Meeting News - February 11, 2008 - (Page 42)

Live from the Forum @ MeetingNews.com TOPIC: The correct contact with a sponsoring organization am working on a program that will happen in two weeks and am dealing with getDo you have a burning question to ting information to sponsors with regard to exhibiting, logos, etc. When the sponask your peers? Log on to the sor secured its sponsorship, a form was completed where contact information was MeetingNews Forum to get answers asked for. When I sent out e-mail blasts using this information, I made the assumption fast. meetingnews.com/forum it was going to the right person. I have run into several instances in the planning process where I learned it was not the right contact with regards to the event. I have taken extra measures in the past weeks to send e-mail blasts out with copy that says “Please forward this to the correct person if it is not you” to help make sure it is getting to the right person. I know also that the form in the future needs to have another line that asks for an “event contact” and their information. I just handled a call from a sponsor who informed me there was a change in the contact person, who had not seen any information about the event. Now, I have the new contact info and have sent that person the information, but deadlines have passed. Given the sponsorship level, I am doing what I can to accommodate the sponsor’s needs but there are limits given how close we are to the event. I would like to hear from others on the forum as to how they combat this problem. I —Sean Schuette, Director of Meetings and Events, IntrinXec Management Inc., Minneapolis This is a constant challenge with these programs. I have found that the best results come from personal communication. I recommend calling every sponsor to conﬁrm his or her ﬁnal liaison person. Speak with that person four weeks out from the deadline to conﬁrm that the sponsor is ready to go. This is labor intensive but gains the best results and reduces problems late in to zero. I have yet to meet any marketing organization or department that realizes the importance of deadlines for exhibitions and sponsorships. To that end, you have to be the grown-up and manage it for them. This ensures they receive quality service from you and continue to be a sponsor for the future. Sue Fern, Owner, Event Pro-SSSS, Palm Harbor, FL The exhibitor prospectus we provide for our clients requests the information for two company reps: the contact authorizing the agreement and paying the fee, and the on-site company representative. This is a legal document that is the contract for the booth. It has really cut down on chasing and trying to ﬁnd out who we need to contact. Theresa Garza, Managing Director Amigo Meeting Solutions, Tucson, AZ I’m so sorry you’re having such a hard time. Since this is something that happens frequently, I can only assure you that you’re not alone! I have found that the only way to combat this is the telephone. It is 100 percent foolproof and ﬂies in the face of using the technologies that we have available, but it is the best way to get the best information right off the bat. So many times I call the person who is the “contact,”who is really the government affairs ofﬁcial, the PR person, or anyone but the right person for what I need. If I telephone right away, they can’t ignore my e-mail; they have to talk to me and listen to what I need to fulﬁll my side of the sponsorship deal. I wish I had a more advanced answer for you, but this is what I’ve found works the best for us. Cindy Panioto, Program Manager Connecticut Business and Industry Association, Hartford, CT TOPIC: Renting a house for a group have a group that wants to rent a house for a weeklong meeting. The group believes that it is cheaper to go this route, and that there would be more networking/teambuilding opportunities, as the attendees have to sort of live together for the entire time—cooking, cleaning, etc. The attendee list is all men, so maybe I’m worrying about nothing; but I’m still concerned about something going wrong while they are at this house. Can anyone tell me any liability issues that we should be aware of, if the group goes this route? Michele Yebba, Event Manager Bose Corp., Framingham, MA I There are resorts and conference centers with houses on property for this sort of purpose. To me, this would be good, as you are then under the umbrella of the property for all sorts of “stuff.” I just received some mail from Wintergreen Resort, outside Charlottesville, VA, and it has just opened one of these houses. Have you checked Ocean Edge [Resort & Club on Cape Cod]? I’m betting there are tons more properties with houses, although I’m not sure how one would ﬁnd them. And the attendees might be glad for professional housekeeping service. Bonding, schmonding—no one likes household chores. Deborah Gaffney, Director of Conference Planning Tax Executives Institute, Washington, DC MEETING NEWS (ISSN 0145-630X, USPS No.356-010, February 11 2008, Vol. 32, No. 3 is published semi-monthly except for August, which is monthly, by Nielsen Business Media, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-9595, tel. 646654-5000. Subscriptions are offered free of charge to individuals actively engaged in planning meetings or conventions in the U.S. and Canada. The cost of a subscription to non-qualiﬁed subscribers is $79 in the U.S. and $95 in Canada (Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40031729). The cost of a foreign subscription, payable in U.S. dollars, is $195. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing ofﬁces. MeetingNews is a trademark owned exclusively by Nielsen Business Media. Copyright © 2008 by Nielsen Business Media Inc. 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Meeting News - February 11, 2008

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