Sep 28, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
I don't think it should surprise you that most meeting planners don't ask enough questions of their potential partners or suppliers. While many focus on price and availability, if they are going to build a long-term relationship with a vendor, they need to go deeper. Event planners need to pinpoint how effectively they can work with a new hotel sales person, or event solutions company. Here are 5 questions to ask that can take you beyond the typical "rates and dates" conversation: Question...

Sep 26, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Sir Richard Branson has built his success running and managing 400+ different companies -- all without having a college education. In his latest book, "Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You in Business School", he spells out 18 of his best business success tips.  Today's lets examine a compulation of 6 of those tips -- applied to  the event meeting services industry. Here they are:  #1 You can't run a business without taking risks.  Take...

Sep 24, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Meetings and events can be so complicated nowadays. You have the client, venue, event audio visual rental company, IT staff and if your event is a hybrid one, you could be dealing with 2 to 4 additional organizations. And it isn't just a matter of ordering the equipment -- it's the management of the process that requires a fair amount of time and attention. Given this potentially complex process, what is the best way to proceed to make sure that everyone does their job and the att...

Sep 21, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
You value your employees and want to show them so, but you have a limited budget and are "busy, busy, busy". You also know in the coming year things are going to be tough. How do you show your most valuable asset --- your employees --- that you care about them? By holding an employee appreciation event!   Here are 8 ways to get started on planning an event to be remembered:  Tip #1: Establish an overall budget for the day.  Find out the budget number you have to ...

Sep 19, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Every business day, thousands of U.S. companies gather their sales team together for a meeting. The purpose might be the rollout of a product launching event, to share confidential company information, or to provide quota challenges or accolades to members of the team.  If you are responsible for gathering the sales professionals together -- whether it be monthly, quarterly, or yearly -- you may be wondering: "What are the essential elements of a successful sales meeting?...

Sep 17, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Sometime in your meeting career, you will need to plan a first-time event. The first gala or golf outing. The first employee gathering of a merged company. Or the first national user conference. Whatever the first meeting or event is, there are 5 essential elements that can make your planning process easier and get your attendees excited to come to this brand new event. They are as follows:  1) Have measurable and realistic objectives.  Having clear, definable goals will hel...

Sep 14, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
                                           You have been put in charge of obtaining top-notch speakers for your 2-day conference next year. Your budget numbers are limited and unfortunately most of the organization's volunteers are engaged in other priorities. So, it is up to you to find them and negotiate their contracts. Where do you start and what do you do? Here are 10 sequ...

Sep 12, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
There are so many technology options available for meeting planners, it can sometimes make your head swim. Smartphones, Tablets, and Laptops. Meeting apps and social channels. Video Walls and LED lighting. It seems as if every day, something new is being announced or enhanced. How does a poor meeting planner keep up? Start with identifying your needs, determine if technology can help, and then read about the latest and greatest options available to you.    Highlighted below are ...

Sep 10, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
                  The meeting room -- and how it is set up -- sets the tone for your event . Whether you are conducting a training session or holding an association conference, each meeting room needs to be thoroughly evaluated.  There are 3 important characteristics of any room set up: The room itself, the seating arrangements and the conference equipment rentals. Lets focus on these indicators and give you a better chec...

Sep 07, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Have you ever tried to assess what turns a good company into something great? The Reputation Institute conducts an annual global survey of more than 150,000 ratings collected from about 47,000 consumers and has determined that reputation is impacted more by what you stand for than what you sell. So, who's at the top and what can an event services company learn from these reputation leaders? This is the focus of today's blog.  BMW, SONY, Disney, Google, Apple, and Micr...