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Planning and Producing MEEC Gatherings - Coggle Diagram
Planning and Producing MEEC Gatherings
Setting Objectives
Impacts virtually all meeting components
Site selection / food and beverage
Transportation / room layout and setup
Program content
Three reasons people attend meetings
Education
Networking
Conduct Business
Creating meeting and event objectives
Objectives are the basis of planning process
Objectives should be clear, concise, and measurable
Importance of Education
Return on investment (ROI) and expectations of attendees
Event (education) must be justified
Meaningful program content
Attendance based on quality of event / education
Technology advances provide additional challenges and opportunities
Web and video conferencing
Distance learning
Virtual tradeshows
CD-ROMs and DVDs of presentation
Professional Certifications
Associations provide current information and continuing education in particular field
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Lead to certification or licensing
Demonstrates level of competency in profession
Good source of revenue through application and testing fees, study materials, re-certification
Certified Meeting professional (CMP)
Most recognized designation in meeting and conventions
Administered by Convention Industry Council (CIC)
Needs Analysis
Definition
Method of determining a meeting's expectation
Needs of corporation and association differ; consider:
Age and gender of past attendees
Level of expertise
Position in organization
Hotel amenities preferred
Medical or dietary needs
Organization paying
International guest special needs
Special accommodations (ADA)
Educational outcome expected
Developing SMART objectives
SMART
Achievable
Is it possible to accomplish the objective
Relevant
Is the objective important to the overalls goals of the organization
Measurable
Must be able to quantify or measure that you have, or have not. achieved the objective
Time based
The objective should include when the objective must be completed
Specific
Only one major concept is covered per objective
Examples of meeting objectives
Create a program by a certain date
Conference for specific attendees
Complete designs, plans, or graphics for meeting by a certain time
Generate attendance at specific hotels
Speaker Arrangements
Volunteer speakers
- Reduce expenses, are knowledgeable, may increase attendance, build relationships
Paid speakers
- More reliable
Speaker guidelines should include
Background information
Date and location of meeting
Room set and A/V availability
Request for short biography
Transportation and lodging information
Program Implementation
Factors to consider
Session scheduling
Ancillary events
Program type
Program types
General or plenary session
Concurrent session
Roundtable discussion groups
Program content
Developed months in advance
Create tracks and levels
Average attendee 3 to 6 sessions a day
Future Trends
Planners will need to keep “wow factor” in mind
Small event lead times will get shorter while long events get longer
Focus on meeting and event ROI will become more intense
Technology will play an increasing significance in planning and producing events
Refreshment Breaks and Meal Functions
Important to provide breaks
Refreshment breaks foster connections
Cocktail receptions and dinners
Site Selection
First establish meeting objectives
Determining site is typically a group decision
Factors to consider
Location of majority of attendees
Cost for planner and attendees
Trade publications
Type of hotel or meeting facility
Rotation of location
Request For Proposal (RFP)
Disseminated to preferred sites (often via internet)
Submit to local CVB to distribute to properties
Submit to DMAI web site
Submit directly to hotels and facilities
RFP allows hotels to examine economic impact of meeting and decide to create a bid
“Fam” trips are another method to promote a destination
Session Scheduling
Timing is critical
Variety of activities
Coordinate trade shows and workshops
Control in MEEC
A good design should be:
Qualitative data
- hard numerical, can be compared: scores, averages, ranks.
Quantitative data
- soft – a descriptive record of what is observed, then written
Designing and implementing a survey
-
Simple, one concept per question
Easy first; difficult, personal last
Keep anonymous
Identify speakers by name
Audiovisual Equipment
Many meetings do not allow speakers to bring their own A/V
Controlling A/V costs is very important
Managing Speakers on site
Especially important at large events
Ancillary Activities
Pre - convention
Budgetary Concerns
Budgetary issues include
What is cost to produce event?
Who will pay?
Will there be a registration fee?
What types of food and beverage?
Step 1,2,3
Step 1 - establish goals
Should incorporate the SMART approach
Set by planner, association, corporate mandate
Determine financial expectations of event
Three possible financial outcomes: Break-even; Profit; Deficit
Step 2 - identify expenses
Indirect cost
- overhead or administrative items
Fixed cost
- expenses incurred regardless of number of attendees
Variable cost
- based on the number of attendees
Step 3 - identify revenue sources
Registration fees
Corporate / association funding
Logo merchandise
Government assistance
Cost Control
Make sure facility knows who has signing authority
Tools for monitoring budget
Accurately estimate amount of meals ordered
Registration
Registration fees
Pre-registration
On-site registration
Housing
Attendees arrange for their own room
Third party Housing Bureau
Group rate is arranged at multiple locations
Meeting and Event Specification Guide
APEX Initiative
Specifications guide three parts : narrative; function schedules, function set-up orders
Pre– and Post–Con Meeting
Pre-con meeting
- Important to coordinate between all the major players
Post-con meeting
- Important for planning the next meeting