• Allow for rehearsal and set-up time in your meeting rooms.

• Give speakers a chance to rehearse with equipment they will be using.

• Test equipment immediately prior to the beginning of the event. Check acoustics Clap your hands sharply… talk loudly… listen carefully Check to see if there are any echo’s or dead spots. Do drapes or acoustic panels need to be added? Plug-in and test the audio. Is the public address system working? Is there any feedback at working level? Are the speakers correctly placed? Are there enough microphones, cords, stands?

Have spare bulks and extension cords on hand. If you are taping, is the tape recorder microphone working? Check to see if you have to erect a stand or move a table

Is the audiovisual the right distance from the screen, rigid and level? Know the location of circuit breakers and fuses Have spare fuses and standby circuits ready Test the intercom system. Is the emergency work light ready?

• Having a technician available to attend to your needs throughout the meeting may be your best insurance policy.

• If the facility where you are holding your meeting has AV equipment available check to make sure it is in good working order.

• Remember that poor-quality AV equipment can ruin a meeting.

To maximize your audio visual budget, try the following:

• If using an outside vendor, choose a reputable company and reserve equipment early. If you have never worked with the supplier before, ask for references and check them.

• Negotiate all costs. Package deals are good for you and the rental companies. If they know your needs and have your timelines, it will be more cost effective.

• Make sure all agreements are in writing. If one company is not able to meet your needs, look at other companies until your needs are met.

• Provide clear instructions in writing. Include agendas and room layouts so your vendors know exactly what you expect.

• If you need help, find experienced production managers and technicians to oversee the AV portions of your event. Introduce yourself to the technicians who will be working your event, and find out how to contact them should the need arise.

• Barter goods and services with your rental companies. They may want to advertise in your publications, exhibit at your trade show, or acquire leads from your attendees.

• Guaranteed performance is often a policy of AV companies. They will compensate clients for rental costs in the event of equipment failure. Even better, many will provide on-site back-up.

Check the audio-visual equipment that is available at the meeting facility you are using. Many facilities have their own in-house audio department. Ask if any audio-visual equipment is included in your room charge? Be sure to check out the quality and age of the equipment provided.

Most facilities only provide a podium and microphone, so you will need to rent additional equipment from a qualified local audio-visual rental company. The facility where you are holding your meeting can provide recommendations.

Written by Yvon Douran, http://www.keynoteresource.com/

1. Keep your budget flexible. Be prepared to build in a contingency of 10 percent into your total budget to take care of any unexpected expenses and emergencies. Unforeseen or overlooked costs such as, overtime, overnight mailings, phone and computer hookups or speaker substitutions could skyrocket your budget.

2. Check all invoices. Question anything on your invoices that doesn’t compute against the written quotation. Scrutinize your hotel/facility and food and beverage invoices while on-site. Ironing out discrepancies in person is much easier than over the phone.

3. Limit authorization. Only a select few should have the authority to charge items to your master account at the hotel. Make sure hotel has a list of these people, and refuse to pay for charges signed by unauthorized personnel.

4. Review accounts daily. To avoid any major surprises or heart failures when you see the final bill, review your accounts with the facility on a daily basis. It’s easier to spot errors or make necessary changes if costs are escalating in certain areas.

5. Schedule during low-usage times. If you have the flexibility, consider scheduling your meetings during low seasons or days of the week when the facility is less busy. Booking near holidays such as Easter, Memorial Day, and Labor Day might definitely be to your advantageous.

6. Ask for the best rates. Do your research. Check out the rack rates, corporate rates, AAA discounts and so on, and compare them to the group rates you’re being offered. Call the toll-free reservation desk for information.

7. Confirm and reconfirm your dates and event details. Overlooking a detail may cost you big bucks.

8. Request a discount for on-site payments. When the facility doesn’t have to wait for payment because you arrange to pay immediately after the event or as the meeting is ending, they may well be open to a discount for prompt payment.

9. Be conservative with room blocks. With more and more guests using discounted hotel sites for room bookings, attrition on unused rooms can get very expensive.

10. Negotiate comp rooms. As part of your discussions with hotel management, negotiate comp or discounted rooms for speakers, staffs and or upgrades for VIPs.

