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FEATURESTORY

8 Off-Site Tips to Keep You on Course

So many decisions, so little to base them on.

Even veteran do-it-yourself planners can feel overwhelmed with the number of decisions that must be made for a multiple-day off-site event.

Steve Aasgaard, Vice President of the Travel Group at BI, a Minneapolis provider of business improvement services, offers these hints to help DIY planners cut costs, increase the likelihood of a successful event and, perhaps most important, save your sanity:

Determine what you want to get from the meeting.
Define your intended results and ensure that company executives are on the same page. To justify the cost, identify what you can measure from the list of objectives. For example, a company may want to increase annual sales by 30 percent and the national sales meeting is an important kick-off to introduce that goal and explain how it can be achieved.

Plan early. The trend is in the opposite direction, as more companies plan off-site events as little as six weeks out. But you'll avoid "ambulance pricing" by booking ahead. Often, you can get a significant discount if you book multiple events at a site. Planning ahead also allows you to select a nearby second-tier city if the original destination is booked or doesn't fit your budget. It's amazing how much more affordable Panama City or St. Petersburg, Fla., can be during peak seasons than Boca Raton or West Palm Beach.

Understand your contract. A lot of DIYers frankly don't know their way around a contract. Understand your cancellation or attrition agreements, and be sure every contract includes a force majeure clause that protects you from unforeseen occurrences.

Conduct a site inspection.  "It's the best $500 or $1,000 you can spend," Aasgaard says. (Most resorts provide a discount or complimentary room for a site inspection.) Resorts sometimes promise meeting space that's "commensurate with the number of rooms blocked," but what does that mean, Aasgaard asks. You may book 20 rooms and get stuck with a small conference room that doesn't provide the flexibility you need. Look at as many different kinds of hotel rooms as you will book and take a digital camera. A site inspection also provides you an opportunity to meet and bond with the resort staff that will be helping you look good.

Be smart about what you contract for in food and beverage.  Many resorts lower the room rate and recoup it on food and beverage. Do you really need a full breakfast? Can lunch be a healthy sandwich and a salad bar instead of a three-course meal? Evening receptions can feature wine and beer instead of a full bar.

Ask about complimentary airport transfers.  "Cabs will kill you," Aasgaard says. Even if you pay for the resort to have an extra driver working on the day you arrive and depart, you'll come out ahead.

Ask the resort for a recommendation on guest speakers.  A convention services manager sees so-called celebrity speakers come through every week. Give them the objectives of your meeting and they may be able to find you find the right person at the right cost.

Get everything in writing.  Let your vendors put it in writing and send it to you, says Aasgaard. "Lean on the people that are supplying the work and make sure that you have legal experts at your company review and edit it to meet your satisfaction."

Bonus Tip:  Don't assume that you can't afford a professional planner. The acumen of a professional planner can almost cover the cost of hiring him. BI's buying power, for example, commands a 10 percent discount from most any resort, and that savings is passed on to the client. Find out more about BI's Travel Group services by calling 952-835-4800 or visit www.biworldwide.com.
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See also in: Inside the Meeting Planning War Room

8 Off-Site Tips to Keep You on Course

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