What do “Smart Meetings” mean to you?

In the ever evolving meeting world, you always have to stay abreast of the latest and greatest in order to give your clients the best options for memorable and cost effective events. Over the next few months, I will explore these changes and how we as event and project managers use these tools to create memorable events!

So with that said the question of the day is: What do “smart meetings” mean to you? At first thought you might think of Going Green, being energy efficient, social media savvy and have the latest technology of apps for your event. Those things are great and when combined properly they can create a memorable event indeed. However, the definition is something that is a little different.

So what should a “Smart Meeting” mean to you? A Smart Meeting is a meeting streamlined for content retention; by stripping unnecessary information away and putting a laser focus on crucial elements that maximizes learning and engagement. By doing so you create engagement experiences and interactions that make an event more brain-friendly; and also allows for efficient follow-up to keep event messaging alive and actionable.

In order for you to create this type of learning environment and have a successful event you must be:

Specific - Your goal statement for your event should be a clear and specific statement of what you want to accomplish.

For Example ~ On the Americas Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (AIBTM), About Us Page , they are very clear who and what they do and they overall focus of their event. You don’t have to guess who they serve and how they intend to serve them; by doing so they continually have successful events that continually grow yearly because they are laser focused in their goals.

Measurable - There is an old saying that says "what gets measured gets done."

Achievable - This means that the goal should be achievable. It doesn't mean easy, just that you can have a reasonable expectation of achieving it.

Relevant - Good goals are relevant to your organization. Relevant goals are meaningful and significant; they can make a difference in your organization. If a goal is not relevant to the organization, then you need to ask yourself why you are even contemplating it.

Time-Bound - For goals that have a natural ending (like outcome goals), establishing a clear deadline for them adds an element of urgency and motivation.

Trackable - All goals should be trackable so you can see what the organization’s progress is, either in terms of results you are experiencing, or actions you are taking.

So whether you have a board meeting of tem people or a tradeshow with thousands, male sure that you attendees come away with more than just glitz and glam. Let them take away useful sharable knowledge that they are willing and able to pass on, to other staff members, colleagues and top management. Remember you event is your marketing platform, use it wisely.

Join me next month as we discuss Innovation in the Meetings Industry!

For additional tips and trends on creating impactful and profitable events, please connect with Ellegant Affairs by Juanita online on twitter @EllegantAffairs, LinkedIn, Facebook, and of course on I-Meet.

Blog post sponsored in part by:

*AIBTM Chicago - June 11-13, 2013* 

Join i-Meet at AIBTM as a Hosted Buyer in Chicago (June 11-13). Start your application today: http://www.i-meet.info/aibtm

Meeting Planners Tip Sheet: Food

Here’s the second in a series of five quick tip sheets for meeting and event professionals regarding food and beverage, site selections and handling professional speakers. It’s also a great resource sheet for those who must handle meeting logistics for their organization’s meetings and need some insight.

 

Breakfast

Amount to serve:

• 1 item (bagel, muffin or pastry) per person for 75-90% of attendees
• Example: For 100 people, order 75 to 90 items (Generally 10% of attendees will not show for breakfast)

Tips:

• Bagels and muffins are usually the most popular.
• Order conservatively as it is simple to add more cold food if needed.
• If you’re doing a multiple day event, be sure to change it up each day.
• Consider putting the buffet table outside the meeting room to limit attendees from returning to the buffet once the meeting begins. If you do this, you may need signage stating who the buffet is for to discourage those outside of your meeting from consuming.
• If you have left over pastries, ask to put out for the AM break or have them delivered to your office or committee meeting.

Lunch/Dinner Buffet

Amount to serve:

• 0.8-1.5 entrees per person
• 1 beverage station per 75-100 guests
• 1 double-sided food station per 75-100 guests

Tips:

• Estimate 50% chicken, 40-45% beef or fish and 5-10% vegetarian
• One server for every 30-40 people for buffet style
• Too get an accurate count of the number of attendees served, count empty place settings with folded napkins and subtract from total seats. Alternatively, you can count the number of main plates and subtract the number remaining after the function.

 
Passed Hors d’oeuvres
 

Amount to serve:

• Before dinner – 4-6 per person or one of each kind per person
• Reception only – 8-12 per person (passed and buffet combo)

Tips:

• To conserve on food, use butler passed hors d’oeuvres instead of buffet style
• If you are serving hors d’oeuvres on a buffet, use small plates to help stretch consumption

 

Negotiating

If the hotel’s menu prices don’t meet your budget, work with your catering manager or chef to design a meal within your budget. All things are negotiable; with so many dietary needs and other factors. Your venue will be more than willing to working with you.

