The key to success in our current industry seems to hinge on one word: flexibility. We see the U.S. financial market sitting on a seesaw with the global economy, creating ups and downs that require balance and tenacity. With one tip, the meeting professional can teeter, but a strong hold on creative solutions will level [...]
They are behind the scenes orchestrating a variety of activities. They also are centerstage answering questions and coordinating important functions. They listen to their customer’s needs and create memorable experiences.
If this sounds like the role of a meeting planner, you’re almost right. It’s actually the profile of a hotel concierge, the underutilized resource every meeting planner should get to know…
Organizing a major home makeover and expansion is an unusual project for a veteran meeting/event planner to take on. But for Cher Przelomski, president and CEO of Wilmington, Delaware’s Planning Factory International (PFI), The Pedro Project was something her company had to do.
What planners need to know when hotels are renovated or change brands
Recently, while coordinating a meeting in Palm Springs, Calif., I became concerned when my breakfast set-up was not complete 15 minutes before guests were due. “We still have some kinks to work out due to the management change,” the hotel salesperson informed me. The hotel had recently changed brands and management companies, which was reflected in the service for this particular function. Ultimately, the hotel provided seamless service, and the guests did not notice anything amiss.
In many cases, though, a change in hotel brands or management companies can present challenges for planners.
Welcome to Virtualis, the world’s largest virtual convention and learning center, created by more than 200 people based around the world, under the guidance of Dan Parks, president and creative director of Corporate Planners Unlimited Inc., a California-based meeting, event and corporate travel planning company.
Teamwork continues to be a crucial element in the success of an organization. Yet, many team-building events have been given the label of “just fun and games,” and its value fades in a couple of days. This does not have to be the case.
Meeting planners got a crash course in corporate social responsibility, the power of un-conferences and emerging meeting technologies at last month’s Meeting Professionals International Professional Education Conference – North America (MPI PEC-NA). “Meet Different” was the theme; and the conference’s planners rose to the challenge.
By Bob Littell
No one plans, organizes and executes a meeting in a vacuum; it takes collaboration and cooperation. The stronger the relationships, the smoother things will go — and the better the end product will be for the client or for your company if you’re an inside corporate planner.
Networking is an important aspect of meeting planning, and focuses on your own and/or your company’s needs. “NetWeaving” is a concept that adds another dimension; it seeks to help the other person first, emphasizing the belief that “what goes around, comes back around.”
