Meeting Planner Careers

It’s no secret that ambiance and scenery help to create the proper mood for an event, but now a study by The Deck at the National Theatre confirms just how important it is for meeting planners in selecting a  location.  The study was highlighted in the article, Planners prefer room with a view, says research,  in which participants were asked to identify the leading factors when selecting a venue for their event.  Among their choices were: scenery and setting, ambiance, flexible facilities, quality of catering and service.  For a large majority, scenery and setting ranked higher than quality of catering and service. 

“The survey also revealed that given the right vista, bookers are also very keen to utilise outdoor spaces, whether for pre-dinner drinks, backdrops for photographs, a change of scenery or simply a breath of fresh air.”

When you think about it, it actually makes perfect sense.  The one sure fire way to create a memorable event is to host it at a memorable location.  Setting and ambiance definitely set the tone and create the energy that will fuel the event.  More importantly, the announcement of an event to be held at a unique location tends to create anticipatory buzz and increased participation. 

Let’s try this example…   

You receive two invitations for corporate events.  One function is being held at a local high-end hotel.  You know the drill, cocktail reception in the lobby waiting area, open to the ballroom with standard setup, rubber chicken and mediocre service. Second function is being held aboard a cruise ship.  Private reception on deck, ocean breeze blowing, sky blanketed with a thousand stars, to be followed by gourmet meal in a lavish dining room and ending the night with a spectacular Broadway-style show.    Which would you get excited about attending?  Now what if the cost for the second option was comparable to and in many cases less than the first?   

Cruise ships are also able to provide one thing many hotels simply can’t…CHOICES.  Whether you want an outdoor reception in the middle of the ocean, a variety private meeting venues with state of the art equipment (included at no additional cost), or a customized program for your guests, cruise ships can usually accommodate most requests.  In addition, with the world as your backdrop, there’s no better way to create the perfect ambiance and setting.

Given the limitless possibilities, is there any reason not to CRUISE into your next corporate event or meeting?

As a meeting planner, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the details and forget the most important one of all: the attendees. Being herded from one session to another, with minimal breaks in between to barely answer voicemails and emails, it’s no wonder why attendees often feel like just another number. Part of the purpose of gathering employees at conferences and meetings is to have them interact, share ideas and build stronger bonds. Unfortunately, that seldom seems to happen and part of the fault may lie in the actual organization of the event.

As Jeff Hurt writes in Do You See Your Conference Attendees?,  “You need to schedule time in each education session where participants can talk with each other about the content. Where they can share their experiences. Their success and their failures.” 

One powerful way to impact how your attendees interact with each other is the location and atmosphere of the event. A cold, sterile ballroom or conference room does little to inspire interaction and camaraderie. Team building activities in such environments are also limited, confined and largely overdone.

Instead, how about having participants bond over an exciting Zip-line ride or a rock climbing adventure aboard an innovative cruise ship? Many unique team building experiences can be found on a cruise ship that simply can be duplicated in a conference room. It’s a proven fact that when attendees are interactive, they become much more receptive to the message you are trying to convey. 

From a meeting planner’s perspective, cruise ships offer the best of all worlds under one roof. Dedicated conference rooms with state-of-the-art A/V equipment are available for meeting/educational sessions. Themed lounges and meeting venues can be reserved for private receptions. A variety of dining options on cruise ships rival the best of city eateries. While Las Vegas and Broadway caliber entertainment options are bound to leave your attendees enthralled and amazed. The best part of it all?   All these amenities are part of the standard fare. 

Your attendees want to know that you took effort in planning an unforgettable event. They need to know that it isn’t about cramming them into a room just to bombard them with information then send them on their way. At the end of the day, every conference attendee wants to feel like they’re special for being a part of the experience. They need to feel you valued their time as much as they do. So with that in mind, think outside the box. Plan something unique and make their experience a reflection of your creativity.

More and more event planners are relying on their smart phones and tablets to conduct their business.  With the thousands of applications available for a variety of phones, it’s easy to see why.  The question becomes which ones to use and why.  Sorting through the countless apps can be a task in of itself so we’ve compiled a top 5 list that no Event/Meeting Planner should be without. 

Super Planner

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/super-planner-event-planning/id383727111?mt=8

A comprehensive event planning app includes a Capacity Calculator for estimating seating configurations for meeting venues, Food and Beverage Calculator to accurately estimate how much to serve, as well as Staffing and Audio Visual; making this the ideal app for all your event planning needs. ($9.99)

Mint

http://www.mint.com/

Never lose track of your expenses again with this app that consolidates all your financial data in one place.  This application will help you create a budget and keep tabs on your event expenditures so you know how much money you have left to spend.  All of your transaction history is also stored so you can analyze and create reporting using easy-to- use graphs and charts.  (FREE)

Bump

www.bumptechnologies.com

Technology meets networking in this modern spin on exchanging business cards.  Avoid having a stack of business cards after an event by simply “bumping” your contact.  By simply tapping your smartphones together, you can seamlessly transfer all your contact information to each other and never fumble for another pen again.  (FREE)

Skype

www.skype.com

The same skype service you utilize for web chatting is available as an app too!  Save your cell minutes and use skype to make free phones and web chat over a Wi-Fi connection.   This handy app also allows you to send text message and check voicemails.  (FREE)

