Meeting Planner Careers

The benefits of volunteering and community involvement are vast, including the opportunity to do something positive for your local community, give back and help others. Getting involved in the community also provides plenty of networking opportunities and will assist you in increasing awareness of and good will towards your brand.

Almost every non-profit organization is in need of volunteers, making this a great place to start if you are just beginning to look for ways to get involved in your community. From phone banks, mailings and administrative tasks to hands-on volunteer opportunities organizing fundraisers, working with children, feeding the homeless or knitting scarves to support the local women’s shelter, there are volunteer opportunities to fit anyone’s schedule and preferences.

If hands-on opportunities do not sound appealing to you, or you are not sure how you could fit them into your schedule, you can also donate much needed funds to support local organizations or donate your services to be sold as an auction item at a gala or given as a raffle item at a fundraising event. Making donations of your services or money that have your name attached to them offers the additional benefit of increasing awareness of your services and assisting you in becoming locally known as a professional that gives back to the community.

As a meeting planner, considering today's economy and government intervention into business, you may be inclined to put up your photon shields sooner than answer questions about your job. Inasmuch as photon shields do not exist yet, you might have to identify a fresh approach of responding to this question so that you do not get the evil eye for proclaiming you are a conference planner.  Here are various ideas to establish to associates what you organize without getting their hackles up and yourself down.

The synopsis Pitch

You can inform people what you do in just a few seconds, and tell them alsot that you are not the enemy. A few people seem to imagine that meeting planners are currently an additional expense that companies must not be paying for. Attempt a few of these replies by saying them to yourself in a mirror, and modify whatever you need to so that they work exceptionally well for you and does not sound rehearsed.

• I help businesses stay within government meeting regulations by planning their events.

• I help the government and businesses work together to save money on meetings so they don't have to sacrifice value and their bottom lines.

• I motivate a company's employees by providing training, technology sharing sessions, and programs.

• I help companies improve their bottom lines by providing motivational and training sessions that are well within government guidelines.

Depending on the type of planning you perform, you can modify these sentences and adjust them particularly for your requirements. Although you may well feel as if you should not have to do this, it is in reality excellent practice in support of your elevator promo speeches and sales pitch. In actuality, the stress the federal government has placed on your chosen work is like a nugget in the tide–it is a bit rough at times, but you will come out sparkling.

Whether you are just starting out in the field of event and meeting planning, or are a seasoned professional constantly on the lookout for ways to improve and grow your business, there are certain must-have items that you should quickly acquire, if you do not have them already. These items will assist you in increasing awareness of your services, in coming across as professional and reliable, in ensuring that people you meet will remember you, and in bringing in new clients. While each of the three must-have items listed below may seem simple, once you begin to use them you will quickly see their value as part of building a solid foundation on which to expand your client base and grow your list of contacts.
 

1. A professional website – If you do not already have a website, you need one immediately. Even if you only have basic information on a home page, it is absolutely essential to establish an online presence and have a convenient place for potential clients to obtain information about your services.
2. Business cards – Whether they are simple or sophisticated, business cards are an absolute must. Order them now and carry them with you everywhere you go. You never know when you might meet someone who will be important to your business.
3. Thank you cards – You can opt for stylishly imprinted cards with elaborate designs or simple blank cards from your local stationary store, but you should always have thank you cards on hand. Thank everyone for everything. People like to feel appreciated and it will help them remember you.

You already know that attending networking functions and connecting with local businesspeople are an important part of increasing awareness of your meeting or event planning services. You also know that networking events are a great way to meet both potential clients and vendors that you might like to work with in the future. But, there is more to making the most of networking functions than simply showing up and shaking a few hands. To get the most out of social networking events, you need to plan ahead, be prepared and have a plan in place for following up with the folks you meet at the function.

Planning ahead and being prepared includes making sure you have enough business cards and written materials to distribute to everyone you meet, practicing your elevator speech and making sure that your appearance and demeanor will appropriately display your professionalism and personable nature. You want attendees to feel comfortable in your presence, to want to know more about you and your services, and to quickly become confident in your ability to provide professional, reliable meeting or event planning services.

Aside from planning ahead for the event, you should also plan tasks for the days following the event. These tasks should include following up with everyone you spoke to with an email or handwritten card expressing how pleased you were to meet them, scheduling lunches with people who might be particularly helpful to you and visiting the websites of attendees to learn more about them.

Joining local business organizations and attending networking meetings or socials are essential tasks for meeting planners trying to break into the business or expand their current client base. Networking functions are an excellent way to meet potential clients, connect with local vendors, find new staff members as your business grows and get your name out there as a meeting or event planner who is accepting new clients. Networking socials and meetings are also a great way for shy or reserved folks to practice speaking about their business to strangers and to work on their people skills, which are particularly important to meeting planners.

