Meeting Planner Careers

Meeting planners can offer a variety of services to business and organizations desiring to implement incentive travel programs. Many times, businesses and organizations do not know where to begin in regard to making travel arrangements for large groups. Meeting planners will have the skills and resources necessary to make travel planning easy and simple for corporate entities. Based on the organization's budget, a meeting planner can then begin making all of the required travel arrangements. Meeting planners essentially offer total travel management from the beginning of the trip until the end.

Whether planning an incentive cruise or a conference at a resort, meeting planners can be of invaluable assistance. They can assist the company in designing a travel program as well as rules and tracking. They can help the company select a location, and book hotel and air accommodations. A meeting planner will be responsible for arranging food and beverage, on-site transportation, registration, team building events, and figts and awards. If companies desire theme events, a meeting planner can help with this as well. The number of services a meeting planner can provide are substantial, and businesses will find that incentive travel is planned and executed more smoothly with the assistance of a meeting planner.

Near the northernmost tip of Key Largo, there is a secluded spot that is home to the Ocean Reef Club. This exclusive club is housed on 2,500 sub-tropical acres of secure land. In general, this club only plays host to members and their guests. However, the Club does offer certain groups a chance to see this way of life firsthand.

Within the gated community there is a private airport that allows members unfettered travel. Along the shoreline, a 175-slip marina opens up onto some of the best fishing areas in the world. For those who are interested, this area is also perfect for SCUBA and snorkeling. The property is home to 36-holes of championship level golf, nine tennis courts, a full-service spa and two oceanfront pools.

Each guest is provided with first-class accommodations that include flat screen televisions and marble floors. The property includes 30,000 square feet of interior meeting space, 300 deluxe rooms and suites, as well as villas and homes. In addition to the interior meeting space, the property also features outdoor venues for small or large groups. Aside from the private airport, the Club is within an hour of Miami International Airport.

For a truly memorable meeting or event, the Ocean Reef Club is the perfect setting and provides guests with a glimpse of the high society lifestyle.

Contact: Richard Weinstein, rweinstein@oceanreef.com

So you are an organized person who has a lot of contacts in the travel world as well as in businesses of all sizes. You have at least a two-year degree in business. You have decided, based on all this, to be an even planner. Whoa, Nellie! Don’t hang out your “open for business” sign just yet–take a look at this list of questions to see if it’s a good career choice for you.

Are you social and sociable as well?

If you love spending time with people–often in large groups–and enjoy talking with them, give yourself a point in favor of becoming an event planner. However, enjoying talking with people and being a good conversationalist are two different things–you have to be able to think on your feet, talk on your feet, solve problems on your feet, and sometimes sleep on your feet when you’re an event planner, all while staying personable.

Can you change one person’s concepts into an experience?

If you can listen to a client’s idea of what she wants in a meeting or conference and be able to form a whole event in your head, you may be right for the job. However, no matter how organized you are, if you can’t conceptualize an event without constant detailing from your client, all you’re going to do is make her mad. Turning words into pictures is key.

Are you organized?

If the answer is no, don’t even try to plan an event until you have good structure and habits in place. An offshoot of being organized is immediacy–if you are a procrastinator, work on that first.

Do you have good budgeting skills?

A business degree does not make a good planner. Make sure you can set up and execute a budget efficiently.

Can you read a contract?

Much of your job is going to involve contracts. Even if you can read a contract well, you may get one that leaves your head spinning around. In addition to having the basics down yourself, always make sure you have access to a good contract attorney–he will be worth his fees if it keeps you from making mistakes.

While these skills are not the be-all and end-all of even planning, they are deal breakers if you have continued and/or insurmountable difficulty with them. Make sure you can handle all the pressures of any career you choose and the result will be success.