Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Bacak

Planning a conference means details, details, details!

So let’s look at the details necessary for planning a successful conference.

The Right Time

What may be the perfect time for you may not be the perfect time for your attendees or the city/hotel you want to use. Plan and coordinate a time that would be suitable to all. You can’t please everyone in this, but it is best to schedule it around the important attendees and speakers.

Avoid any holidays or important events during the time that may affect attendance such as religious holidays and other industry-related events.

The Right Location

The right location, with the necessary facilities, is the key in making an event attractive to potential attendees. It’s best to hold conferences in a cosmopolitan city, which is also a business hub.

The city's convention and visitor’s bureau (CVB) Web site will provide you information about other conventions, meetings or sporting events taking place during the same time. The local CVB also can assist you in finding the right hotel for your event. They will send your lead out to all their member hotels so you don't have to contact each individually. Be sure to identify what type of hotel property you are interested in i.e., four-star, close to the airport etc. Make sure there are plenty of travel options by air, train or road.

The Right Hotel

The right hotel is pivotal to the success of your conference; make sure the hotel has all amenities that might be important to your conference needs.

The hotel must have, fully geared Business Centers with state of the art facilities coupled with boardroom and meeting rooms. A multi function room to cater to meetings, theatre style seminars and promotions and exhibitions, is important, and of course, sit down dinners and lunches with full and latest audio + video conferencing facilities.

Find out what food and beverage venues the hotel offers or are within walking distance, especially if you are not providing breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.
 

The Right Equipment

Most hotels have an audio/visual department, and this department also controls the sound. But they also service other groups in the hotel as well. Consider arranging for a technician to be in your conference room at all times.
 

If your presentation is on a computer, make sure you back-up your presentation to a jump drive. Podium microphones and wired lavaliere microphones are the least expensive. Make sure your video devices are setup for maximum exposure.

Pre event checks

Two weeks prior to your event, send your specifications to your hotel, include: date, time, set-time, rehearsal times, room set-ups, microphone and audio/visual requirements, and any special needs you may have.

Catalog the number of meeting rooms needed; seating set-up, number of seats; AV requirements; food and beverage rooms, offices, and/or storage.

If space is stretched and you need multiple meeting rooms, try scheduling the main session in the morning or afternoon and use the same meeting room for lunch.

Ask the hotel to list amenities that might be important to your group i.e., free wireless, health club, room service, spa facilities etc.

Be sure to review the catering menus and prepare an estimated budget.

Check your meeting room setup as soon as possible, before doing anything else.

Request the room to be set for 25 percent more than you expect.

Schedule a daily meeting with everyone that is involved with your event including the catering manager, convention services manager, AV and sound technicians.

Last but not the least pays attention to details, details and details.

Prabhash Bhatnagar is Manager of Sales & Marketing, maker of hotel management software and Resort management software handles the key aspects of the running of client’s business, including bookings & reservations, Housekeeping, Spa, POS and generating reports. For further details, contact prabhash@blueappleonline.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Prabhash_Bhatnagar

If you are planning to host corporate and association meetings, conferences, training sessions, seminars, sales and marketing presentations, product launch event and other special events, then executive conference centers are the right choice.

With award-winning facilities, executive conference centers provide elegant and efficient meeting space to accommodate small to large size meetings. These days, executive conference centers are gaining more popularity among the business community. To make your executive meeting a total success, executive conference centers provide you with a professional business environment that is conducive to corporate meetings.

Executive conference centers provide facilities such as meeting rooms, training rooms, board rooms, and conference rooms that are fully furnished with executive chairs, computer chairs, conference tables, sofa, and easels. They are also equipped with a wide range of audio/visual equipments such as overhead projectors, LCD projector, DVD player, VCR player, Cable TV, and podium microphone.

Wireless high-speed internet access, printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines are also provided in executive conference centers. Apart from the above facilities, they provide professional on-site conference service staff to provide assistance in meeting or event planning.

To make your business meeting a memorable experience, executive conference centers provide leisure time facilities such as fitness center, gym, athletic clubs, swimming pool; exquisite dining options, and beverages. In short, everything you need ranging from productive meeting rooms to a comfortable guest room is available with executive conference centers.

Executive conference centers that are conveniently located close to popular attractions and shopping areas are more favored by business people. Some of the best executive conference center options are AMA?s executive conference centers at New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC; St. Louis Executive Conference Center, Davidson Executive Conference Center, Babson Executive Conference Center, and R. David Thomas Executive Conference Center. To take advantage of excellent meeting facilities, one can book these conference centers either online or by contacting over the phone.

Conference Centers provides detailed information on Conference Centers, Hotel Conference Centers, Online Conference Centers, Best Conference Centers and more. Conference Centers is affiliated with Audio Conferencing.

