Few tasks are as daunting to an executive assistant, marketing VP, director of sales, or volunteer as being assigned responsibility for your organization’s next meeting, no matter how big or how small! Unlike most large associations or corporations who employ professional meeting planners, often with an entire staff in tow, smaller associations and many corporations tap their department heads and support professionals to produce the next board meeting, customer forum, product launch, or annual conference. Additionally, many recreational, sports and hobby groups depend on a cast of devoted volunteers to plan the logistics of their events. For the novice or occasional meeting planner, the key to a successful meeting lies in first doing your internal homework, then partnering with a local destination expert, to accomplish your organization’s meeting goals and objectives. We will provide you with solid tips to create an applause-worthy event. During this webinar we will explore: • What information you need to gather internally, before you begin to reach out externally to plan your meeting • A host of on-line industry approved resources to aid your planning • How to enlist the Convention and Visitors Bureau as your consultative partner for any size meeting or event

1. When Meeting Planner Isn’t Your Job Title
Things You Need to Know

2. Laura Corder
Director of
Communications
Programs Manager
USC/Columbia
Incubator
Our Guests Today
Jason Outman
Executive Director
Columbia
Metropolitan CVB
(SC)

3. Who are these
“planners?”
How CVBs serve you
as consultants
What to know before
you send your RFP
On-line industry
approved resources
Information for the
Occasional Planner

6. The 5 W’s
Understanding
Internal Expectations
WHERE will be
consider holding the
meeting?
WHY are we having
this meeting?
WHEN can we hold
the meeting?
WHAT type of event
are we trying to
execute?
WHO will attend?
RFP Reconstructed Handbook
https://cld.bz/c7d9Qya#

7. Just a few other things
to consider…

8. Keep Your Eye on Your Budget

9. Anticipate Red Flags

10. Manage Timelines

11. Stop
Reinventing
the Wheel

12. Resources
Convention Industry Council (CIC)
http://www.conventionindustry.org/index.aspx
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
http://www.mpiweb.org/Home
American Society of Association Executives
(ASAE) http://www.asaecenter.org/
Professional Convention Management
Association (PCMA) http://www2.pcma.org/

13. We are the best FIRST point of
contact to help planners FIND the
right fit for ANY SIZE meeting.
CVB Promise and Value
To Planners
• Local expertise
• Extensive in-market
relationships
• Comprehensive view of the
destination
• Free to you!

14. Call Your CVB First
• Educate you about the hotels
• Help you understand the desirability and fit of your meeting for the different types of hotels
• Discuss the seasonality and pattern preferences of the hotels, especially if lower rates are a priority or
preferred date availability is an issue
• Help you tweak your RFP to be destination-specific
• Distribute your RFP to the hotels you want to consider, and follow up with them to be sure they are
responding in a timely and complete manner
• Lobby on your behalf
• Set up your site inspections and coordinate your visit to the destination
• Intercept hotel questions and collect responses so you’re not inundated with emails or phone calls

15. www.empowerMINT.com
• Review at-a-glance destination
profiles
• Get destination news
• Find your Destination Expert
• Search and compare
• Submit a Quick Request or RFP
to multiple destinations

16. Keep in Touch
Email
contactus@empowermint.com
Podcast
Meeting Planning Madness
blog.empowermint.com/podcast
Blog
blog.empowermint.com
Web
www.empowermint.com
LinkedIn
DMAI’s Network for CVBs
and Meeting Professionals