Meeting Planner Careers

In the past, the only type of participation available to meeting attendees was live participation. If individuals were unable to make it to the meeting in person, they simply missed out on the information being presented as well as the opportunity to network. Today, live participation is not required for individuals to be 100 percent involved in a meeting or event. Individuals can be a part of the event or meeting through virtual participation. Events in which both live and virtual participation are offered are called hybrid meetings. Virtual participants can use social media to interact with other meeting participants, both live and virtual.

Hybrid events are ideal in some situations for a variety of reasons. Businesses that have restricted budgets may not have the luxury of traveling in a tight economy. A hybrid meeting would allow these businesses to participate without the added expense of travel, accommodations, and food. Hybrid events can open meetings up to a more diverse audience and provide more exposure within the marketplace. By opening meetings up to a larger audience, businesses have the opportunity to expand their networking capabilities and make new connections. There are many reasons why hybrid meetings are valuable and should be considered when planning an important event.

When you get out into the world, you may be handed an assignment to plan an event outside your city. For the sake of illustration, your boss or client may say, “We need to hold a meeting, but we want it to be in Las Vegas so we can have some fun, too.”

TARP notwithstanding, you imagine yourself trying to coordinate everything from your small office in New York city, destined to work from 1:00 a.m. until midnight every day for the next two months. However, it will not be that way because you will have a destination management company on the other end.

Destination management companies specialize in organizing meetings on the other end. You will be calling on this company to help you work out the logistics of travel, accommodations, conference centers, and other details long before the event’s doors open.

Destination management can be one of your best friends as a planner, especially if you are just starting your career. If you have been in it awhile and have just been handed your first off-shore assignment, they will be even more important–you have to deal with travel restrictions, alerts, possible language and culture barriers, and unanticipated passport/visa entry restrictions.

Sometimes a good way to find your perfect best friend is to ask around. Get some references and word-of-mouth advertising, which is something we all rely on to help us get the word out.