Maintaining Good Vendor Relationships

Maintaining a good relationship with your vendors is crucial to your business. Some ways to maintain good vendor relationships are described below:

Explain your business goals

It’s critical at the start of any vendor relationship to communicate your goals, business vision, and your expectations. When a vendor understands how important customer service is to you, for example, they will be encouraged to work harder in that area. Knowing your goals will help them make the best decisions in your favor.

Assign a dedicated manager

Select a team leader or project manager to keep track of each vendor. This manager should check in with frequent phone calls and site visits to solicit feedback from the vendor. Remember: phone calls are more personal than e-mails, while site visits will go even further to bolster your confidence in the vendor and let them know that they are an important part of the team. This person should respond to any vendor questions and concerns promptly and make sure to keep the lines of communication flowing.

Request progress reports
Schedule periodic and detailed progress reports from the vendor. These reports will give you a clear insight into how the business is growing, bring to light any glitches or problems early on, and allow you to resolve any issues before they become big problems.

Plan in advance

It’s important to respect your vendors’ time and resources. Delays on your end or last minute alterations can affect their profit margins and strain the relationship. Similarly, pay on time and if you can’t, explain to the vendor why, reschedule the payment, and don’t flake out again.

Train vendors to meet your needs

Don’t assume that vendors know your company’s unique needs. Determine if training might be necessary. The additional expense will be worth it.

Be reasonable
Low balling your quotes and expecting something for nothing is a bad way to maintain a good vendor relationship.

Show loyalty
When you’re loyal to your vendor by consistently giving them business and sticking with them through mistakes, misunderstandings or miscommunications, they may return the favor by offering discounts and incentives. If you are considering alternative vendors, under no circumstances should you let your current vendor know that. It may seem like a good way to negotiate for lower prices, but you risk your vendor feeling slighted.

Show some goodwill
Don’t get into the habit of asking for outrageous requests or favors from your vendors. But when you do occasionally, show some good will by offering some easier jobs, throwing them more business, giving them referrals, and understanding that they may not always be able to accommodate immediate or unexpected requests.

Be chummy

Don’t be afraid to be friendly with your vendors. Try not to make every communication with them a serious one. The more you get to know their team and the more they think of you as a friend, the more good will they’ll be willing to show you when you need it.

Put It Down In Writing

Put down everything in writing- responsibilities, expected sales volume, payment, mode of payment etc. Anything you think may cause misunderstanding and strained vendor relationships later must be put down in writing beforehand.

Vendors represent your business to customers in various regions. Therefore, it is important that you maintain a good relationship with them. More than that, a good vendor relationship will see you through in a bad situation. The goodwill the vendor has for you will translate to business growth, as the vendor will work hard to attain your business goals.

Tips for a Green Meeting or Event

Have you ever thought about what environmental impact your meetings or special events might have? Hundreds of invitations, plastic cups, utensils, plates, napkins, and food go in the trash during just one event.  The impact from just one event, especially large gatherings, can be pretty significant.

What if you could do it better? What if you could make it greener? Global warming aside, it just makes sense to reduce waste. It’s good for the world, and it can be good for your business. Now, that doesn’t mean if you hire us, you have to go green, but if you choose to do so, you’re in good hands.

For specific suggestions on how to make your meeting or event green, call us at (678) 937-6647.

Here are some tips both guests and the Earth will enjoy:

General

• Establish a green team to brainstorm ideas and practices to green your events.
• Establish detailed environmental policies and a strategy to implement them.
• Document and track successes, problems and failures of green event initiatives.
• Consistently communicate the policies in internal publications, event print material, and even at the podium.
• Work with or encourage your event venue to donate leftover food, floral and greenery.
• Ask your vendors about their green policies, and support those who share your green objectives.

Food Service

• Provide local, organic and vegetarian food and beverage options.
• Provide water in pitchers or bulk coolers.

Exhibitors

• Ask exhibitors and contractors to reduce their waste – use less packaging (provide a storage area for re-usable packaging) – and to follow the recycling program. Ensure information is provided to them in their exhibitor pack and conduct an exhibitor briefing to provide further information.
• Create a ‘green’ booth for exhibitors – ask your supplier to design a more environmentally-friendly option.
• Promote the use of custom stands that can be reused at other events.

Print & Promotion

• Promote your environmental initiatives as a marketing tool. Use this as an opportunity to explain your initiatives and educate your delegates.
• Reduce printed material by using electronic communication wherever possible – eg, websites, email, electronic presentations, broadcasts, podcasts, online video, USBs, SMS etc.
• If printing is unavoidable, use recycled paper. Aim for at least 50% post consumer waste recycled paper and print double sided with vegetable inks.
• Ensure printed material is produced in a reasonable size and quantity and include a request to recycle after use.
• Consider SMS to provide confirmations, seating and registration details.
• Ensure your event communication includes a green message reminding people to think before printing.
• Submit proposals and quotes electronically and limit handouts in meetings.
• If you need to print information as well, using recycled paper and an environmentally-friendly printing process can help reduce the environmental impact of your event.
• Look at environmentally-friendly options for delegate satchels – instead of plastic bags offer hemp or calico bags or something that can be used again.
• Avoid printing programs, delegate handbooks or collateral – provide this information online, via email, CD or even on a memory stick. If you need to print, make sure you use recycled paper and that the printing process is also environmentally-friendly.
• Collect and reuse name badges if possible.

