Getting your Money's Worth on Events

Ok, so I have this client who is planning his first city wide event. After researching many different city venues and packages, the client has decided on one specific city. While the city offers a great stadium (this is a softball tournament) for the event, the entire package is not complete.

What is missing or not right about the fit? Rooms, Money, Traffic flow, Crowds, etc... A package needs to meet many different criteria, not just one. Many times you'll be working with a client who is dead set on using one specific brand or venue. How do you get the client to see the whole picture?

Show the client the connection between money and experience. Experience plays such a big role in event development. Do you have the right venue, city, hotels to make your attendees want to come back? The last four words are key - "want to come back".

Yes, the stadium, in my case, may be a perfect fit (for future years, just not this year). Keying on that point, the Convention and Visitors Bureau confirmed that due to two large special events, on the same week, that they can offer no hotel rooms within a 60 mile radius. Ok, red flag! Remember, experience plays a HUGE role in whether an attendee or team comes back to your event. No rooms, very crowded restaurants and heavy traffic flow. Do you see a potential problem or problems?

Ideas for stearing your client in the right direction:

1. Itemize the entire package - what do we need to have to make our event a success? How many rooms? Are our dates "set in stone"? Do we need citywide support? Are any other events in town that we will be competeing with on space?

2. Prioritze the Package - Ideal venue, Alottment of rooms in desired price range, city support, etc.

3. Explain the cost ratio and experience factor to your client. Know your client - what are his/her hot buttons? Is your client a visual person? Is your client a numbers person? Knowing your client will help you present the best options in terms they can understand.

4. Do a site visit - always. Driving the site, especially with a city wide, may help the client see the negatives and postives of each venue. Also, this is where experience comes into play. How does the client truly feel at the venue, city, hotels, etc?

Last but not least, remember that the client makes the final decision! We, as site selectors and meeting planners, do whatever we can to proivide the full picture. If the client is not given the full picture, we have not done our job very well.

I'll be back with event planning and site selection articles and tips, to help you save your client or your business money.

Saving Money on Meetings

I am a meeting manager. What is a meeting manager and why is that a job? I love the day to day operations of making things happen, saving money for clients and finding affordable alternatives. Ok. But why can't I plan meetings myself, you may ask....

You can. I am going to introduce you to step 2. Where did step 1 go? I am step 1. I work for a company called HelmsBriscoe (www.helmsbriscoe.com). HelmsBriscoe is the largest site selection firm in the world.

It must be expenisve to use you....what can you do that I can't..are your next series of questions.

Let me ask what your first step in planning a meeting would be? I'll wait........ Budget, maybe! Yes. Second step??? waiting..... Site Selection? Yes, again. Both budget and site selection will tell you alot about how saving money is going to work FOR you!

I can assist with site selection. No, yes I said NO, cost to you. Meeting planning should be fun. No matter if your planning for 10 people or a citywide. I can take the "boring" part of site selection off your hands, negotiate the contract for you, and provide a basis for your budget. YOU get to do the FUN stuff - provide a great bottom line for your Board, yourself or your boss.

If you are experiencing cutbacks, like many of my clients are, take a look at the following article
http://meetingsnet.com/associationmeetings/marketing_meetings/better_meetings_during_downturn_1208.
You are not alone. Making simple cutbacks can help!

Let's work together to save money on meetings. Join me back for tips and advice on what I am doing to make meetings happen in a down economy!