Plan Your Meetings

Plan Your Meetings Blog

On the road with meeting planners in the ‘Ham

Posted by Kristi Casey Sanders on October 21, 2009 at 9:51 am

Every October, PYM does a really special dual event with the Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. We take a busload of Atlanta-based meeting planners to Birmingham for a daytime PYM LIVE Event (this year it’s at the amazing Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa), which local Alabama planners also attend. Then, the Atlanta planners get a tour of the city and attend the CVB’s Fright Night, a fun evening event promoting what the city has to offer. We’ve got a couple of tech-savvy planners in the PYM group, including @checklistqueen (a.k.a. Erica Prewitt from A Big To Do Event Planning), who promised to keep us up-to-date on the trip.

Here’s the presentation from @Kevin_Johnston (click to download):
Contracts: Tips, Trends & Tactics

Here’s a timeline of tweets from the PYM peeps:

Day two:

  • Lisapicsmall_normal
    LisaKraus: Birmingham’s new Hyatt Place offers complimentary wireless high-speed internet throughout the hotel! That’s FREE people! #pymbham
    1 day ago from txt · Reply · View Tweet
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A fun little song about meeting

Posted by Kristi Casey Sanders on October 20, 2009 at 5:54 pm

From our friends at Keep America Meeting: A catchy little song from TBA Global and artist NewSide, commemorating industry advocacy efforts. Check it out! (Hit “Play the Song” and wait for the magic to begin.)

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The value of being loyal to corporate policy and partnerships

Posted by Kristi Casey Sanders on October 12, 2009 at 10:56 am

By Susan Fox, CMP

As a CMP I have committed – at least to myself – that I will be a professional. As a corporate planner, I have committed to use my training and knowledge of the industry to attack all issues that need to be addressed on a daily basis so my clients can work effectively. One of my primary focuses is on corporate partnerships.

In my industry, Food and Beverage Manufacturing, one of the first things I look at when choosing a venue is “who’s using our products?” This is a double-edged sword. The upside is, when making a decision, it reduces the choices I have. The downside is, it reduces the choices I have. So what to do?

The answer is two-fold: follow corporate loyalty and do the right thing for the right reason. Sounds simple, but is it?

I realize that am old-school when I say that you need to “dance with the one who brung ya.” So let’s talk about corporate policies. These are an absolute must – especially now – and I don’t believe they can be effective without loyalty. While I can adhere to the policy by simply asking the venue to have our products on hand, is that the intent? Does my corporation want me to meet the minimum requirement of our policy? Recently I was listening to a friend lecture and he said, “Interpret the message literally unless you can’t.” It struck me as very appropriate for his topic, but completely inappropriate for the meeting and event industry, because it blows the doors wide open for me to do whatever I want and still be marginally within corporate policy, without obligating me to also do the right thing.

If I only meet the minimum requirements of corporate policy, I am short-changing everyone. The people that pay me are trusting me to do the right thing. If I do the minimum, am I giving them what they’re paying for? How about the vendor that signs a contract to carry our products just so we can give them first priority as a venue? If they don’t normally carry our products, have I exhibited the loyalty that my corporation is asking from me as a professional? Have I held true to the ethical standards of the Certified Meeting Professional? Am I doing the right thing for the right reason?

As a planner, I receive at least eight to 10 cold calls a week, not to mention e-mail blasts that come through day after day, hotel surveys and miscellaneous invites to exotic places. I must spend a minimum of 10 minutes a day “unsubscribing” to the e-mail blasts alone. Those free lunches, FAM trips and boondoggles are very appealing. I don’t unsubscribe because I’m not interested, but because I am forever defending my time and theirs. However, I struggle with this. I value the opportunity to broaden my horizons and get exposure to new and different venues just like any other planner. But if I accept an invitation knowing full well that they are not one of our partners, then am I operating outside of corporate policy? I realize they are just doing their job, and I want to help them fill their “quota” of sales calls, but does it help anyone if I can’t use their services?

After answering these questions I know that I can only live with myself if I adhere to the policy in the spirit of which it is intended. What is that? It’s being loyal to my corporation and choosing a venue that has also chosen us. This is a give and take world. To expect to be able to take without giving simply isn’t the right thing to do. We need to be professional, step up to the plate, do the right thing and make it a true partnership between our company and our suppliers.

