2009 October |

Monthly Archive for October, 2009

Missing The Water Cooler Moments?

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on October 29, 2009

. 1 Comment

With more and more people taking the entrepreneurial jump (some by choice, some not) there are more independent planners now working from home.

While home offices certainly have their advantages, commuting and dress codes immediately come to mind, many people find they miss the interaction that they once had in an office setting.

Even without an office to call ‘home’, networking can still be both fun and informative. With the advent of social media, it has become easy to maintain and even build relationships without resorting to more traditional or formal means.

But just because there’s social media, doesn’t mean people are using it as effectively as they could. One common mistake is treating the social media channel as just another way to promote business. Don’t get me wrong, we all like to get business referrals. But, starting out a conversation by jumping into a pitch is a definite turnoff.

Instead, approach a social media conversation the same way you would approach a real world conversation. After all, you wouldn’t enter a room and begin telling complete strangers what you do and how much you charge.

Take the time to set up your channels and approach networking in a “social” way (there are plenty of resources out there on this – some of which I will cover in future posts). Ask lots of questions, find common interests, and socialize a bit. The business referrals will come.

Site Inspections: Back-Up And Stand Away From That Facility Guide

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Randy Markus

on October 27, 2009

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There are many challenges independent meeting planners face and offering site inspection services, whether for a fee or complimentary, ranks right up there.

When an independent meeting planner conducts the initial meeting with a client, they ask a lot of questions to help determine the specific needs and wants of the client.

Normally after meeting with the client, the planner will do an extensive site inspection including off-site venues, convention centers, hotels, etc. A good site inspection will uncover the good, the bad — and ‘yes’ even the ugly of any potential venue, allowing ‘you’ the planner to avoid any pitfalls as the program unfolds.

Site inspections, on the other hand, can be time-consuming, costly, and bad for the back — especially when you’re having to heft heavy hotel or facility guides.

One way to save both time and money is to turn to the Web — and the “virtual” site inspection.

From free online databases such as our own WTTC.com to scalable floor plans and 360° views, it’s become much easier for planners to conduct their research without leaving their desks. With current information in hand, planners can then tap into local “experts” to get a more complete picture of the site being considered. And although the virtual site inspection won’t totally replace an on-site visit, it can still help narrow your searches, gather venue information, and eliminate the stacks of brochures piled up on your real desktop.

Randy Markus is a parter at WTTC.com. She can be reached at 1-888-224-3178 or by e-mailing randy@wttc.com

Five Ways To Manage Your Holiday Gift Selections

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staff

on October 22, 2009

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Most of us don’t like to start thinking about Christmas before at least November, but in business it’s never too early… only too late!

And, no one knows this better than Dan Goldhar, co-founder of Toronto-based Admar Promotions Group. Dan has been helping companies get noticed since 1991 when he and partner Grant Spiegelman opened their business. Today, Admar carries more than 1,000,000 promotional products, including everything from award statues to zippo lighters. In this post, Dan offers five smart ways to manage your holiday gift selections:

* Time — Time is one of the most crucial parameters for managing your holiday gift selections. We suggest you start by counting backwards from when you would ideally want to distribute your gifts. Allow 3 to 4 weeks for production, printing and delivery of your chosen products, add in a bit of contingency in case of unforeseen circumstances, and time to research and consider your options. If you want your gifts out the door by first week in December, then you’ll probably want to start doing your research now.

* Budget — Make sure you know exactly how much you have to spend, and how many gifts you need to buy. This will give you a figure per head to work with. Gifts don’t need to be expensive to work well, but do consider the demographic of your target audience when making your selection. This is a key time of year to give corporate or executive gifts to business contacts and clients. Gift-boxed items, digital photo albums, or embossed fleece blankets make distinctive and memorable executive gifts.

* Request a Sample — Ask you supplier to send you a sample product so that you can not only see but also feel the product.

