look like a smarty-pants

Let’s all write smarter, shall we?

Wherever we use written communication (email, flyer, letter, blog, website, brochure), our goal should always be to convey our message clearly.

In what way does that make us better meeting planners?  Well crafted emails don’t need clarification.  Well written brochures attract more attendees.  Carefully worded contracts cause fewer problems down the line.

How can you ensure that you always use proper grammar, diction and punctuation?  Don’t know the difference between grammar and diction?  Have you always harbored a secret loathing for the semi-colon?

I read, in a blog post by Bud Bilanich (The Common Sense Guy), that you’re probably not alone.  Luckily, Bud has found a great online resource for help!  It’s called Upwrite Press, and in their Ongoing Support section, they offer many free tools to help us write better.  They have a blog, a monthly newsletter - even a podcast!

Below are some additional writing resources on the web.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/681/01/
http://www.businesswritingblog.com/
http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/faculty/kbrown/writing.html
http://www.managementhelp.org/commskls/cmm_writ.htm

Use the suggestions you find within these resources, and you’ll look like a smarty-pants in no time!

need a penny, take a penny…

Or, more accurately…  Have a room, leave a room: need a room, take a room.

The MeetingsCommunity Online (MeCo) has added a fantastic member benefit!  On June 20, MeCo introduced a message board dedicated to finding and offering attrition resale rooms!

I have rooms to sell!  What do I do?
If you ever find yourself in a position where you’re a few (or many) rooms short of meeting your contracted attrition minimum, this is the place to go to find planners who need rooms in that city.  Simply post the city, property, number and type of rooms available, along with the rate and dates, and then try not to hold your breath as you wait for the offers to come rolling in.

How do I post my offer?
You must be a MeCo member to use the message board, but it is free to join.  MeCo already has more than 2,000 members, so your offer will reach a nice, wide audience!

When should I post?
If you use this service, I strongly recommend posting at least a couple weeks before your reservation deadline.  Buyers will need some time to get organized and sell the rooms.

Is that all?
Request that the buyer sign a resale agreement, taking responsibility for the rooms they buy from you.  While they are doing you a favor by buying your rooms, they’re also preventing you from selling them to anyone else, and they should be willing to accept financial responsibility for the rooms you’re offering.

If you use the attrition resell message board, please come back here and post a comment about your experience!

are you as good as you think you are?

Well, are you?  Prove it!  Take the CMP exam, like me!

What is the CMP exam?  It’s the test that’s required to be awarded the Certified Meeting Planner title by the Convention Industry Council (CIC).  Learn more about why you should become a CMP here.

I applied, and was accepted, to take the CMP exam sometime in the next couple years.  I’m planning on taking the Winter 2009 exam.  It’s a daunting thing, to study for this exam.  The study materials are huge books, the test is long and multiple choice, and not everyone passes on their first try.

Therefore, I was thrilled to know that PCMA and CIC have decided to add another study aid to assist us in preparing for this exam.  As reported in MeetingsNet.com, PCMA and CIC are joining forces on International CMP Study Day for the August 2008 exam - the study day is July 18, 2008, with locations across the globe!

While the article states that they’re hoping to make this an annual event, I’m hoping they provide a study day before each of their testing dates.  Meanwhile, if anyone else is planning on taking the Winter ‘09 exam, let me know - I need to join a study group!

don’t poison your attendees

Don’t poison your attendees.  Seems like an obvious statement, but how often do we consider ALL of the ways we could be harming our guests?!

Most planners hire florists to decorate their meetings with plants and flowers to enhance the look and feel of the event.  It’s a great practice that I fully support.  Everything looks a little better with some greenery.  But have you ever considered whether the plants being used are harmful to humans?  Have you thought to specify “non-toxic” plants with your florist?

I certainly had never thought about it before, but a recent thread on MeCo brought up some great points and included a few informative links.

A couple things to take away from this:

• If you’re hosting an outdoor event, add “flora & fauna” to your inspection list.  Check for obvious things like poison ivy and request that the venue eliminate the plants or cordon off the area.
• Check out this site for a list of commonly found toxic plants.
• Make sure that if the caterer uses garnish, that they only use edible garnishes - nothing that’s just for show (including plastic!)

