A full-service meeting planning company can be a one-stop shop for an entire meeting. A planning company can offer expertise at every step, from negotiating for all travel arrangements to directing the flow of the event to meet your objectives. This article describes what a meeting planning company can do for you, and how to find the right one.
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INTRODUCTION
Has meeting planning become a part of your job responsibilities, without any additional staff or resources? Putting together events, from sales conferences to incentives and team-building, takes a lot of research and a lot of following up on details--things that you might not have time for among your other responsibilities. That's where an outside meeting planning company can step in--often at no cost to you--to handle the whole event or just certain aspects of it.
WHAT A MEETING PLANNING COMPANY CAN DO FOR YOU
It's like having a full-service travel agency just for your meeting. An independent meeting planner can arrange everything including air, cars, other transportation, and hotel reservations. And with its added expertise in meetings, a planning company can also advise on everything from food and beverage selection to audiovisual options, speakers, and entertainment.
MEETING YOUR MEETING OBJECTIVES
In addition to technical details, a good planning company can help tailor your meeting to your specific business objectives. For example, an experienced planner can offer suggestions about the type of property to use--an all-work training program might be well-suited to a downtown or airport hotel, but a sales meeting that involves team building and some motivational aspects might be better at a resort. A planner can also help you decide on the types of functions that would best suit your event, from a casual pub night to an elegant formal dinner or a themed party, to ensure that your meeting delivers top value to attendees.
There's an expertise required to know what the options could be based on a particular meeting objective, and if that's not one of your core competencies, then it makes sense to call in an independent planning company.
COSTS
Unless you bring a planner on site to handle meeting details at the hotel, an independent planning company's services are often provided at little or no cost to you. Planners generally earn commissions from hotels, airlines, and other services required at a meeting.
In fact, a good planning company can even help you trim your overall costs for a meeting. A planner can often negotiate better rates than a corporation can get on its own, because it combines the purchasing power of other clients they arrange events for--bringing the negotiating power of possibly hundreds of events a year to bear for yours.
ON-SITE COSTS
If you opt to bring the planner on site, costs can vary greatly. For example: Some companies will apply a charge of $300 per hour, though that rate may include travel and hotel expenses. Another planning company, on the other hand, bills clients a flat fee of $800 per day (which can include as much as 16 hours of work) per on-site coordinator, plus air and hotel costs if the coordinator has to travel. These fees are negotiable based on volume.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Picking a good meeting planning company is a little like hiring a new employee--in addition to checking references, and maybe observing them in action, it's important to have a good rapport with the planner. You need someone who's really energetic--almost like a cruise director, but who is also a shrewd business manager, because they become your agent--negotiating for the best deals with the property and any of the other services you're buying.
CHECKING REFERENCES
The best way to find a good meeting planning company is to solicit recommendations from people you know, or find out who planned events you've attended that ran smoothly. If you don't know anyone who can recommend a good planner, try asking a hotel for suggestions. They'll usually steer you toward someone they find efficient and good to work with.
Here are some questions to ask references:
- Did the planning company meet the budget or did they exceed it? If the company went over the budget they were given, that could be a sign that they won't keep your interests at the forefront.
- Did they offer enough property and city choices? If the reference had to dig around or prod the company into doing necessary research, they aren't a good choice for your group.
- Did they keep the reference informed? If the meeting planner didn't provide enough information to make the reference comfortable, you might not be comfortable either.
- Were they available when needed? Phone calls should be returned in a prompt manner.
- Could they handle all aspects of the function, or were there things they had to outsource? If audio-visual, or team building, or airline reservations or other crucial aspects of the reference's meeting had to be handled by a third party, it might be best to start elsewhere.
OBSERVE THE PLANNER IN ACTION
Another good way to find a professional company is to observe the people running meetings that you attend. Here are some things to be on the lookout for:
How available are they on site? They should be visible and accessible for handling anything that comes up.
What are they doing while on site? Playing golf or lying by the pool should not be on the agenda of an on-site coordinator.
Does the on-site coordinator work well under pressure? Coordinating a meeting can be a stressful job, and grace under pressure is definitely a desirable trait.
What does the hotel think of that planner? Ask the hotel management if the planner seems knowledgeable about functions and in control of the event.
QUESTIONS TO ASK A PROSPECTIVE PLANNER
Here are some questions to ask the meeting planning company before signing a contract:
- How much experience does the staff have? You can never have too much experience, but the individual you're working with should have a minimum of four to five years, because at that point they've had some experience dealing with different kinds of problems and are less likely to panic when something goes wrong.
- What is the ratio of certifications like the CMP (certified meeting professional) to the rest of the company? Their staff should include at least 10 percent CMPs, and at least one person on any staff should hold the CMP.
- Can they handle all facets of a meeting? If company can't handle everything themselves, they should be educated enough to at least know all the different facets, and have suggestions about how to fill in anything they lack.
- Can they provide references? The company should be able to give at least three or four references, and some should be midsize or large companies.
- Who are other clients that may give that meeting planning company clout in lowering costs? Clients that hold many meetings, or particularly large events, get better discounts, and a savvy company can use its size to your advantage.
Additionally, observe the kinds of questions the planner asks you. The meeting planner has to have a sense of business, his or her own as well as yours. Remember, it's not a party you're throwing, but a business meeting with a pleasant atmosphere. To that end, a planner should work to learn about your team, their likes, dislikes, and the kind of pressures they are under.
