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

A myriad of risks threaten the success of events and meetings, including lack of rehearsal time, itinerary changes, equipment failures, and other factors. Here are eight proven tips to make your next event or meeting a great one.

Before the event

1. Conduct several pre-meeting planning sessions. During these planning sessions, take the time to prepare a concise agenda of issues that need to be discussed and an action plan regarding who needs to make what decisions. For example, what is the complete itinerary of the event; how many rooms will be needed for the general session and the workshops; what is the layout of each room; will there be a stage play or entertainment during the opening of the meeting; will there be an awards ceremony; what are the needs for sound, video projection, lighting, Internet access, and so forth. In addition, these planning sessions are the best time to determine the size of the technical staff and production crew needed to properly operate all of the audio and visual equipment for the event. This will help avoid unnecessary labor costs later on in the process.

These planning sessions are also the best time to discuss the need for equipment and backups in the case of equipment failure, which unfortunately seems to happen at the most inopportune times. For equipment backups, companies should require that the bare minimum of a backup computer, data projector, and microphones are available in case of a problem. Determining a precise equipment checklist during the planning sessions helps avoid renting unnecessary equipment and keeps costs down.

Overall, the pre-meeting planning process helps make sure that the meeting accomplishes the company’s vision and expectations, while keeping equipment and labor costs inline with requirements. The process requires discipline and, if done properly, provides the greatest return on investment from reviewing even the minutest details.

2. Negotiate audio/visual equipment rental costs. It is a good idea to use the equipment supplied by in-house audio/visual (A/V) department for the hotel or resort, or another local equipment supplier whenever possible. With that said, however, company meeting planners should carefully negotiate equipment rental costs. At times, in-house A/V departments charge fees that provide hotels with lucrative gross margins on rentals. This does not mean that one should demand price slashing, although it does mean there is likely room to reduce rental costs.

Success depends on asking a lot of questions and referring to the equipment checklist developed during the planning sessions, in order to avoid any unnecessary items, while ensuring to not compromise equipment redundancy. Also, remain cognizant of unnecessary labor charges during the setup of equipment at the event, especially if company personnel will be onsite. There is no need for duplication of effort and this can provide cost savings.

3. Promote and communicate with attendees. Aside from increasing event attendance, promoting the event or meeting will help build excitement and interest among attendees. It is easy to overlook the importance of pre-event promotion, especially if attendance is mandatory. Effective promotion helps ensure that the attendees are on the same page regarding the objectives and expectations of the event.

4. Hire a professional to develop the presentation support materials. It is difficult to financially justify an executive of a company investing many hours into the development of PowerPoint® presentation(s) or other support materials. This is, however, often the case. Instead, it is important to recognize that PowerPoint is a presentation support tool, not the presentation. It is much more logical, and fiscally responsible, for executives and/or presenters to define the content of their presentation and then turn it over to a capable designer for implementation. This frees up more rehearsal time for the presenter, and the designer will likely deliver a higher-quality PowerPoint in less time. This process leads to a more effective delivery of the presentation because more rehearsal time was available.

5. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! The importance of presenter rehearsal is impossible to understate. The timing of the rehearsal is also critical. Once presenters are onsite, there is very little time available for rehearsal. Because of this time constraint, rehearsal must take place well in advance of the presenter’s arrival. Aside from the lack of time, on-site rehearsal adds costs to the event. For example, if a presenter decides to make changes to a PowerPoint during equipment setup, this could potentially slow down the process or, even worse, affect room configurations. With that said, time needs to be allocated to test the presentations from a technical standpoint to ensure that all of the video, PowerPoint, Flash™ animations, Web links, and so forth, work properly.

6. Produce an energizing opening. An effective opening video, stage play, or live entertainment engages attendees and separates them from their daily distractions and demands at the office. The opening of the meeting gets them focused on the objectives for the event or meeting. It is also critical to get all of the attendees on the same page so they know what to expect over the next several days. The opening of the meeting is the proper time for this to happen. A well-produced opening is effective at energizing attendees to participate and getting them ready to contribute toward the success of the meeting.

