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PYM LIVE Events is a mobile events laboratory where you don't just talk about new ideas, you get to experience them. This is the show program for our August 75, 2013 LIVE Event in Denver, Colorado. Contents include: - Agenda & exhibitors: p. 1-6 - Tips for attracting event sponsors: p. 7-8 - 5 sneaky ways for promoting events: p. 10-11 - 7 mobile apps that will change your life: p. 12-13 - 7 tips for creating a successful trade show: p. 14-15 - A control freak's guide to delegating tasks: p. 16-18 - Ask the right questions, and you'll expose so-called "hidden fees": p. 19-20
Citation preview
yaypym PYMLive
Want to know who you should meet while yoursquore here Download our free conference app Topi available for Apple Android and Windows Mobile devices Connect it with your Facebook LinkedIn or other social profiles and it will show you everyone whorsquos here
based on how much you have in common It will also generate private chat rooms where you can connect with people who share your interests You can instantly connect via LinkedIn or add people to your friends list so you can communicate long after this event ends Topi also contains the digital show program and an augmented-reality scanner Push the PYM+ button then hold it over our event logo and see what happens
Download Topi
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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR NETWORKING TIME
PYM LIVE DenverAugust 7 2013
Hosted by
Event Sponsors
1776 Grant Street Denver Colorado 80203 Reservations | 3038612000
Sales | 3038320318 Email | salesdenverwarwickhotelscom
wwwwarwickdenvercom
WARWICK DENVER HOTEL 2 0 1 3
Sales Kit
4
M
EE
TIN
G F
AC
ILIT
IES Meeting Facilities
With 10000 sq feet of versatile meeting and banquet space Warwick Denver is a perfect place for corporate and small business
meetings and social events Our Capitol Ballroom can accommodate up to 200 people and is divisible into four rooms while our 15th-floor
Millennium Ballroom can accommodate 120 guests and has magnificent panoramic views of downtown Denver and the Front Range
Each of our 11 function rooms feature natural light and are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual and telecommunication
services including wireless internet access
1776 Grant Street Denver Colorado 80203 Reservations | 3038612000
Sales | 3038320318 Email | salesdenverwarwickhotelscom
wwwwarwickdenvercom
Meeting Room Capacities
Class-room Theater U-Shape Hollow
Square Conference Rounds Reception
DIM SQ
FT 4 Guests per table
With Equipment
With Equipment
Without Equipment
Without Equipment
Without Equipment
Capitol 1234
385 X 86 3311 120 225 NA NA NA 184 350
Capitol 234 385 X 66 2541 100 170 NA NA NA 144 200 Capitol 123 385 X 60 2310 96 145 NA NA NA 136 185 Capitol 34 385 X 46 1771 80 120 NA NA NA 88 145 Capitol 12 385 X 40 1540 64 100 NA NA NA 80 120 Capitol 1 385 X 20 770 32 55 24 27 27 40 55 Capitol 2 385 X 20 770 32 55 24 27 27 40 55 Capitol 3 385 X 20 770 32 55 24 27 27 40 55 Capitol 4 385 X 26 1001 40 65 27 30 30 48 70 Tabor 12 22 X 315 693 20 24 18 20 20 40 30 Tabor 1 22 X 135 297 NA 12 NA NA NA 8 NA Tabor 2 22 X 18 396 NA 15 9 14 14 24 NA Evans 22 X 26 572 24 40 20 24 20 40 30 Centennial 175 X 245 429 16 20 13 12 14 24 20 Cambridge 17 X 255 434 24 36 18 22 18 32 20 Millennium 35 X 55 1925 100 180 40 50 50 120 250 Executive Lounge 23 X 37 900 24 50 20 25 25 40 40
Poolside 28 X 33 924 NA NA NA NA NA 45 55
Please visit our award-winning website with over 700 pages of valuable information and beautiful photography winner of the Web Marketing Associationrsquos
2005 WebAward for ldquoBest Hotel and Lodging Websiterdquo Warwick International Hotels was also awarded the
Interactive Media Councilrsquos (IMC) 2011 Award for ldquoBest in Classrdquo
If you enjoy this event please tell your friends about us yaypym
For speaker biosEzcompymspeakers
TODAYrsquoS SCHEDULE
FEATURED PARTNERS
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Warwick Denver Hotel (Event Host)
Surrounded by the high energy of Downtown Denver Warwick Denver Hotel is an inspiring
destination for all your business meetings conventions conferences and social events Our legendary Denver hotel features over 10000 square feet of renovated and versatile meeting event and banquet space in Denver
Contact Mark OrsquoNealPhone 303-832-0318Email monealwarwickhotelscomWeb warwickdenvercomTwitter warwickdenver
Visit Vail Valley (Roundtable Sponsor)
The Vail Valley home to Vail and Beaver Creek resorts is the ideal mountain location to host your group or meeting Two world-class mountain resorts and area avenues will allow you to host groups
from small incentive trips to large corporate groups to participatory sporting events Regardless of season the Vail Valley blooms with activity every day of the year
Contact Tina SchwabPhone 970-477-4007Email tinavisitvailvalleycomWeb visitvailvalleycomTwitter vailonsale
Attendee Management Inc AMi is a technology-based attendee management services company that utilizes event registration software and systems to help your
team simplify the entire event management process You can take advantage of the benefits of an event and registration management system without sacrificing your valuable time or budget A full-function event registration service can truly streamline your event planning and attendee management however the software and systems required can be expensive and time consuming to learn We provide a complete registration management system through our software solutions and quality customer service
Contact Jeff Rasco CMPPhone 512-847-1122Email jrascoattendeenetcomWeb attendeenetcomTwitter attendeenet
Todayrsquos event takes place in the Capitol Ballroom1000 am ndash 1030 am Planner check-intech amp app orientation1030 am ndash 1130 pm Hybrid paneldiscussionndash The Future of Meetings
Whatrsquos New Whatrsquos Now Whatrsquos Next Claire Gould rx_for_catering
Rx for Events Internationalamp Rx for Catering
International Meeting PlanningCulinary Negotiations
Traci Gregory raciplace
Transforums Contract Negotiations
Gary Schirmachergaryschirmacher
Experient A Maritz Travel Company
Crisis Management Sourcing Trends
Kristi Casey SandersPYMLive
Plan Your Meetings Meeting Technology Innovation
1130 pm ndash 1230 pm Networking lunch amp team-building group challenge activity
1230 pm ndash 200 pm Trade show featuring reverse speed-meetings Door prizes will be given at the end of the event you must be present to win
200 pm Optional Tours of Warwick Hotel with an opportunity to win special prizes during the tour
VISIT VAIL VALLEYHome to Vail and Beaver Creek the Vail Valley offers a wide array of unique off-site
venues superior guest service and team building opportunities Designed after the
alpine villages of Europe our pedestrian villages offer an extensive selection of
convenient condominiums charming alpine lodges and convention hotels that
allow us to accommodate groups up to 2000 Enjoy 350 shops and restaurants
all accessible by the complimentary in-town transportation With non-stop air
service from across the country getting here becomes even easier when your
attendees discover the convenience of flying directly into Eagle County Airport
Thatrsquos what we callYOUR NEXT MEETING
Visit Val Valley Your Destination Experts
VisitVailValleycom | 8003382315 | GroupsVisitVailValleycom
STRATEGIC PARTNERS (contrsquod)
PARTNERS
Zentila With other hotel search sites you have to wade through the paid results listing and 100000 venues before you get to what you really want
Not on Zentila Because we donrsquot have advertising or paid results the hotels you see in your search results are the hotels that best fit what yoursquore looking for Wersquoll use the information you gave us and weed out any hotels that canrsquot accommodate that request
Contact Mike MasonPhone 407-656-5683Email mikemasonzentilacomWeb zentilacomTwitter zentila
Promote Your Message We work with companies all over the world to deliver fast affordable logo-branded items Our highly trained professionals will work with you in selecting the products that best represent
your company organization event or meeting Consultations are free - no obligation Ask for a free catalog Choose from over 500000 factory-direct items
Contact Claudia MadiganPhone 888-843-9890Email claudiamadigan planyourmeetingscomWeb promoteyourmessagenetTwitter promoyrmessage
Beaver Run Resort amp Conference CenterContact Bruce HoriiPhone 970-453-6000Email bhoriibeaverruncomWeb beaverruncommeetings-amp-groupsTwitter beaverrun
Caesars EntertainmentContact Ann OrsquoHalloranPhone 702-694-8168Email aohallorancaesarscomWeb caesarscomTwitter total_rewards
Crested Butte Mountain ResortContact Pamela FeeleyPhone 303-513-7711Email pfreeleycbmrcomWeb skicbcomTwitter skicrestedbutte
Dave amp Busterrsquos ndash Denver amp WestminsterContact Jean BaxPhone 303-209-2906Email jean_baxdaveandbusterscomWeb daveandbusterscomTwitter daveandbusters
Devilrsquos Thumb Ranch Resort amp SpaContact Julie BranstromPhone 303-204-7833Email jbranstromdevilsthumbranchcomWeb devilsthumbranchcomTwitter devilsthumbrnch
Hard Rock Cafe DenverContact Liz ReillyPhone 303-623-0856Email liz_reillyhardrockcomWeb hardrockcomTwitter hrcdenver
Hilton Fort CollinsContact Jerome OddoPhone 970-494-2968Email jeromeoddojqhcomWeb fortcollinshiltoncomTwitter hiltonftcollins
Hotel JeromeContact Katie WannamakerPhone 575-770-5550Email katiewannamaker aubergeresortscomWeb hoteljeromecomTwitter HotelJerome
Landryrsquos IncContact Patti McLeanPhone 713-386-8052Email pmcleanldrycomWeb landrysinccomTwitter LandrysInc
Maggianorsquos Little ItalyContact Jana BlackPhone 303-260-7708Email denverbanquetmaggianoscomWeb maggianoscomTwitter maggianos
Marriott Fort CollinsContact Donna ClarkPhone 970-226-5200Email donnaclarkmarriottcomWeb fortcollinsmarriottcomTwitter marriottintl
MGM Resorts InternationalContact Amy HuffPhone 480-659-1131Email ahuffmgmresortscomWeb mgmresortscomTwitter vegasconcierge Parkside MansionContact Kris FranklinPhone 720-328-9532Email kmfparksidegmailcomWeb parksidemansioncomTwitter parksidemansion
The Peaks Resort amp SpaContact Shayla KraftPhone 970-261-8779Email skraft-coxthepeaksresortcomWeb thepeaksresortcomTwitter PeaksResortSpa
The Sebastian ndash VailContact Angela SheehanPhone 970-477-8085Email asheehanthesebastianvailcomWeb thesebastianvailcomTwitter sebastianvail
Sonnenalp HotelContact Patricia McNamaraPhone 970-479-5434Email pmcnamarasonnenalpcomWeb sonnenalpcomTwitter sonnenalpvail
