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How To Plan a Winning Corporate Function
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Business New Haven
11/10/2003
By: Karen Singer
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Planning a successful business meeting can demand the skills of a military strategist and the patience of Job.
First, you must determine the objective of the meeting and who will attend. The answers to those questions will provide the foundation for other pivotal decisions, including size of budget, type of facility and even agenda.
A conference center, for instance, may be best suited for a training or team-building meeting, while a reward meeting for top salespeople probably would work better at an upscale hotel with recreational facilities. For a brainstorming session arranged on short notice, a business hotel might fit the bill, perhaps situated near an airport convenient to participants.
Assess Your Needs
Find out the availability of key company people before selecting a meeting date. Ask them for several options, so you'll have some flexibility when shopping for a facility.
Identify how many people will attend the meeting, then figure out the number of meeting rooms, tables and chairs to accommodate them.
Decide on seating arrangements. An auditorium-style set-up, for example, is preferable when a speaker is addressing the group. Tables arranged in a U shape are more conducive to sessions requiring participant interaction.
Determine whether you need display tables, a registration area or other special areas.
Ascertain audiovisual equipment needs.
Decide on meeting length and number of breaks.
If there are to be speakers or entertainers, decide how many to hire, the time to allot to each of them, and how they fit into the program. If you're disinclined to find them on your own, there are plenty of speakers bureaus to select them for you. Ask speakers for biographies and photographs for the agenda and advance publicity.
Figure out food and beverages requirements, including whether an additional room is necessary for serving.
Selecting a Site
If the meeting is on your home turf, you may already know the options, and this process may be less time-consuming. If it is taking place in unfamiliar territory, contact the local convention and visitors bureau for information about hotels and facilities.
Make a list of possibilities, then contact each sales department with a request for a proposal containing your meeting requirements. The proposal should ask for such information as the amount and type of meeting space and sleeping rooms needed, range of room rates and food and beverage prerequisites.
Select several facilities that seem best suited to your needs, then arrange to visit them. If that's not possible, an online "virtual tour" of Web sites may suffice.
Things to look for are overall appearance of the facility and its guestrooms, meeting space obstructions, wheelchair accessibility and friendliness/helpfulness of the staff.
Pick the location that best serves the purpose for the meeting and its participants, your set-up and speakers - and, of course, your budget.
When negotiating a contract, be aware that virtually everything is negotiable, from sleeping room rates and upgrades to meeting room rental, which may be waived if the group generates sufficient revenue.
Make sure a written contract spells out room rates, meeting space allocations and rental fee, complimentary accommodations (and other freebies), reservation and deposit procedures, method of payment and cancellation policy.
Devilish Details
Once you've chosen the facility, get to know the in-house meeting planner, who can help assure things progress smoothly. Be sure to share the agenda with this person well in advance.
Make sure that tables and chairs are configured correctly in meeting rooms, and that A/V equipment is functioning properly.
If an outside agency is not handling travel arrangements, work with group sales departments at airlines or other outlets to obtain discount rates. Check whether the facility can arrange shuttle service for meeting participants. Top level executives and other VIPs probably will require more attention, including limousine service.
Production companies can assist you with multimedia presentations, while destination management companies can help with off-site dinners or outings.
Measuring Success
At the end of the meeting, obtain written and oral feedback from participants, including management.
Use these survey results to objectify the effectiveness of the gathering, or to point out deficiencies to be avoided when planning the next one.
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