Of course, it is not enough to simply attend networking functions and introduce yourself around. Following up with the folks you meet is just as important as making that initial contact. While you may have handed out your business cards and spoke about your meeting or event planning services, you must keep in mind that each attendee met plenty of other people as well; therefore, you must take extra steps to ensure that they remember you and that you will be in the back of their minds when they are need of planning services or when one of their friends or colleagues asks if they happen to know a good event planner.

You probably have a Facebook or MySpace account, your company may have a blog and Web site, and there’s a good chance that you’ve probably “tweeted”. However, if you’re behind the curve on technology and haven’t begun to use the different social media outlets to help build your event planning business, you’re probably missing out. Following are some reasons why you should be taking advantage of the power of social media.

Facebook – Facebook is the Grand Central Station of the Internet for contacting, finding and grouping people. This amazing social tool also allows you to measure different metrics within groups that you establish. Consider setting up a Facebook fan page for people interested in the events that you’re planning for your area. Post information about the events that is relevant and current and watch your group grow. If you want to measure the different metrics of your group, Facebook provides an online application called “Insights”, which allows you to measure interactions, likes, comments, wall posts and gender among other things.

Twitter – Why “tweet”? Why not? Twitter is the perfect texting platform. When you consider that you have 140 characters to produce a micro-blog post, you realize that millions of people on their Blackberries and iPhones will really appreciate the updates.

These two social media venues are just a taste of what is available (for free!) on the Internet. Dedicate some time each day to utilizing these tools and you’ll see the benefits firsthand.

In the meeting and events industry, innovative ideas are the key to success. However, it’s imperative to protect your ideas if it becomes necessary to showcase them to a client prior to signing a contract. A nondisclosure agreement is an excellent way to do just that.

Nondisclosure, the Nuts and Bolts
Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) generally include elements that prohibit the disclosure of specific information and a description of the information that the agreement covers. NDAs also contain a requirement that the party receiving the information must take every available step in order to prevent unauthorized disclosure of the information. They also generally provide limitations on who the information may be shared with and limitations on the use of that information. NDAs also include measures that may be taken if the agreement is broken.

When to Sign an NDA
If you have confidential information or materials that need to be protected, an NDA should be used very early within the RFP process. It’s even a good practice to have your recipient sign a nondisclosure prior to any conversations or disclosure of any information. You should also consider creating nondisclosure for specific documents or sections of documents, even if an NDA has been previously signed.

As with any document, you should exercise due diligence and work with an attorney that specializes in nondisclosure agreements.

Disclaimer: The author of this article is not an attorney and the views stated within the article are not legal advice. When entering into any agreement, parties to the agreement should exercise due diligence and consult with their own attorneys.

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

A great meeting planner is an exceptional listener. Developing good listening skills can be hard work, especially when so much of the work takes place over the telephone or through emails. Do you spend a good portion of your time thinking about how you are going to respond to client’s queries as he is talking? If you do, you’re likely to miss something important. Clients are often anxious about their budgets and their public reputations, especially if they are asking for help planning incentive travel.

It’s common to jot down notes when speaking with a client over the phone. It can be helpful to mirror back to the client what you understood him to say. This can help him clarify exactly what he means, which may not be what he said at all.

Listen optimistically. Don’t shoot down his ideas immediately even if you know what he wants can’t be done. It could be possible to amend his ideas or build on them to the satisfaction of both parties.

The ability to stay positive during an economic downturn inspires confidence in your client. That doesn’t mean you promise him the world when you know all you can reasonably deliver is the Jersey shore. It just means committing yourself to the project enthusiastically.

You just got your first meeting client, and you’re worried because she doesn’t have enough money to make it look good. She wants high tech gadgets, a nice reception, and a keynote speaker. She has the funds for a coffee bar, hand printed event schedules, and a motivational tape from the library. How in the world are you going to deal with that?

First of all, know that you can. While most event centers offer high tech gadgetry, very few clients really need to make use of everything a center offers. Often wifi, a laptop, and a projection screen will do for rooms; and although your client may think four rooms are required, you can show how three rooms can work better.

Instead of dinners and receptions, why not try a cuisine sampler and open socials? You can get some wonderful food samples from caterers that fit themes like international cuisine, festival foods, seafood, wild game, vegetarian dishes, desserts, etc.–all for much less than a full service evening dinner with a speaker.

And about the speaker–why not look to a local non-profit for an inexpensive speaker? Some speakers are free. They are happy to come and speak about their missions, which range from human service to animal causes, just for the opportunity to get their causes more press. In the meantime they motivate your audiences with their selfless efforts and the hardships they have over come.

No doubt you will be facing other corners you need to cut when your clients don’t have a lot of money, but your job is to be creative. Be creative with costs as well and your client will not only call you back, but hand out your business card to her friends. If you don’t, your meeting will look like a kindergarten class with no toys or graham crackers.