Meeting Planner Careers

A client may already be trying to figure out how to save money on their reception before they have even identified the event's business goals or objectives. Even though clients try cut food and beverage costs, this is an area that should be given a high priority by both meeting planners and their clients. One of the factors by which meeting participants judge the overall success and enjoyment of an event is by the food and drinks offered to them. Therefore, if clients choose to be frugal with reception foods and beverages, meeting participants may rate the event as less than stellar.

A way in which clients can save money while still providing participants with excellent food options is by having a dessert reception. There are many confections that a pastry chef can create that will be satisfactory to almost every palate. These sweet treats can also be easy on the client's wallet as well. A dessert reception can bring a luscious ending to long, hard day of meetings and presentations. Instead of splurging on expensive hors d'oeuvres that may or not be well-received by guests, meeting planners and clients may wish to consider dessert foods instead. These little treats will be a tasty and welcome surprise to weary participants.

Group incentive travel is an excellent way for companies to reward innovative, creative, and productive employees. Because these top performers are an invaluable asset to the company, it is essential that they are aware of how much their hard work is appreciated by those in charge. In times when finances are lean, companies may be reluctant to plan incentive travel programs, such as cruise events. However, minimizing the importance of corporate travel incentives can have a negative impact on employees. When planning a travel program, there are several factors that will determine the affordability of group incentive travel.

The price of the incentive travel will depend significantly on the number of people in the group. Many times, generous discounts will be offered for group travel; therefore, organizations should not look at individual costs when determining the budget. Rather, they should consider the cost for the entire group including any discounts offered. Costs that will need to be factored in include: airfare to the desired destination, accommodations such as ship charter, hotel or resort, dinners, receptions, group activities, and entertainment. While there may be other factors that will also need to be considered, these will be the main costs associated with group travel planning.

As an event or meeting planner, you’re always faced with the difficult prospect of what to plan during off hours. Do you plan for complete freedom or offer alternatives for attendees to choose from. In general, a good event planner will put together options for participants outside of the meetings that will engage and entertain them. Following are some educational alternatives to the standard drinks and hors d’oeuvres receptions.

Tacoma’s Museum of Glass
Tours of the museum and a stop in the “Hot Shop” allow guests to learn about the history and art of blowing glass.

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry
This museum is one of the world’s leading science and industry museums. It houses over 35,000 artifacts and hosts almost 14-acres of interactive displays.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
A 10,000-square-foot Energy Gallery is one of the premier displays at this museum. Another area, Innovation Studios, features five interactive science and history areas for guests.

Science Museum of Virginia
The Science Museum of Virginia is one of the most noted museums of its kind. Not only does it feature amazing hands-on displays, it also has a number of areas for events.

San Francisco’s Exploratorium
Everyone enjoys interactive displays and the Exploratorium houses some of the best. Over 400 exhibits entice the mind and there are many areas for receptions and presentations.

During your educational experiences, you may find that you love being involved in meetings but being a planner responsible for the whole enchilada is too much at first. You want to ease into it but don’t know where to start. Here are some ideas to consider.

Culinary Arts

If you enjoyed learning to plan the dinners and receptions the most, you may want to consider more education in the culinary arts. There are lots of culinary institutes around, sometimes several in one city. Community colleges also offer various courses of study, including a pastry chef specialization. Read more…