Viceroy Snowmass Contact Kate Sartain Phone 970-923-8025 Email katherinesartain viceroysnowmasscom Web viceroyhotelsandresortscom snowmass Twitter viceroysnowmass
Visit DenverContact Christina RathPhone 303-571-9420Email crathvisitdenvercomWeb visitdenvercomTwitter iknowdenver
Visit Fort CollinsContact Tyler JamesPhone 970-232-3845Email tjamesftcollinscomWeb visitftcollinscomTwitter visitftcollins
At IMEX America the energy is everywherehellipconnecting everyone to global business key players and the knowledge to boost their careers This is the power source for the meetings industry Plug in this October
Pluginto thePower
the pulse of the meetings industryimexamericacom
Publication Plan Your Meetings Size 7875rdquo x 10875rdquo Job773-3005 Run Date Jan 2013 Dana Communications 6094669187
Visit PlanYourMeetingscomevents for more information and the complete PYM LIVE Events schedule
August 22 2013 PYM LIVE New York City (Omni Berkshire Place)
September 26 2013 PYM LIVE Atlanta (Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown)
October 23 2013 PYM LIVE Alexandria VAWashington DC (Hilton Alexandria Mark Center)
November 13 2013 PYM LIVE Houston (Royal Sonesta Houston)
If you benefit from PYMrsquos educational resources including our PYM LIVE Events please tell others about us and urge them to sign up for our free comprehensive program at Ezcompymsubscribe Wersquoll reward you with $5 for each planner you refer to any of our PYM LIVE Events nationwide
Upcoming PYM LIVE Events
YOUR REFERRAL IS OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT
For more information visit cleantheworldorg or view the brochure in the digital show guide on the USB drive
At every event in 2013 wersquoll be collecting unused soaps and donations for Clean the World an amazing organization thatrsquos transforming whatrsquos wasted in this industry into life-saving gifts for people in need of proper sanitation
PLAN YOUR MEETINGS SUPPORTS
Our 2013 PYM annual features bonus materials that can be unlocked with your mobile device Download the FREE PYM+ app from Apple and Google Play stores
DONrsquoT FORGEThellip
Wersquore looking for a few great people to lead focus groups contribute content and help us moderate our PYM community In exchange we offer special perks exposure and lots of love If yoursquore interested let us know before you go or email allstarsplanyourmeetingscom yaypym
WANT TO BE A PYM ALLSTAR
Donrsquot forget to tag your tweets posts and photos with yaypym You can share pictures comments and other thoughts on Topi too
GET CONNECTED
Join our online communities on
Be sure to check in to todayrsquos event on Foursquare or Facebook Places
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
1776 Grant Street Denver Colorado 80203 Reservations | 3038612000
Sales | 3038320318 Email | salesdenverwarwickhotelscom
wwwwarwickdenvercom
WARWICK DENVER HOTEL 2 0 1 3
Sales Kit
4
M
EE
TIN
G F
AC
ILIT
IES Meeting Facilities
With 10000 sq feet of versatile meeting and banquet space Warwick Denver is a perfect place for corporate and small business
meetings and social events Our Capitol Ballroom can accommodate up to 200 people and is divisible into four rooms while our 15th-floor
Millennium Ballroom can accommodate 120 guests and has magnificent panoramic views of downtown Denver and the Front Range
Each of our 11 function rooms feature natural light and are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual and telecommunication
services including wireless internet access
1776 Grant Street Denver Colorado 80203 Reservations | 3038612000
Sales | 3038320318 Email | salesdenverwarwickhotelscom
wwwwarwickdenvercom
Meeting Room Capacities
Class-room Theater U-Shape Hollow
Square Conference Rounds Reception
DIM SQ
FT 4 Guests per table
With Equipment
With Equipment
Without Equipment
Without Equipment
Without Equipment
Capitol 1234
385 X 86 3311 120 225 NA NA NA 184 350
Capitol 234 385 X 66 2541 100 170 NA NA NA 144 200 Capitol 123 385 X 60 2310 96 145 NA NA NA 136 185 Capitol 34 385 X 46 1771 80 120 NA NA NA 88 145 Capitol 12 385 X 40 1540 64 100 NA NA NA 80 120 Capitol 1 385 X 20 770 32 55 24 27 27 40 55 Capitol 2 385 X 20 770 32 55 24 27 27 40 55 Capitol 3 385 X 20 770 32 55 24 27 27 40 55 Capitol 4 385 X 26 1001 40 65 27 30 30 48 70 Tabor 12 22 X 315 693 20 24 18 20 20 40 30 Tabor 1 22 X 135 297 NA 12 NA NA NA 8 NA Tabor 2 22 X 18 396 NA 15 9 14 14 24 NA Evans 22 X 26 572 24 40 20 24 20 40 30 Centennial 175 X 245 429 16 20 13 12 14 24 20 Cambridge 17 X 255 434 24 36 18 22 18 32 20 Millennium 35 X 55 1925 100 180 40 50 50 120 250 Executive Lounge 23 X 37 900 24 50 20 25 25 40 40
Poolside 28 X 33 924 NA NA NA NA NA 45 55
Please visit our award-winning website with over 700 pages of valuable information and beautiful photography winner of the Web Marketing Associationrsquos
2005 WebAward for ldquoBest Hotel and Lodging Websiterdquo Warwick International Hotels was also awarded the
Interactive Media Councilrsquos (IMC) 2011 Award for ldquoBest in Classrdquo
If you enjoy this event please tell your friends about us yaypym
For speaker biosEzcompymspeakers
TODAYrsquoS SCHEDULE
FEATURED PARTNERS
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Warwick Denver Hotel (Event Host)
Surrounded by the high energy of Downtown Denver Warwick Denver Hotel is an inspiring
destination for all your business meetings conventions conferences and social events Our legendary Denver hotel features over 10000 square feet of renovated and versatile meeting event and banquet space in Denver
Contact Mark OrsquoNealPhone 303-832-0318Email monealwarwickhotelscomWeb warwickdenvercomTwitter warwickdenver
Visit Vail Valley (Roundtable Sponsor)
The Vail Valley home to Vail and Beaver Creek resorts is the ideal mountain location to host your group or meeting Two world-class mountain resorts and area avenues will allow you to host groups
from small incentive trips to large corporate groups to participatory sporting events Regardless of season the Vail Valley blooms with activity every day of the year
Contact Tina SchwabPhone 970-477-4007Email tinavisitvailvalleycomWeb visitvailvalleycomTwitter vailonsale
Attendee Management Inc AMi is a technology-based attendee management services company that utilizes event registration software and systems to help your
team simplify the entire event management process You can take advantage of the benefits of an event and registration management system without sacrificing your valuable time or budget A full-function event registration service can truly streamline your event planning and attendee management however the software and systems required can be expensive and time consuming to learn We provide a complete registration management system through our software solutions and quality customer service
Contact Jeff Rasco CMPPhone 512-847-1122Email jrascoattendeenetcomWeb attendeenetcomTwitter attendeenet
Todayrsquos event takes place in the Capitol Ballroom1000 am ndash 1030 am Planner check-intech amp app orientation1030 am ndash 1130 pm Hybrid paneldiscussionndash The Future of Meetings
Whatrsquos New Whatrsquos Now Whatrsquos Next Claire Gould rx_for_catering
Rx for Events Internationalamp Rx for Catering
International Meeting PlanningCulinary Negotiations
Traci Gregory raciplace
Transforums Contract Negotiations
Gary Schirmachergaryschirmacher
Experient A Maritz Travel Company
Crisis Management Sourcing Trends
Kristi Casey SandersPYMLive
Plan Your Meetings Meeting Technology Innovation
1130 pm ndash 1230 pm Networking lunch amp team-building group challenge activity
1230 pm ndash 200 pm Trade show featuring reverse speed-meetings Door prizes will be given at the end of the event you must be present to win
200 pm Optional Tours of Warwick Hotel with an opportunity to win special prizes during the tour
VISIT VAIL VALLEYHome to Vail and Beaver Creek the Vail Valley offers a wide array of unique off-site
venues superior guest service and team building opportunities Designed after the
alpine villages of Europe our pedestrian villages offer an extensive selection of
convenient condominiums charming alpine lodges and convention hotels that
allow us to accommodate groups up to 2000 Enjoy 350 shops and restaurants
all accessible by the complimentary in-town transportation With non-stop air
service from across the country getting here becomes even easier when your
attendees discover the convenience of flying directly into Eagle County Airport
Thatrsquos what we callYOUR NEXT MEETING
Visit Val Valley Your Destination Experts
VisitVailValleycom | 8003382315 | GroupsVisitVailValleycom
STRATEGIC PARTNERS (contrsquod)
PARTNERS
Zentila With other hotel search sites you have to wade through the paid results listing and 100000 venues before you get to what you really want
Not on Zentila Because we donrsquot have advertising or paid results the hotels you see in your search results are the hotels that best fit what yoursquore looking for Wersquoll use the information you gave us and weed out any hotels that canrsquot accommodate that request
Contact Mike MasonPhone 407-656-5683Email mikemasonzentilacomWeb zentilacomTwitter zentila
Promote Your Message We work with companies all over the world to deliver fast affordable logo-branded items Our highly trained professionals will work with you in selecting the products that best represent
your company organization event or meeting Consultations are free - no obligation Ask for a free catalog Choose from over 500000 factory-direct items
Contact Claudia MadiganPhone 888-843-9890Email claudiamadigan planyourmeetingscomWeb promoteyourmessagenetTwitter promoyrmessage
Beaver Run Resort amp Conference CenterContact Bruce HoriiPhone 970-453-6000Email bhoriibeaverruncomWeb beaverruncommeetings-amp-groupsTwitter beaverrun
Caesars EntertainmentContact Ann OrsquoHalloranPhone 702-694-8168Email aohallorancaesarscomWeb caesarscomTwitter total_rewards
Crested Butte Mountain ResortContact Pamela FeeleyPhone 303-513-7711Email pfreeleycbmrcomWeb skicbcomTwitter skicrestedbutte
Dave amp Busterrsquos ndash Denver amp WestminsterContact Jean BaxPhone 303-209-2906Email jean_baxdaveandbusterscomWeb daveandbusterscomTwitter daveandbusters
Devilrsquos Thumb Ranch Resort amp SpaContact Julie BranstromPhone 303-204-7833Email jbranstromdevilsthumbranchcomWeb devilsthumbranchcomTwitter devilsthumbrnch
Hard Rock Cafe DenverContact Liz ReillyPhone 303-623-0856Email liz_reillyhardrockcomWeb hardrockcomTwitter hrcdenver
Hilton Fort CollinsContact Jerome OddoPhone 970-494-2968Email jeromeoddojqhcomWeb fortcollinshiltoncomTwitter hiltonftcollins
Hotel JeromeContact Katie WannamakerPhone 575-770-5550Email katiewannamaker aubergeresortscomWeb hoteljeromecomTwitter HotelJerome