During the event

7. Thoroughly inspect the location and supervise equipment setup. The planning team from the company needs to inspect the meeting rooms and develop a precise understanding of the power and lighting layouts and existing A/V (audio visual) capabilities, and to test the equipment that was selected for the event. This is true for the general session and any workshops, leaving no detail to chance. This inspection is not micro-managing the setup performed by the A/V team. Instead, it is the last opportunity to ensure that the selected equipment will achieve the expectations of the event. After the event

8. Give survivability to the message! This can include producing a closing wrap video and distributing VHS, DVD, or streamed versions of the content to audience members, and to those who could not attend, following the event. This helps the good karma established during the meeting to live on and transfer the message to a broader audience. Survivability of the message adds value to the meeting.

In closing, the more experienced one becomes, the easier it is to overlook the core aspects of what is truly important during event or meeting planning. Incorporating these proven tips into a concise event or meeting planning process can make the difference between a great meeting and mediocrity!

The AVS Group is a marketing, training, and communications company in La Crosse, Wisconsin. AVS helps clients communicate and market effectively. AVS can be found online at http://www.avsgroup.com.

Whoever said that being a meeting planner was easy, lied! Rather, it should be classified under the tough and demanding job category. But, along with being tough, it’s also fun, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, and never, never boring. You have the opportunity to go to exotic places, stay in luxurious hotels, and experience life from a totally different angle. Who could ask for anything more? For those of you ready to shoot me at this point, know that I fully understand your pain!

The purpose of this article is to look at ten skills that help make a super successful meeting planner, and how you can take this expertise and use it to enhance the great job you’re already doing.

1. Planning and organizing

The most common reason shows go wrong lies in the simple fact that not enough time is devoted to adequate planning and preparation. And, many of those shows that are believed to have been successful, are often more by chance than through actual organization. Super successful meeting planners have both a strategic and tactical plan of action. They then use the following five basic questions as their foundation before making any arrangements:

· Where does this meeting fit into our corporate marketing strategy?
· Why are we meeting?
· What is the purpose of the meeting?
· Who should attend the meeting?
· What is our budget?

2. Taking care of details

So much of putting a meeting together means taking care of the details, and there are usually more of these than you care to think about. Being detail-oriented is a definite plus. The key to so much of a meeting planner’s success is having a system that works. Creating checklists is one of the best I know. With the hundreds of pieces that make up the meeting puzzle, the only way to put them together and keep tabs on all the details, is with a checklist. Become a checklist fanatic and consider having a checklist for each checklist. I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it.

3. Practicing savvy marketing

A significant part of a successful meeting planner’s role involves developing a pre-, at- and post-event plan. Most meeting planners fail to have a plan that encompasses all three areas. Budget is naturally going to play a major role in deciding what and how much promotional activity is possible. Super successful meeting planners know the importance of developing a meaningful theme or message that ties into their strategic marketing plan, and that will guide their promotional decisions. They know and understand their target audience and plan different promotional programs aimed at the different groups they are interested in attracting.

4. Being a team player

Super successful meeting planners know exactly how to work together as a team, helping each other out whenever and wherever necessary. They help everyone get acquainted, develop a level of trust, and familiarize and understand each other’s strengths. They know what it takes to create an environment of camaraderie where the staff, as a whole pulls out all the stops to succeed and set themselves apart from the competition.

5. Knowing how to manage time

Super successful meeting planners have mastered the art of managing their time. They are well organized and have essential information at their fingertips, which means that their work environment is orderly and efficient. They know their priorities, don’t over commit themselves, and can differentiate between important and urgent tasks. They are superb delegators and are not afraid to ask for help whenever they need it. And, finally, they don’t procrastinate; on the contrary, they practice the “do it now” habit.

6. Negotiating skillfully

Skillful and savvy negotiators know exactly what they want. They spend time doing their research so that they know as much as possible about their opponent. They are prepared with strategies and tactics, questions and possible concessions. They are masters at finding alternative ways of talking about, reacting to and solving problems. They use their talents of intuition, flexibility and concern for others to reach an agreement where both sides win. They look to create a feeling of cooperation to build a mutually beneficial working environment.