Corporate loyalty should produce an employee who is proud of their product and want to give back to their corporations by choosing to comply with the policy to the letter. Is that you?

::

Susan M. Fox, CMP, has been with Frito Lay Research & Development for 10 years and has recently begun working with the PepsiCo Global R&D teams planning global collaboration events around the world. She has a BA from the University of Texas, and is a candidate for the CMM. She is married and has two children.

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Texas two-step

Posted by Kristi Casey Sanders on October 6, 2009 at 10:53 am

Claudia, Evan and Lisa have their hands full this week, hosting not one, but two Texas PYM LIVE Events: Houston on Oct. 6 and Dallas on Oct. 8. I wish I were with them, but since I can’t be, here’s a timeline of tweets on what happened.

Jeff Rasco’s presentation at the events:

Jeff Rasco
View more documents from Zbasin20.

HOUSTON (archive of tweets, start at bottom and read up):

DALLAS (archive of tweets, start at the bottom and read up):

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PYM planner profile: Kimberly Roberts, CMP, CSEP

Posted by Kristi Casey Sanders on October 2, 2009 at 3:30 pm

By Lisa Kraus

Welcome to my new monthly column! Each month I will spotlight a new planner. If you’re interested in being profiled, please contact me at Lisa.Kraus@PlanYourMeetings.com. This month, I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to Kimberly Roberts, CMP, CSEP.

Thank you, Kimberly, for taking time out of your busy schedule! How long have you been a meeting planner?

Almost 17 years. Wow, I cannot believe I have been doing this for that long!

How long have you been with UniPro Foodservice, Inc.; and what is your current title and responsibilities?

I have been with UniPro Foodservice, Inc. for one and half years. I am the Manager of Meetings & Conventions. UniPro is a co-op of food distributors, and I help plan over 25 meetings per year, from incentive shows to food trade shows, which always include appointment-style vendor fairs. We plan all over the world, so I travel extensively. I’ve been to Budapest, Munich, Los Cabos, Hawaii, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Chicago, Washington D.C., and all over Florida and Arizona, just to name a few places.

Sounds like fun. Do you enjoy traveling?

Traveling for business is very different than traveling for leisure, in that there really isn’t much time for any leisure activity at all. I seldom even leave the meeting site. I pretty much hit the ground running, and it doesn’t stop. Plus, these are my clients, so the last thing I want them to see is me at the pool, just “hanging out.”

What can you share about any past experiences?

Before UniPro, I was with the third-largest law firm in Atlanta. I was the Conferences Manager, and supported over 650 attorneys and staff. Our offices were in the downtown Bank of America building, and we occupied 14 floors. I organized and planned all sorts of meetings, such as luncheons, depositions, staff meetings, receptions and even tailgating parties.

What do you like best about your job and why did you choose meeting planning as a profession?

I definitely like seeing the end result. It is so rewarding. I like knowing that the event flowed smoothly and that none of the guests or vendors were ever aware of any of the behind-the-scenes work that went into it.

Can you tell me about various organizations in which you’re active, your role in each, and why you feel they’re important?

Well, I am a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and the International Special Events Society (ISES). I think organizations such as these help keep me abreast of what’s going on in the industry, and they are great networking tools. You never know whom you’re going to meet, and what business may develop from that. I was recently a panel speaker for “What do buyers really want?” at the last two ISES world conferences, which were held in Canada in 2007 and Florida in 2008. I am also involved with the Junior League of DeKalb County and the Atlanta Chapter Urban League. I enjoy community service and I feel it is my way of “giving back.”

What advice can you offer to new or aspiring planners?

Join an association and get involved immediately. Ask questions, always demonstrate your skill set, shadow an experienced planner or be an intern, anything that will help you improve and learn. And know that you have to pay your dues. Experience is key, and that comes with time.

You are currently teaching several online meeting planning courses. Can you elaborate on this?