Landryrsquos IncContact Patti McLeanPhone 713-386-8052Email pmcleanldrycomWeb landrysinccomTwitter LandrysInc
Maggianorsquos Little ItalyContact Jana BlackPhone 303-260-7708Email denverbanquetmaggianoscomWeb maggianoscomTwitter maggianos
Marriott Fort CollinsContact Donna ClarkPhone 970-226-5200Email donnaclarkmarriottcomWeb fortcollinsmarriottcomTwitter marriottintl
MGM Resorts InternationalContact Amy HuffPhone 480-659-1131Email ahuffmgmresortscomWeb mgmresortscomTwitter vegasconcierge Parkside MansionContact Kris FranklinPhone 720-328-9532Email kmfparksidegmailcomWeb parksidemansioncomTwitter parksidemansion
The Peaks Resort amp SpaContact Shayla KraftPhone 970-261-8779Email skraft-coxthepeaksresortcomWeb thepeaksresortcomTwitter PeaksResortSpa
The Sebastian ndash VailContact Angela SheehanPhone 970-477-8085Email asheehanthesebastianvailcomWeb thesebastianvailcomTwitter sebastianvail
Sonnenalp HotelContact Patricia McNamaraPhone 970-479-5434Email pmcnamarasonnenalpcomWeb sonnenalpcomTwitter sonnenalpvail
Viceroy Snowmass Contact Kate Sartain Phone 970-923-8025 Email katherinesartain viceroysnowmasscom Web viceroyhotelsandresortscom snowmass Twitter viceroysnowmass
Visit DenverContact Christina RathPhone 303-571-9420Email crathvisitdenvercomWeb visitdenvercomTwitter iknowdenver
Visit Fort CollinsContact Tyler JamesPhone 970-232-3845Email tjamesftcollinscomWeb visitftcollinscomTwitter visitftcollins
At IMEX America the energy is everywherehellipconnecting everyone to global business key players and the knowledge to boost their careers This is the power source for the meetings industry Plug in this October
Pluginto thePower
the pulse of the meetings industryimexamericacom
Publication Plan Your Meetings Size 7875rdquo x 10875rdquo Job773-3005 Run Date Jan 2013 Dana Communications 6094669187
Visit PlanYourMeetingscomevents for more information and the complete PYM LIVE Events schedule
August 22 2013 PYM LIVE New York City (Omni Berkshire Place)
September 26 2013 PYM LIVE Atlanta (Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown)
October 23 2013 PYM LIVE Alexandria VAWashington DC (Hilton Alexandria Mark Center)
November 13 2013 PYM LIVE Houston (Royal Sonesta Houston)
If you benefit from PYMrsquos educational resources including our PYM LIVE Events please tell others about us and urge them to sign up for our free comprehensive program at Ezcompymsubscribe Wersquoll reward you with $5 for each planner you refer to any of our PYM LIVE Events nationwide
Upcoming PYM LIVE Events
YOUR REFERRAL IS OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT
For more information visit cleantheworldorg or view the brochure in the digital show guide on the USB drive
At every event in 2013 wersquoll be collecting unused soaps and donations for Clean the World an amazing organization thatrsquos transforming whatrsquos wasted in this industry into life-saving gifts for people in need of proper sanitation
PLAN YOUR MEETINGS SUPPORTS
Our 2013 PYM annual features bonus materials that can be unlocked with your mobile device Download the FREE PYM+ app from Apple and Google Play stores
DONrsquoT FORGEThellip
Wersquore looking for a few great people to lead focus groups contribute content and help us moderate our PYM community In exchange we offer special perks exposure and lots of love If yoursquore interested let us know before you go or email allstarsplanyourmeetingscom yaypym
WANT TO BE A PYM ALLSTAR
Donrsquot forget to tag your tweets posts and photos with yaypym You can share pictures comments and other thoughts on Topi too
GET CONNECTED
Join our online communities on
Be sure to check in to todayrsquos event on Foursquare or Facebook Places
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
If you enjoy this event please tell your friends about us yaypym
For speaker biosEzcompymspeakers
TODAYrsquoS SCHEDULE
FEATURED PARTNERS
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Warwick Denver Hotel (Event Host)
Surrounded by the high energy of Downtown Denver Warwick Denver Hotel is an inspiring
destination for all your business meetings conventions conferences and social events Our legendary Denver hotel features over 10000 square feet of renovated and versatile meeting event and banquet space in Denver
Contact Mark OrsquoNealPhone 303-832-0318Email monealwarwickhotelscomWeb warwickdenvercomTwitter warwickdenver
Visit Vail Valley (Roundtable Sponsor)
The Vail Valley home to Vail and Beaver Creek resorts is the ideal mountain location to host your group or meeting Two world-class mountain resorts and area avenues will allow you to host groups
from small incentive trips to large corporate groups to participatory sporting events Regardless of season the Vail Valley blooms with activity every day of the year
Contact Tina SchwabPhone 970-477-4007Email tinavisitvailvalleycomWeb visitvailvalleycomTwitter vailonsale
Attendee Management Inc AMi is a technology-based attendee management services company that utilizes event registration software and systems to help your
team simplify the entire event management process You can take advantage of the benefits of an event and registration management system without sacrificing your valuable time or budget A full-function event registration service can truly streamline your event planning and attendee management however the software and systems required can be expensive and time consuming to learn We provide a complete registration management system through our software solutions and quality customer service
Contact Jeff Rasco CMPPhone 512-847-1122Email jrascoattendeenetcomWeb attendeenetcomTwitter attendeenet
Todayrsquos event takes place in the Capitol Ballroom1000 am ndash 1030 am Planner check-intech amp app orientation1030 am ndash 1130 pm Hybrid paneldiscussionndash The Future of Meetings
Whatrsquos New Whatrsquos Now Whatrsquos Next Claire Gould rx_for_catering
Rx for Events Internationalamp Rx for Catering
International Meeting PlanningCulinary Negotiations
Traci Gregory raciplace
Transforums Contract Negotiations
Gary Schirmachergaryschirmacher
Experient A Maritz Travel Company
Crisis Management Sourcing Trends
Kristi Casey SandersPYMLive
Plan Your Meetings Meeting Technology Innovation
1130 pm ndash 1230 pm Networking lunch amp team-building group challenge activity
1230 pm ndash 200 pm Trade show featuring reverse speed-meetings Door prizes will be given at the end of the event you must be present to win
200 pm Optional Tours of Warwick Hotel with an opportunity to win special prizes during the tour
VISIT VAIL VALLEYHome to Vail and Beaver Creek the Vail Valley offers a wide array of unique off-site
venues superior guest service and team building opportunities Designed after the
alpine villages of Europe our pedestrian villages offer an extensive selection of
convenient condominiums charming alpine lodges and convention hotels that
allow us to accommodate groups up to 2000 Enjoy 350 shops and restaurants
all accessible by the complimentary in-town transportation With non-stop air
service from across the country getting here becomes even easier when your
attendees discover the convenience of flying directly into Eagle County Airport
Thatrsquos what we callYOUR NEXT MEETING
Visit Val Valley Your Destination Experts
VisitVailValleycom | 8003382315 | GroupsVisitVailValleycom
STRATEGIC PARTNERS (contrsquod)
PARTNERS
Zentila With other hotel search sites you have to wade through the paid results listing and 100000 venues before you get to what you really want
Not on Zentila Because we donrsquot have advertising or paid results the hotels you see in your search results are the hotels that best fit what yoursquore looking for Wersquoll use the information you gave us and weed out any hotels that canrsquot accommodate that request
Contact Mike MasonPhone 407-656-5683Email mikemasonzentilacomWeb zentilacomTwitter zentila
Promote Your Message We work with companies all over the world to deliver fast affordable logo-branded items Our highly trained professionals will work with you in selecting the products that best represent
your company organization event or meeting Consultations are free - no obligation Ask for a free catalog Choose from over 500000 factory-direct items
Contact Claudia MadiganPhone 888-843-9890Email claudiamadigan planyourmeetingscomWeb promoteyourmessagenetTwitter promoyrmessage
Beaver Run Resort amp Conference CenterContact Bruce HoriiPhone 970-453-6000Email bhoriibeaverruncomWeb beaverruncommeetings-amp-groupsTwitter beaverrun
Caesars EntertainmentContact Ann OrsquoHalloranPhone 702-694-8168Email aohallorancaesarscomWeb caesarscomTwitter total_rewards
Crested Butte Mountain ResortContact Pamela FeeleyPhone 303-513-7711Email pfreeleycbmrcomWeb skicbcomTwitter skicrestedbutte
Dave amp Busterrsquos ndash Denver amp WestminsterContact Jean BaxPhone 303-209-2906Email jean_baxdaveandbusterscomWeb daveandbusterscomTwitter daveandbusters
Devilrsquos Thumb Ranch Resort amp SpaContact Julie BranstromPhone 303-204-7833Email jbranstromdevilsthumbranchcomWeb devilsthumbranchcomTwitter devilsthumbrnch
Hard Rock Cafe DenverContact Liz ReillyPhone 303-623-0856Email liz_reillyhardrockcomWeb hardrockcomTwitter hrcdenver
Hilton Fort CollinsContact Jerome OddoPhone 970-494-2968Email jeromeoddojqhcomWeb fortcollinshiltoncomTwitter hiltonftcollins
Hotel JeromeContact Katie WannamakerPhone 575-770-5550Email katiewannamaker aubergeresortscomWeb hoteljeromecomTwitter HotelJerome
Landryrsquos IncContact Patti McLeanPhone 713-386-8052Email pmcleanldrycomWeb landrysinccomTwitter LandrysInc
Maggianorsquos Little ItalyContact Jana BlackPhone 303-260-7708Email denverbanquetmaggianoscomWeb maggianoscomTwitter maggianos
Marriott Fort CollinsContact Donna ClarkPhone 970-226-5200Email donnaclarkmarriottcomWeb fortcollinsmarriottcomTwitter marriottintl
MGM Resorts InternationalContact Amy HuffPhone 480-659-1131Email ahuffmgmresortscomWeb mgmresortscomTwitter vegasconcierge Parkside MansionContact Kris FranklinPhone 720-328-9532Email kmfparksidegmailcomWeb parksidemansioncomTwitter parksidemansion
The Peaks Resort amp SpaContact Shayla KraftPhone 970-261-8779Email skraft-coxthepeaksresortcomWeb thepeaksresortcomTwitter PeaksResortSpa
The Sebastian ndash VailContact Angela SheehanPhone 970-477-8085Email asheehanthesebastianvailcomWeb thesebastianvailcomTwitter sebastianvail
Sonnenalp HotelContact Patricia McNamaraPhone 970-479-5434Email pmcnamarasonnenalpcomWeb sonnenalpcomTwitter sonnenalpvail
