Meeting Planner Careers

If you are a meeting planner searching for an exciting, innovative new venue for an upcoming convention, conference or trade show that will ensure great attendance, you should consider hosting your next event on a cruise ship. Whether you opt for a dockside charter or an event at sea, cruise ships – which can accommodate up to 5,000 people – will significantly increase the appeal of your event.

Attending a convention on a cruise ship will be something different and exciting for most people, and will be alluring enough to convince any indecisive people that they should definitely attend.

Cruise ships offer a self-contained venue with all of the services and amenities you require to host a successful event or meeting at sea and can be planned in a way that will support a variety of event budgets. Cruising also provides the opportunity to have a willingly captive audience for your event, especially if you opt for a full-ship charter, which allows you to customize the entire venue and schedule, including liberal logo placement to increase awareness and recognition of your brand.

Cruise events are also much more cost effective than a land based venue, since cruising is typically all inclusive. In addition to lodging, meals and entertainment, cruise ships offer state-of-the-art meeting facilities and equipment, decorations, and other items which are included on a cruise ship but will generally cost extra at a land based venue. A cruise event can cost as much as 40 percent less than a land based venue.

When you opt to host your next conference, trade show or convention on a cruise ship, it is sure to be a memorable event that will have the attendees talking about you and your planning services long after they are back on shore, ensuring that they will remember your company name the next time they are in need of event planning services.

An all inclusive cruise event can save you up to 40% compared to land based venues since so much is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare.

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.

There are many types of corporate incentives that companies can offer to their prized employees. They may provide these top-notch professionals with things such as tickets for sporting events or other types of gifts. While these corporate incentives can be good, corporate travel incentives are even better. However, not just any type of corporate travel incentive will do. These incentives must be desirable and something to which employees will want to attain. Desirable corporate travel incentives may include land venues such as hotels or resorts, but one of the most popular types of incentive travel is cruise events.

An incentive cruise is an excellent corporate travel incentive. An incentive cruise offers a break from the mundane and provides a fresh venue to encourage innovative thinking. When organizations choose a ship charter and meetings at sea, everything they will need will be included. The all inclusive aspect of a cruise events makes this travel incentive even more desirable. Furthermore, an incentive cruise will offer participants the opportunity to visit exotic locations. Organizations should not be concerned that this travel incentive will be unaffordable and unproductive. The opposite is true. Cruise events are quite affordable, they will inspire dedicated employees to think outside the box and be more creative in their work.

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.

One of the best things to happen during the first decade of the 21st century is the prevailing idea that we need to be better stewards of the earth. As an event or meeting planner, you can contribute to the betterment of our planet by following these five simple steps.

1. Recycling – Check with the garbage company that services your event venue and find out whether or not they recycle. If they do, decide on which materials should be separated. If they do not, determine a way to collect the recyclables and find transportation to a recycling facility.

2. Packaging – Speak with vendors and ask for their cooperation in this matter. See if they are willing to sell items with less packaging or recyclable packaging. Another step to take is to recycle palettes and boxes that are used for the event supplies.

3. Easy Access – Communicate with the event staff to ensure that trash receptacles and recycling bins are placed in easy-to-find places and in plain view.

4. Promote – Be sure to place “green” messages within all of the promotional materials. This will ensure that the attendees know the event is a “green” event.

5. Volunteers – Roughly 10 to 20 volunteers are needed per 1,000 event attendees. Be sure to recruit enough volunteers to help with the event and if the event takes place over several days, determine how many volunteers will be needed per shift.

Going green can be as easy as you want it to be and in the end, you’ll know you’ve had a positive impact on helping the planet.

Meeting and event planners working in larger cities will  have higher income potential than those working in less populated areas. Areas like Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles have larger populations and more large corporations based there, so they tend to have more demand for event planners.

Event planners who start their own business  may struggle getting started, but those who are good at what they do, and who have good business sense, will see their income rise with no “ceiling.” However, working for a  hotel or other venue or an event planning company will give stability.  Depending on the metropolitan area, a meeting and event planner salary can range anywhere from $30K to $80K.

Being a meeting or event manager requires business sense.  A business or hospitality degree and then work within the hospitality industry to see how venues work with meetings are definitely beneficial. This type of experience will give you the background you need to succeed in the industry.

In fact, get as much hands on experience as possible.  Go work somewhere where you can get hands-on knowledge, whether working in catering or as an event coordinator for a hotel or independent venue.

Being an event planner entails long hours, weekend and holiday work. You must be able to see the big picture. When working with events, you have to see and anticipate every eventuality and plan for the worst. If you don’t have the gift to plan ahead and see the big picture, events probably aren’t for you.

If you have never planned a trade show, the first experience can be a little daunting. Not only do you have to make the usual plans, but you have to arrange (and sometimes market) displays, sometimes provide food, beverages, snacks, and other small items. You may also have to figure out the business logistics of the trade show floor layout. For instance, if you are arranging a sport fishing equipment trade show you might not want to have two people who make lures have booths next to each other.

However, a trade show can teach you a great deal about thinking ahead, planning, organization, and bringing many people together for a common goal. Here are some things that you will need to consider if you are worried about planning a trade show in the future.

How is Your Event Like an Ordinary Meeting?

First determine how this is like any other job you have planned, then set that list aside–you will have no trouble approaching those duties. Then make a list of things that you will need to give extra focus to, such as possible foreign travelers, special diets if you are providing food and beverage, green considerations, etc. One of the most difficult of those concerns will be the trade show booth floor. Read more…

The event planning industry has achieved unprecedented levels of success, with increasing profits soaring in. This lucrative meeting and event planning  industry is a great place to build a fantastic career.  Before plunging into the world of event planning, let’s have a look at what exactly is “event planning.”

Firstly, an event is an occasion that marks something important, such as a birthday, anniversary, farewell, etc. It could also be corporate event such as annual meeting day or induction events for newly recruits. The list of events is just endless, and all the better for those thousands of aspirants eager to put up a good show.

Secondly, what does an event planner really do? An event planner has a host of things to do, and multi-tasking is the key point here. If you are one of those who hate to multi-task and prefer working on a single project at a time, this robust event planning industry is definitely not for you. An event planner, at all given points of work time, needs to multi-task and ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Here is a list things that event planners are expected to do: Read more…

Video over the Web is nothing new. With the advent of YouTube and the ever-growing trend of “reality” TV, using video to push a message to the masses has gained worldwide appeal. If you think there is a need for viral video as a way to promote your next event, you may want to consider these ideas.

Pre-conference Shorts
Ask presenters to provide a short video clip that outlines what they’ll be presenting. Upload the videos to YouTube and post links from your site directly to these clips.

Skype Interviews
Prior to the event, use Skype and a Skype video capture program for capturing interview footage with your presenters. Post the videos to your Web site to help promote the event.

Event Venue Videos
Acquire video footage of the event venue and post it on YouTube, iTunes and your own Web site.

Stream the Event
While hosting the event, broadcast a live stream of the keynote presentations through your site. This can also provide two forms of revenue: First, provide a secure login that can be purchased at a reduced price for Web attendees. Secondarily, you can find corporate sponsorship to help underwrite the streaming and bandwidth costs.

Streamed Interviews
During the event, interview speakers and attendees and stream them live through your site. You can also archive these interviews and utilize them, with permission, as testimonials.