Chapter 28 Meetings and Event Management Key terms Event A destination in search of an audience For example a football game taking place at a stadium Meeting An audience in search of a destination Meetings and Conventions Bring people together for a common purpose Meetings and Event Planners Work to ensure the purpose is achieved Conventions A special type of meeting held in a specific location Example seamlessly trade show Conferences Larger business or educational meetings without a tradeshow May last a single day or several days but they are held at one venue Economic Impact of Meetings and Events Meetings conventions and events contribute significantly to the travel of the One fourth of all air travel expenditures represent passengers attending a One third of all hotel room income is represented by guests attending tourism industry meeting or convention meetings Business travel Creates 2 4 million jobs Injects more than 240 billion into the national economy annually Generates 39 billion in federal state and local tax revenues Meetings and events the country Generate 27 billion in wages that are critical to local economies across Provide 16 billion in tax revenue at the federal state and local levels Support over 200 local convention centers around the country The Supplier Buyer Relationship Suppliers represent the destination or venue hosting the event Meeting planners who work for suppliers are constantly looking for opportunities to convince groups to schedule their next meeting at their locations Buyers are employed by organizations that plan meetings Employment opportunities for buyers include larger corporations industry associations government agencies educational institutions and event planning companies Meeting Professionals International MPI is the leading international organization of meeting planners and its membership reflects the balance between planners and supplier members Meeting Categories Categories include Corporations Meetings tend to center around product development and promotion training sessions or brainstorming new ideas Associations Often organized around a common interest and have an annual meeting which serves as the group s major fund raiser Marketers often refer to meeting prospects with the acronym SMERF Government agencies Civic groups Religious organizations S Social Hobby clubs M Military reunions E Educational Seminars R Religious Revivals F Fraternal groups Alumni gatherings Meetings serve to enhance employee motivation and productivity Corporate Meetings Meetings that are well executed and designed to meet specific objectives greatly contribute to the achievement of goals The benefits of successful meetings include the development of engaged employees improvements in the corporate culture more satisfied employees and increased employee retention The 3 aspects of work that employees consider most important are a Exciting challenging work b A chance to learn and grow c Great people to work with Corporate meetings address all three of the above aspects Bringing workers together in a less formal setting away from the workplace allows them to learn more about each other which translates into more trust and better communication Meetings also provide settings for educational seminars new product introductions trade shows and industry specific conferences and conventions The Meeting Planning Function Planners coordinate every detail of meetings and conventions from the speakers and meeting location to arranging for printed materials and audiovisual equipment The first step in planning a meeting is determining the purpose message or impression that sponsoring organizations want to communicate Next Planners choose speakers entertainment and content and arrange the program to present the organizations information in the most effective way Meeting and convention planners search for prospective meeting sites which primarily include hotels and convention conference centers Being close to a major airport is important for organizations that have attendees traveling a long way and are pressed for time Once they have narrowed down possible locations for the meeting planners must issue a request for proposal RFP to all possible meeting sites in RFP s state the meeting dates and outline the planner needs for the meeting Once the location is selected planners arrange which they are interested or convention Support services Coordinate facility Prepare the site staff convention Set up all forms of electronic communication needed for the meeting or Managing the details is the major component of planning On Site Logistics Register attendees and issue name badges Coordinate lodging reservations Arrange transportation Make sure all necessary supplies are ordered and transported to meeting Ensures that the meeting adheres to all the regulations including fire labor sites on time and food and beverage Finances Success Planners negotiate contracts with facilities and suppliers Oversee finances and budget of meetings and conventions An important part of the work is measuring how well the meetings The most common way to gauge their success is to have attendees fill out surveys about their experiences at the events and how they can improve purpose was achieved for the next event A more precise measurement of meeting success is return on investment how much money was made The Meeting Planner s Job Marketing is usually less important for corporate meeting planners because employees are generally required to attend company meetings Convention service managers Act as liaisons between the meeting facility and planners Planners who specialize in certain areas Conference coordinators handle most of the meeting logistics Registrars Handle registrations and payments Educational planners Coordinate the meeting content including speakers and topics The meeting planner is a high profile position and is of tremendous importance to achieving organizational success Event Tourism A well organized event can turn a place into a destination Festivals are important to communities because they help preserve the heritage of many cultures Special events are also important because they pull a community together and provide family oriented entertainment Special events can also build up infrastructure and add to the economic prosperity of a town or city Major events tend to stimulate investment into the service side of the hospitality sector especially hotels and restaurants Sports events lead
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