Planning your next meeting or conference can be a daunting task, as there are many details and logistics involved in producing a successful event. Here is a brief guideline to help you plan your next event:
Six to Eight Months In Advance
- Establish meeting theme and objectives
- Establish meeting budget
- Determine audience participants: size of group, facilitators, dignitaries etc.
- Select meeting date
- Contact venue sites: convention centers, conference facilities, hotels, convention and visitor bureaus
- Check references of other meeting planners that have booked the facility
- Select meeting locale and meeting site
- Decide on topics and speakers/trainers that will address the topics and objectives of meeting
- Contact speaker’s bureau to check on availability and speaker’s fee
- Are you having a celebrity concert? Now is the time to book your headliner entertainment.
- International considerations: Climate at time of meeting, cultural considerations, third-party vendor contact information, banking arrangements, receiving agents for shipments needing to be secured through customs, interpreter arrangements
Four to Six Months In Advance
- Decide on the length and the agenda of the meeting
- Inform attendees of date, place and objectives of meeting
- Finalize facility arrangements
- Decide on food and beverage arrangements
- Finalize the specific meeting rooms and layouts required
- Have all decisions finalized in contractual form including appropriate clauses for display or use of competitive goods and services, issues of attrition, indemnification, arbitration and other issues where appropriate
- Make all necessary hotel reservations for attendees attending out-of-town
- Contract with appropriate transportation services
- Decide on the use of giveaways. Order and confirm delivery date if applicable
- Arrange for any on-site communication needs such as internet provider, telephone accessibility, office services, pagers and cell phone accommodations etc.
- Make all arrangements for shipping materials and confirm
Three Months In Advance
- Determine what materials need to be reproduced.
- Determine what materials need to be included in registration packet
- Arrange airport arrival requirements for meet and greet arrivals, ground transportation arrangements, designated luggage tags for group participants, etc.
- Determine meeting room setups and notify site of additional requirements
- Order necessary signs, conference banners, and room signage
Four to Six Weeks In Advance
- Reconfirm with all external vendors
- Copy all materials that will need to be distributed
- Send attendees information regarding meeting attire, agenda, hotel and travel arrangements. Include pre-printed luggage tags, and participation requirements, pertinent telephone numbers and contact information.
Two Weeks In Advance
- Prepare registration packet and name tags
- Ship all required materials in numbered boxes to meeting site. Request acceptance receipts and confirmation of arrival notification.
- Confirm number of attendees with hotel and caterer.
One Week In Advance
- Check weather report for possible delays and determine a back up plan for weather altering scenarios.
- Coordinate delivery of special guest room deliveries such as VIP gifts or employee incentive gifts.
- Meet with necessary security and parking officials to coordinate meeting logistics
- Confirm rooming list with registration desk and procedure for check in. Double check rooms for VIPs and those with special needs.
- Discuss with front desk appropriate information to be included on site marquee boards
- Meet with accounting department of the site facility and confirm master billing procedures.
- Check inventory of materials and supplies pre-shipped. Compile registration packets that will be distributed. Set up a separate registration area if necessary.
- Conduct a meeting with personnel about on site administration and delegate responsibilities where appropriate.
Post Meeting Follow Up
- Send thank you notes to facility and to personnel that went above and beyond to ensure success of meeting.
- Send thank you notes to VIP’s for their attendance where appropriate.
- Document meeting notes, prices, vendors, and suggestions for future meetings.