Meeting Planner Careers

Some meeting planners spend their entire careers making a similar level of income. This might be fine for people that value stability above all else, but if you are reading this then there is a fairly good chance that you are looking for a little extra earning power. Here’s how to do it:

Start by realizing that not every company has serious meeting/event planning needs. Be willing to look elsewhere for greater challenges and opportunities. It might be a little scary leaving a company that has done a good job looking after you for so long, but you may have hit a glass ceiling. Recognize this fact and move on.

Ask for extra challenges and assignments whenever possible. Some companies need meeting planners that can be flexible and are willing to pay a premium for that flexibility. Be sure to perform these tasks well and look for opportunities to show your added value whenever possible and practical.

Be willing to trumpet your success to the office, but do it with grace. If a meeting went over very well because of something that you are responsible for, such as choosing the right catering company or the perfect cruise company, then be willing to take partial credit. Modesty is a virtue, but it does not pay the bills.

If you just got out of a meeting with the boss who just happens to want the company’s first cruise event planned, then you might be a little panicked. All that time making friends with the powers that be at the local hotels and conference halls cannot prepare you for this. Don’t worry!

Here are some simple steps to planning the perfect cruise event:

Start by trying to get a good handle on how many people will be attending.

Will any (or all) of the participants need you to schedule additional travel?

Are there special needs that any of these people have that need to be addressed? Examples include dietary needs, special access requirements, and even placement on the ship.

Determine a suitable meeting schedule and create a few backup schedules that may or may not happen depending upon conditions and attendees.

Try to think of unique events that can be used to help people unwind and relax while on the cruise. Some of these ideas can be translated into really unique meeting ideas.

Go to Seasite.com to plan a group cruise.  They will take the workload off of you with unparalleled group cruise planning tools and resources.  One electronic RFP will get you the quotes you need.

At this point there should be a lot less work on your plate! Congratulations, this cruise event is going to be a success!

Businesses that are successful almost always find themselves at a point where they need to start organizing events. These events could be company gatherings, sales promotions, seminars to inform certain members of the press and/or industry-insiders about new products/services, or something else entirely. It does not necessarily matter why a company eventually needs to have meeting/events planners, but it is almost a certainty that such a position will need to be filled at some point in time. Here is how to hire a meeting planner:

Meeting planners should be outgoing, honest, and self-motivated – After all, the business needs to get on with whatever it is doing and be able to trust that meetings and events are being scheduled.

A meeting planner will need tools – A meeting planner will need access to a phone (preferably a cellular/mobile smartphone), a computer with access to the Internet. A desk to work from is also helpful, and a laptop or netbook should also be considered.

A budget – Meeting planners need realistic budgets to work with.  While a good meeting or event planner can usually pay for herself, you need to have funds available for those events.  Be sure to track your ROI on meetings and events to justify the plan, but do not hire a meeting planner without the ability to give them a budget.

Trial basis – It might be a good idea to start a meeting planner on a temporary or part-time basis just to see how things work out.

Success comes to those that know how to attain it, and sadly many meeting planners do not really know how to do this. The problem is not the fact that they are not good at their jobs, but rather that they are allowing themselves to be pigeon-holed into a single role.

Here’s how to break out:

Ask to take part in meetings – If this raises objections, offer to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and/or suggest that learning about what happens in a meeting can make you more effective at planning future meetings.

Do not ask questions about venues until you have researched options – Many bosses prefer to have options presented to them, not half-researched problems. Always take a few minutes each day to look at the pricing and options at different venues, catering companies, and so-on.

Be valuable because you are connected – Cultivate contacts that can get things done when nobody else can or at prices that nobody else gets. Be sure to let the powers that be about these connections so they see the value in your work.

Always ask for feedback – Change the meeting format or venue in some way every so often to test things out. Be sure to ask for feedback, as it makes you seem interested and connected as well as progressive.

There are several types of ships from which a meeting planner can choose when group cruise planning for a company or organization. While all types of cruise ships offers great accommodations, dining, and entertainment, some ships are better equipped to handle meetings as sea. Companies that are considering a ship charter may want to choose a premium ship for their incentive cruise. There are numerous benefits to cruising on a premium ship. When event planning, a meeting planner should highly recommend that organizations choose a premium ship for their incentive cruise.

A premium ship charter will have dedicated spaces in which the organization can hold their meetings and presentations. These room are spacious, inviting, and equipped with the latest conference technology. Best of all, these rooms are always complimentary. Not only do the meeting rooms offer attendees plenty of space, but the staterooms are also larger on premium ships. A premium ship's stateroom are comparable to fine hotel accommodations. In the stateroom and throughout the ship, attendees can stay connected with Wi-Fi hot spots. Cell phones may also be used while attending meetings at sea when using a premium ship. Furthermore, premium ships also have unique on board venues, exceptional entertainment, and the best in award-winning dining.

