Do you announce a meeting and find either no one shows up on time, they come with their own agenda, or the meeting goes on and on? If this is true in your case, then worry no more.

Here are six steps to help you develop successful meetings:

1. Establish a realistic and specific objective. Ask yourself, ‘What do I want to accomplish?’ or ‘Why am I calling people together at this time?’

Do I want:

• to solve problem(s). * to inform. * to gain feedback. * to orient.
• to motivate. * to reward. * to buy. * to sell.

Then decide the best mode to accomplish your objective. Ask yourself which best suits your needs:

• a conference with a panel(s) of speakers?
• a half-day workshop? Or a full-day seminar?
• a staff meeting that includes your immediate staff?
• a staff meeting that includes your department or division?
• a staff meeting that includes everyone from all levels of the entire organization?

2. Create a well-developed agenda. Review your agenda before announcing your meeting. Make sure it avoids:

• spending too much time on details technical subjects. (It puts people to sleep and does not communicate with them.)
• failing to specify the starting and ending times. (Employees need to know when to be there, when it is expected to start, and when it is expected to be finished so that they can reschedule their other duties and responsibilities.)
• adding irrelevant topics. (Doing so only lengthens the meeting time and serves to anger people or put them to sleep.)
• having speakers or presenters who are known to ramble. (One of the surest ways to put your audience to sleep is to have a boring meeting with speakers or presenters who talk on and on. This is especially true in cases where the agenda covers technical or scientific material.)
• crowding the agenda with too many subjects. (It is better to have a question and answer period during the meeting than to try to cover everything.

Now review your agenda and make sure you have included:

• a chairperson or Master of Ceremonies to move topics along without rushing the presenters, or allowing them to ramble.
• general logistics before hand, such as restroom locations, break times, and telephone or walk-in interruptions.
• a priority system so that the most important topics or pressing matters are covered first.

3. Assign particular responsibilities. Be sure to select responsible people to carry out the responsibilities of your meeting. Also be sure:

• to match the topics and tasks with competent presenters.
• to give them clear, complete, and specific instructions including assigned time to complete their presentation.
• to gain the concurrence of your key participants.
• to have a clock in clear view of the presenters.
• to start on time, regardless. (This is perhaps the most important aspect of running a successful meeting.)

4. Establish a positive meeting environment. Take the time to plan your meeting. Perhaps the most important aspect to consider is the environment where you will hold your meeting. To insure its success, be sure you:

• create an environment that is conducive to effective communication.
• set start and ending times that are conducive to all.
• develop the environment around a theme.
• consider the objective of the meeting when selecting the room.
• consider decorating the room, if this is warranted.
• arrange and test the audio-visual support before hand.
• arrange the seating of participants and attendees, depending on the estimated number of attendees.
• arrange the seating plan for optimal effect.

5. Plan all the activities. Take the time to plan and plan again all the events, people, places, and things related to the objective and theme of the meeting. Be sure to:

• gather input where relevant.
• take notes where necessary.
• prepare adequate quantities of handouts.
• prepare to post adequately the announcement of the meeting along with its agenda, times, participants, and any other relevant information.
• prepare backup materials.
• prepare post-meeting evaluations, where necessary, and summary handouts.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, every one wins. When you don’t, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

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1. Does the company have its own maintenance program?

2. Does the quote include parking and tolls?

3. For trips over the road: How many local miles are allowed per day after reaching your destination? What is the charge for exceeding them?

4. Does the company own the bus you will use, or will it be brokered out?

5. What is their cancellation policy?

6. Is the bus available for inspection before chartering?

7. What affiliations are they members of?/How involved in the industry are they?

8. Can they provide a insurance certificate showing they have the state required $5 million in coverage?

9. Does the bus operator have a cell phone and the company, a 24 hour phone line in case of a breakdown?

10. Who pays for the driver’s hotel room?

Courtesy of www.BusRates.com

Before you charter a bus, be familiar with terms, conditions and these slang terms and abbreviations.

Qty. Quantity of this type of bus the company owns.

Seats. The number of seats available for your group.

BusType. There are 8 types of buses. Visit the Bus Types section of BusRates.com for descriptions and approximate rates.

Year. The year of the bus model, frequently displayed as a range from oldest to newest.

OTR. Is the company willing to take this bus “Over The Road” which is usually defined by traveling long distances out of state and overnight.

Rstrm. Restroom on board.

VCR. There are usually 5 to 6 TV monitors on board full-sized deluxe motor coaches with a VCR. Most buses do not receive any channels unless equipped with satellite, which is uncommon.

DVD. There are usually 5 to 6 TV monitors on board full-sized deluxe motor coaches with a DVD player. Most buses do not receive any channels unless equipped with satellite, which is uncommon.

CD. CD player on board.

PA. Public address system on board to help make announcements to the group.
ADA. Wheelchair elevator on board.

Alch. Alcohol is allowed on board.

Trnsfr. Any pick-up and drop-off typically from a hotel to an airport around 15 miles of travel (excluding 10% gratuity).

5 hrs. 5 hour rates posted on BusRates.com are based on 5 hours of local use, low miles (excluding 10% gratuity). Bus companies most commonly have a 5 hour minimum of use with the exception of transfers.

Day. Day rates posted on BusRates.com are based on 10 hours of local use, low miles (excluding 10% gratuity.)

Mile. The rate per mile of travel. Quotes are calculated per mile or per day whichever is greater. Trips averaging over 300 miles per day are usually priced per mile and not per day.

Hours of use: Local travel is most commonly based on hours of use. The national average rate per hour for a full size deluxe motor coach in 2004 was $83.08.* Almost all companies have a 3, 4, 5, or 6-hour minimum charge-5-hours being the most common across the U.S.

