Meeting Planner Careers

It’s one thing to know how to book travel for participants, and quite another to provide the information they will need to make it safe and enjoyable. While it is more their responsibility to make sure they can get into another country, or are even able to fly, you should familiarize yourself with resources in these areas so they can find accurate information.

Crossing Borders

Every country is wary of criminals, and you can’t blame them for that. However, a person who offended a neighbor by hanging out laundry wearing her nightgown may be considered a persona-non-grata in another country and may not be allowed to cross the borders.

Health

When your visitors arrive in their destination, you can bet your bottom dollar that one of them has a health problem that could be serious. Sure, that guy is in the pink of health but he’s allergic to peanuts. Make sure everyone has emergency medical and health information before they leave, complete with hospital phone numbers, police, and fire. Read more…

Every event planner has a set of tools, and many are online these days. However, overlooking the human factor can be to your peril. Here are some other tools you would need as an international event planner–and they are human.

Calling on Conference Organizers

Other countries have meeting planners, too, and you should not hesitate to call on them to help. Why? Because they know the local area customs and cultural behavior of the region. They are also known in that culture and may be able to save you money. Conference planners in the destination country can give you insight into the people, culture, language, and help you with negotiations.

Freight Companies

Your client will likely need to ship items to the destination country. This can be a sticky wicket with customs. Hire a company that does freight forwarding, or seek the services of a customs broker. Get to know them early on, and form informal partnerships if you are serious about the international meeting business. Read more…