Viceroy Snowmass Contact Kate Sartain Phone 970-923-8025 Email katherinesartain viceroysnowmasscom Web viceroyhotelsandresortscom snowmass Twitter viceroysnowmass
Visit DenverContact Christina RathPhone 303-571-9420Email crathvisitdenvercomWeb visitdenvercomTwitter iknowdenver
Visit Fort CollinsContact Tyler JamesPhone 970-232-3845Email tjamesftcollinscomWeb visitftcollinscomTwitter visitftcollins
At IMEX America the energy is everywherehellipconnecting everyone to global business key players and the knowledge to boost their careers This is the power source for the meetings industry Plug in this October
Pluginto thePower
the pulse of the meetings industryimexamericacom
Publication Plan Your Meetings Size 7875rdquo x 10875rdquo Job773-3005 Run Date Jan 2013 Dana Communications 6094669187
Visit PlanYourMeetingscomevents for more information and the complete PYM LIVE Events schedule
August 22 2013 PYM LIVE New York City (Omni Berkshire Place)
September 26 2013 PYM LIVE Atlanta (Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown)
October 23 2013 PYM LIVE Alexandria VAWashington DC (Hilton Alexandria Mark Center)
November 13 2013 PYM LIVE Houston (Royal Sonesta Houston)
If you benefit from PYMrsquos educational resources including our PYM LIVE Events please tell others about us and urge them to sign up for our free comprehensive program at Ezcompymsubscribe Wersquoll reward you with $5 for each planner you refer to any of our PYM LIVE Events nationwide
Upcoming PYM LIVE Events
YOUR REFERRAL IS OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT
For more information visit cleantheworldorg or view the brochure in the digital show guide on the USB drive
At every event in 2013 wersquoll be collecting unused soaps and donations for Clean the World an amazing organization thatrsquos transforming whatrsquos wasted in this industry into life-saving gifts for people in need of proper sanitation
PLAN YOUR MEETINGS SUPPORTS
Our 2013 PYM annual features bonus materials that can be unlocked with your mobile device Download the FREE PYM+ app from Apple and Google Play stores
DONrsquoT FORGEThellip
Wersquore looking for a few great people to lead focus groups contribute content and help us moderate our PYM community In exchange we offer special perks exposure and lots of love If yoursquore interested let us know before you go or email allstarsplanyourmeetingscom yaypym
WANT TO BE A PYM ALLSTAR
Donrsquot forget to tag your tweets posts and photos with yaypym You can share pictures comments and other thoughts on Topi too
GET CONNECTED
Join our online communities on
Be sure to check in to todayrsquos event on Foursquare or Facebook Places
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
VISIT VAIL VALLEYHome to Vail and Beaver Creek the Vail Valley offers a wide array of unique off-site
venues superior guest service and team building opportunities Designed after the
alpine villages of Europe our pedestrian villages offer an extensive selection of
convenient condominiums charming alpine lodges and convention hotels that
allow us to accommodate groups up to 2000 Enjoy 350 shops and restaurants
all accessible by the complimentary in-town transportation With non-stop air
service from across the country getting here becomes even easier when your
attendees discover the convenience of flying directly into Eagle County Airport
Thatrsquos what we callYOUR NEXT MEETING
Visit Val Valley Your Destination Experts
VisitVailValleycom | 8003382315 | GroupsVisitVailValleycom
STRATEGIC PARTNERS (contrsquod)
PARTNERS
Zentila With other hotel search sites you have to wade through the paid results listing and 100000 venues before you get to what you really want
Not on Zentila Because we donrsquot have advertising or paid results the hotels you see in your search results are the hotels that best fit what yoursquore looking for Wersquoll use the information you gave us and weed out any hotels that canrsquot accommodate that request
Contact Mike MasonPhone 407-656-5683Email mikemasonzentilacomWeb zentilacomTwitter zentila
Promote Your Message We work with companies all over the world to deliver fast affordable logo-branded items Our highly trained professionals will work with you in selecting the products that best represent
your company organization event or meeting Consultations are free - no obligation Ask for a free catalog Choose from over 500000 factory-direct items
Contact Claudia MadiganPhone 888-843-9890Email claudiamadigan planyourmeetingscomWeb promoteyourmessagenetTwitter promoyrmessage
Beaver Run Resort amp Conference CenterContact Bruce HoriiPhone 970-453-6000Email bhoriibeaverruncomWeb beaverruncommeetings-amp-groupsTwitter beaverrun
Caesars EntertainmentContact Ann OrsquoHalloranPhone 702-694-8168Email aohallorancaesarscomWeb caesarscomTwitter total_rewards
Crested Butte Mountain ResortContact Pamela FeeleyPhone 303-513-7711Email pfreeleycbmrcomWeb skicbcomTwitter skicrestedbutte
Dave amp Busterrsquos ndash Denver amp WestminsterContact Jean BaxPhone 303-209-2906Email jean_baxdaveandbusterscomWeb daveandbusterscomTwitter daveandbusters
Devilrsquos Thumb Ranch Resort amp SpaContact Julie BranstromPhone 303-204-7833Email jbranstromdevilsthumbranchcomWeb devilsthumbranchcomTwitter devilsthumbrnch
Hard Rock Cafe DenverContact Liz ReillyPhone 303-623-0856Email liz_reillyhardrockcomWeb hardrockcomTwitter hrcdenver
Hilton Fort CollinsContact Jerome OddoPhone 970-494-2968Email jeromeoddojqhcomWeb fortcollinshiltoncomTwitter hiltonftcollins
Hotel JeromeContact Katie WannamakerPhone 575-770-5550Email katiewannamaker aubergeresortscomWeb hoteljeromecomTwitter HotelJerome
Landryrsquos IncContact Patti McLeanPhone 713-386-8052Email pmcleanldrycomWeb landrysinccomTwitter LandrysInc
Maggianorsquos Little ItalyContact Jana BlackPhone 303-260-7708Email denverbanquetmaggianoscomWeb maggianoscomTwitter maggianos
Marriott Fort CollinsContact Donna ClarkPhone 970-226-5200Email donnaclarkmarriottcomWeb fortcollinsmarriottcomTwitter marriottintl
MGM Resorts InternationalContact Amy HuffPhone 480-659-1131Email ahuffmgmresortscomWeb mgmresortscomTwitter vegasconcierge Parkside MansionContact Kris FranklinPhone 720-328-9532Email kmfparksidegmailcomWeb parksidemansioncomTwitter parksidemansion
The Peaks Resort amp SpaContact Shayla KraftPhone 970-261-8779Email skraft-coxthepeaksresortcomWeb thepeaksresortcomTwitter PeaksResortSpa
The Sebastian ndash VailContact Angela SheehanPhone 970-477-8085Email asheehanthesebastianvailcomWeb thesebastianvailcomTwitter sebastianvail
Sonnenalp HotelContact Patricia McNamaraPhone 970-479-5434Email pmcnamarasonnenalpcomWeb sonnenalpcomTwitter sonnenalpvail
Viceroy Snowmass Contact Kate Sartain Phone 970-923-8025 Email katherinesartain viceroysnowmasscom Web viceroyhotelsandresortscom snowmass Twitter viceroysnowmass
Visit DenverContact Christina RathPhone 303-571-9420Email crathvisitdenvercomWeb visitdenvercomTwitter iknowdenver
Visit Fort CollinsContact Tyler JamesPhone 970-232-3845Email tjamesftcollinscomWeb visitftcollinscomTwitter visitftcollins
At IMEX America the energy is everywherehellipconnecting everyone to global business key players and the knowledge to boost their careers This is the power source for the meetings industry Plug in this October
Pluginto thePower
the pulse of the meetings industryimexamericacom
Publication Plan Your Meetings Size 7875rdquo x 10875rdquo Job773-3005 Run Date Jan 2013 Dana Communications 6094669187
Visit PlanYourMeetingscomevents for more information and the complete PYM LIVE Events schedule
August 22 2013 PYM LIVE New York City (Omni Berkshire Place)
September 26 2013 PYM LIVE Atlanta (Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown)
October 23 2013 PYM LIVE Alexandria VAWashington DC (Hilton Alexandria Mark Center)
November 13 2013 PYM LIVE Houston (Royal Sonesta Houston)
If you benefit from PYMrsquos educational resources including our PYM LIVE Events please tell others about us and urge them to sign up for our free comprehensive program at Ezcompymsubscribe Wersquoll reward you with $5 for each planner you refer to any of our PYM LIVE Events nationwide
Upcoming PYM LIVE Events
YOUR REFERRAL IS OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT
For more information visit cleantheworldorg or view the brochure in the digital show guide on the USB drive
At every event in 2013 wersquoll be collecting unused soaps and donations for Clean the World an amazing organization thatrsquos transforming whatrsquos wasted in this industry into life-saving gifts for people in need of proper sanitation
PLAN YOUR MEETINGS SUPPORTS
Our 2013 PYM annual features bonus materials that can be unlocked with your mobile device Download the FREE PYM+ app from Apple and Google Play stores
DONrsquoT FORGEThellip
Wersquore looking for a few great people to lead focus groups contribute content and help us moderate our PYM community In exchange we offer special perks exposure and lots of love If yoursquore interested let us know before you go or email allstarsplanyourmeetingscom yaypym
WANT TO BE A PYM ALLSTAR
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Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
STRATEGIC PARTNERS (contrsquod)
PARTNERS
Zentila With other hotel search sites you have to wade through the paid results listing and 100000 venues before you get to what you really want
Not on Zentila Because we donrsquot have advertising or paid results the hotels you see in your search results are the hotels that best fit what yoursquore looking for Wersquoll use the information you gave us and weed out any hotels that canrsquot accommodate that request
Contact Mike MasonPhone 407-656-5683Email mikemasonzentilacomWeb zentilacomTwitter zentila
Promote Your Message We work with companies all over the world to deliver fast affordable logo-branded items Our highly trained professionals will work with you in selecting the products that best represent
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Contact Claudia MadiganPhone 888-843-9890Email claudiamadigan planyourmeetingscomWeb promoteyourmessagenetTwitter promoyrmessage
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Caesars EntertainmentContact Ann OrsquoHalloranPhone 702-694-8168Email aohallorancaesarscomWeb caesarscomTwitter total_rewards
Crested Butte Mountain ResortContact Pamela FeeleyPhone 303-513-7711Email pfreeleycbmrcomWeb skicbcomTwitter skicrestedbutte
Dave amp Busterrsquos ndash Denver amp WestminsterContact Jean BaxPhone 303-209-2906Email jean_baxdaveandbusterscomWeb daveandbusterscomTwitter daveandbusters
Devilrsquos Thumb Ranch Resort amp SpaContact Julie BranstromPhone 303-204-7833Email jbranstromdevilsthumbranchcomWeb devilsthumbranchcomTwitter devilsthumbrnch