11. Understand your cancellation clause. Don’t sign anything you’re not completely happy with. Be certain that your cancellation clause is reciprocal, so that both parties get the option to back out of the contract before a specified date, in case of any changes to the original agreement.

12. Negotiate set prices. To help with your budgeting, arrange to pay a specified amount on food and beverages during your entire event, rather than a rate per person, per function.

13. Consult a tax attorney. Investigate tax laws for your business location and the event location. You may be eligible for tax breaks that you’re not claiming.

14. Keep room setup simple. Wherever possible use theater style (where only chairs are used) as it is less labor-intensive than classroom-style (which includes both table and chairs), thus lowering setup costs. Also, plan to keep setups the same from day to day.

15. Check into other groups. Find out about groups holding their meeting prior to and after yours and discuss staging needs. You may find that you can save on setup and teardown if you all have the same or very similar requirements.

16. Investigate sponsorship opportunities. Find sponsors to cover as many of your program expenses as possible, especially speaker fees, audiovisual equipment, and special meal functions.

17. Investigate grants. Although it might be a time-consuming exercise, you might look into specific federal, state, local or corporate grants that might be available for holding your meeting.

18. Use industry experts. To save on speaker expenses, consider using industry experts whose companies often pay expenses. Alternatively, use local speakers where appropriate to save on travel expenses. However, check how good they are before hiring them. You may end up with a dud!

19. Avoid renting unnecessary equipment. Double check speaker needs for audiovisual equipment to avoid renting unnecessary items.

20. Keep signage simple and reusable. Consider investing in a laminating machine to make your own signs.

21. Discuss economical audiovisual setups. Limit the number of microphones needed. Check if the hotel supplies a complimentary microphone in each meeting room. Skirt a cocktail table instead of renting special carts for A/V equipment.

22. Use outside suppliers. Look outside the hotel for possible audiovisual suppliers whose prices may be more competitive than those in-house. However, the hotel may match the other supplier’s prices if asked.

23. Save on transportation. Use airport shuttles instead of taxis. If you have a sizeable group attending your event, negotiate special discounts with the shuttle bus company. Alternatively, check if the local taxicab company can provide discount coupons.

24. Arrange for one room. For smaller committee meetings that may be held during a larger conference arrange for a buffet luncheon to be held in the same room as the meeting to save on having to rent a separate room.

25. Negotiate food. Negotiate paying for food based on consumption. You can then return food without having to pay for it.

26. Minimize portions. Sever mini-Danishes, muffins and doughnuts, or cut larger servings in half. Many people (especially women and dieters) only want half to start with. Alternatively, serve a continental breakfast instead of a full breakfast buffet.

27. Opt for fewer choices. When it comes to hors d’oeuvres, go for fewer choices in larger quantities rather than a large selection in smaller quantities. And, remember to avoid the shrimp. People inhale it. There’s never enough!!!

28. Check for dead stock. Check if the hotel has dead stock wine available (such as wine that in no longer on the wine list). You may be able to negotiate a great price for some really good quality wine.

29. Store opened bottles. Find out if the hotel can store opened bottles of liquor from one reception and us them another reception during the same conference.

30. Open bottles as needed. As the banquet captain to open wine bottles only as needed. You pay for every bottle that’s been uncorked.

Bonus tip: Avoid salty foods during receptions as it encourages people to drink more.

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.

Your regional meeting and conference center may have the perfect answer. These centers are springing up all over the country, and offer a range of options for meetings, conferences, and conventions. Designed to project a modern, professional corporate image, they allow even small start ups to make a dynamic impact on potential clients and management personnel. Whether you need to schedule a ten o’clock meeting with a few representatives from a major corporation you’re targeting for business, or you need to rent a room for an entire day to interview a series of potential management hires, an attractive, functional meeting room will reflect your company’s professionalism.

When you’re choosing a meeting and conference center, be sure to research the availability of communications technology; the best centers will offer the latest high tech media equipment, so that if you have to project a Powerpoint display, a CD-Rom, or a DVD presentation, you have access to the equipment you need. A competently operated business center will also provide high speed Internet access and dial-up, as well as a number of business services including secretarial and clerical support, photocopying services, and faxing capability. If you’re going to be holding a lengthy meeting, you also need to make arrangements for your clients to have lunch or morning or afternoon food breaks, depending on the timing of the meeting. If you hold annual meetings for your employees, your partners or stockholders, or your board of directors, you may want to splurge on an informational meeting which includes a sumptuous catered meal.

