Being organized when planning a meeting is not an easy thing. The bigger the event, the more moving parts there are. When planning our annual meeting, I often feel like the guy at the circus who comes out with his spinning plates and his skinny sticks on which to balance them.
I have found a few things, though, that have been incredibly helpful tools to keeping all those plates in the air. Continue reading
Swine flu. The H1N1 virus. Whatever you call it, it’s a real thing. Honest. It’s not some government conspiracy created to ruin the meetings industry. Darn. I was kinda hoping it was a conspiracy. Since it’s not, I need to create a plan to deal with it at our annual meeting in October.
What am I going to do? Good question. I’m not sure. I’ll let you know what we end up doing. In the meantime, I’ve done a bunch of research, and have found a ton of suggestions.
Here are several suggestions for what YOU can do at your meetings! Continue reading
O, what times are these? Jobs are hard to keep, and harder to find. I’m blessed to be employed, but I’m not taking that status for granted, and neither should you.
Keep your resume updated. If you lose your job, your head won’t be in a good place for creating a shining example of who you are as a job candidate, so make sure that all you have to do is minor tweaks, not a major overhaul if (when!!) the time comes. Continue reading
I’m a perfectionist. I’m also a procrastinator. Anyone willing to admit they’re just like me?
Well, thanks! I’m glad to know I’m not alone. And, I’m happy to tell you that I’ve been getting help for my perfectly procrastinating ways. I have some tips for you, my friends! Continue reading
I’m really asking. I’ve been writing this blog for over a year, and I’ve never asked!
What would you like to know more about?
What subject matter can I research and write about?
What topics do you care about?
Saving money? Negotiating better contracts? Working smarter not harder?
Do you need inspiration? Motivation? Or just knowledge?
Tell me.
Brand name talent. Ugh. And, aahhh. There’s nothing like working with a professional speaker/singer/entertainer, is there?
They’re a pain in the backside, and they’re a blessing. They know exactly what they’re supposed to do, and they usually do it exceedingly well. But they can be SO high maintenance, SO expensive, and SO intimidating! Are they worth the trouble?
Yes.* Continue reading
I breathed a small sigh of relief earlier this week, when I read in MeetingsNet.com that the final TARP rules were published, and that meetings haven’t been totally bashed. Not a huge sigh, mind you. But, at least the government types haven’t completely lost their minds. Continue reading
The U.S. Travel Association is urging meetings professionals to take action and encourage your senators to vote YES on Travel Promotion THIS WEEK. Continue reading
Planners! We need to step up and speak out against the negative view the government seems to have taken regarding the corporate groups whose legitimate meetings have come under fire. Visit Meetings Mean Business, a web site designed by the U.S. Travel Association, to get educated on the facts, the steps you can take, and what our industry means to the U.S. economy.
For example, the meetings industry is directly responsible for 1 million jobs in this country – that’s 0.6% of all the jobs in this country. Not a small industry, and certainly not made up of frivolous events that are completely unnecessary. If the government steps in and eliminates the ability for businesses to host their meetings, we’ll all be in a world of hurt.
Get out there and spread the word!
Update: You can send an email or a letter to your congressman via this site. The U.S. Travel Association has pre-written a great letter with pertinent facts and information that your government representative can use to help the cause!
I’ll be taking some time off from posting (I’m having a baby any day now), but I do have a lot of great ideas stored up and will be back to posting in the coming months. Thanks for visiting!
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