Meeting Planner Careers

Three common mistakes made by beginner meeting planners:

• Not ordering enough food or beverages – people get very distracted and upset if there is not enough food or drinks to go around.   Typically, the venue staff can advise you regarding the amount of food and beverages needed for any size group. Don't scrimp.
• Not asking sufficiently detailed questions of site personnel and vendors.  Know what you are getting into when it comes to the venue.  Make sure that you do a site walk through several weeks before and then a few days before your meeting to make sure that the facilities will meet the needs of your group.  Be meticulous.  Check every detail.
• Waiting until the last minute to pull everything together.  Don't procrastinate!  Make lists and plan ahead for successful meetings and events.

If problems do occur, act proactively and creatively.  It seems as if nothing ever goes according to plan.  Just stay calm and work through each problem with your staff and the venue staff.  

When it comes to being a successful meeting or event planner you need to learn how to look at things strategically. You need to break things down in small goals so that you can reach them in a timely manner for an overall success. You will find that the success of your event will matter on many things. The most important thing that you need to learn is that nothing ever goes according to plan, and that is why you should always have some backup plans to make everything possible.

When you are tackling an event you need to think of it on a large scale and a small scale. What is it that you want others to think about the event? Do you want people to have fun and socialize or do you want others to look at your event and purchase or donate something? Your goal at hand will determine everything from the decorations to the overall theme of the party. Once you are able to decide what you want for the event, you are able to move on to the details. Read more…