Meeting Planner Careers

Meeting planning for meetings at sea and/or events at sea are a lot easier than planning for a comparable meeting schedule or event on land. Why? Because there is a helpful concierge to help make decisions and handle a lot of the work for you. The result is not only saved money, but saved time as well. The question is what to do with that spare time. Some tell their bosses that they are done early, but there may be other ideas worth considering:

• Catching up on other paperwork or office chores – Getting caught up is equally impressive, or possibly more impressive than, finishing early.
• Preparing everything for next week – In the same train of thought, it would probably be a good idea to finish all of next week’s work ahead of time and then be back in this same decision making process next week. If only all choices were so easy!
• Check for new ideas on how to conduct meetings or plan events online. There is plenty of networking to be done, and that networking could result in new associations, deals, or ways of doing things. Call it dedicating time to self improvement.
• Learn some local phrases or culture – Is your meeting going someplace where the locals have a unique culture or language you don’t speak? Start learning online now and consider printing out a basic list of phrases and dos/don’ts for everyone attending.

Whatever you decide to do, do not consider browsing the Internet or otherwise wasting time. Being productive is important to any business and that is especially true of businesses paying meeting a premium for a quality meeting planner.

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!

Meeting planning is becoming increasingly important and many businesses are starting to realize the value of hosting off-site events. In the past it would have sufficed to simply send out e-mails or brochures, but today companies are left with larger gambles. This often entails deciding whether to host offsite events or just retreat behind financial walls that seem safer. Nobody ever got rich by playing it safe, so most companies with an ounce or more of leadership are hiring meeting planners that want to go places.

Why? Because that’s where the meetings are going to be, but what does that mean for the meeting planners?

On the surface it means that the meeting planners will have to start getting acquainted with planning meetings in other cities, states, and possibly even countries. This could entail a lot of learning including language, cultures, customs, legal issues, advertising, and even more. The role of the meeting planner is certainly evolving for those that can evolve with it. Those that are not prepared to evolve may be left behind, but it would seem that there are plenty of companies willing to hire second tier meeting planners that are not ready for the prime time.

If you are considering a career as a meeting planner and are interested in a career that goes places, you simply need the motivation it takes to start learning about the travel industry as well as languages, cultures, and customs.

Meeting planning has gotten a lot more complex due to the economic pressures as well as the sheer influx of information and opportunities afforded by a globally connected world. No longer is it impractical or even difficult to price dozens or hundreds of venues in far flung locations from the office. In fact, such a feat requires very little other than a browser, organization, and determination. This is a radical departure from meeting planning of only a decade ago, and it does bring up some points of interest:

• Because the world is globally connected, it is important to consider alternatives. If a beach resort in Thailand looks great until a shakeup in the government pits the Army against the police and government body, then it might be time to consider alternatives. Remember that you are no longer constrained by geography any more than you make yourself.
• There are always new hot spots and old hot spots become less affordable. As the world continues to catch up with technology, economics, and politics, it is worth noting that a hot venue this year will probably be more expensive next year. Don’t grow too attached and always be willing to experiment.  For example a cruise meeting can be a welcome change.
• Some things never change, so bring your own…well, everything, whenever you can. Despite the influx of information, vendors still charge too much for goods and services in touristy locations. Try to avoid this by bringing as much as possible, but be wary of customs officials that might be on the take. It could very well turn out to be a case of six of one or half a dozen of the other.

The economy has certainly closed many doors of opportunities, but it has opened plenty of windows too for the right people. Meeting planners are one career choice that may actually experience far more new opportunities being open to them than opportunities denied, and this leaves the door open for a little moonlighting. There are a few things to be aware of before moonlighting as a meeting planner:

• Your day job may not be too happy about you moonlighting, even if you do it on your own time. Discretion is the key word here, and learning how to exercise it could be the difference between getting along and putting a few thousand extra dollars in the bank each month.
• Some of the most successful moonlighters have discovered that they can make the time zones work for them. If they live in a region on PST then they try to find work from home meeting planning opportunities for clients as far east as possible and arrange to come in a little late and leave a little late at their day job. The opposite is obviously true of those living clear across the county.
• Leveraging your existing connections and knowledge is ultimately what will make you more attractive. It might be difficult for caterers or concierges to keep things straight when they don’t know that you have two sets of clients, so be sure to let them know that you are semi-freelance and that discretion on their part is rewarded with more business.