7. Applying a positive attitude

Research successful people and you’ll find that having a positive, “can do” attitude ranks high on their list of characteristics. Not only are they positive and upbeat, they surround themselves with naturally positive and successful people. Give it a try and see it their attitude rubs off on you. When you focus on what you can do versus what you can’t do, expect to find solutions to your various challenges. Try changing your vocabulary to reflect your optimistic thoughts and feelings, and see what happens. People find you more attractive and want to be around you, especially when you focus and direct your conversation onto the outcomes they want.

8. Evaluating results

Any master continuously looks to improve on their performance, and a super successful meeting planner is no different. Create a system to evaluate your results. Ask your participants for their feedback. Find out what they liked about your event, and what they would like to see improved in the future. In addition, ask yourself what you thought went well and what you would do differently if you had to organize this event again. Chronicle all your data and keep accurate records so that you can refer to them the next time around.

9. Being a perpetual learner

We live in an information age and are surrounded by more stuff than we can possibly cope with. However, successful people love it, as they are perpetual learners. They know the pitfalls of relying on what worked in the past as a guide to what will work in the future. That’s why they constantly look for new and improved ways of doing things, learning from the masters and staying open and willing to try different approaches.

10. Keeping a sense of humor

If you don’t laugh you cry and in the meeting industry there’s no lack of situations where it’s easy to shed a tear. Keeping a sense of humor will definitely help prevent you getting mad, angry and frustrated with those incompetent and disorganized suppliers. Learn to laugh at their mistakes as well as your own to keep a saner perspective on life. If nothing else, remember that laughing is good for your health and will help reduce your stress and blood pressure levels.

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.

By Sue Tinnish

SEAL Inc.

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

Traditionally, medical and technical conferences have offered poster sessions. Poster sessions allow colleagues to share their expertise with large groups at conferences. You can harness the positive power of posters to create innovative meeting formats.

In a traditional conference, participants are invited to create a poster depicting their research. Poster creators share that information with others during an informal period when people walk around viewing the posters. Poster creators may also be required to give short presentations on their research every ten or fifteen minutes. Poster sessions combine text and graphics to make a visually-pleasing presentation.

Beyond medical and research conferences, poster sessions offer 14 benefits for all types of meeting and events:

1. Participants get to pick and choose - People can wander about and stop at topics that are of interest to them. It’s self-directed learning at its best.

2. Participants can vote with their feet - People can stop and look a poster for as little time or as much time as they like. They can engage in conversation with the creator of the poster. It’s easy to move on during a poster session without insulting the speaker.

3. The right pace - Many presentations do not provide the audience with enough time to assimilate the statistical data or link it with other information. A poster can allow for a clearer and more reflective process of presentation, especially of statistical or visual information. In addition, the narrative of every poster, including main points and conclusions, can be highlighted and therefore absorbed at every person’s own pace as they view the poster.

4. My question - A presentation rarely affords enough time to adequately field all questions. Audience participation is sometimes limited to question and answer periods. Usually only a few people are able to ask questions, and the presenter may not cover the concerns of the entire audience. A poster session allows for dialogue and engaging interaction.

5. Snippets may be the best - Speakers can drone on for interminable amounts of time. What if speakers were forced to encapsulate their comments into 10 minutes? That’s in essence what poster sessions do – they force the presenter to get their main points out quickly and clearly.

6. A different way to learn - Poster sessions promote information through visual medium not just words. Ideally poster sessions are graphically interesting and display information visually. The creator may be present to supplement the poster with conversation by answering questions from the participants.

7. Customized learning – Poster sessions give people to the opportunity customize their agenda in a way that is most value to them.

8. Forget the common denominator - A common problem in presentations is that speakers must provide sufficient background so the entire audience will understand the presentation. Poster sessions allow the creator to meet the participant at their level of knowledge. And as a result, they each have the opportunity to discuss the full scope of the research or results and implications.

9. Leading-edge issues covered - What if your agenda and speakers are determined months in advance? That’s good from a planning perspective but you lose something in being able to cover the newest information. Poster sessions offer you the flexibility to program to current issues.

