Meeting Planner Careers

Meeting planners have long since been in charge of arranging events and planning meetings both on and off-site, but cruise meetings might be something new and unexpected. There are some perks to planning cruise meetings that not everyone knows, and some might be best to keep under your hat. For example:

• The concierge service – The concierge service can actually do most of the organization work for you! Don’t tell the boss, but be sure to offer lavish compliments upon the concierge and let their boss know just how much you appreciate them taking the work off your plate.
• Catering options galore – While most meeting planners have to organize catering before the event, most cruise ships have plenty of on the fly catering options. Catering can (and probably should) still be arranged before leaving port, but the concierge service can make everything a snap.
• Travel networks and discounts – One of the best aspects about hosting meetings at sea is that cruise lines tend to have affiliations with airlines. This is not always the case so be sure to ask, but in most cases the product is nothing short of savings!
• Who needs Kinkos? Most business trips and meetings at sea can come with fully prepared documents, binders, and virtually anything else at a price that is hard to compete with. No more runs to Kinkos to get presentations prepared!

Success comes to those that know how to attain it, and sadly many meeting planners do not really know how to do this. The problem is not the fact that they are not good at their jobs, but rather that they are allowing themselves to be pigeon-holed into a single role.

Here’s how to break out:

Ask to take part in meetings – If this raises objections, offer to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and/or suggest that learning about what happens in a meeting can make you more effective at planning future meetings.

Do not ask questions about venues until you have researched options – Many bosses prefer to have options presented to them, not half-researched problems. Always take a few minutes each day to look at the pricing and options at different venues, catering companies, and so-on.

Be valuable because you are connected – Cultivate contacts that can get things done when nobody else can or at prices that nobody else gets. Be sure to let the powers that be about these connections so they see the value in your work.

Always ask for feedback – Change the meeting format or venue in some way every so often to test things out. Be sure to ask for feedback, as it makes you seem interested and connected as well as progressive.