WeatherBug

http://weather.weatherbug.com/mobile/weatherbug-for-iphone.html

Nothing ruins an event like a rain storm.  Get the upper hand on mother nature and plan ahead.  The WeatherBug app gives up up-to-date and accurate weather forecasts so you can be aware of any inclement weather threatening your special event and have time to activate your contingency plans.  (FREE)

Meeting planning for meetings at sea and/or events at sea are a lot easier than planning for a comparable meeting schedule or event on land. Why? Because there is a helpful concierge to help make decisions and handle a lot of the work for you. The result is not only saved money, but saved time as well. The question is what to do with that spare time. Some tell their bosses that they are done early, but there may be other ideas worth considering:

• Catching up on other paperwork or office chores – Getting caught up is equally impressive, or possibly more impressive than, finishing early.
• Preparing everything for next week – In the same train of thought, it would probably be a good idea to finish all of next week’s work ahead of time and then be back in this same decision making process next week. If only all choices were so easy!
• Check for new ideas on how to conduct meetings or plan events online. There is plenty of networking to be done, and that networking could result in new associations, deals, or ways of doing things. Call it dedicating time to self improvement.
• Learn some local phrases or culture – Is your meeting going someplace where the locals have a unique culture or language you don’t speak? Start learning online now and consider printing out a basic list of phrases and dos/don’ts for everyone attending.

Whatever you decide to do, do not consider browsing the Internet or otherwise wasting time. Being productive is important to any business and that is especially true of businesses paying meeting a premium for a quality meeting planner.

Anyone considering a career as a meeting planner is likely to wonder just how much they can make. This is certainly a fair question for anyone considering a new career to ask, but the answer depends greatly upon a number of different variables. First and foremost is where one chooses to work.

Corporate meeting planners can start off with near-college graduate salary if they are competent regardless of whether they possess a degree or not. There are certainly arguments that suggest that corporate meeting planning might soon be a very large market and thus it is likely that education requirements are going to remain low while wages and responsibilities will increase.

Even more lucrative are the freelance meeting planner positions that allow those with the talent and drive to leverage their skills and connections for the mutual benefit of multiple clients. The results can be very impressive when it comes to raw numbers and the sky really is the limit in terms of earnings. On the downside, benefits are not going to be part of the package 99.9% of the time, but with a six-figure earning potential that may not be a severe downside.

Those working for smaller and medium sized businesses will have to flex their multitasking skills for a more modest salary but there may be benefits and perks down the road. For example, promotions from within are usually the order of the day at smaller and medium sized organizations.

Meeting planners are starting to move up in the corporate world, but there are still ceilings placed on many meeting planners without an education. This is just one of the many reasons why all meeting planners should immediately start seeking part time education options, but here are a few more:

• Other opportunities await the organized – Meeting planning takes organization, but so do many other jobs. Whether it is a different career path altogether or a change of position with the same company, an education is a great idea for meeting planners looking to take on new challenges.
• Professional growth – Sometimes we do not know how much we can handle until we are pushed beyond our limits. Adding new tasks to our lives makes us better people and teaches us new time management skills, both of which are valuable assets to any meeting planner.
• Self image – While meeting planning is a growing field right now, it could very well shrink in 10 or 20 years in much the same way that realty is shrinking. Like realtors, a sudden change in the market could put meeting planners on a new career path. Having a positive self image could help make the rebound that much easier and potentially safer.

Cruise events and meetings at sea are becoming the new norm, and that means that meeting planners that are moving up in the world might get a chance to go along for the excursion. Not a bad fringe benefit, but it is certainly not one that many people would have expected of a job that was relegated to low- to mid-level employees until recently. The changing economic climate is altering the relative position of most meeting planners in the corporate ladder, and the result is that more meeting planners are being brought closer to the top of the corporate ladder than ever before.

With that elevation does come some perks and responsibilities, but one of the perks actually is a responsibility. Luckily, meeting planners that plan great cruise events are in such high demand that the entire affair does seem to blur the lines between duty and responsibility, which is not at all uncommon when discussing cruise meetings in general. After all, where can someone walk 2 minutes out of a world-class meeting room with an unparalleled view and end up in a mall with several 4+ star restaurants, a world-class gym and more? Maybe in Vegas, but the views there rarely change while cruise ships offer a new view every day and some of the most amazing sunsets and sun rises on the planet.

If you are a meeting planner and this sounds like your idea of a dream job then get ready to start tailoring your resume!

Everyone in the office has some levels of responsibility when it comes to ensuring the collective well-being of the office. Part of that well-being is ensuring that there are plenty of incentives for workers to remain loyal and perform at or above expectations.

While the majority of what motivates workers tends to be financial or related to benefits, there are some things that meeting planners can do to influence motivation. Some offices may give meeting planners the freedom to implement these ideas on their own, while others may require running the following ideas by the powers that be. Use your own discretion when deciding how to go about implementing any or all of the following ideas:

• Special coffees – Many coffee vendors offer special flavors at prices that are only marginally more expensive than non-flavored coffee. For a few dollars a month the powers that be could win a lot of hearts and minds. There’s little like vanilla or hazelnut coffee in the morning.
• Seating arrangements – Some people have peculiar desires when it comes to seating, while others have more obvious desires. Some want to be next to the boss so they can have their ideas heard, others might want to be seated next to that attractive new receptionist, and just about everyone wants to be seated as far away from Flatulent Freddy from finance. Find a fair way to determine who gets to sit where when competition arises and see how inspirational meeting planning can be.