A meeting planner is responsible for handling all the details before a meeting, during the meeting and oftentimes, after the meeting. Every detail is left to the planner, the venue is chosen and the bookings are made. In many cases it is not just a matter of booking the venue, but company personnel often show up from various parts of the country and world and they need accommodations and transportation. The planner must arrange for any and all audio visual equipment that will be needed for presentations and in many cases, the planner arranges for a guest speaker, often a motivational speaker is brought in.
Getting feedback on the way in which the meeting was conducted is important to the planners. This is a business where experiences are very important, if the caterer that was chosen was not acceptable to the attendees, the planner needs to know about it. To get this important feedback, the planner will distribute comment cards to the guests with a host of questions, the answers to which will help the planner improve in the future.
What is of primary importance to the meeting planner is the theme of the meeting, the reason for having it. A product launch to senior management is often supported with speakers who know a great deal about the product and its competitive situation; these experts will be hired and brought in. During the introduction, if it is applicable the company may wish to present the attendees with a sample, if this is the case, the planner has staff to hand them out with minimum disturbance.
Meeting planning usually starts when the planner and the company contact first meet and discuss the details, including the budget. When the details are known and the budget approved, the planner can begin the process of identifying the needs and booking them for the appropriate time. Although meeting planners have excellent contacts among suppliers, they normally as the suppliers for their bids and then select the supplier best suited for the job.
As attendees begin to arrive it is important they know what is about to happen and where. The meeting planner will arrange for his staff to greet the attendees and give them guides to the event. Any promotional material that is an important part of the presentation is distributed at this time. For more information, visit Ellen Michaels Presents Inc.