What do you do when a client requests you to plan a small meeting?  Most convention centers are simply too large for small meetings and events, and the client doesn’t need all the high-tech bells and whistles.  All she needs is a white board, an overhead projector, or a way to project from a PC. So, where do you turn?

Small Event Centers

Almost every town has a small event center that is available for smaller groups such as yours. They are often used for small weddings where the couple would like to have the reception in the same place. This would service your client well–you could hold your meeting in one room, and serve a nice reception or dinner in another, very much like a wedding.

Tea Rooms

Some of these rooms are much more than rooms–these facilities often consist of more than one, where you could hold a meeting and enjoy a tea ceremony. While some may not have the technological facility you may need, many offer WiFi and small meeting rooms.

Historical Homes

Far from being delicate and fragile, these homes are often used for classes and small get-togethers. They are comfortable and cozy, and offer a great setting for educational meetings. If you need several smaller rooms operating at one time, this is often a stellar choice.

Of course there are other ways to approach the small meeting facility, such as local schools that are out for summer, a nearby YMCA, etc. It all depends on the flavor of the meeting and the client’s preference.

If you are looking for an interesting career that will literally take you places, then you should consider being a cruise event planner. A cruise event planner may work for a cruise company, a travel organization, a concierge service that handles event planning, a hotel or a company that owns at least one chain of hotels and/or cruise ships, a large corporation, or even be self-employed. Here is what the job entails:

The ability to multitask on a large scale – Every little detail needs to be perfect for each and every event, and that is a lot of details to handle! Don’t worry though, after a few months perfection will all become routine.

An eye for detail – Being able to spot a very small problem before it becomes something a customer notices is a valuable asset to any cruise event planner.

A creative mind – Parties and events always need a touch of creativity.

A willingness to socialize and work hard – Working hard and playing hard are part of the job description. You just need to know when and where to draw the line.

A bank account – You are going to be earning a salary that salary.com, indeed.com, and other sites suggest start at nearly $43,000 a year!

Learn how you can easily plan successful cruise events at Seasite.com, your one stop for planning meetings at sea, and any type of group cruise. With just one electronic RFP you can source a group cruise across all cruise line brands. Why not take a look now and see all of the tools and resources available to cruise event planners.

If you just got out of a meeting with the boss who just happens to want the company’s first cruise event planned, then you might be a little panicked. All that time making friends with the powers that be at the local hotels and conference halls cannot prepare you for this. Don’t worry!

Here are some simple steps to planning the perfect cruise event:

Start by trying to get a good handle on how many people will be attending.

Will any (or all) of the participants need you to schedule additional travel?

Are there special needs that any of these people have that need to be addressed? Examples include dietary needs, special access requirements, and even placement on the ship.

Determine a suitable meeting schedule and create a few backup schedules that may or may not happen depending upon conditions and attendees.

Try to think of unique events that can be used to help people unwind and relax while on the cruise. Some of these ideas can be translated into really unique meeting ideas.

Go to Seasite.com to plan a group cruise.  They will take the workload off of you with unparalleled group cruise planning tools and resources.  One electronic RFP will get you the quotes you need.

At this point there should be a lot less work on your plate! Congratulations, this cruise event is going to be a success!

Plan now for a cruise meeting to the 2011 U.S. Virgin Islands Carnival, a weeks long celebration held on St. Thomas Island. 2010’s St. Thomas Carnival ran from April 11th through May 1st, starting with the Prince and Princess Selection Show and ending with the Adult Parade.

All of the U.S. Virgin Islands: Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint Thomas, along with the much smaller but historically distinct Water Island, celebrate Carnival. Cruise travelers will find local events throughout the islands, but the grand culmination is on St. Thomas.

What better corporate meeting and incentive package can be put together without a U.S. passport? The Caribbean USVI Carnival is a whirl of calypso, samba and reggae music paired with dance, art, a children’s village with carnival rides and the Carnival Food Fair where dozens of booths are set up serving all sorts of local favorites including pates, lobster, and fish. Tourists with a taste for other cuisines can sample a variety of excellent class restaurants.

During the cruise you can build anticipation with exercises that simulate  Carnival's many events. Selection of the Carnival Queen can be based on sales quotas, the best ideas generated in a meeting (determined by a simple show of hands), or any achievement and/or standard you determine. Dance contests in samba, reggae and calypso become team building exercies.

Your group will look forward to these fun-filled incentive events before attending the Real Deal!