* Choose your Supplier — Make sure you choose the right supplier. Choose a highly reputable online company, which supplies a good range of quality promotional merchandise and adheres to high standards of customer service. The quality of your gifts reflects the standards and aspirations of your company, so you need to be sure that your chosen items are professionally printed and presented, and that you will get the level of service you deserve. Having the help of an industry expert dedicated to your order will alleviate much of the stress associated with managing your gift selections.

* Order early — Whatever your reason for using promotional gifts, you should be aware of time lines. In order to get the best possible experience and be sure of getting your promotional items on schedule, you should order early and confirm your order well in advance. Holiday times are among the busiest times for suppliers, so time lines may be stricter than usual. Again, having the help of a reputable supplier will do much to make sure your holiday gifts are the best they can be…

Event Planner Profile - Bill MacDonald, Amway

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staff

on October 22, 2009

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This month, WTTC partner Mary Ellen Tristram sits down with Bill MacDonald, Manager, Global Special Events, Amway, a worldwide leader in direct selling, with more than three million Independent Business Owners (IBOs) in over 80 countries and territories around the world.

WTTC: How has the industry changed since you started?

BM: The biggest change I see in our industry is technology and the transformation from a “relationship” to a ”true business” operation.

WTTC: How did you end up in the event industry?

BM: Like a lot of us, by chance. I went to a local hotel just looking for a part time job and started as a third shift housemen.

WTTC: What is the best lesson you’ve learned?

BM: Treat everyone you meet with respect and always be honest, and fair … you know the “Golden Rule”.

WTTC: How many events do you produce in a year?

BM: We average about 150 per year between incentives, and business meetings.

WTTC: What are you working on right now?

BM: We have two major projects going on in our department right now — analysis of our REG technology, meeting management technology ( do we need one), and transitioning our buying of services in cooperation with procurement.

WTTC: How do you keep things fresh?

BM: Amenities for our incentive events is an area we are trying to always improve. One of the hottest and most popular lately has been sunglasses. I won’t plug any certain vendor, but one of them does a great job at this and our guests really love it.

WTTC: What is the one element of an event program that you just can’t do without?

BM: Food & beverage and some time for leisure. These are two things that truly add to a special experience especially when people are traveling.

WTTC: How long does it take to put together a typical Amway event?

BM: We generally like 9 months to a year, but typically we get 3-6 months if we are lucky.

WTTC: How many people do your events attract?

BM: Our events range from 50 - 5,000 attendees.

WTTC: How do you handle guest safety and security at your events?

BM: For our larger events, we have the support of our corporate protection services. They typically send one of two officers to our events. We work very closely with them before and during the event to make sure all facilities and destinations are carefully assessed for potential risk. We also partner with local companies around the world for international destinations.

WTTC: Who do you rely on most when executing an event?

BM: Our Special Events staff and Travel Directors - they are the BEST around!

WTTC: What do you have planned for the holiday season?

BM: We support about 5 to 10 different departmental holiday parties each year. The trend we have seen the most is for the actual party dates to be pushed into January. December seems to be just too busy for people to find the time for these parties.

WTTC: Where do you go to find ideas for all those departmental holiday parties?

BM: In most cases, our parties seem to be the same from year to year. People just want to have some f&b in a relaxed atmosphere with their co-workers.

WTTC: What are some of the key factors to consider when creating an event — holiday or otherwise?

BM: We always try to mix new ideas with the accepted old ideas. People like familiarity, but with a surprise mixed-in from time to time. It is hard now a days to change things up, especially when everyone is so busy. No one seems to pay much attention before a meeting, so you can’t change things up too much especially if it requires an attendee to pay close attention before the event.

WTTC North Pole: For Your Holiday Event

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staff

on October 22, 2009

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Find everything you need to make this holiday season a special one. Visit our latest destination city — WTTC North Pole — to browse or search for holiday discounts and deals from suppliers across North America. Another service of WTTC.com … helping planners search less, and find more.