Planning For Success

After twenty years of working as a corporate meeting planner, I've accumulated a fair share of experience and learned many "tricks" to insure that the meetings I produce are successful. I'm not alone in this venture, as there are many talented meeting professionals just like me and all could share their versions of outrageous stories and instances that have happened during the planning phase, or on-site at the event. The “magic” of a perfect meeting does not just happen.  And there is no such thing as a bag of “pixie dust” that we sprinkle to guarantee success.  The devil is truly in the details, and in this profession, the success begins with a very thorough and complete site inspection of the venue.

Most meeting professionals will admit there is nothing worse than the thought of an event falling short of expectations.  We are all about details, being mindful of them, moving with the shifts and subtle nuances that come with the planning process, and being astutely aware that changes are a lot like dominoes, one small change will set off a chain reaction. A meeting professional is really an engineer who understands the connection that every piece has in relationship to how the entire program will successfully operate once it all begins. 

The one time you fail to check something that seems trivial, will be the last time you fail to make that check.  It will live with you forever and you’ll never forget it.  With that in mind, this is an opportune time to share a few site visit “considerations”.  Here are but a few of my favorite items to keep in mind before, during or after your site inspection – but always before you commit to a property and sign a contract. 

Site Inspection Questionnaire - Once I have venues to consider and have created a short list of properties to visit, I prepare a site inspection questionnaire that covers everything.  It is several pages long and takes at least two hours to review once you are on site and walking the space.  It is beyond thorough, and yes, I have had a few people ask me “are you kidding”, but I think we all realize the answer to that is “no”.   This has always been my starting point, and like anything with moving parts, the better you plan in the beginning, the fewer issues you have in the end.  

References - Don’t ever be timid to ask about other companies and organizations that have used the same venue and space for events that may be similar to yours.  The venue should have no issue providing you with names and contact information so you may reach out to other planners with your concerns and questions. 

Pre and Post Groups – Who Is Going and Coming Around Your Dates - Ask if there are groups who occupy the space immediately prior to or after your program.  This becomes very important for your load-in and load-out.  You must make sure that your contract allows sufficient time for the load-in and not ask your team to work an unreasonable amount of overtime hours.  It’s not fair to them, it affects your budget, and it prohibits your team from performing at their very best if they are exhausted going into the kick-off. 

Does The Rate Seem Too Good To Be True? - Consider the time of the year and location of the venue.  Let me be clear, Florida in hurricane season is a calculated risk. Granted, I have done my share of programs between June and November because the overall pricing and lower-costs are exceedingly attractive.  But it comes with a risk.  If you take this chance, make sure you have an addendum in your contract that covers relocation and how the related costs will be covered.  

A 20-Year Calendar Is One Handy Little Device - Have you noticed?  We seem to celebrate everything these days. When I was a very young planner, a hotelier told me that if you think about it, there are only 26 ideal weeks in the year to hold meetings and the rest of the time you are working around a holiday or celebration.  I have to admit, I doubted him until I looked at a calendar and realized how holidays such as Halloween and Valentine's Day could impact meeting dates. Get yourself a 20-year calendar and if need be, circle the dates you know you need to avoid.  And if you can’t avoid a holiday or celebration, at least be prepared to have fun with it during your event. 

Who Else Is In-House? - You might not think this is a big deal, but if you happen to be a small group and the hotel has at least one very large piece of business already contracted, you run a risk that you may not be the venue’s highest priority.  Taking the very last available meeting space may mean that the “price is right”, but consider what other business is already booked and whether the hotel is capable of managing your needs along with the demands of the other group(s).

Don’t Be A Guppy In An Ocean - This is one of my favorite pieces of advice to small groups who ask me about using very large convention-type properties.  Convention hotels are meant for large groups with extensive meeting space demands.  I always tell my small groups to consider a small, boutique style hotel.  There are small boutique hotels that offer turnkey, once-in-a-lifetime meeting experiences because they have space ideal for small groups.   A convention group would not fit into a small boutique hotel and conversely, a small meeting really should seek a venue that is built for a modestly sized group.  

Location, Location, Location - I have had clients specifically request that I find a venue that is located sufficiently far from downtown activities so there will be no obvious diversions and distractions.  If you have a serious agenda, then New Orleans or Las Vegas may not be your ideal location.  There are plenty of excellent venues whose locations will guarantee that meeting attendees can focus on the agenda in front of them and not on gaming tables or raucous activities within walking distance. 

Believe It Or Not Space Can Be Flexible - I can’t tell you how many times a hotel has rejected an RFP because they don’t believe they have sufficient space.  More than once, I have asked if I can diagram the program using a copy of the hotel's floor plan. Remember, not every single line item on the RFP requires its own separate space. There are ways to re-use space. Granted, you need to insure that there is a space for everything, and that everything has sufficient space, but this is possible to do without being a total “space hog”.    

Look At Everything - When you conduct your site inspection, make sure you look at all the space.  I have performed numerous site inspections based on how the hotel sales person believes the event should utilize their function space.  And many times I have been walked past rooms that were not part of the plan.  So I always ask to see all the space.  On several occasions, I have had programs “grow” after the contract has been signed and I end up needing an extra room or two.   

How Near Is Close and How Far is Too Far? - This is a big one for many groups who have targeted a very specific hotel or resort.  There are several iconic and popular locations that are perfect for groups and incentives, but are located a good distance from the nearest airport or town.  Stop and consider the distance because if you are operating on a very lean budget, the transportation charges could wreak havoc on your bottom line.  On the other hand, if the distance issue is a non-issue, then use it to your advantage. I have invented many ways to turn a long-ish commute into valuable blocks of time. 

Meeting professionals have a reputation for making the impossible seem easy and the complicated appear simple. There’s a reason, we plan and prepare for everything. Most of it never happens, but when it does, it’s not pixie dust or luck that fixes the situation.  It’s because we are the engineers that have built and constructed all the pieces and no one knows better how it all fits together and works in tandem than we do.