Meeting Planner Careers

Planning meetings and corporate events at ski resorts is an excellent idea for a variety of reasons. The most obvious reason – of course – is the delight that will exude from your attendees when they find out their next business trip is to the top of a mountain with their skis or snowboard. Additionally, meeting and travel planners will find that there are some exceptional deals to be had if you do a little online research to find the best group travel deals for ski resorts. However, one of the biggest benefits that may not be quite as apparent in the planning process is the excellent networking opportunities that come with meeting at a ski resort.

When not in meetings, attendees will have the opportunity to hit the slopes, hang out in the resort’s lounge, cross-country ski, snowshoe or even take their family sledding, if they have come along as well. All of these activities provide the perfect environment for networking while on the ski lift, trekking through the forest or sharing the sledding hill. If your group is smaller than 20, you may also consider opting for a private vacation rental near or in the ski resort, which can save money on lodgings and provide a more intimate networking environment.

There are plenty of cost-effective ski destinations within the U.S. and Canada, as well as a plethora of options overseas. Also, keep in mind that the Southern Hemisphere experiences winter during our summer, allowing you to plan a meet and ski event in the middle of the summer by opting for New Zealand, Chile or other options to the south.

Orlando, Florida is an excellent destination for corporate events and meetings, offering year-round sunshine and warm weather, exceptional event venues, luxury resort hotels, world-class dining, shopping and entertainment, virtually endless outdoor activities and numerous well-known attractions. With the close proximity of several major theme parks, family-friendly tourist attractions and golf courses, attendees can easily take in a round of golf between meetings and can bring their family with them to combine a fun family vacation with their business trip.

Family-friendly things to do and see while in Orlando include:

• Disneyworld
• Disney’s Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Epcot Center
• Universal Studios Orlando
• SeaWorld Orlando, including Discovery Cove where you can swim with dolphins
• Wet ‘n’ Wild
• Orlando Odditorium
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum
• Skull Kingdom Haunted House
• Orlando Museum of Art
• Islands of Adventure
• Busch Gardens
• Cypress Gardens
• Silver Springs
• Gatorland

Additionally, attendees will find plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities, such as cycling, horseback riding, air boat rides, water sports, fishing, tennis, golf, miniature golf and hiking. For those who prefer urban adventures, Orlando is home to a wide variety of spas, restaurants and shopping opportunities, as well as a lively nightlife.

The life of a meeting planner is fast-paced and hectic, and there always seem to be a million things to order, reserve, follow up on, confirm or plan on a daily basis. With a full schedule and a mile-long to-do list, planners can easily find that their mind is constantly racing ahead to the next task – and the one after that – making it difficult to remain focused on the task at hand. When they are meeting with one client, they suddenly find themselves thinking about the caterer they need to call that afternoon or coming up with venue ideas for a coming event, while the client sitting in front of them is trying to explain the type of event they need them to plan.

While it can be difficult to train yourself to focus on the present, it is incredibly important that you do. When you allow your mind to wander while completing tasks, you can easily miss something or have to go back and double-check your list to make sure you did not forget something while your mind was wandering. At best, this wastes time. At worst, it results in missing things that will later cost you money or, possibly, your reputation. The same goes for client meetings: When you do not stay focused when meeting with a client, you are bound to miss important details, and the last thing you want to do is have to call your client to ask them about information they already gave you face-to-face.

To help you focus on the task at hand, keep a to-do list nearby where you can jot down a quick note or reminder. This will allow you to comfortably continue with your current task without worrying about remembering what you need to do next.

Are you looking for exciting, new venue options that offer a completely unique environment and have not been completely overdone? If so, it is time to look outside of the typical resort, hotel and convention center options and explore the world of meeting venues that lies beyond these common options. In every major city, almost all mid-size cities and even most smaller towns you will find a variety of unique venue options that will impress your guests and show your clients that you can think outside of the ballroom.

Holding meetings at zoos, aquariums and museums is becoming a hot trend and has broadened the array of meeting venue options available to meeting planners. For example, elegant galas and fundraisers are held at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in beautiful Balboa Park each year and meeting, event and wedding planners are planning weddings, award ceremonies and fundraisers at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle on a regular basis. A wide variety of events also take place at the Miami Science Museum each month, including holiday parties, fundraisers, movie screenings, corporate events and meetings, cocktail receptions and weddings.

Planning your next event or meeting at a museum, zoo or other attraction is an ideal way to offer your clients new venue options and provide an interesting backdrop that will appeal to attendees. Many of these venues work with caterers and other vendors that are well-versed in working with the space and facilities available, making event planning a breeze.

Whether you are looking for an affordable option for incentive travel packages or are in search of the ideal venue for a wedding or corporate event, group cruises are an option that should not be overlooked. Cruises offer a variety of benefits to both the event planner and the cruise participants and usually provide significant cost savings over land-based events.

Because cruises offer a contained environment with meeting and event facilities, meals, beverages and entertainment, planning group cruise events is generally much simpler and more convenient than planning events that take place on land and require separate planning for each event component. Further, because most meals, drinks and onboard entertainment are included in a single, all-inclusive price, participants and the event host both benefit from predetermined costs without the concern of incurring significant additional expenses during the event.

Cruises travel to exotic locations and provide a relaxing, stress-free break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. While exploring port cities or spending time on the ship between stops, there are abundant entertainment and activity options, or participants can simply choose to lounge by the pool, receive luxury spa treatments, shop or relax in their rooms, which allows for travelers with a variety of travel styles or preferences to all enjoy their cruise experience.

To make planning group cruises even more convenient, planners should try out the group cruise planning tool available on Seasite.com and will find an abundance of other helpful information on the site as well.