Hard Rock Cafe DenverContact Liz ReillyPhone 303-623-0856Email liz_reillyhardrockcomWeb hardrockcomTwitter hrcdenver
Hilton Fort CollinsContact Jerome OddoPhone 970-494-2968Email jeromeoddojqhcomWeb fortcollinshiltoncomTwitter hiltonftcollins
Hotel JeromeContact Katie WannamakerPhone 575-770-5550Email katiewannamaker aubergeresortscomWeb hoteljeromecomTwitter HotelJerome
Landryrsquos IncContact Patti McLeanPhone 713-386-8052Email pmcleanldrycomWeb landrysinccomTwitter LandrysInc
Maggianorsquos Little ItalyContact Jana BlackPhone 303-260-7708Email denverbanquetmaggianoscomWeb maggianoscomTwitter maggianos
Marriott Fort CollinsContact Donna ClarkPhone 970-226-5200Email donnaclarkmarriottcomWeb fortcollinsmarriottcomTwitter marriottintl
MGM Resorts InternationalContact Amy HuffPhone 480-659-1131Email ahuffmgmresortscomWeb mgmresortscomTwitter vegasconcierge Parkside MansionContact Kris FranklinPhone 720-328-9532Email kmfparksidegmailcomWeb parksidemansioncomTwitter parksidemansion
The Peaks Resort amp SpaContact Shayla KraftPhone 970-261-8779Email skraft-coxthepeaksresortcomWeb thepeaksresortcomTwitter PeaksResortSpa
The Sebastian ndash VailContact Angela SheehanPhone 970-477-8085Email asheehanthesebastianvailcomWeb thesebastianvailcomTwitter sebastianvail
Sonnenalp HotelContact Patricia McNamaraPhone 970-479-5434Email pmcnamarasonnenalpcomWeb sonnenalpcomTwitter sonnenalpvail
Viceroy Snowmass Contact Kate Sartain Phone 970-923-8025 Email katherinesartain viceroysnowmasscom Web viceroyhotelsandresortscom snowmass Twitter viceroysnowmass
Visit DenverContact Christina RathPhone 303-571-9420Email crathvisitdenvercomWeb visitdenvercomTwitter iknowdenver
Visit Fort CollinsContact Tyler JamesPhone 970-232-3845Email tjamesftcollinscomWeb visitftcollinscomTwitter visitftcollins
At IMEX America the energy is everywherehellipconnecting everyone to global business key players and the knowledge to boost their careers This is the power source for the meetings industry Plug in this October
Pluginto thePower
the pulse of the meetings industryimexamericacom
Publication Plan Your Meetings Size 7875rdquo x 10875rdquo Job773-3005 Run Date Jan 2013 Dana Communications 6094669187
Visit PlanYourMeetingscomevents for more information and the complete PYM LIVE Events schedule
August 22 2013 PYM LIVE New York City (Omni Berkshire Place)
September 26 2013 PYM LIVE Atlanta (Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown)
October 23 2013 PYM LIVE Alexandria VAWashington DC (Hilton Alexandria Mark Center)
November 13 2013 PYM LIVE Houston (Royal Sonesta Houston)
If you benefit from PYMrsquos educational resources including our PYM LIVE Events please tell others about us and urge them to sign up for our free comprehensive program at Ezcompymsubscribe Wersquoll reward you with $5 for each planner you refer to any of our PYM LIVE Events nationwide
Upcoming PYM LIVE Events
YOUR REFERRAL IS OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT
For more information visit cleantheworldorg or view the brochure in the digital show guide on the USB drive
At every event in 2013 wersquoll be collecting unused soaps and donations for Clean the World an amazing organization thatrsquos transforming whatrsquos wasted in this industry into life-saving gifts for people in need of proper sanitation
PLAN YOUR MEETINGS SUPPORTS
Our 2013 PYM annual features bonus materials that can be unlocked with your mobile device Download the FREE PYM+ app from Apple and Google Play stores
DONrsquoT FORGEThellip
Wersquore looking for a few great people to lead focus groups contribute content and help us moderate our PYM community In exchange we offer special perks exposure and lots of love If yoursquore interested let us know before you go or email allstarsplanyourmeetingscom yaypym
WANT TO BE A PYM ALLSTAR
Donrsquot forget to tag your tweets posts and photos with yaypym You can share pictures comments and other thoughts on Topi too
GET CONNECTED
Join our online communities on
Be sure to check in to todayrsquos event on Foursquare or Facebook Places
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
At IMEX America the energy is everywherehellipconnecting everyone to global business key players and the knowledge to boost their careers This is the power source for the meetings industry Plug in this October
Pluginto thePower
the pulse of the meetings industryimexamericacom
Publication Plan Your Meetings Size 7875rdquo x 10875rdquo Job773-3005 Run Date Jan 2013 Dana Communications 6094669187
Visit PlanYourMeetingscomevents for more information and the complete PYM LIVE Events schedule
August 22 2013 PYM LIVE New York City (Omni Berkshire Place)
September 26 2013 PYM LIVE Atlanta (Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown)
October 23 2013 PYM LIVE Alexandria VAWashington DC (Hilton Alexandria Mark Center)
November 13 2013 PYM LIVE Houston (Royal Sonesta Houston)
If you benefit from PYMrsquos educational resources including our PYM LIVE Events please tell others about us and urge them to sign up for our free comprehensive program at Ezcompymsubscribe Wersquoll reward you with $5 for each planner you refer to any of our PYM LIVE Events nationwide
Upcoming PYM LIVE Events
YOUR REFERRAL IS OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT
For more information visit cleantheworldorg or view the brochure in the digital show guide on the USB drive
At every event in 2013 wersquoll be collecting unused soaps and donations for Clean the World an amazing organization thatrsquos transforming whatrsquos wasted in this industry into life-saving gifts for people in need of proper sanitation
PLAN YOUR MEETINGS SUPPORTS
Our 2013 PYM annual features bonus materials that can be unlocked with your mobile device Download the FREE PYM+ app from Apple and Google Play stores
DONrsquoT FORGEThellip
Wersquore looking for a few great people to lead focus groups contribute content and help us moderate our PYM community In exchange we offer special perks exposure and lots of love If yoursquore interested let us know before you go or email allstarsplanyourmeetingscom yaypym
WANT TO BE A PYM ALLSTAR
Donrsquot forget to tag your tweets posts and photos with yaypym You can share pictures comments and other thoughts on Topi too
GET CONNECTED
Join our online communities on
Be sure to check in to todayrsquos event on Foursquare or Facebook Places
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Visit PlanYourMeetingscomevents for more information and the complete PYM LIVE Events schedule
August 22 2013 PYM LIVE New York City (Omni Berkshire Place)
September 26 2013 PYM LIVE Atlanta (Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown)
October 23 2013 PYM LIVE Alexandria VAWashington DC (Hilton Alexandria Mark Center)
November 13 2013 PYM LIVE Houston (Royal Sonesta Houston)
If you benefit from PYMrsquos educational resources including our PYM LIVE Events please tell others about us and urge them to sign up for our free comprehensive program at Ezcompymsubscribe Wersquoll reward you with $5 for each planner you refer to any of our PYM LIVE Events nationwide
Upcoming PYM LIVE Events
YOUR REFERRAL IS OUR BIGGEST COMPLIMENT
For more information visit cleantheworldorg or view the brochure in the digital show guide on the USB drive
At every event in 2013 wersquoll be collecting unused soaps and donations for Clean the World an amazing organization thatrsquos transforming whatrsquos wasted in this industry into life-saving gifts for people in need of proper sanitation
PLAN YOUR MEETINGS SUPPORTS
Our 2013 PYM annual features bonus materials that can be unlocked with your mobile device Download the FREE PYM+ app from Apple and Google Play stores
DONrsquoT FORGEThellip
Wersquore looking for a few great people to lead focus groups contribute content and help us moderate our PYM community In exchange we offer special perks exposure and lots of love If yoursquore interested let us know before you go or email allstarsplanyourmeetingscom yaypym
WANT TO BE A PYM ALLSTAR
Donrsquot forget to tag your tweets posts and photos with yaypym You can share pictures comments and other thoughts on Topi too
GET CONNECTED
Join our online communities on
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Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Creating the sponsorship plan
Companies spend about $68 billion annually sponsoring such major events as the Olympic Games the Indy 500 and the Kentucky Derby Companies also sponsor smaller events from concerts and conventions to luncheons and fundraisers Sponsors typically pay a premium but sponsorships also may be in exchange for goods or services advertising or media exposure Finding a sponsor for your event makes good business sense for both of you
Why companies sponsor events
1 It enhances the companyrsquos reputation and image by association2 It gives product brands high visibility among key audiences3 It provides a focal point for marketing and sales campaigns4 It generates publicity and media coverage
Create a sponsorship plan
Knowing what companies gain through sponsorship identify the audience your event reaches and what companies target that specific market Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors in mind Ask yourself these questions
1 What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors2 Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other
proposals it may receive
The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship which may include
bull Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black-and-white ads to full-page color ads)
bull Tickets to your event (eg two tickets a full table or a dozen tickets)bull Booth space at a trade show (ranging from a single 10x10 standard booth to a
large island booth)bull A foursome for a golf tournamentbull The companyrsquos name mentioned in news releasesbull Company logo featured on the eventrsquos Web siteWeb page etc
The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level For example a sponsor that gives $50000 should receive considerably more in benefits than one giving $5000
Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given For example if tickets to a formal gala cost $150 a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1500 If the company gets 10 tickets for a $10000 sponsorship they will feel as if theyrsquore getting $1500 back in goodwill services But donrsquot give away the farm Therersquos no need to try and ldquobalance outrdquo a sponsorship with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment Make sure you value the benefits your event offers and price them and sponsorships accordingly For example if this is the fifth year of an industry conference use the history of attendance you have to base advertising ticket booth and sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference
