Meeting Sites Resource

 
Meeting planners (and meeting departments) have always been viewed as a “cost center”…not surprising, since they spend large amounts of money on meetings, conventions, incentives and events. e-engineering, downsizing and a renewed emphasis on productivity and quality is changing the way that organizations view meetings. This directly affects how meeting planners plan and execute meetings and how suppliers sell and provide service.

The need for quality meetings and learning forums has never been higher. The debate continues on how to create meetings that are not just cost efficient, but that are highly productive and maximize your return on investment (ROI). “Cost versus Value” is an important issue.

The most expensive component of a meeting is not sleeping rooms, food & beverage, air tickets or production, it’s “people and productivity time”…the cost to have people away at a meeting and not doing their primary jobs. A couple of examples are: a large financial services company in New York estimates that to have 150 of their top producers away from the office at a meeting is $75,000 an hour. A mid-west electronics company calculates an hourly cost of $20,000 to have 100 middle managers away at a meeting.
 
Put in these terms, a well planned, highly successful meeting is essential! The combination of people and productivity time and direct meeting costs are a huge investment. A new focus on strategies are required for companies and planners to be successful. The role of the meeting planner is changing. Today’s planners are moving from logistics specialists to communications specialists and are expected to show measurable results and demonstrate a return on investment. This requires effective communications with management and meeting sponsors. A focus on stated goals and objectives, an understanding of the adult learning process, the use of creative communications concepts, developing strategic alliances with select suppliers and consulting and evaluating results with management.

Effective outsourcing is an important part of the productive meeting process. Outsourcing is the assignment of a well-defined project to a third party for a specified length of time and a mutually agreed upon price and service level. The best way to start is an evaluation of your department or areas of responsibility. Determine the meeting planning components that must be kept “in house” and what services and support you can outsource. The need to outsource will change on a project basis. It is important to define the work or project, establish criteria and standards, agree upon costs and a timeline to complete the project. Select your supplier partners with care and educate them on your organization, project background and history including your specific goals and objectives. Evaluate results together in terms of quality, costs and improved productivity.

Meeting planners will be more “solution oriented“ when they take time to learn about their organization’s business, culture, philosophy, products, services and future plans. They stay on top of their industry’s trends and challenges. Planning highly productive meetings, achieving specific goals and objectives and improving people and productivity time, shifts the meeting professional to a “profit center” and a valued member of the management team!

The following will outline eight steps for improved meeting productivity and ROI:

    * PROGRAM REVIEW:Review meeting request and past meeting history including evaluations. Discuss specific results and recommendations with past meeting stakeholders and your design team.

    * NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Conduct a meeting needs assessment including audience profile, specific goals and objectives, and overall meeting requirements.

    * ACTION PLAN: Create an action plan including meeting design, format, communication, concepts, and learning outcomes. Review with meeting stakeholders and design team.

    * PROJECT TEAM: Put all assignments in writing with timelines and plan and coordinate with internal staff or departments and external resources and project partners.

    * MEASUREMENT: Discuss and agree with meeting stakeholders specific methods to measure results from the meeting.

    * BUDGET: Evaluate and present budget guidelines for all components of the action plan including all internal and external costs. Have meeting stakeholders “sign off” on action plan & budget.

    * IMPLEMENTATION: Implement action plan and meeting planning/ communications process. Changes will occur, but stay focused on goals and objectives and adjust and revise your plan as required.

    * EVALUATION PROCESS: Evaluate overall results against goals and objectives. From this feedback, formulate strategies for future program development and follow -up.

Summary: To assure highly productive meetings with bottom line results requires input from several key sources and a specific action plan. Maintain a focus on meeting goals and objectives and make timely adjustments as required. Carefully evaluate all results, use data for follow -up and future program development. Recap highlights/results and specific recommendations for the meeting stakeholders to review.
 
Jennifer W. Brown, CMP, is a Partner at Meeting Sites Resource, a global specialist in meeting site research and hotel/contract negotiations. The company also offers full-service meeting and event planning and Staff On- Site (SOS) for professional on-site meeting planning/logistics support. Jennifer can be reached at (949)250-7483 ext. 315 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it