WORKING
WITH CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAUS, HOTELS,
TRAVEL
AGENCIES, CONFERENCE COMMITTEES, ETC.
by
Janet Hiemstra
For several years my wife, Janet, worked as a meeting planner
for Laubach Literacy (now ProLiteracy). Previously when I taught a program
planning course for Syracuse University, she lectured on what she did and had
learned. The following is an outline from that lecture. It will provide you with
some insight on what all a professional meeting planner does to prepare for a
conference.
I. Meeting
Site
A. Meeting requirements - "Specs"
1. Preferred
dates
2. Preferred
arrival/departure patterns
3. Estimated
number of attendees
4. Daily
sleeping room requirements
5. Suite
requirements
6. Daily
meal and meeting requirements
7. Exhibit
requirements
8. Special
requests
9. Competing
cities
10. Decision process
B. Contact process
C. "Sales lead"
D. Site visits
E. Contract negotiations
1. Attitude of teamwork between meeting
planner and Convention Bureau (CVB)/hotel
2. What makes your meeting attractive to
CVB/hotel?
a. Meeting dates (time of year)
b. Weekend vs. weekday/holidays
c. Number of attendees
d. Food and beverage functions/cash
concessions
e. Ratio of needed meeting rooms to guest
rooms
f. Prestige, influence of sponsoring
organizations
3. Guest room (sleeping rooms)
a. Room block - Total rooms needed/single
vs. double
b. Reservations
(1) Policy on guaranteed reservations and deposits
(three day window)
(2) Maximum number of rooms available
(3) Conference rate vs. rack rate
(4) Guaranteed cap on room rate by conference date
(5) Procedure for making reservations (reservations
cards – complimentary or charged?)
(6) Confirmation cards sent to whom?/timing of response
(7) Complimentary ("comp") room ratio
(8) Cut-off dates for registration
c. Special events needs
d. Storage needs for exhibitors/presenters
e. Parking
f. Special needs
g. Rebate from hotels (padding guest room
rate)
F. Overflow hotels needs for required guest
rooms? (who handles reservations)
G. Decision process for selecting meeting
site
II. Conference Committees
A. Responsibilities/Timeline
B. Handbook for Conference
III. Drayage company/publisher exhibits
IV. Travel Agencies - official
V. Convention Services Coordinator/Manager
VI. Registration process
A. Pre-registration
B. On-site registration
C. Earlier date for pre-conference?
VII. Meeting space/food and beverage functions
A. Rental fees
B. Meal functions
1. Attendance history/estimate
2. Menu selection/cost
3. Deadline for guarantees; % overage set-up
4. Gratuities charged (incorporate into meal
prices)
5. "Padding" the negotiated meal
prices
VIII. Assignment
of meeting rooms for special events/seminars
IX. Audio visual equipment
X. Banquet event orders (BEOs)/Function
sheets
XI. Billing procedures
A. Names of authorized signer(s); review each
day
B. Master account/direct billing
1. Who is included?
2. Authorized charges (room, meals,
incidentals?)
3. Billing cycle - upon departure or 30 days
C. Complimentary rooms
D. Special amenities for VIPs
E. Billing of conferees
XII. Pre-conference meeting
("Pre-con" meeting)
XIII. Miscellaneous
items
A. Graphics/image/logo/theme
1. ASK ME buttons
2. Balloons
3. T-shirts
B. Conference publications
1. Deadlines
2. Presentation folder, program
C. Hospitality
1. ASK ME tables
2. Information sheets
3. Walkie talkies
D. Publications for meeting planners
E. Characteristics of a successful meeting
planner
1. DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
2. Forecaster of possible problems
____________________
Created January 1, 2009
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