By Jackie Thornton MS CMP
Tips for attracting event sponsors Part 1
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
How many sponsors do you need
What is the total cost of your event Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars you need to make the event profitable Typically different sponsorship plans have different names such as platinum gold silver and bronze If itrsquos possible to relate sponsorship levels to your industry be creative For example sponsorship plans related to a theatermovie event may be named Directorrsquos Circle Producer Playwright Actor and Designer
You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities Think of the components you have during one conference and break them into areas that companies can sponsor Potential sponsorship areas include
bull Registrationbull Web cafeacutebull Opening and closing receptionsbull Casino nightbull Coffee breakbull Shuttle busesbull Meal functions
As long as sponsor benefits match the dollar value all sponsors are recognized and communication is clear you can create as many sponsorship levels as you need Create different price points for sponsorship so a wide range of companies can sponsor your event Not every company will be able to afford a platinum sponsorship but several may be able to sponsor a table at a dinner or afford your coffee break
To go exclusive or not
When creating sponsorship plans consider creating levels that have some exclusivity either completely or by industry This is a good idea because you can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one industry-specific company sponsorship or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive
How far you restrict sponsorship will depend on the eventrsquos needs It may make things easier if you offer multiple-year sponsorship plans to major sponsors mdash assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially
Jackie Thornton MS CMP is a branding integrated marketing and public relations professional in the greater Atlanta area For this article she used ldquoPublic Relations Strategies and Tacticsrdquo as a source
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Clean the World Foundation Inc bull 400A Pittman St bull Orlando FL USA 32801
For information on how to participate in our Meeting Planner Recycling Program contact Bethanne Doud bull bdoudcleantheworldorg bull +1-859-802-7788
By adopting the Meeting Planner Recycling Program Clean the World will providebull Access to digital materials for promotion of your
participation to your attendeesbull Clean the World collectionshipping bins (Shipping
Included)bull Online access to hotel training video and materialsbull Customer service supportbull 30 days of recycling services at event hotelbull We weigh all amenities received and provide an
impact statement
Program pricing is as follows
CONTRACTED ROOM NIGHTS
PROGRAM FEE
0-200 $40000
201-500 $60000
501+ $60000
Total contracted room nights above 501+ is a $60000 program fee plus $050 per additional room night over 501 rooms
Meeting Planner Recycling ProgramMeeting planners and hotels are not just required to execute a flawless event under budget and in a timely manner They are now encouraged to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives
We at Clean the World designed our Meeting Planner Recycling Program to help you do just that Our CSR meeting program is a turnkey extremely cost efficient program that meets the needs of both the planner and hotelrsquos CSR initiatives
Corporate Socially Responsible MeetingsBy participating in the Clean the World Meeting Planner Recycling Program your organization is enhancing its social responsibility The program process is simple during your meeting the hotel collects the used soap and bottled amenities left behind from each guest room for thirty days So instead of negatively impacting the environment these recycled amenities will now be used to help save childrenrsquos lives in impoverished communities across the globe
Why join the Clean the World Recycling Programbull Save Lives
-Significantly reduce the spread of illness due to a lack of proper hygiene
bull Protect the Environment-Reduce waste minimize negative environmental impact and promote a sustainable future
bull Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility-Impact those suffering domestically as well as across the globe
bull Promote Positive PR-Website newsletter articles press releases social media
bull Appeal to the MeetingEvent Planner Industry-Your participation will attract meeting professionals and event planners who are seeking to book with properties adopting CSR and sustainability initiatives
bull Observe the Impact of your Donation-Detailed goods donation statement-Recycled soapamenities weighed-Quantifiable distribution impact on each statement
Can your next meeting save a life21 million children under the age of 5 will die this year due to two deadly diseases acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal disease
Even more tragic than these staggering facts is that these deaths could be prevented by up to 65 through simple hand washing with bar soap
You can help Every day hotels discard slightly-used soap and bottled amenities These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems By partnering with Clean the World for your next meeting you can help us in our efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrheal disease
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Not every event promotion needs to cost a lot or take a lot of effort There are a handful of very effective marketing tools every event planner and stakeholder has access to and that often are overlooked in the flurry of other planning activities Planners who have used some or all of these usually swear by them finding that they can raise their non-mandatory attendance by 33 percent or more and that their mandatory event engagement and morale also soars
1 Email signatures We all send hundreds of emails regularly if not on a daily basis By adding your eventrsquos name location dates and website link you can put every email to work as a free billboard This is especially powerful when everyone in the company does this simple action creating a multiplier effect
2 Voicemail greetings Few people change their voicemail greetings once they are set unless they are going out of town Yet voicemail is where most callers land with increasingly hectic work schedules For example ldquoYoursquove reached Jane Smith at XYZ Association Ask me about our annual conference in Orlando or check out the link on our website Please leave me a message with your name and number and Irsquoll get back to you as soon as possiblerdquo
3 Start a relevant discussion Identify online communities where your target market is present read the tone and content of current discussions first and then contribute LinkedIn is one of the richest sources for these discussion groups ndash and the dirty little secret is that most discussions are highly self-promotional Look for the top discussions (which have the most comments) and you will see that they are asking relevant questions not plugging their wares Assess your event topics and then ask the group for their experiences or insights about one specific topic Lastly add a link to your event The best news is you can use the same discussion in several discussion groups
4 Leverage your speakers and vendor partnersrsquo networks You carry a large portion of the burden for promoting your event but you arenrsquot the only one with a vested interest in its success Your speakers and vendor partners have a tremendous amount of skin in the game as well Give them email signatures they can use invite them to tweet and post on social media sites that they will be at your event and encourage them to tease some of the content
5 Tweet Take presentation synopses andor blog postings you have cut down into salacious sound bites of 140 characters or less With a little planning you can schedule at least a couple of tweets each day to stir up excitement and awareness Extra credit Link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages
By Stacey Ruth
5 sneaky ways to promote events
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Clearly each of these tactics take some time and planning but when they are part of an integrated promotional campaign they can boost event awareness exponentially over some of the more traditional methods
Stacey Ruth is a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing a full-service agency specializing in event marketing With more than 20 years of event industry expertise Stacey and the Actio team have built a product line EnterAction specifically designed to help planners build attendance engage their audiences and increase the bottom line value of events for their organizations In 2006 Stacey became a certified event ROI professional ndash one of only a handful of professionals nationwide who focus exclusively on ROI meetings Shersquos in the process of writing her first book ldquoMarket Right A No-Nonsense Guide to Do-It-Yourself Marketingrdquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Tell a room full of meeting planners that they can replace their heavy three-ring binder of BEOs with an iPad and yoursquoll have their attention and instant devotion Thatrsquos because the back-breaking binder which is any eventrsquos bible is widely regarded as a necessary (and not so eco-friendly) evil
If yoursquore ready to jump touchscreen-first into the 21st century herersquos a list of mobile apps that will transform your iPad into a virtual meeting binder
1 Evernote This is an app for desktops iPads and iPhones so any folders you create in one place can be seen from the others Think of this as your virtual file cabinet Instead of color-coding your files tag them with searchable keywords You can file away web pages photographs PDFs word documents voice notes and videos and share folders with members of your team The best part is that the program makes the words in photographs searchable So if you take pictures or scan in business cards and past BEOs or spreadsheets you can search them just like any of your other Evernote documents Cost Free