If you’re expecting potential clients or vendors to travel to meet with you from out of town, you may want to pay special attention to the meeting center’s ease of access, both from Interstate highways and from regional airports. Business people who travel frequently want to get to a meeting quickly, have a productive experience, and then get back on the road, to the airport, or to their hotel room with as little fuss as possible. Choosing your meeting’s location to facilitate this will make a positive impact on those you’re meeting; putting them in a position of getting snarled in city traffic will definitely not.

Of course, the best meeting and conference center in the world is only as impressive as the presentation you make. Make sure you’re prepared, and have all the documentation you need at the meeting, polished and organized. If you have a media presentation to make, be sure it says what you want it to say, and then communicate with the tech experts at the meeting center to be absolutely certain you know how to operate the equipment. If possible, troubleshoot the equipment, and practice the presentation, well before your meeting so that you can make a smooth, polished performance.

Even if you’re operating a start-up company on a shoestring, creative use of your regional meeting and conference center will allow you to project a professional, successful image to your business associates; and nothing sells like success. http://www.forefrontcenter.com/audiovisuals.htm

· The increased security and hassle of commercial airline boarding.

· There are fewer airlines around.

· Fewer airlines are flying to fewer cities

· Because of economy restraints there are fewer seats for more passengers.

· It is now easier to charter, lease or rent a plane because there are more companies entering the aircraft leasing business.

· Also, a new generation of small jets is being produced as we speak, the so-called air taxis seating between 4 to 6 passengers for a total airplane cost of as low as 1 million dollars.

· These small jets are being produced in a so-called cookie-cutter design, 100 at a time and are also being purchased 100 at a time.

Real Air Taxis will soon be on their way into major cities,” says London based AVCEN. Avcen is to bring its innovative Jetpod aircraft design off the drawing board and into proof-of-concept build and flight trials. The Jetpod is a unique, lightweight, Very Quiet Short Take-Off and Landing (VQSTOL), 6-seat, twin-jet powered aircraft.

The Jetpod cruises at 350 mph and uses an unbelievable 410 feet of landing space. This is achieved through a combination of horizontal and vertical thrust management as developed by Avcen.

No runways are required so you can take off from a private parking lot or your neighbor’s driveway. There are similar small jets being manufactured in the US as well.

Aircraft Charter companies provide the following 4 functions in a variety of innovative ways:
1) Renting (sometimes selling) aircraft for private use, performing aircraft maintenance, providing fuel, and aircraft management.

2) The best way of finding an aircraft charter company is on line. You can also contact an aircraft charter broker who will sort of act as your airplane travel agent.

3) They will handle all of your flight arrangements, including price comparisons, they will determine the correct aircraft for your trip, they will locate the correct charter company, make sure insurance is in place, and obtain copies of FAA flight certificates.

4) There are also aircraft charter auctions available on the Web.

Using a unique online auction, your trip itinerary is instantly sent to a network of pre-approved jet operators who are invited to bid on your trip. This increases competition and ultimately drives the price down. You can view this bidding action live, online.

Fleet Membership allows you to buy occupied flight time in your preferred category of business jet in blocks of whatever flight hours you want with guaranteed availability. You enjoy the freedom and convenience of business jet travel without the costs or commitment of aircraft ownership.

One Ways and Empty Leg Flights When a one way aircraft charter flight is booked, many times the aircraft has to return to it’s original airport. In a case like this, the plane will be flying empty. This is known as an empty leg. Because the aircraft charter operators like to make money if possible, they offer these empty legs for much less than a typical charter would cost.

Flying in a Private Jet has become a Status Symbol.

One of the perks most valued to CEO’s and lawmakers today is to have the use of a Private Jet. This is another reason why the Charter Aircraft business is at present growing at an astonishing rate which will increase even more as the air taxis costing one million dollars or so will enter service.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com. Frank Hague likes private aircraft.