SPECIAL EVENT& CONFERENCE PLANNING Karen Goodlad, HMGT 1101 F12

Objectives  By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:  Evaluate the various subjects presented in the NY Times Travel Section  Understand the expectations of an oral presentation  Describe what should be done to prepare for a special event/conference  Prepare a BEO using appropriate industry terminology

Event Management/Conference Process ResearchDesignPlanCoordinationEvaluation

Research  Why should a special event/conference be held?  What is the purpose of the special event/conference?  Classification  Where should the special event/conference be held?  What is the expected outcome of the special event/conference?  What is the expected budget?

Design  Over arching theme  Brainstorming

Planning for an Event or Conference: Making Choices  Fam Trip  Site Inspection  Event Solutions Inspection Information Event Solutions  Site inspection check listcheck list  Request for Proposal  Proposal

Coordination of an Event or Conference: Communicating Details  Conference Report  All details about the conference as a whole  BEO  All details about events and food and beverage  Rooms Report/Rooming List  Registration Kit  Itinerary, Map, Special Events List, Transportation, Local attractions  Pre-con

Evaluation  Post-con  How else?

Events and Conferences: The People Involved  Event Manager, Event Planner, Event Staff  Banquet Manager  House Person  Captain  Server  Bartender

Speak Like a Conference & Event Planner  More terms from the Atlantic City Convention Center and Meeting PagesAtlantic City Convention CenterMeeting Pages  Perhaps a check list is in order: Meeting NetMeeting Net

Until We Meet Again…  Work in independently and in groups to prepare for accounting terms session on week 15  Identify the aspects of leadership that inspire you

Preparing for the Event or Conference  Plan  Decide the purpose of the meeting in a way that it is measurable.  Involve others  Assign a shared reading  Present trivia questions related to the meeting topic and give the correct answer in the first few minutes of the meeting.  Invite and inform  Include the purpose of the meeting and, preferably, the agenda.  If attendees come to the meeting prepared, less time will be spent answering background information questions and more time for discussing the important issues.  Prepare your documents in advance

Getting a Meeting Off to a Good Start  Meetings must start precisely on time  Do not punish those who are punctual.  Sets the stage for how serious the meeting and helps make the meeting effective.  Open the meeting with introductions.  State the purpose of the meeting and review the agenda. Assign approximate times to each agenda item

Create an Atmosphere for Participation  Everyone should feel comfortable in contributing to the decision-making process.  The chair is responsible for ensuring participation, focusing discussion, summarizing decisions, resolving conflict, and managing meeting dynamics.  Participants also have a responsibility to promote cooperation and mutual respect.  When creating an atmosphere of participation, the chair should encourage group discussion to get all points of view. Ask people to comment on something just said. Compliment people on their ideas and thank them for their input. Ask open-ended questions.  The chair should engage everyone into the decision making process.  If it just doesn't seem that the group can make a good decision right now, suggest tabling the matter until another time. You may want to ask someone to bring back more information, or form a committee to work on the issue.

Follow-up after the meeting  Timely follow-up is critical for continued productivity.  After the meeting is over, send the meeting information to all the participants.  It's also a good idea to include a summary of all the action items assigned during the meeting.  This acts as a reminder to all participants of who's responsible for what and by when.