Our resident meetings 'guru' Tony Carey supplies
regular tips and ideas for more successful meetings management.
TONY CAREY'S TOP TIPS FOR CONFERENCE PLANNERS
PART B. - Site Selection
No. 17. The CVB. Wherever you hold your meeting, the local Convention
and Visitor Bureau (CVB) or Tourist Office should be a first port of
call. Not only can they provide invaluable advice about the location
and local suppliers, they may offer promotional support, planning assistance,
local coordination, some sponsorship and even civic hospitality.
PART B. - Site Selection
No.18. What venue? The choice of venue will depend on hundreds of factors
unique to the event, but there is no shortage of sources of information.
Venue-finding agencies, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), magazines,
production companies, travel agents, hotel chains, CVBs, airlines,
industry associations, the internet, trade shows, Professional Conference
organisers (PCOs) and your own colleagues, are just a few examples.
PART B. - Site Selection
No.19. The Perfect Venue. This is a figment of the advertising copywriter’s
imagination. The best venue for a particular event will always be the
one with the most advantages and least disadvantages. Compromise is inevitable,
so planners need to have decided, early on, what are the ‘must
haves’ about the venue they are seeking and what are just nice
optional extras that can be dispensed with.
PART B. - Site Selection
No. 20. The RFP. Once you have a clear idea of where and in what type
of venue you want to meet, you should write a ‘Request for Proposals’ (RFP),
sometimes known as a ‘Bid document’. This is a specification
of the needs of the meeting and should be circulated to all venues
or organisations, which may be able to provide (or direct you to) what
you want. It should be sufficiently detailed for a hotel or convention
centre to be able to put a price on what they offer.
PART B. - Site Selection
No.21. Replies to RFPs. All RFPs that you send out should include a ‘response
by’ date and should allow a reasonable time frame for venues to
research and prepare a considered proposal. Those properties which have
not made contact by the due date may safely be eliminated – they
do not want your business, or are not competent to handle it.
PART B. - Site Selection
No.22. Process of Elimination. When the responses to your RFP have all
been received, it is necessary to reduce the field by eliminating those
which do not fulfill most of your criteria (consider especially: access,
space, facilities, locality and your budget). Make a short list of
three or less and inform the unsuccessful properties immediately.
PART B. - Site Selection
No. 23. Site Inspections. Having reduced the potential venues to about
three, it is time to go and see them for yourself. Brochures and websites
rarely tell the full story. To save money, ask the local CVB and the
properties if they will pay for your trip. Be professional and prepare
for these visits so that you waste nobody’s time – including
your own. Have a clear agenda and brief the venues about what you need
to see and whom you wish to meet.
PART B. - Site Selection
No.24. On site contact. At each potential venue during a site inspection
it will be important to spend time with the person with whom you will
be working; not just the sales staff. Your relationship with this ‘Conference
Services Manager’ (CSM) will be crucial to the success (and your
enjoyment) of the event. He or she will be a crucial member of your
team. Take time, also, to meet with heads of departments and the chef.
PART B. - Site Selection
No. 25. What to Look For. On a venue site inspection, look not only at
the facilities but also at the people and the state of the property.
Are the staff friendly and smiling? Is it a happy place? How helpful
and attentive is the service? Is the property in need of refurbishment?
Is it up for sale? What does it smell like? Ask for references from
previous clients and follow them up. Have at least one meal. Trust
your instincts.
PART B. - Site Selection
No.26. Decision Time. After a series of site inspections, don’t
delay your decision too long. Usually, - after a little negotiation perhaps
- one venue will be a clear winner. Inform everyone of your choice, immediately;
including those who failed to win your business, (and be honest about
the reasons). It is now time to start cementing your relationship with
your chosen venue by displaying your consummate professionalism.
Read Part A (Dec '05) - Top
Tips 1-16
Visit this site regularly for updates on Tony's 'Top Tips for Conference
Planners'.
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