Gratuity: The standard bus operator gratuity for chartering a bus is 10%. About a third of operator’s pay comes from the gratuity as an incentive to provide good service. The average wage earned by bus operators in 2004 was $11.25 per hour*.

Sales Tax: There is no sales tax when chartering a bus in most states.

Over the Road Charters

Mileage: buses traveling out of the local area and overnight are quoted based on miles. The average charge per mile across the nation in 2004 was $2.66 with the company’s day rate as a minimum charge per day*.

Day Rate: The minimum charge per day if the per-mile charge is not more than the combined day rates. The average day rate in 2004 was $769*.

Driver Change: for every 10 hours of driving, or 15 hours of stand-by time, law requires 10 consecutive hours of rest. If you plan on driving over 10 hours, an operater change has to be made. Bus Operator changes range from $200 to $900 depending on how far from the departure city the change has to be made.

Local Travel: The amount of local mileage allowed per day once the bus reaches the destination city.

Driver Hotel: Usually the customer books and pays for the driver’s hotel room, but most hotels will comp the operator’s room at no charge when you book several rooms for your group. Ask for someone in group sales at the hotel to ensure the operator’s room is complimentary.

Gratuity: The standard gratuity for trips over the road is 10%.

Sales Tax: There is no sales tax when chartering a bus in most states

Courtesy of www.BusRates.com

However, large or small the meeting, location is key. Your environment, formal or informal, helps set the necessary mood and ambiance for the meeting to take place. Think about choosing a comfortable, yet stimulating environment that encourages attendees to concentrate, but beware of making it too cozy and relaxing that they’re likely to fall asleep.

When thinking about the right location, consider the meeting objectives, the length of the meeting and, of course, your budget. Decide how appropriate/necessary/important it is to hold the meeting on or off-site. For example, sometimes a neutral, off-site location is necessary for confidential, top secret discussions.

Different types of locations to consider:

1. Local off-site meeting space
2. Out-of-town off-site meeting space

Local off-site meeting space
When it comes to selecting an off-site location, be it a local hotel conference room, a restaurant or other meeting space, your budget will rule and determine the outcome. To play it safe, always inspect the space first-hand before finalizing any decisions. Make sure the space is the right size for the meeting. You want to avoid “maxi-sizing,” that is having a space big enough to seat 200 for a 20-person meeting. You only want to consider venues that are larger enough to handle the event you’re planning. Much will depend on the number of participants and the complexity and/or variety of the program. Will it be formal, informal or both? Do you want a rural or an urban location? Chances are that every event you plan will possibly meet different criteria, and thus have different space requirements.

Out-of-town off-site meeting space
This option is usually used for extra special meetings, such as sales meetings, as costs will inevitably be much higher. These kinds of meetings may well last for several days so you want to make sure that all necessary details are well taken care of. If you want to make it high on your colleagues’ popularity poll, consider using a resort facility, as they usually offer various enjoyable relaxation options, golf, swimming, fitness center, etc. A site visit is essential so as to avoid any unexpected surprises.

With this in mind, let’s look at the various venue options available to you:
· Hotels
· Conference centers
· Convention centers
· Resorts
· Retreat centers
· Cruise ships
· Unique environments

Hotels. These fall into three main categories:

1. Well-known and established chains, such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, that offer a certain level of service that you can expect worldwide. They offer a wide range of amenities especially if you need room for large banquets, trade show or exhibit areas.

2. Independently owned properties, such as those belonging to the Preferred Group (http://www.preferredhotels.com), whose luxury hotels and resorts offer a unique character, one-of-a kind ambience, and provide the highest standards of quality and extraordinary service.

3. Boutique lodgings service business travelers in search of a home away from home. They are small luxury hotels & resorts with individual personalities – eclectic, quaint hotels housed in historic urban buildings or romantic resorts with flowering gardens and beachside villas (http://www.boutiquelodging.com). However, nice these sound, you definitely need to check what meeting space facilities, if any, they offer.

Conference centers.

Conference centers encompass a broad gamut of venues which are often purpose-built specifically for meetings and events and offer state-of-the-art facilities, many including videoconferencing. They comprise corporate training centers, universities, resorts, airport, urban and downtown facilities. Your best bet to find a suitable facility is to start your research with the International Association of Conference Centers (http://www.iacconline.com/). You can do a worldwide search based on your specific meeting criteria. Convention centers. When you’re looking for a combination of an urban location, plenty of meeting space, and substantial exhibition space, then a convention center is a practical solution. They’re geared up large numbers and generally situated close to airports or in a convenient downtown location. The one drawback is that you would need to use a nearby hotel for accommodation.

Resorts.

You’ll probably only consider a resort property if relaxation and leisure activities rank high on your priority list. This environment works well for both formal and informal meetings. Resorts Online (http://www.resortsonline.com/) allows you to choose the activity you’re most interested in to find an appropriate selection of choices.

Retreat centers.

These generally work best for smaller more focused groups who are looking for a quiet, serene meeting environment. They encourage “an away from it all” type mentality where people can engage in personal exploration, strategic decision-making, communication, and self improvement.

Cruise ships.

These make an interesting and very different venue option. There are a few companies who specialize in cruise meetings offering facilities worldwide for a wide variety of groups (www.cruisemeetings.com). Many of them will work within your budget constraints to offer complete packages that include airfare, transfers, meals and entertainment.

Unique environments.

Unique environment don’t always make the best meeting spaces, but it’s worth doing your homework to find out. Some options to consider include museums, stately homes, (including castles in Europe - http://www.grandes-etapes-francaises.com/geehome.htm), sporting venues, and theaters. Many of these venues work well for special functions, but don’t necessarily have adequate meeting space facilities and equipment.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week