For those considering meeting planner careers, some may wonder exactly what is the point and purpose of a meeting planner. A meeting planner can be priceless to organizations and individuals because bringing people together for a common purpose can be complicated. If one has ever attempted to get 2 or 3 people to commit to a meeting, it is easy to understand how overwhelming it would be for an organization or individual to get a number of people with various schedules together in the same place at the same time.

Event planning is an area of specialization, and it takes time to learn how and when to get the best deals. Determining the information requires time and energy that most businesses and individuals do not have to devote to meeting planning. There are many aspects of event planning that must be taken into consideration such as speakers, venue, equipment, printed materials, meeting purpose, message, and the impression the individual or organization wishes to communicate. These are all essential tasks to be undertaken by the meeting planner. For those that think the meeting planning business is a cakewalk, they may want to think again. Meeting planners are an integral and crucial part of seamless event planning.

The job of a meeting planner is to determine a meeting venue that will provide the most motivation for employees to be top-performers and provide the organization with the best value for their money. In times past, this has been a difficult feat for meeting planners. With the advent and popularity of meetings at sea, successful meeting planning has become a bit easier. Not only are cruise events ideal ways to motivate employees, but they can save organizations up to 40 percent of the cost of a land venue such as a hotel or resort.

A ship charter, as opposed to a land venue, can save a company quite a bit of money as mentioned previously. There are other ways in which cruise events can be financially beneficial. Because the cost of lodging, meals, entertainment, and recreational activities can be included in the price, there are no additional expenses that will be incurred. There are many dining experiences from which employees may choose, and the entertainment options are numerous. Since a cruise is a self-contained environment, employees will be more readily available for group events and employees will have a better opportunity for relationship building and networking occasions.

Meeting planners that are considered to be extremely successful do not get to be where they are simply by accident. They get to be known as effective meeting planners because they know a few secrets that their less-well known counterparts do not. Here are the top three secrets of effective meeting planners.

Names – Never forget a name of anyone. This is true of the most high-powered executive or politician right down to the bellhop at the hotel everyone is staying at. Why? People love their own names and meeting planners who remember names are statistically more likely to be viewed in a positive light than those who do not.

Shake it up – Meeting planners that plan the same kind of meetings should expect the same kind of results. This may not be bad if the results are already stellar, but repetition does get old. A change of venue or a new catering company could be just what it takes to make an event more memorable.

Never forget an appointment – A Smart Phone and/or netbook may be required to keep a schedule, but that is a small price to pay for being effective. Learning to take notes while listening or offering feedback is important.

Smile – Believe it or not, studies show that people who smile more get promotions and assignments more often than those who do not. This is true regardless of skill or aptitude.

Freelance meeting planners can make an incredible amount of money if they are self-motivated and have an ample amount of people skills. The problem is that many larger companies have meeting planners on staff, and thus one has to find a way to attract attention if they want to be a successful freelance meeting or event planner. Here are some tips on how to build up a reputations as a freelance meeting planner and perhaps generate business:

• Start by making contacts within the service industry, especially at hotels and other venues where people want to visit and/or hold their events or gatherings. These contacts can be useful when it comes to negotiating lower prices.
• Start a blog and try to guest post on other blogs as well. Some businesses might know that they need help, but do not know where to turn. Be there for them and they will come to you.
• Consider advertising, even in Craigslist or other online arenas that are cost effective. Newspapers might be worth advertising in as well, but print is certainly on its last leg.
• Be willing to knock on doors and network. This will mean having a business card ready, and spending money to attend conferences and meetings in order to network.
• Consider specializing in a certain type of meeting planning such as educational conferences or meetings-at-sea.  Developing a reputation as a niche expert.
• Remember that honesty and fair prices are important, especially at the beginning. Do not look to recoup all initial startup losses on the first few clients are nobody will recommend you.

When one thinks of meeting planners they may be thinking of an office job where answering phones and entering information into a computer is all that happens. This might be true of some meeting planner jobs, but certainly not for all of them. Some meeting or event planning positions might involve a significant amount of travel, often to very interesting destinations. In short, the amount of travel involved will often depend greatly upon where one works as a meeting planner and the needs of that company/industry.

High powered executives are usually looking for meeting planners that have a flair for the dramatic or interesting. This will often entail higher salaries and/or benefit packages, but it will also mean more travel and interesting destinations. The workload may not be substantially different than that of a meeting planner for a more modest company, but the competition for such top-echelon meeting planner positions is likely to be fierce indeed. This competition is certainly justified by the compensation packages and travel opportunities, but there is also an option for homebodies who just want money: freelance meeting/event planning.

Freelance meeting planners do not always get to travel with their clientele, but it is not unheard of. Luckily, freelance meeting planners are free to collect as many clients as they can handle, and that means that there is no limit on their earning potential.