Successful Meetings - January 2008 - 36

Planner’s Workshop > Pre-Event How to Manage Site Selection By Leslie Schultz There are several general purposes that most meetings share. These objectives include planning, educating, and motivating, providing opportunities to share information and techniques, as well as creating an atmosphere for social interaction. Some meetings have as their primary goals employee teambuilding or leadership development. Many companies and organizations schedule meetings simply because they are the best way to accomplish set purposes in the shortest amount of time, and with the fewest interruptions. The degree of emphasis placed on these factors is unique to each meeting. The following tips will help planners determine which destination and property are best suited to meet the challenges posed by these requirements. Look at the calendar. Check school holidays locally and in your proposed meeting location. For example, spring break is a bad time to consider a beach resort. Also, find out when religious holidays fall. You don’t want to make it difficult for anyone to attend. Then, after you have chosen your ideal dates, consider the geographic location that works best for your attendees. Is the location affected by the weather at the time you have chosen? This will enhance anticipation for the coming meeting. Look at the facility’s schedule. After you have checked out the calendar for government, religious, and school holidays, try to be flexible with your dates. Many facilities will give you time will determine the type of facility to match your needs. Often, the success of a meeting will relate directly to where it is being held. If you are planning a two- to three-day event, look for facilities close to the airport or office, no more than two hours away. No attendee appreciates spending much of the first day traveling, likely arriving tired or hassled, and then anticipating the same trip on the last day of the meeting. If you plan the meeting to run the entire day, don’t choose a resort. It is very frustrating to see a wonderful golf course, beach, or spa and know you will never get to enjoy them. At the same time, if you want your attendees to spend time together relaxing, a downtown hotel might not be the wisest choice. Check out the airlift to the destinations you are considering. Find what carriers serve the area, how many flights they offer per day, and from what cities they have routes. Make a list. Call each facility and make a list of the amenities, available dates, room rates, and general information. Just by looking at the list and matching it to your needs, you can easily choose the right site for your meeting. Make sure the property you JANUARY 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS reduced room rates if you can fill a hole for them. Don’t forget to ask first. See what the airlines can do for you. Many airlines have meeting planning departments that can help you get the lowest possible prices. They can also give you a listing of all the facilities that meet your needs. They can even point you in the right direction for making arrangements for tours, entertainment, and so on. How the attendees spend their mimegasite.com 36

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - January 2008

Successful Meetings - January 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
Associations
Research
Events
Suppliers
Associations
On the Record
Associations
Suppliers
Planner Spotlight
Websites of the Month
Management Matters
Meeting the Law
Personal Success
Mouth for Sale
Food & Beverage
Professional Development
On Site
Pre-Event
Tools of the Trade
Veggie Power
Tennis, Anyone?
Seeing is Believing
The Wild Green Yonder
Game On
Places & Spaces
Galveston & Texas Beaches
Greater Seattle
Singapore
Gurus

Successful Meetings - January 2008