Meeting planners are always looking for new, innovative ways to improve their services, lower costs, satisfy their clients and make their jobs easier. It turns out that there is a simple way to do all of these things effectively without reinventing the wheel. Breakfast meetings and events are making a comeback and offer several advantages over lunch and dinner events. One of the most significant advantages is the cost savings associated with serving breakfast, rather than lunch or dinner. Breakfast events are far more cost-effective when it comes to food and morning meals are easy to plan. Whether you opt for a traditional breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, an easy-to-plan continental breakfast or a healthy spread of yogurts, granolas and fruits, you will delight in the ease of planning breakfast events offer.

Planners will also discover that booking venues for breakfast events can be much easier than booking a space for later in the day. Due to the lower demand for morning events, planners will likely have increased options for dates and venues, and may even be able to negotiate better pricing.

Breakfast events are a great way to start the day and to harness the attention of attendees before they begin to wear out later in the day.

It is no secret that incentive travel is an excellent way to improve staff morale, motivate your sales staff and encourage top performance. Opting for an incentive cruise allows you to treat your hardworking employees to a fun, memorable reward for their loyalty and commitment and is a more cost-effective option than raises and bonuses. Of course, companies who have a budget that allows for all three of these options can motivate their staff even more by using a combination of earned bonuses, merit raises and incentive travel, but all companies can benefit from incorporating affordable incentive travel, regardless of budget.

One of the most cost-effective options for incentive travel is incentive cruises. All-inclusive cruises that make stops in exciting ports and offer plenty of onboard activities at no additional charge are great for your company’s budget, as well as your employees’ wallets, making them an ideal option that meets the needs of both the company and the winners. Incentive cruises have a high level of appeal, which make them an ideal choice for incentive travel. And, the added benefit of most meals, snacks, drinks and onboard activities being included in a single price makes all-inclusive incentive cruises and enticing option.

To make your incentive cruise planning simple and convenient, check out the cruise planning tool at Seasite.com.

The Beau Rivage is the MGM Mirage’s answer to where to host meetings on the Gulf Coast. Located in Biloxi, Mississippi and overlooking sandy beaches and the Gulf Coast waters, the Beau Rivage is a newly-renovated, luxurious resort and casino that boasts 1,740 guest rooms, a 50,000 square foot meeting facility, three ballrooms and a variety of meeting spaces to accommodate your event needs.

Boutique shopping, a luxury spa with 21 treatment rooms, eleven on-site cafés and restaurants, headline entertainment and a world-class golf course are just some of the attractions that are sure to delight attendees and ensure great meeting attendance. The Beau Rivage also offers a vibrant nightlife and an 85,000 square foot casino that is decorated with a Mediterranean theme.

The Beau Rivage is located just 20 minutes from the Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport, making transportation a breeze, and is just one hour away from New Orleans, which is an ideal destination for a day excursion. In the resort there is a fully-equipped business center, a well-equipped catering kitchen to meet your event needs, 24-hour room service, concierge services, 24-hour complementary valet parking, same-day dry cleaning and laundry services, 24-hour bell service and an on-site florist. To learn more about hosting your next event at the Beau Rivage, visit their website at www.beaurivage.com.

Just a short drive north of Seattle, the Tulalip Resort and Casino stands proudly just off the freeway in a small commercial area largely surrounded by open land. With the quaint town of Marysville just across the freeway, the Seattle Premium Outlets right next door and all of the attractions and offerings of the city of Seattle around 30 minutes away, Tulalip is an excellent place to stay and play in luxury.

There is over 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space that can be customized to suit your needs, as well as 370 well-appointed guest rooms to house your attendees. The resort is home to five restaurants offering a distinctive variety of cuisines, a coffee bar, a nightclub and a cabaret offering nightly entertainment, as well as a spa offering high-end, luxury spa treatments and a relaxing gallery lounge with Tulalip Tribal art pieces.

When not attending scheduled events, dining in the elegant Tulalip Bay restaurant, filling up on a lunch buffet or finding exceptional deals at the Seattle Premium Outlets, meeting attendees can play golf at one of two nearby courses, hit the slopes at the Stevens Pass Ski Area or try their luck in the casino, where they will find slots and table games. To find out more about the Tulalip Resort and Casino, visit their website at www.tulalipresort.com.

If you are planning a winter meeting or corporate event for clients located in colder climates, opting for a sunny destination will likely increase attendance and enhance attendee satisfaction. Attendees will appreciate the chance to get away from the rain or snow for a short time, and are sure to get excited about visiting a warm, inviting destination that is far from the dreary conditions in their hometown.

Here are four hot destinations that are sure to appeal to meeting attendees and corporate clients who live in areas that experience inclement winter weather:
 

1. San Diego, California – San Diego is well known for its year-round sunshine and warm weather. With plenty of enticing attractions, historical and cultural sites and numerous meeting venues, San Diego is always at the top of the list for meetings any time of the year.
2. Orlando, Florida – Orlando is another southern city that offers sunshine throughout the year, as well as a wide variety of entertainment opportunities that are sure to appeal to meeting attendees.
3. Atlanta, Georgia – Gorgeous winter weather, the world’s largest aquarium and a vast array of resort hotels and meeting venues make Atlanta an easy choice.
4. Los Angeles, California – Los Angeles is always a solid choice as a destination and offers unique attractions, as well as year-round sunshine.
5. Caribbean Cruise - Cruise events and meetings at sea are a great way to motivate employees, and save money too.  An all inclusive Caribbean incentive cruise can save as much as 40 percent over land based venues.  In addition, the ROI on cruise events is among the highest.