We’re Engaged! Now What?

Congratulations on your engagement! You’re basking in the happy anticipation of your new life together and looking forward to your wedding day. You’re envisioning yourself dressed in white holding a lovely bouquet, as your mom and bridesmaids beam at you in their matching bridesmaid’s dresses. And then reality hits you: Planning a wedding involves lots of decisions and tons or work! Before you start feeling overwhelmed, take a look at this handy to-do list from Ellegant Affairs to get yourself sorted out!

1.     Determine a Date

Choosing a wedding date can be tougher than you’d think. There are a few things to consider:

a.     How much time will you need to prepare for your wedding day?

b.     Do any family/friends have a conflicting graduation, vacation, or pregnancy due date?

c.      Availability of a Church, reception venue, caterer, band, or photographer. If you have your heart set on a specific vendor that will also play a large part in your decision.

d.     Try to avoid dates of big conventions or other events that draw large crowds, since that might make it harder for out-of-town guests to get hotel rooms. Find out more wedding dates to avoid here: Wedding Dates to Avoid

2.     Announce Your Engagement

Call your local newspaper, your alumni magazine, and anywhere else you want your engagement announcement to appear. Find out the name of the appropriate editor or department and ask for the writer’s guidelines or a standardized form, if available. Also, ask if there’s a fee for publication. You can also broadcast the news on your blog, by email, or by creating a wedding web page.

3.     Consider a Consultant

If you’re a super-busy couple or would just like to relax and actually enjoy your engagement, hire a full-time wedding consultant to help you prepare your entire event, from the announcement to the honeymoon. You can also hire a part-time planner to devise a wedding blueprint — including budget, schedule, and lists of good vendor and site choices — before you launch solo into the preparations. Another option is a day-of coordinator, who will make sure everything goes as planned on your wedding day so you can relax and enjoy yourself.

4.     Set a Timetable

Consider is how long your engagement will be.  A typical engagement lasts anywhere from six months to a year and a half or more. If you got engaged during the holidays but always wanted a summer wedding, make sure you’ve got enough time to plan without making yourselves wedding-crazy, and keep in mind that many vendors and reception sites book a year or more in advance.

5.     Envision the Style

Your wedding style will be reflected first and foremost in the location, whether it’s a posh ballroom or an intimate backyard reception. Discuss with your fiancé where your wedding will take place, and then start scouting sites that can accommodate your wedding style.

6.     Set Your Budget

In the end, dollars, not dreams, are a main determining factor for the size and style of your wedding. So, what affects the price tag?

a.     Formality: In general, the more formal the reception, the more expensive, considering you’ll have to match the site, food, and decor to the overall upscale tone.

b.     Date and time: Saturdays, summer months, and evenings tend to be the most costly times to have a reception.

c.      Location: In many cases, a wedding in a major metropolitan area is simply more expensive than in a smaller town.

7.     Choose Your Attendants

Although not mandatory, some like to honor their closest friends and family members by including them in the wedding parties. Remember, the earlier you ask, the sooner you can enlist their help.  Usually members of the wedding party are agreeing to spend their hard-earned money and donate their precious time, so be considerate and kind, keep them informed, and make sure they know how much you appreciate them.

8.     Make a Guest List

Location and budget will have a big influence on the size of your guest list.  If you have a particular ceremony or reception site in mind, for instance, you’re going to be limited by how many people it can accommodate; and the more guests you invite means a bigger bill. Figure out how many people you can accommodate (financially); and then fill with those nearest and dearest to you.

9.     Start Gown Shopping

It’s never too early to begin thinking about your wedding dress. Start by figuring out which style will look best on you. Learn the lingo by reading up on silhouettes, necklines, trains, and hues that might flatter you. Season will also affect your choice. Summer gowns are made with lightweight fabrics such as chiffon, linen, or organza. A winter wedding calls for brocade, faux fur, and velvet fabrics to keep you warm. Satin, shantung, silk, and tulle are perfect year-round.

Hopefully these tips will be helpful to you as you start planning for your big day! We wish you only happiness as you plan for your wedding and prepare for the marriage that comes after it! Congratulations!

For Workshops and Planning Seminars contact Ellegant Affairs at events@ellegantaffairs.com for more details.