Meeting Planner Careers

When it comes to planning meetings or events outside the main offices often requires considering different locations. While most people think of hotels and convention centers, the best meeting planners consider the cities that these venues are in. Here’s why:

• It’s not all about the meeting – A city has many things to recommend it, from restaurants to golf course. All work and no play makes for bored staff members and participants. Keeping people happy after hours is often just as important as the contents of the meetings/events themselves.

• Certain cities have venues that offer special significance – The significance could be historical in general, or specific to a certain party to the event/meeting. Sending a message that a meeting was panned at a location for a specific reason could be flattering or it could be a massive warning sign. Therefore, consider this piece of advice one that cannot be ignored because every participant may read something into the choice of venue.

• Weather and allergies – The weather just happens to be sunnier and less humid in certain areas, and that may be perfect. Of course, planning to hold an event or meeting in a city without regards to the fact that the speaker at the event is deathly allergic to the local plant life could also be a major mistake.

Cruise meetings can be an interesting combination of business and pleasure, and the fusion of meeting on a cruise has the innate ability to offer far more than a getaway or a business meeting ever could. Here are five examples of how cruise meetings are far better than simply cruising or having a traditional business meeting:

1. Incentive – Both employees and special customers might enjoy a chance to get away from their daily grind. This in turn could lead to positive feelings that could translate into better employees or more opportunities.
2. Build rapport – Taking special clients and/or staff members on a cruise meeting can strengthen a relationship. Relationships are the cornerstone of any successful business, and should never be underestimated.
3. No more guilt – Many professionals begin to experience guilt and/or anxiety whenever they take a lengthy break from the office. Cruise meetings allow the office to go along on the vacation!
4. Sharing an experience can break down walls – Some customers or partners may prove to be difficult to deal with in an office, but may be put off guard in a new setting. The visual splendor of most cruises often engages the part of the brain that appreciates beauty, cooperation, and respect.
5. Ease of planning – cruise meetings have the benefit of a full staff and crew waiting to meet any need.

Joining local business organizations and attending networking meetings or socials are essential tasks for meeting planners trying to break into the business or expand their current client base. Networking functions are an excellent way to meet potential clients, connect with local vendors, find new staff members as your business grows and get your name out there as a meeting or event planner who is accepting new clients. Networking socials and meetings are also a great way for shy or reserved folks to practice speaking about their business to strangers and to work on their people skills, which are particularly important to meeting planners.

Of course, it is not enough to simply attend networking functions and introduce yourself around. Following up with the folks you meet is just as important as making that initial contact. While you may have handed out your business cards and spoke about your meeting or event planning services, you must keep in mind that each attendee met plenty of other people as well; therefore, you must take extra steps to ensure that they remember you and that you will be in the back of their minds when they are need of planning services or when one of their friends or colleagues asks if they happen to know a good event planner.