Here are a couple of links for reference on edible flowers:

• http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm
• http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm

save me (money, that is)!

Be a hero to your attendees - help them save money on their participation in your meeting!

Helping your participants save money isn’t an entirely altruistic endeavor.  Meeting organizers can earn benefits while participants receive discounts.  Meetings of all sizes and shapes can qualify for these discount programs.

Airline Discounts
Many airlines offer discount group fares - with savings from 2% to 15% off the lowest available fares.   American requires at least 10 tickets be purchased, United requires 25 tickets.  Other airlines offering similar programs: Delta, Northwest, Southwest, US Airways.

The concept for most of these programs is that you provide the dates and location of your meeting to the airline and determine when people will fly in and out (usually a couple days on either side of the meeting).  The airline gives you a special discount code that you provide to your attendees, and anyone flying in for your meeting gets the discount.  Most programs also offer the organizer (you) free tickets if enough people book using your discount code.

Airport Shuttle
Ground transportation to and from airports is getting more expensive, too.  But, here again, group discounts can be negotiated.  Super Shuttle has service in most major US cities, and they offer a program very similar to the airline program - provide the meeting dates and anticipated travel dates to the shuttle company and they’ll provide you with a discount code.  Discounts range from 10% to 20% of published fares.  Also, encourage your attendees to book their ground transportation in advance, as this usually nets further savings.

Taxi Service
Here, I can only speak for Chicago, but if you call ahead, most taxi companies offer flat rates between the airports and popular destinations throughout the city and suburbs.  If you don’t call ahead, your ride is charged on the meter.  For example, if I call ahead for my ride between O’Hare and home, the ride is $45, but if I just hop in a cab when I arrive at the airport, my ride is around $80.  It’s definitely worth the call.

Hotels
I kinda figured this one went without saying, but I’ll say it anyway - look into contracting a block of rooms for any meeting that has out-of-towners in attendance.  If you need function space at a hotel, and you have any number of people needing accommodations, it is most definitely worth the effort to set up a block of rooms.  Not only can you negotiate better rates for your attendees, but you can earn discounts for the organizer as well (reduced room rental or F&B minimums, complimentary sleeping rooms or upgrades).

What else do you do to save your attendee money?

mind your p’s and q’s

Most people know the basics of social etiquette, but business etiquette is a little bit different, and can help planners shine in the eyes of those we work with.

Social Etiquette vs. Business Etiquette
For example, in social etiquette, it is still proper for men to open doors for women.  However, in business etiquette, whoever reaches the door first should hold the door for those coming after them.  Furthermore, in social etiquette, it is usually proper for the man to pay for a meal.  Whereas, in business etiquette, the person who extended the invitation to dine is expected to buy.

Resources
I have assembled a few resources for business etiquette guidelines.  Click and learn!

http://www.dba-oracle.com/consultant_etiquette_manners.htm

http://career-advice.monster.com/business-etiquette/Business-Etiquette-You-Should-Know/home.aspx

http://www.ravenwerks.com/practices/etiquette.htm

http://www.etiquetteexpert.com/etiquette-tips.html

 http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-16-2004-60520.asp

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-23-2004-60742.asp

http://www.mannersinternational.com/etiquette_tips_business.asp

when i grow up…

Considering a career in meeting planning?  Here are a few online resources to help you decide if this career path is right for you.

U.S. Department of Labor - Contains a great description of the job, education and training, as well as earnings potential.  There is also a downloadable PDF of the same information.

Wikipedia - Contains a list of all the related certifications a planner can earn, along with links to the issuing organizations.  Wikipedia also has a separate page for Event Planners.

CareerPlanner.com - Has a very thorough listing of the job requirements/tasks, skills and abilities, as well as basic knowledge requirements for a meeting planner.

PCMA Career Center - Links to the same Dept. of Labor site as I do, but also has some good advice about the job search and explains a bit about the PCMA job boards.

