Successful Meetings - September 2007 - (Page 25)

> Pre-Event to interpretation—colors or fabric weights, for example—send samples of what you want. Then ask the vendor to send you a complete description and photo of what they intend to supply. Last-minute surprises are unlikely to be pleasant ones. NEGOTIATE, WITH RESPECT Chinese people expect prices and terms to be negotiated firmly, but always with respect, and the ultimate form of respect is for both parties to feel they have gotten a fair deal. You can take advantage of the Asian belief that a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow—your promise of timely payment will often be rewarded with a concession on something you want. HOSPITALITY, FOR ALL THE PLAYERS Negotiations and other arrangements will go more smoothly when Planners Workshop 5 accompanied by social meals, offers of courtesies such as a ride to the airport, and small gifts. But don’t forget the front-line folks. Your local crews are typically paid rather low wages (even though the vendor/manager is charging close to industrystandard rates), so an offer to buy some meals for them will get you a lot of goodwill. But even if you’re dying for a hamburger, offer them the local cuisine. Like you, they prefer what they’re used to. RECOGNIZE THAT LAST MINUTE IS STANDARD While Chinese vendors will plan well in advance, don’t be surprised or concerned if it seems they’re executing only when the deadline is fast approaching. This is the way they work. Where a U.S. vendor will be checking out pre-assembly and setup way ahead of time, the Chinese counterpart will build it on site at the last possible minute. The first few 7 6 MEETINGS AND INCENTIVES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. resorts.hyatt.com Your complete online planning tool, featuring: Searches based on activities, space, rooms, locations and other options Robust high-resolution photo galleries for use in presentations and program brochures Planning resources and incentive checklists Fact sheets, detailed ﬂoor plans and capacity charts Links to additional destination information Tools of the Trade DON’T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE BY VINCENT ALONZO Even if you don’t have bedbugs in your home, be aware that if you travel frequently, the likelihood of picking up some of these nocturnal vampires is very good—even if you’re staying at the finest of hotels. The Cooper’s Travel Guide is a good place to start to protect yourself and your attendees from these insects. This booklet details what to do when and if you encounter bedbugs during a stay at an offsite meeting. This guide explores some bedbug biology but focuses mainly on how to prepare for a trip, how to quickly inspect a room upon arrival, how to pack to go home, and steps to take in case bedbugs have traveled home with you. To order a PDF of the guide, visit www. bedbugcentral.com. $13.95. MINI POWERPOINT Eliminate tedious zipping and unzipping of large PowerPoint presentations with the PPTminimizer 3.0, a compression tool that supports the PowerPoint format of MS Office. The software compresses presentations in seconds by as much as 96 percent without changing their original formatting. As a result, mailboxes, servers, and networks are relieved of unnecessary data, and loading time is reduced considerably. Works on Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000 Workstation, XP, and Vista. For more information, visit www.pptminimizer.com or call (866) 671-5441. $29.95. SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS SEPTEMBER 2007 mimegasite.com For more information, visit resorts.hyatt.com. http://resorts.hyatt.com http://www.bedbugcentral.com http://www.bedbugcentral.com http://resorts.hyatt.com http://resorts.hyatt.com http://www.pptminimizer.com http://mimegasite.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - September 2007

Successful Meetings - September 2007 Contents Editor's Note Research Calendar Suppliers Planner Spotlight Websites of the Month Management Matters Meetings Law Personal Success Pre-Event Tools of the Trade The Social Revolution Long Beach Insert State of the Art A Better Banquet The Seven Wonders of the Gaming World On the List Places & Spaces Caribbean Trinidad & Tobago Insert Monaco Greater Los Angeles Hilton Head/Myrtle Beach Gurus Nevada Planners Guide 2007 This Just In Las Vegas The Big Picture The Benefits of Being Small Let's Get Together Let Us Entertain You This Just in Reno Tahoe Perfect Complements Hotel Stats & Contact Info Hawaii Incentive Handbook 2007

Successful Meetings - September 2007

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