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Off-Sites Done Right

What’s the first rule of thumb for the do-it-yourself sales manager (or the blindsided assistant) forced to play part-time meeting planner?  Don’t look like one.

We surveyed our readers, and 74 percent said they are the decision maker for meetings and their destinations. Readers average almost four meetings per year, with a typical head count around 45.

Without a full-time meeting planner, how do you increase the likelihood that your off-site will succeed?

We’ve collected some ideas and tips how part-time planners and facilitators can bring their “A” game to an audience with full-time expectations. As a bonus, we’ve included a few suitable perks for attendees, and for when you delegate the finer points of planning to that indispensable assistant.
 

Interactive Web Feature:  Hover your mouse over our part-time meeting planner for more tips and ideas...

[Roll-overs]

#1. Know your hotel contact. Not the sales person, but the person you should ask for if you pick up a house phone during your meeting, says Daphne J. Meyers, CMM, professional speaker and managing partner of Red Barn Group, a strategic meeting planning consulting firm. “Even better, know where they hide out in the back of the house,” she says.

#2.  Engaging attendees in the planning can also impact success, says Vickie Allen, an assistant professor in the Center for Sales Innovation at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. “I would select one seasoned rep and one rookie to participate in developing the itinerary as well as other leadership team members,” says Allen.

#3.  As a facilitator, your No. 1 role is to be a good listener,” says Pete Mitchell, director of business-to-business sales for Samsonite. For the past three years, Mitchell has planned and facilitated the Dialogues Summit, an annual roundtable discussion for the incentive, special markets and promotional products industries. “You have to realize it has nothing to do with you,” says Mitchell. “It’s all about the people sitting around the table.” With Dialogues, he says, the attendees all want to be there and have an interest in sharing. “If you don’t have that, then the facilitator has to draw it out of people.”

#4.  According to FutureWatch 2008, an annual meeting and event planner survey conducted by Meeting Professionals International, the majority of professional corporate meeting planners (39.1 percent) claimed city hotels as their first choice facility, followed by resort hotels (29.4 percent). Planners also identified a range of other venues beyond the usual suspects for their meetings, including art galleries, classrooms, city halls, cruise ships, private homes and in-house facilities.

Before trying an off-beat off-site, plan for extra time and site visits to consider audio quality, tech amenities, parking issues, etc. In this case, you’re accommodating your event to work in a unique space, not the other way around.

#5.  On-site Crib Sheet
Daphne J. Meyers, CMM, Red Barn Group, speaks from experience when it comes to the day-of details. Here’s her checklist for what needs attention before attendees file in and find their seats.

• Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to anyone else (60 minutes is better) and request that the room be set for you at this arrival time.

• Check the room temperature. If you control the thermostat, never adjust more than two to three degrees in any direction, especially if the room is empty and then will fill. It’s amazing how much those 98.6 degree bodies can heat up a room.

• Check for cleanliness

• Adjust lighting if necessary

• Connect to the AV and make sure it works

• Confirm the times for breaks/meals

• Confirm any other services that have been ordered (cleaning of the room midday, refreshed ice water, etc.)

• Check the little stuff: does the flipchart have markers? Are your handouts in an easy place to hand out? Check the power to the projector. Make sure your sleep mode is turned off on your computer, as well as IMs and other pop-ups that you don’t want appearing during the presentation.

Back It Up
Keep preparation in your pocket with Victorinox’s Laser Pointer Collection. Available in both flight and non-flight versions (with or without the blade, screwdriver and scissors) and features removable 1GB or 2 GB USB flash drives and a monochromatic, directional red beam laser. Contact Dan Carpenter of Swiss Army (www.swissarmy.com) at 203-944-2303.

Flash drives are also as wearable as they are portable, thanks to customizable flash drive bracelets that can be imprinted with your company logo. Consider preloading the presentation and using them as a takeaway (www.ipromo.com).

Me Time
Gift cards provide a unique and convenient way to honor that above-and-beyond assistant. A gift from Wayspa comes with personal concierge service to ensure the recipient gets exactly what she’s looking for – namely, an assistant of her own. (www.wayspa.com). Or, consider a card themed appropriately to the meeting’s particulars, like a tech toy card for stellar on-site support (www.bestbuy.com/giftcards), or a weekend getaway to make up for overtime (www.celebritycruises.com). Beyond that, says Vickie Allen, “I would constantly affirm the person that they are doing a good job, and spotlight them at the planning meetings,” she says. “This feedback can go a long way.”

Cache and Carry
Feng shui applies to packing thanks to the Pro-DLX Rolling Tote from Samsonite. Constructed of Denier Armored Nylon with finishing and handles in soft Nappa leather, the 7.9-lb. tote is designed with organization and efficiency in mind. Includes a laptop compartment and lightweight monotube handle for easy steering. Contact Pete Mitchell of Samsonite (www.samsonite.com) at 843-249-1859.

Copious Notes
Ideal as an attendee giveaway or personalized for the part-time planner, Cross introduces its new padfolio in the 1846 Leather Collection. Includes a standard 8 ½ x 11-inch lined notepad, an accessory pen, and interior pockets and card slots. Secures with a snap. The smooth, full-grain leather can be foil debossed. Contact Joe Nerney of Cross (www.mycrossbiz.com) at 401-335-8121.

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