As I was reading through the descriptions, I found that this career demands more of a person than I realized I was giving.  And I think it’s important to note - to be truly successful as a planner, you need to “live it”.  The skills and abilities listed on CareerPlanner.com have to become second nature to you.

The best planners I know don’t think about picking up the discarded napkin that’s on the floor (no matter where they are or who dropped the napkin).  They just pick it up and throw it away.  What does the napkin have to do with meeting planning?  The napkin is a tiny, seemingly insignificant detail - great planners don’t miss those.

One other thing to note - meeting planning is not a 9-to-5 job.  It is a career and lifestyle choice that many people find incredibly rewarding, but others find overwhelming.  It’s certainly not for the faint of heart.

honey, i’m [sending a bunch of stuff] home!

It’s the last Thursday in May, and to end my series of onsite nuggets, I’m writing about packing up your meetings for the return trip.

When you’re shipping items back to the office, do you take the time to organize your shipment as well as you do when you’re sending it to show site?  You should!  It will make it that much easier for you to return your supplies to their proper storage areas, as well as speed up the process of closing the meeting once you’re back home.

Here are some quick and easy things you can do to ensure your return shipment doesn’t cause you headaches!

1. Toss damaged items onsite.  Don’t pay to ship damaged or sub-par pieces (pens without caps, broken pencils, dried out highlighters, crumpled copier paper) back to the office, when you’ll only end up throwing them away as you unpack.
2. Pack like items together.  If some items will be returned to your marketing department, pack all of their stuff together.  Same with office supplies, registration supplies, education materials, etc.
3. Use small boxes in good condition.  Larger boxes get heavy and tend to be placed on the bottom of all shipments (often damaging contents).  Smaller boxes are easier to move, require fewer packing peanuts (yay, environment!), and don’t get damaged as often.  They have the added benefit of helping you limit the number of different types of items you pack in one box.
4. Remove old shipping labels.  Use scissors to peel off any old labels (don’t just cross them out with your Sharpie), as automated routing machines may pick up on the wrong bar code and misdirect your whole shipment!
5. Create a shipping manifest.  Note the contents of each box on a shipping manifest, and then number each box to track what’s where.  This becomes so much easier when you pack like items together.

Finally, be sure you make a copy of all of the tracking numbers for your return shipment, in case anything does go missing (or in case you’re bored at the airport and want to see where your highlighters are).

i’m seein’ stars

When you go on vacation, do you check the hotel website to see whether or not they have a pool?  Or, find out if they received three diamonds or four stars?

If so, you know how important those things are when making a hotel selection.  Do your attendees a favor, and include some detail on the properties available in your housing block so they can make informed choices and be happy with their selections.

Research the offerings that each hotel has, including pool, gym, spa and Internet access.  You can also list the AAA or Mobil rating for the hotels.  The easiest way to compile this information is using each hotel’s website and the AAA and Mobil sites.

It doesn’t take long, and your attendees will greatly appreciate it.

hey, thanks

Gratitude can be expressed in many ways.  In the moment, most folks tend to whip off a quick “thanks” as they toodle on their merry way.

Chicago print shop, Greer Chicago, has come up with a delightful idea to take that “thanks” and make it a little more meaningful.  They’ve designed thank you cards, called “Civilettes“, that you don’t add anything to - no personal note necessary.

They are meant to be handed (in the moment) to the gentleman who lets you have the cab you were both vying for, the coworker who stayed late one night to help you finish that presentation binder, or the stranger who went out of her way to hold the door for you when you were tugging the stroller behind you.  They don’t come with envelopes, so they’re easy to grab and give.

I think they’re a beautiful way to express simple gratitude.  And, they’re recyclable, in the absolute best sense - they have “please reuse” printed on the back, so that the recipient might pass it along to the stranger who helps them carry a heavy package into the post office.

I mention them here on my blog because I also think they’re a fantastic addition to the gratuity that you leave for housekeeping, bellman and concierge, as well as certain gratuities you may give, in person, to those who service your meetings.