2 Dropbox Need a secure place to save documents so others on your team can access them Dropbox like Evernote works across multiple platforms and is available on any computer or mobile device Once you log in you can add share edit and delete files And with 2GB of storage to start (the allowance increases with every friend you add to the system) you can even share event photos video and audio clips with your social media team (or a friend who can make them look pretty) Cost Free
3 Pages Need a word processing app for your iPad Pages is the best choice It works like Microsoft Word but is integrated into the Apple operating system so itrsquos easy to import images add hyperlinks and place other media into the documents When itrsquos time to email a file you have the choice of exporting it as a pages doc or pdf document And the program can open any text file regardless of software origin Cost $999
4 Numbers This is the Apple version of Excel and like Pages can be exported in traditional spreadsheet formats (pdf and xls) Its intuitive interface and graphic templates just make it a lot more fun to create reports and event information Cost $999
5 Google Drive If email chains drive you crazy eliminate the back and forth by posting documents for review or ones that need collaborative input on Google Drive On this platform you can share spreadsheets presentations word documents meeting notes and more Like Dropbox and Evernote the documents are available on any browser whether yoursquore using a handheld or desktop computing system You can control access and restrict whether users can edit or only view And you can track
By Kristi Casey Sanders
7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your back)
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
changes and comments so if a person made an edit you donrsquot agree with you can revert to the original or most recent version When yoursquore finished download print or email the documents in your choice of formats Cost Free
6 iAnnotate PDF or Notability These apps allow you to import PDFs ldquowriterdquo on them and send them back with your handwritten or typed-in notes Notability also lets you create and share handwritten typed or recorded meeting notes much like Evernote does Cost $999 (iAnnotate PDF) or 99 cents (Notability)
7 Super Planner This is the only app I havenrsquot used but Irsquove included it because an Austin event planner told a room full of peers that it saved her life at least three times It has several calculators The capacity function can tell you accommodation numbers for the dance floor and multiple seating arrangements A staffing calculator helps determine how much banqueting bar and registration help you need A food and beverage calculator can convert inclusive to ldquoplus plusrdquo pricing add in gratuities and help determine the beverage quantities you need Therersquos also an audiovisual component that calculates the optimum stage height where the first and last rows should be and points out other seating and sightline issues based on projector strength Plus it doles out basic advice for planning newbies on things like managing speakers Cost $999
Donrsquot have an iPad Donrsquot sweat it Many of these apps have Android versions And if yoursquore leery of Google Microsoft OneNote offers a cloud-based system that reproduces the functionalities offered by Google Drive Dropbox and Evernote but on a more secure corporate-friendly platform
Now a word about connectivity Getting a cellular package on your iPad guarantees access wherever you are but itrsquos pricy Sticking with the free built-in Wi-Fi capacity leaves you in the lurch if free Wi-Firsquos not available But those arenrsquot your only two options The best and most affordable option is to add a hotspot package to your cell plan That way you pay only a little more each month to be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot to which you can tether your laptop and iPad And itrsquos worth it to be able to thumb your nose at pay-to-play airport and hotel Internet access
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Irsquove worked on the exhibit side of trade shows for more than 15 years and have been producing trade shows and conferences for the last four My advice for those who are adding a trade-show element to their event or just trying to increase booth sales is based on my experience from both sides of the aisle
1 Yoursquore not selling empty space Yoursquore in the marketing business not the real estate business Have a conversation with potential exhibitors to learn what their marketing objectives are and discuss how your event can help realize them Approaching your exhibit sales this way will differentiate you from other shows
2 Anchor exhibits Even small companies have big aspirations By bringing in large well-known companies as exhibitors you show them you mean business Smaller companies will not feel they are taking such a big risk mdash especially on a new event
3 Be true to your attendees It can be very tempting when you have a young event to take in any exhibitor that wants to be at your show First and foremost your event is about and for your attendees not your sponsors and exhibitors For example I produce a health and fitness fair and have had to say no to an exhibitor who did not support that vision Donrsquot be afraid to do the same
4 Donrsquot overdo it your first year Itrsquos better to book a smaller venue and sell your space out early than have a half-empty exhibit hall There will be plenty of time to grow
5 Donrsquot say ldquonordquo when you can say ldquoyesrdquo Letrsquos face it many exhibitors will not read their exhibit manual and miss deadlines Your job is not to be the enforcer If there is any way you can accommodate their request do it We had an exhibitor ask for electric they did not order two hours before the doors opened We did not have to say yes but we did because we could They were one of the first to sign up for the next year
6 Offer exhibitors a registration discount if they take pre-show training A successful exhibitor is a returning exhibitor The more you can do to help them succeed the better We give all exhibitors who participate in our free exhibitor training $50 back Itrsquos worth it because it will cost more than $50 to replace them if they donrsquot come back next year
7 Collect post-show feedback Have a team in place that will visit with every exhibitor at the end of the event before theyrsquove packed up and left Have them conduct an in-person survey Create a list of what your exhibitors liked most what they liked least and what they would like to see you add or do differently And most importantly integrate that feedback into your game plan for the next show
By Traci Browne
7 tips for creating a successful trade show
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Remember as a trade-show producer you have two customers your attendees and your exhibitorssponsors Both need to be taken care of but not at the expense of each other A room full of happy attendees will make it a great show for everyone Unfortunately just having a room full of happy exhibitors wonrsquot do the same
Traci Browne president of Red Cedar Marketing is a specialist in trade show and convention management and exhibiting She has spent years teaching exhibitors how to get more from their trade show marketing dollars and taught show producers how to structure their shows to make their sponsors and exhibitors happier Traci is now producing regional B2B and B2C shows and events Follow her on Twitter tracibrowne Email her at tracired-cedarcom
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Letrsquos be frank You have way too much on your plate Yoursquore a really hard worker Your standards are sky-high and the quality of your work reflects that But your life-work balance is completely out of whack What yoursquore doing is unsustainable
And whatrsquos worse is that you dug yourself into this hole and yoursquore unable to see a way out It may have started innocently enough with you picking up jobs that people who got laid off used to do Or trying to appease a client whose demands started to creep outside the scope of agreed-upon work
You feel like you donrsquot have time to re-examine what yoursquore doing because yoursquove got so many deadlines to meet Therersquos just too much work
Chances are you think itrsquod just be faster to do things yourself than try to train someone how to do it correctly
Well friends Irsquom sorry to be the one to tell you this but yoursquore wrong And in case you didnrsquot know Yoursquore also a control freak
I know I know Yoursquove been disappointed before When people have messed things up it has taken forever to straighten them out Or worse yet when yoursquove delegated tasks people dragged their feet or let things slip through the cracks Somehow you miraculously were able to salvage everything at the last minute Yoursquore unwilling to go down that road again
Yoursquore burned out stretched too thin and in dire need of a manicure a full nightrsquos sleep or a meal you havenrsquot eaten standing up
Irsquom here to help What I have to say may be difficult to hear but believe me you need to let go So put down that binder and step away from that inbox Take a moment to think about what Irsquom saying It may not be easy to digest but itrsquos true and very very important
You canrsquot do it all yourself You need to learn how to ask other people to help Herersquos how
Step 1 Break your tasks into chunks and prioritize
Itrsquos a scientific fact Your brain cannot stay focused and productive 24 hours a day much less for an eight-hour span You have limited resources available to you and a finite amount of time available to tackle important tasks and problems before you fizzle out
Thatrsquos why itrsquos easy to get distracted by interruptions feel paralyzed by long to-do lists and why you start to feel aimless after wading through your email inbox
Before you leave work at night or before you tackle anything in the morning group what you have to do into buckets of similar-type activities or goals That way you can get a feel for the big picture Once you can see that it becomes obvious what tasks you need to accomplish when what someone else needs to do what can be put off and what may be a waste of time
Any time you start to feel unfocused go back to the bucket list to regroup
By Kristi Casey Sanders
A control freakrsquos guide to delegating tasks
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 2 Identify where you need help and ask for it
