Table of Contents
This book is dedicated to our children, Clayton, Charley, Morgan,Taylor, Jared, and Andrew, who make
it all worth the effort.
Foreword
Dear Readers,
When this book was first released, we lived and planned in a different world. On 9.11.01 all that changed. In my meeting-planning seminars I always start with a disclaimer that meeting planning is complex and requires careful attention to detail and attention to the objectives around which the meeting is designed. In fact, I always say its more than brain surgery: brain surgeons are responsible for one life at a time; we who plan meetings often are responsible for tens of thousands of people at a time. After 9.11.01, we had to look very differently at every aspect of how we planned and executed meetingsand we learned that what we did was truly more than brain surgery as we learned to cope in a new world of security and regulations.
Individuals who are responsible for a few or a multitude of people at a meeting have to plan and manage carefully. We are responsible for the education, care, feeding, and safety of all those who attend our meetings and events. If one detail is forgotten, such as checking to see if the meeting dates conflict with a holiday, we might not attract the right audience. The holidays with which we concern ourselves are greater in number as our world becomes more accessible to all. If the sessions are not designed to maximize interaction and education, people will walk out. If the entertainers or speakers we engage are not briefed about the audience (gender and age mix, ethnicity, level of experience, and so on), they may either fall flat or, worse, insult the audience. If the implications of alcohol consumption are not considered, we are liable for the consequences. The list goes on and on. And if we do not consider current events and their impact on our meetings, we have not adequately performed our jobs.
Those who plan meetings and events often dont understand the breadth of the industry in which we work. The Complete Idiots Guide to Meeting and Event Planning, Second Edition, will help you understand the complexity of meeting and event planning. It is a great resource for learning about the meetings industry and provides a beginning view of meeting and event planning fundamentals. It also provides a multitude of resources including software, websites, associations, higher education, and much more.
This is also the perfect companion book to the texts and manuals already on the desks of seasoned meeting professionals. It is the consummate resource for those who think that anyone can plan a meetingthis book explains why it is a specialized profession that requires knowledge beyond brain surgery!
Suppliers who provide facilities and services for meetings and events should read this book, too, because the best way to market and sell is to know your customers and help them do their jobs better. Planners are most loyal to those who have empathy for their work.
After youve read this book, read it again. All the smartest people know that education is a lifelong process. Make lists of what you still need to learn and, with the resources in this book, determine where to turn for networking, assistance, and finding the right vendors.
Make a promise to me and others in our profession: do what you do with the skills of a brain surgeon, with the compassion of the kindest person youve ever known, with the curiosity of the child who has yet to be told that asking why? is not okay, and with the knowledge that when you stop learning how to do this job better, you will get out.
Joan L. Eisenstodt
Joan L. Eisenstodt, Chief Strategist of Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, a meeting consulting, training, and facilitation company based in Washington, DC, has been in the meetings industry for 30+ years. Recognized for her expertise and contributions to the industry by numerous organizations, she has been on every list of Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry, published by Meeting News Magazine, since the first list in 1992, and inducted into the Convention Industry Hall of Leaders, the industrys most prestigious honor. She continues to learn and work in an industry she loves.
Introduction
Did you know there is an entire industry dedicated to planning meetings and events? People we talk to are surprised to find out that there are professional industry associations, suppliers, and other resources available to make their lives easier when it comes to planning meetings and events. Maybe you plan one or two corporate meetings a year or are tasked with planning a volunteer event or an annual conference for an association in the near future. Are you aware of the myriad details and nuances needed to plan these kinds of events? How do you know where to turn for help?
Some of the meeting- and event-planning books available today are more like textbooks or manuals than this book. We promise no in-depth mathematical equations and hard-to-follow formulas (well, maybe one or two). When it comes to finalizing your food and beverage, audio-visual equipment, sound, lighting, and stage production needs, we urge you to rely on professionals who make their living doing just that. This book will give you the basics so you can talk to the pros intelligently and with confidence throughout the process.
This book offers insightful tips and information gained by working many years in the industry. As with any endeavor, there are many ways to accomplish the same thing. Because we have experience from both sidesplanner and supplierof the industry, we are able to give you varied perspectives. You need your suppliers as partners in your meetings and events, not just as a contractual entity. On the flip side, suppliers should know what it is like to plan a meeting or special event to be better able to partner with planners.
We have tried to give you as many resources as possible in this book. The main challenge is keeping the information current as time elapses. A lot of that is up to you to stay informed about the industry. We wish you all the best!
How to Use This Book
This book is divided into four parts that are all designed to lead you step-by-step through the planning process:
Part 1, Birds-Eye View, sets the stage for understanding the meetings industry. Youll learn about setting meeting goals and objectives, determining a meetings value, and discovering whos who in the industry, all of which are important in the planning process. Well also take a look at technology and what its like to book a meeting from the other side of the deskthe supplier side.
Part 2, First Things First, explains what you need to do to get the planning process rolling: creating your timeline (roadmap) and budget, writing and distributing a request for proposal (RFP), and negotiating with vendors and venues. Then we have a guest author, an attorney, to walk you through the hotel contracting stage. Finally, we discuss marketing and exhibitsboth very important components.
Part 3, Care and Feeding, is all about taking care of your attendees. How should you set the meeting rooms? Where do you buy all the things you need to produce a meeting? How do you find and hire speakers? What about travel arrangements? What about registration and housing? How do you determine your audio-visual equipment and staffing needs? This part is the heart of the planning processyoull want to pay close attention!
