May 07, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
De-de Mulligan, CMP, CMM has been an experienced meeting professional since 1993. She has planned, coordinated and executed over 1,500 meetings for groups from 10 to 10,000 individuals.    She has been an active blogger in the meetings industry since 2009, and writes meeting and event related pieces for AV Event Solutions, an audiovisual rentals and interactive technology tool rental company specializing in corporate and business meetings and events.    Mulligan ...

May 07, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Every event requires some negotiation by meeting planners whether it is making a simple request, persuading organizations to sponsor the event, or taking a hard line on pricing with suppliers. Often times planners think they need to be like lawyers or used car salespersons; trying to take, take, take and be totally adversarial. But it doesn't have to be that way -- there can be a different route to success.  Here are 3 tips to effectively get what you want and develop a win-win p...

May 04, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Ah..spring! The daffodils are out, the days are longer, and baseball season is in full swing. When I think of baseball, my mind often gravitates to great players such as Sandy Alamar, Johnny Bench, and Cal Ripkin, Jr.. But one player that probably is quoted the most often is Yogi Berra. Believe it or not, the funny sayings below can provide useful event meeting services insights. Here are 7 of his best quotes and how they relate to the industry. "You can observe a lot by just watc...