Believe it or not, I started teaching because I wanted a new challenge. With my job, I sometimes tend to get in auto-mode, and I wanted some new experiences. Also, it is a great way to prepare for my future, so that when I am married and have a family, I can teach online and still be a stay-at-home mom, if I want. I have an MBA in marketing, and I was an adjunct teacher at Georgia Perimeter College from 2002 – 2008, and offered continuing education courses. That really helped me segue into online teaching. Also, by teaching online classes, I have flexibility with my time and do not have to compromise any hours needed with my current job. I love sharing my extensive experience with students, and providing them with a real-world view of event planning. Currently, I teach a business course for the University of Phoenix, event planning and management for DeVry University, and a host of hospitality classes for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

How can planners and industry professionals contact you for more information?

Please send me an email at kimdenrob@comcast.net.

::

Lisa Kraus is the Director of Marketing & Audience Development and a contributing writer for Plan Your Meetings. She enjoys traveling, music, reading, and is an avid cat lover. She is currently working on writing her first book, a business guide for customer service and employee management.

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Atlanta LIVE, through the eyes of a student planner

Posted by Kristi Casey Sanders on September 30, 2009 at 7:21 pm

By Guest Blogger Allison Goldstein, PYM intern

On Sept. 16, I attended my first event with the Plan Your Meetings crew at the beautiful Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It was my first visit to the gardens, but I quickly discovered just how beautiful they are; what a perfect location for an event! Upon arrival, the other interns and I received a quick tour (all the setups were flawless!) and were given an overview of what would be taking place there in a few hours. We arrived just in time to watch the exhibitors set up in Day Hall, where the trade show would be taking place. Everyone was so friendly! A few of the exhibitors even gave us a summary of their companies and asked us about our internships. It was refreshing to see people so enthusiastic about their jobs.

When 3 p.m. rolled around, the other interns and I stood outside the doors of Day Hall and offered eco-friendly bags to the incoming meeting planners. We welcomed all the planners to the event, and by 3:30 p.m., it was obvious that everyone was excited to be in attendance. Around 4 p.m., just as the presentations were about to begin in Mershon Hall, the clouds opened up and it began to POUR. Not that rain isn’t welcomed at an organic garden, but had it waited just 10 more minutes, the planners would have been able to successfully make the 20-yard walk from Day Hall to Mershon Hall without getting soaked. I, personally, found the situation quite challenging, but the PYM staff was on their toes. Within five minutes, we had gotten a hold of what seemed like a dozen umbrellas, which we used to literally shuttle people between buildings. Unfortunately, my lack of height made it hard for me to stay under the umbrella, but I was happy to help the planners stay dry as they made their way into Mershon Hall for the presentations and keynote speech.

After all the planners were transported to the appropriate location, the interns and I headed to the registration table to hand out parking vouchers and collect nametags for those leaving the event. The nametags were going to be recycled and reused for the next event. In fact, the whole event was environment-friendly! Even the silverware was made of bamboo, and the guests loved it. Not only was I amazed by the event’s great vibe and success, but also that it was promoting environmental awareness.

I would like to thank the whole Plan Your Meetings staff for making me feel so welcome at the company. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I have already learned a lot about the company and the industry. I always look forward to Monday and Wednesday afternoons when I get to return to work, and I can’t wait for the rest of the semester!

Allison Goldstein is an Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing editorial intern for the 2009/2010 school year. With Plan Your Meetings, she assists at local PYM LIVE Events, copyedits and fact checks. With Encore Atlanta, she assists the editors in the creation of arts-centric editorial.

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Giving voice to the industry

Posted by Kristi Casey Sanders on September 22, 2009 at 8:34 am

Since February, US Travel has been spearheading a promotional and advocacy campaign to give a voice to the meetings industry, with the help of industry associations such as PCMA, MPI and NBTA. But there is still some frustration with its speed in addressing media and government criticisms. Enter Yes2Meetings, an initiative of the Meetings Community (MeCo), an online community for those in the industry.

Designed to create a “voice” that allows meeting professionals to be heard, Yes2Meetings is a grassroots effort to unite planners and suppliers to deliver a positive message about meetings to C-level executives, businesses, government, media and the general public.

Currently, Yes2Meetings has a Twitter account and is encouraging interested parties to begin following them and share what they’d like to see on the Yes2Meetings Web site. The group also is looking for industry spokespeople who can respond to any crisis in the industry, video documentarians and people willing to share positive news about meetings and events.

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