Successfully organizing meetings is an
under-appreciated business skill. With the umpteen details meeting and event
planners need to handle, mistakes are bound to be made, and sometimes heads
will roll as a result. To make certain that yours isn't one of them, here are
some common meeting blunders to rise above.
Forgetting to check
dates
Before finalizing any dates for your meetings
or events, check that they don't overlap with any religious, public, state, or
federal holidays. Also, consider avoiding an overlap with any major sporting
events, especially if you're looking to attract a predominately male audience.
At the beginning of the calendar year, generate a checklist of all the upcoming
holidays and events so that you don't let one slip by you. It's so easy to do!
Booking a site before
making a visit
Often when you're organizing an event at a
destination many miles from home, there's not enough time or money in the
budget to make a site visit. Big mistake! Why take the risk that everything won't be fine on the day of the event or
rely on someone else's judgment? This is particularly critical for larger
meetings and events. In addition, checking out the scene beforehand allows you
the opportunity to meet and build a rapport with the staff you'll be working
very closely with on the day of the event.
Failing to market your
event
It's really quite simple: In order to get
people to attend your event, you need to let them know about it in plenty of
time. It's all about marketing and communication, which is part and parcel of
your planning and organizing process. The longer you wait to inform potential
attendees, the stronger the chance that they'll have made alternative plans for
your meeting dates. Communicate your message in plenty of time so that your
event is their number one priority.
Signing contracts that
lack specifics
One meeting planner had her day in court when
she cancelled a meeting because the hotel she booked had not made, in her
opinion, sufficient progress on its planned renovation. The hotel argued
differently and, in fact, won the case. The written contract had specified that
"substantial progress" would be made prior to the meeting date. Being
such a subjective phrase, it was open to different interpretations. Make sure
that your contracts are ironclad with undisputable details. Avoid phrases like
"to be negotiated" or "to be determined at a later date."
Failing to plan
Fail to plan, and you're laying yourself open
for disaster. Far too many pieces of the puzzle need to be put together for you
to just wing it or pay lip service to a plan. Vow to be as thorough and
meticulous as possible. Check and recheck details. Discuss your event with
people not involved in the business to get outsider opinions. Create checklists
and checklists of checklists. Cover all your bases. The more thorough you are,
the less chance of failure and more probability of success.
Neglecting to check
references
Having a gut feeling about someone is great,
but always check to make sure he's as good as he says he is. Yes, it will take
some extra time to check references, but it's well worth the effort. Why take
the chance of spoiling your important event with a supplier who lets you down
at the last minute or supplies you with second-rate equipment or poor-quality
service? A key question to ask the reference is, "Would you use this
supplier again for your next function?" You know what to do if the answer
is negative!
Leaving important
details to the last minute
Putting your meeting together takes time, and
the more you have, the better the chances of making fewer mistakes. The more
rushed and panicked you are, the more likely you are to forget some of the
essential (and sometimes most obvious) things. Use your checklists religiously,
and handle details in the early planning stages. Leaving the basics to the last
minute will undoubtedly cost more money, as you'll probably incur rush charges,
and it will definitely add unnecessary stress to your life!
Letting someone else do
the planning
So you want to take the easy way out, and you
find yourself a professional planner to handle all the details. Can you afford
to just sit back in the hope that this wonderful person performs magic? Just
because you hire some assistance doesn't mean you're out of the picture. On the
contrary, you now take on the role of steward, which makes you responsible for directing
all the operations. Let others do the running around on your behalf, but always
have a visible presence in the background making sure that everything runs
smoothly.
Neglecting contingencies
Another aspect of your planning process
involves developing contingency plans. Unfortunately, the chances are pretty
high that something you planned for won't necessarily go as arranged. So what's
your backup? If you don't have one, all your original plans could be destroyed
in an instant, and you'll be scrambling to put a second strategy into
operation. Have a Plan B ready "in the wings" just in case you need
it.
Trying to save money
With tight budgets and a boss breathing down
your neck and expecting you to do more with less, the temptation to make vendor
decisions based solely on price is strong. Yes, you'll always find someone
who's prepared to under-price services just to get the business. But how good
and reliable are they? Cheap prices and good quality usually don't correlate.
So the next time you're tempted to make a buying decision based entirely on
price, think again!
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