Yoursquore awesome but yoursquore not perfect There are certain tasks you enjoy and others you dread Those are the ones you put off until ldquolaterrdquo Unfortunately by the time you finally get around to doing them yoursquore exhausted from dealing with everything else You wonrsquot be thinking clearly
If you donrsquot have the discipline to tackle dreaded tasks first then you need to find a way to delegate them to someone who might actually enjoy doing them Maybe therersquos someone in the office who handles something similar or has access to the same information you do Perhaps the task is something you can assign to a freelancer or outsource to a service like RentASmilecom which offers virtual personal assistants on the cheap
Is it a specific part of the event planning process like reviewing contracts or negotiating with hotels You may save time andor a significant amount of money by contracting a independent company that specializes in that area to complete that task for you
Step 3 Trust other people
The hardest thing for control freaks is not the act of delegation Itrsquos fighting the urge to micromanage the people to whom theyrsquove delegated tasks
These people are here to help you Assume positive intent And set them up to succeed Set clear expectations share the history and knowledge they need to complete their tasks set deadlines together and hold each other accountable for sticking to them
Yoursquore unique so donrsquot expect people to work exactly the way you do Thatrsquos not the point The point is whether they complete the work on time meet the expectations you set (not the ones you thought were implied) and achieve the stated objectives If so enjoy the fact that you didnrsquot have to do it and get over yourself
If you keep track of what theyrsquore doing and donrsquot change the scope or meddle therersquos no reason why the work should be late If the work is substandard give direction and send it back But resist the urge to try and correct it or do it all yourself If yoursquore paying them to do something and yoursquore not satisfied they need to make it right Next time you can find someone who cares more does a better job or who you like working with better
Believe me itrsquos a lot easier to go to work when you get to focus on what you enjoy and are good at And when you find the right people yoursquoll be amazed at how much better theyrsquore able to do the tasks you used to hate
Step 4 Simplify and streamline
If you feel something is a waste of time ask your boss peers or stakeholders why itrsquos important what it achieves and why itrsquos done this particular way Do it kindly without an edge in your voice You want to let them know that yoursquore asking because you care about doing a good job not because you think something is stupid or a waste of your time (even if you secretly do)
No matter what the answer is yoursquoll learn something Maybe yoursquoll gain a clearer idea of how your work accomplishes larger objectives Perhaps yoursquoll be able to suggest a more efficient way to achieve the same goal Itrsquos possible that you may uncover that this really is a redundant task something that needs to be re-examined or eliminated But if you donrsquot ask yoursquoll never know
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Step 5 Learn when to turn it off
The next step is learning how to leave work at work This is the most difficult task for some people because cellphones and mobile email has made us available at any time Give yourself permission to set ldquodo not disturbrdquo hours on your mobile devices so you have some time for yourself your family and your passions or hobbies without being disturbed
Itrsquos very difficult in this industry to not work evenings or weekends when therersquos a big program to execute But the more boundaries you can draw between personal and work hours the better yoursquoll feel And after stretches of time spent working around the clock be sure you give yourself a break a massage a vacation a sabbatical or whatever else you need to refresh recharge and come back with new ideas
You deserve it Believe me you do
Kristi Casey Sanders is the editorial directorchief storyteller of Plan Your Meetings She frequently speaks at industry functions about how meeting professionals can prove their worth meet responsibly integrate technology into events create innovative experiences and maybe even change the world Follow her on Twitter PYMLive or KristiCasey And check out her videos on PYMrsquos YouTube channel
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
Everything impacts the bottom line Read that again Everything impacts the bottom line In every discussion with colleagues we hear frustration expressed about ldquohidden chargesrdquo from hotels venues and vendors
But are these charges really hidden or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions Do salespeople take for granted that because they know all the ins and outs everyone else does too
Remember everything impacts the bottom line mdash whether you thought of it or not So here are 10 questions you should be asking Will you be giving vendors or facilities ideas by asking them You might but the better your questions are the more information yoursquoll get and your business relationships will be better with fewer or no surprises
1 Ownership brand and management Hotel owners are far more demanding about profit than theyrsquove ever been Knowing who owns the business whose name is on the door and who manages the company gives you clues to how the profit pie is split It also will tell you more about their economic health You can follow the various entities by using Google alerts to see what may be news with the company Worst case If there is a dispute yoursquoll know how many separate parties yoursquoll meet in the legal proceedings
2 Meeting rooms Everyone says they wonrsquot pay for meeting-room rental That may not be realistic in todayrsquos economy Consider the costs to operate a venue power labor cleaning furnishing Better to ask about cost upfront than be hit with a huge bill at the end
3 Power Itrsquos not free Hotels are adding charges for use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms regardless of who or what plugs in Consider the amount of power a meeting might use HVAC AV individual devices plugged in to any available outlet and utilities used throughout a facility Ask if there is a charge for any use of electrical outlets in meeting rooms Again itrsquos better to know upfront
4 Upgrades comps concessions There is a real cost to any facility or vendor for concessions (discounts on equipment services labor) and for upgrades to or complimentary use of premium rooms Take nothing for granted regardless of deals negotiated before Discuss the real cost and what is best for your group and your business partner
5 ldquoPlus Plus Plusrdquo for labor taxes and administrative charges It used to be ldquo++rdquo -plus tax and plus gratuity Now itrsquos usually ldquo+++rdquo and the pluses of service (not gratuity) and administrative charges are taxed in most venues Factor in all the ldquoplusesrdquo (including tax) to any pricing and determine the impact Watch industry and business journal websites for tax increases Even if these are not negotiable you can budget more accurately
6 Markup DMCs may charge a markup on venues and labor they subcontract Hotels may mark up charges for extra equipment (tablecloths chairs specific deacutecor) This isnrsquot bad it just is and you want to ask if they do And ask if those fees are negotiable and why or why not
By Joan Eisenstodt
Ask the right questions and yoursquoll expose so-called lsquohidden feesrsquo
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
Our Event Sponsors
August 7 2013 ndash Warwick Denver Hotel
1 Food We donrsquot need the Food Price Index to tell us how much the cost of food has increased We can see the impact of drought and floods labor shortages and all sorts of costs to get food to the facilities we use But are these prices negotiable Maybe Unlike guest rooms there may be far less wiggle room for venues in negotiating food prices Acknowledging that upfront to a hotel conference center convention center restaurant or caterer makes you a smarter negotiator and budgeter
2 Beverages When planners say they are ldquojust serving waterrdquo so there should be no additional cost I wonder if labor and equipment costs are factored in Water itself has a cost and itrsquoll become more expensive as it becomes more scarce As for sodas alcohol juices and other beverages consider the same issues you do with food Ask for more information and see if there is room to negotiate (And even if your organization thinks it canrsquot afford it have plenty of water stations Dehydrated meeting participants will cost you more)
3 Audiovisual equipment We are used to seeing a charge for patching into a house sound system if we donrsquot use the in-house AV company You may not know that there can be extra charges for bringing in your own (or another companyrsquos) equipment plugging equipment into the electrical outlets (see No 3) obtaining power strips screens and carts with draping and labor and equipment from the in-house company if needed in an emergency You also may need to rent a meeting room (see No 2) for securely storing outside equipment Find out what negotiating power you have with the AV company before you finalize your contracts
4 Write a thorough RFP read the proposal and take time with the contract This is my best budgeting tip Too often the process is rushed (because it has to be because we wait too long or because itrsquos quarter- or year-end for the salesperson) and we lose by not asking the best questions and contracting for exactly what we are buying and our business partners are selling Being deliberate will short-term and long save much money
Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates a meetings and hospitality consulting training and facilitation company in Washington DC in 1981 She brings more than 35 years of experience to her work with associations corporations hotel companies and DMOs She facilitates and designs meetings conducts training performs departmental audits and negotiates contracts Joan is retained as a hospitality industry expert witness and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism Her industry activities include involvement in ASAE DMAI MPI and PCMA among others and she serves as chair of ASAErsquos Ethics Committee Shersquos often called the ldquoconscience of the industryrdquo You can interact with Joan on Twitter (joaneisenstodt and focusforum) Find her on LinkedIn