10. Variety at a quick pace - Often when I am planning meetings, it seems that there is so much I would love to cover but time on the agenda just doesn’t allow. Poster sessions create the opportunity to include a wide breadth of topics without overwhelming the audience with information overload.

11. Responsive to the group - Poster sessions afford you the opportunity to be responsive to individual needs, interests and topics.

12. Highlight the expertise of your group Poster sessions give lots of people the opportunity to highlight their expertise and knowledge. Imagine the great new connections that can be created when people discover each other during a poster session.

13. Poster sessions are a consideration to foreign colleagues - The poster session allows foreign colleagues another format to present. If Asian, European, African or Latin American colleagues are less comfortable with a formal presentation in English, poster sessions offer them an alternative. Likewise, for Americans participating in an international conference.

14. Feedback loop - Posters can provide the creator with much more feedback than she or he would receive during a traditional presentation.

With these benefits in mind, you can explore a more expansive use of poster sessions:

• Posters as a source for additional resources – Supplement an existing presentation with posters. This offers people something to look at, adds color to the walls and gives people the opportunity to explore a topic in more detail if they are interested.
• Posters as a review technique – During training session, rather than lead participants through the review and repeat information that already covered, create posters that review the relevant material. Invite participants to spend as much or as little time as they want at each visual display. This technique doesn’t force anyone to review material that they felt they knew cold. It also allowed people to reflect and remember what they learned. Often our meeting agendas are so crammed with information, there is little time for the participants to stop and think about what they learned.
• Posters at a trade show – Rather than a traditional trade show, invited venders to prepare poster displaying their expertise in a specific area. Rather than beginning conversations about whether there is interest in doing business together, the participants will have the opportunity to learn something of value from the vendors. From that relationship, both parties can explore other avenues.
• Best Practices Showcase - Learn from peers by using a poster session to showcase best practices, great ideas, or other examples that can benefit the entire group. This type of session can be motivating to the creators of the poster and create some great suggestions for everyone.
• Virtual Poster Sessions - The fastest growing variation of the poster session is the Internet session. Creators prepare posters about their work and post them on the Web. Instead of walking around viewing others’ posters at a conference, participants of the virtual poster session view others’ posters online. Electronic forums then allow participants to ask questions of the poster authors.

Be positive on posters! Everyone benefits from poster sessions - the participants, the planners and the creators of posters. Add a bit of innovation to a meeting through poster sessions.

A conference call lets you remain at your desk rather than trek off down the hall–or across the country–to a meeting. It also provides a great opportunity to get the opinions and concerns of the entire team heard as long as it doesn’t disintegrate into a wasteland of wandering discourse. Investing some time and effort up front will ensure that the call works for everyone.

1. Volunteer to set up the call so you can assume the role of moderator. Confirm that everyone has both the dial-in and conference code numbers, as well as the correct time for their zone.

2. Poll the other participants in advance as to the items they want covered in the call. Develop a written agenda with a specific time allotment for each agenda item. Better yet, e-mail the agenda to all parties before the call.

3. Take charge of gathering and disseminating the printed background material, numbering pages clearly and prominently. Nothing creates conference-call chaos faster than a chorus of “Where are we?” or “I don’t seem to have that chart.”

4. Refuse to discuss major agenda items until everyone is on the line. Bringing latecomers up to speed on important issues wastes time and irritates those who were prompt.

5. Monitor the clock closely. Be prepared to intervene with “Excuse me, we have to move on–we’ve run out of time for this topic” or “Let’s discuss this topic at another timeand report back to the group.” Stay polite but firm throughout.
6. End the call with a synopsis of conclusions reached and future actions required. Send out a written summary of these conclusions and action items to all participants promptly.
Overall Tips:Use a handheld phone on a land line rather than a cellular phone or speakerphone. Your voice will be clearer, with minimal background noise. Use an office where you can close the door to further reduce noise. If more than two other people are participating in the call, keep a written list of names beside your phone so you can be sure you are getting everyone’s input.

Tips from eHow Users: Focus by eHow Friend

Do not do anything else but participate on the conference call. Answering e-mails, reading papers, etc., are counter-productive to the purpose of the call. And since many people forget to mute their phones, the noises you make will distract from the meeting.