Meeting Planner Careers

Most meeting planners are offered not only a generous salary, but other incentives to keep them interested and working hard. This is true in almost any industry that uses meeting planners, but what might vary from one industry to the next is the type of incentives offered to meeting planners. Some industries have special individual and/or group incentives, depending upon how their meeting planners operate. These incentives are typically goal-based, such as reaching a certain level of performance.

Most corporate and business-level meeting planners receive health benefits, and many receive a combination of retirement and/or educational benefits as well. These might seem like great perks for some, but freelance meeting planners have their own incentives: the opportunity for as much work as they can handle.

Extra work means extra pay, and it is entirely possible for highly skilled freelance meeting planners to make well over twice the salary of their office-bound counterparts. This does come with a price in terms of establishing connections and hard work, but nothing is free.

Whether one decides to work as a freelance meeting planner or get a job in the corporate towers downtown, one of the biggest perks of the job is always the relationships that are built. Meeting planners get to rub shoulders with important people on a daily basis, and that alone is enough excitement for some to consider becoming a meeting planner.

Cruise meetings can be an interesting combination of business and pleasure, and the fusion of meeting on a cruise has the innate ability to offer far more than a getaway or a business meeting ever could. Here are five examples of how cruise meetings are far better than simply cruising or having a traditional business meeting:

1. Incentive – Both employees and special customers might enjoy a chance to get away from their daily grind. This in turn could lead to positive feelings that could translate into better employees or more opportunities.
2. Build rapport – Taking special clients and/or staff members on a cruise meeting can strengthen a relationship. Relationships are the cornerstone of any successful business, and should never be underestimated.
3. No more guilt – Many professionals begin to experience guilt and/or anxiety whenever they take a lengthy break from the office. Cruise meetings allow the office to go along on the vacation!
4. Sharing an experience can break down walls – Some customers or partners may prove to be difficult to deal with in an office, but may be put off guard in a new setting. The visual splendor of most cruises often engages the part of the brain that appreciates beauty, cooperation, and respect.
5. Ease of planning – cruise meetings have the benefit of a full staff and crew waiting to meet any need.

The Pacific Northwest is renowned for beautiful scenery, beaches, and fishing. Camano Island is a delightful Washington state secret, an island your team can drive to. The island is located in Puget Sound, just 45 minutes from Seattle, and is a perfect place to hold small business meetings, incentive trips, or a combination of the two.

The island contains 56 miles of lovely rocky beaches; boating, fishing, and crabbing are favorite pastimes. Camano Island is ideal for fishing enthusiast; it is a year round activity. In July the island hosts Art by the Bay, an annual fine arts and craft festival. Your team can experience island life without tourist traps. Only a few restaurants grace the island and the grocery stores are small country stores. This gem of an island makes a great place to get away from the frenetic pace of the office and relax.

Renting a vacation home is an ideal alternative to staying in a hotel. Small groups can take advantage of a relaxed atmosphere and have all the conveniences of home. A vacation home affords more privacy than a hotel and makes you feel like part of the community. If your team members have special dietary requirements, renting a vacation home is ideal.

Consider Camano Island for your next business meeting. Team productivity soars like an eagle in a relaxed setting. On Camano Island, you might even see one.

“Managing Travel in the New Normal” is a new report put out by American Express Business Travel (AEBT). The study focuses on changes in corporate travel plans during the economic downturn. Most participants believe travel demand will expand in 2010, but not at pre-recession levels of business.

Meeting policies are not a priority in the corporate world. Analysts found that less than 30% of their respondents formalize and enforce a meeting policy. An additional 11% create but do not enforce a meeting policy and 25% have no meetings policy at all. Meetings policy is often subsumed by corporate travel policy, which may or may not be enforced.

Company officials often mistakenly believe their employees comply with travel rules. In most cases, a first time offender is given a verbal or written warning. Subsequent failures to comply result in a fiscal slap on the knuckles; that is, offenders are not reimbursed for off policy expenditures.

As a counterpoint to the new normal report, American Express launched a new travel scorecard that analyzes many factors of travel practices. Site visitors answer a series of questions regarding travel management, company compliance for attendance, and technology requirements. The results are compiled and compared to the answers of similar companies.

Careers are made or broken on the backs of return customers. The recession has some impact on just when clients return, but your skills as a meeting planner will determine if they remember you name as the economy returns to normal.

Building customer loyalty is tough. You can’t depend on charm and one good experience. The client needs to feel valued as an individual. It’s important to keep good records and create a client profile. Did you book a cruise for the client’s wedding anniversary? Keep that date in mind. If he booked a family vacation, make a note of his children’s names and ask about them when he calls the second time.

If something went awry with the business meeting, note that in the files. Jot down solutions that will prevent the problem in the future. Was the trip or conference a good experience for your client? Make notes during your follow up call. You are making a follow up call after the conference, aren’t you?

Responding to feedback and personalizing your services makes planning future event easier and lets your clients know that you appreciate their business. A difficult client will often respond positively when they know you doing your best on their behalf. Return customers are money in the bank.

It is not difficult to start a career in event planning. In short, an event planner is responsible for the logistical details of planning parties, luncheons, and other organized events for both individuals and businesses. A professional image, both personally and as a company, is far more important than a college degree or formal training in event planning. There are a number of steps to help you get started with your new career as an event planner right away. The good news is it does not take a lot of startup cash to open your new business.

1) Decide on a business name and get a domain name. Image is everything in the world of event planning. Pick a catchy name and buy a domain for a web site. Your design can be simple and done using a Web template, or you could pay a few hundred dollars for the services of a web designer to create a really snazzy page. Read more…

Once you have completed your degree and are ready to start your career as an independent meeting planner, you may be wondering where to start. Even if you had an internship somewhere–and let’s face it, almost every graduate has had at least one–you still may not know how to approach self-employment. A word to the wise here would be, “don’t.”

Although you can certainly end up with your own meeting planning company, the fact is you will want some experience with an established company related to your future plans. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Event Planners

If you want to work with special events and festivals, try getting jobs in booking agencies, promotional companies, theaters, and public relations before you try this on your own. While you’re employed elsewhere, you can build relationships with people you will need to know later while you build your skill sets. Read more…

Meeting planners are facing an era of insecurity, it’s true. With companies making cutbacks that often include events, meetings, and incentive travel, the meeting planner has to think of new ways to increase business. This may mean increasing your client base. How do you do that? Read on for some ideas.

Volunteer

Advertising, handing out business cards, calling potential clients, meeting up with decision makers–all of this is the old way of increasing exposure. There is another way, and it is not all that new but it has become more critical lately–and the best thing is, it doesn’t have to cost much.

You can increase your visibility by service and volunteerism. Volunteering at the local Red Cross, for instance, will increase your visibility to anyone who works with them. There are also other community groups that are in constant need of volunteers. Whether you would rather be a volunteer firefighter or a driver for the physically challenged, there is a place for you. Read more…