exploratorium houses some of the best. Over 400 exhibits entice the mind and there are many areas for receptions and presentations.

When it comes to meetings, you have to come fully prepared and ready to state your side and then show all the documentation that you have used and collected. There are basically seven ways for you to have an easy and hassle free meeting plan.

The first thing that you must do is think about everything that you will need. Make sure that if you need an overhead projector that it is set up in the room before the meeting starts. You may want to come to the meeting an hour or two head and set the room. You need to make sure that all the equipment that you use is good and works. This is the time for you to set up the rest of the room.

You may need to rearrange the furniture and other things to make sure that everyone can comfortably see the presentation. You may also want to take this time to set your table up. If you have folders or handouts that you would like to share with your associates, you may want to leave them at the end of the table or around the table. Read more…

Planning an event is a big job.  No matter what type of event it is, you will find that there is a lot of different things that you have to make sure get done. You need to be focused and ready to take on this type of challenge when it comes to planning an event.  If you are not able to handle it all yourself, you will want to think about hiring an event planner to make it a little bit easier. 

There are a few different key factors that are important when you are trying to find a successful event planner. You need to think about the person that you are hiring and what they can do for you.  You have to learn to pick and choose your event planner wisely so that you are not finding yourself in a bad situation later on.

1. You will want to make sure that you are getting a highly successful event planner to take care of your next event. You need to make sure that you are finding someone that is ready to take on a challenge and do the best job that she can for you.  You want them to be devoted and able to help you though anything that is thrown your way. 
2. You want a professional.  You want to have someone help you with your next event that has the extensive training that is necessary to make the most of the event. You need to have someone that you can count on that has the experience that you need to make this the best ever.  You can make the event highly successful and very professional when you have help that matches your needs.
3. Getting a professional event planner that pays attention to detail is very key. This is one of the most important key factors in making an event a great success. You will want to have the person helping you very interested in making you happy. You need them to be very efficient and willing to do what you need them to. 
4. You will want to interview your event planner to make sure they are the person that you feel comfortable with. You want to have someone help you with your special event that you can trust and get to know.  They will want to be make your event the best that it can be and give you all that you are looking for and maybe even a little bit more.  You will be surprised at the amount of help you can get from your wedding planner when you chose them well. Ask them important questions that you are going to need to know.  You want to make the most of this time and get to know them very well.
5. The person that you are hiring to take care of your event will have to know the financial part of the business.  They will have to be willing to make sure that they take care of all the business transaction s that have to be dealt with so that you can get the event rolling on the right budget. They will have to be aware of the process and that they have to stay within the budget to keep on track.
6. Get the references that you need to make a good decision about the event planner that you need. You want to make sure that you have someone that is going to have former clients that are happy with their work. You want to contact these people and find out what they like and disliked about the event planner. This will help you make a better decision as to who is the right person for the job.
7. You will also need to make sure that the event planner is able to get word of your special event out there. You want them to be able to get the advertising part of the business out there for everyone to know about. You want to get as many people to your event that you can.  This will mean a lot of hard work and effort to go into the great event that you have been planning and waiting for.
8. Price.  This is one of the most important things that you need to consider before you hire an event planner. You want to make sure that you are getting someone that you can afford to do the job. You want to get an event planner that is going to be in your budget and also be very good. You do not want to pay for someone that you do not think will get the job done.  However you also want to make sure that you are getting someone that you can trust and feel good about the price at the same time. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of meeting, event and convention planners is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations over the 2006-16 decade. Additional job openings will come from the need to replace workers who leave the workforce or transfer to other occupations. Career opportunities will be best for individuals who have earned a bachelors degree and who have some meeting planning experience.

Employment change. Employment of meeting, event and convention planners is expected to grow 20 percent over the 2006-16 decade, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

As businesses and organizations become increasingly global, meetings and conventions become  more important. In organizations that span the country or the globe, the periodic meeting is increasingly the only time the organization can bring all of its members together.

Despite the proliferation of alternative forms of communication, such as e-mail, videoconferencing, and the Web, face-to-face interaction is still a necessity. In fact, new forms of communication foster interaction and connect individuals and groups that previously would not have collaborated. By increasing the number of human connections, electronic forms of communication actually increase the demand for meetings, which may offer the only opportunity for these people to interact in person.

Source:  US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Meeting and convention planners search for prospective meeting venues, which may be hotels, convention centers, or conference centers. They issue requests for proposals to all the sites in which they are interested. These requests state the meeting dates and outline the planners’ needs for the meeting or convention, including meeting and exhibit space, lodging, food and beverages, telecommunications, audio-visual requirements, transportation, and any other necessities.

The venues respond with proposals describing what space and services they can supply, and at what prices. Meeting and convention planners review these proposals and either make recommendations to top management or choose the site themselves.

Once the location is selected, meeting and convention planners arrange support services, coordinate with the facility, prepare the site staff for the meeting, and set up all forms of electronic communication needed for the meeting or convention, such as e-mail, voice mail, video, and online communication.