You needn't limit yourself to a company in your area. An established meeting planning company will know enough about every destination to be able to put on a good, productive meeting for any client in any city.
YOUR MEETING PLANNING RESPONSIBILITIES
Okay, so you've found an experienced company that you feel comfortable with. You might want to start with a small event, to see how things work out, since they are now acting as your agent in what could be a very important, very complex process.
One of your biggest responsibilities in assuring that your meeting goes according to plan is to clearly set expectations--from the goals you want your meeting to accomplish to the feeling you want your attendees to leave with--and convey them to the meeting planner. The meeting planning company should be provided with the agenda of the meeting, what will be focused on, and why you are having the meeting, as well as the departure cities for attendees. A good meeting planning company can take that information and complete all the details, right down to helping decide where to have the meeting, based on such criteria as the location of attendees and the purpose of the meeting.
In order to make sure the planning company is acting on your wishes, and that you're comfortable with the arrangements, it might be helpful to set up check points to talk over the status of the plans. Convenient check points could be:
- At the time of selecting the property, banquet and catering, and arranging social or recreational activities. For example, if the event calls for some sort of sports or team building activity, the meeting planner should come back with some proposals and alternatives.
- After all the plans are in place, there might be a final checkpoint where the meeting planner walks you back through the whole choreographed meeting.
THE PLANNER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
Some things to look out for during the meeting planning process:
Is the company looking out for your budget? They should provide you with figures throughout the planning stages, and offer reasonable explanations for costs that are higher than expected.
Are they listening to your needs? They should reiterate your expectations back to you on several occasions and come through on your requests.
Have they given you enough information and documentation to make you comfortable? The company should provide you with everything you've requested, in writing if you desire.
Are they communicating frequently enough for you? They should keep you apprised well in advance of any deadlines, and should get back to you as frequently as you want them to. You may be comfortable with giving the planner free reign, or you may want daily updates on the progress being made.
Are they filling you in on the dos and don'ts of a particular property? They should outline the contract for you, making sure you're aware of cancellation penalties, what happens if you don't bring the number of attendees you expected and any other obligations.
Have they come up with interesting or creative ideas for your event? They should be able to offer suggestions for theme events or other things that will help your meeting stand out.
ON-SITE SERVICES
In the case of a meeting that has lots of attendees or many details to manage, including the shipping of displays or products, you might want to consider bringing your independent planner on site to assist you. An on-site coordinator can handle a tremendous number of things, including arranging airline changes and meeting schedule changes, while the attendees are actually at the function. Also, if any administrative services are needed in an emergency, the on-site coordinator will know how to accomplish them quickly.
Some things to consider:
How many attendees do you have? Usually for a 50 to 100 person meeting, it's a good idea to have one on-site coordinator, then one additional planner per each 100 travelers.
How many activities are there? Team-building programs, recreation outside the hotel, and spouse programs all demand additional coordination.
How many breakout rooms do you have? Multiple smaller rooms with set-up details demand more attention than a single meeting space.
How involved do the staff that hired the meeting planner need to be in the function? If you have to participate in the actual meeting, a meeting coordinator can be available to handle catering questions, changes in events, copies, and other administrative details so you don't have to be interrupted.
Once you're on site, there's very little interaction unless an anomaly comes up. Then, very discreetly, the meeting planner can alert you to difficulties like running low on food at a cocktail party, or a forecast of rain during a planned boat ride. On-site coordinators can monitor these details, working behind the scenes, and the majority of your attendees will never know there was a problem. Also, set some ground rules, so that up to an established threshold, the planner can use her own discretion in commiting to expenses.
TYING UP THE DETAILS
Whether you brought the planner on site or not, his job doesn't end when the meeting is over. A professional planner should also be available after your meeting to go over all the hotel and service charges to ensure the bill is correct. The meeting planning company ought to be very well acquainted with what should be there and what should not, perhaps even more so than you. And if there are unusual or questionable charges, the professional planner should be willing to contact the hotel, acting as your agent, and resolve any disputes to your satisfaction.
RESOURCES
The best way to find a good meeting planning company is through referrals. But if you can't get one that way, try researching on the Internet (See Online Services). There are starting places listed below. You can also contact your local chapter of Meeting Professionals International (972-702-3000). Most experienced companies will be involved in associations like MPI, because of the ongoing training and networking available. MPI also has lists of meeting planning companies available for rental.
ASSOCIATIONS
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) maintains a "special interest group" for independent meeting planning companies. This group is currently the organization's fastest growing membership segment. It also has a resource center that serves as a clearinghouse of information related to the meetings industry, and for a fee, depending on the nature of the research, it can offer information and articles on meeting planning companies, or rent lists of MPI members who provide professional meeting planning services. Call 972-702-3000 or go to www.mpiweb.org.
Convention Industry Council (CIC) has information on many of the associations that serve the meetings, hospitality, and business-travel industries. It also coordinates the meeting-planner certification program called the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). Call 202-429-8643 or visit the CIC webiste at www.conventionindustry.org.
PUBLICATIONS
For a list of the relevant publications, go to the Industry Publications page.
SUPPLIERS
To find a supplier, go to #9520, Supplier Finder.
RELATED SMN ARTICLES
For general information about planning meetings and conventions, see Doc. 5010, Meetings Overview; Doc. 5020, Plan a Great Meeting!; and Doc. 5021, How to Plan an Overseas Meeting.