Macromedia's Breeze Meeting is one of the premier entries in the web conferencing software arena. This article is one in a series that describe the features of the major web conferencing software products that are on the market today.

Let me say at the outset that the functionality and features of Breeze are much too plentiful to be completely described here, and I'll cover only some of the Breeze Meeting features to try and give you a sense of what you can accomplish with the package.

Meeting Rooms

A Breeze "meeting room", your virtual meeting place, is persistent, which is a fancy way of saying that the content of your meeting - notes, presentations, and chat contents are automatically saved for you. Meeting rooms can have a custom layout defined that is also automatically saved. By the way, Mac users, Breeze supports OS X 10.2 and 10.3.

Application and Desktop Sharing and Remote Control

Any web conferencing software worthy of the name includes the ability for the presenter to share applications on his/her desktop with the other participants in the meeting. One very powerful use of this technology is remote software installation. I described in an earlier article in this series the process of receiving an application software upgrade using conferencing software. The latest release of Breeze includes improved desktop sharing that allows shared presentations to be viewed in full-screen mode by the participants. In addition, the presenter (the meeting controller) has the option to synchronize all the participant's screens. The remote control facilities of the product now support full screen mode also. If you're not familiar with it, remote control actually let's one participant control the desktop of another - the first time I watched the mouse pointer on my screen under the control of someone else, it seemed a bit eerie, but I quickly adjusted - its a very powerful facility.

Attendee Management

If you're holding an online meeting of any sort, wouldn't you want to be able to track who is/isn't there and to know if they're connected properly? Breeze provides the ability for the presenter to see who is in the meeting and their connection status. If the purpose of your gathering is training, attendance is taken for you!

Audio Conference Call Control

One way web conferencing software products provide the audio portion of the meeting is through a telephone conference call. Breeze now incorporates the ability to control an external conference call from within the application. You can dial out to meeting participants, control the mute/unmute function (in case someone gets a little too verbal), even eject participants if necessary (the overly verbal guy!). In addition, the controls to record the meeting are part of the interface.

Microsoft Outlook Integration

Breeze is now integrated with Microsoft Outlook. Anyone working in an office environment (and overwhelmed with meetings) will appreciate the convenience of this feature. You can schedule Breeze meetings and invite attendees right in the familiar Outlook environment. Users can even join a Breeze meeting right from their Outlook calendar.

Multi-point Video

The one aspect of a real meeting that web conferencing often doesn't provide is the visual presence of the participants. Breeze now features improved multi-point video - meaning that multiple users can be supported with video input from webcams. I suspect it won't be long before video input becomes a more common aspect of all web conferences.

Whiteboarding, participant polling, participant permissions, and moderated Q&A sessions are some of the other Breeze features that can't be covered here.

The last very interesting bit about Breeze is that it runs under Flash, which is already installed on most computers, which means they can all access Breeze Meetings without installing any additional software.

Peter Cullen runs http://www.Web-Conference-Info.com where web conferencing software is reviewed and relevant articles are posted.

You're sitting in a room full of eager business owners at a networking event. One by one, everyone stands up and introduces themselves, hopefully gaining the opportunity to find one or two new prospects in the crowd.

Unfortunately, most business people stink at Introductions.

Take for instance the remarks made at a recent event I attended. A hotel sales rep introduced himself and stated that his hotel offered beds, meals and meeting rooms. Oh really? How many hundreds of hotels offer that, I thought. What he said was essentially the same introduction used by all the hotel sales people in the room that day.

What if one of them had said something like this?

"Hi, my name is Bob, sales manager with Big City Hotel. Sure, we have meals and beds and meeting rooms like all the other hotels. But they don't have Ruth, our front desk supervisor who's been serving our guests for more than 22 years. Her only responsibility is to help you have an extraordinary stay at our hotel."

Which hotel has the best chance to get your business? The one with meals, and beds and rooms, or the one with all that, plus a great staff.

And Bob can strengthen his relationship with his audience at the next meeting. What happens if he brings Ruth with him and lets her introduce herself during the Introductions? Talk about making an impression on the crowd! By the time the meeting is over, everyone there will be best friends with Ruth.

As good as that is, Bob isn't done yet. He can make a bigger value statement at the next meeting. This time Bob quickly introduces himself and then plays a short recording:

"Hi, this is Tom, sales director at XYZ Company. We had our annual sales meeting at Big City Hotel a few months ago and it was the best we've ever had. Ruth and her staff waited on our people and took care of everything we needed. She was fantastic."

Now that's an Introduction. So the next time you're attending a networking event, can you introduce your value to your audience when you introduce yourself? What is a benefit you can highlight that none of your competitors can claim? What is it you do better than everyone else?

That's the best place to start.

Larry Baltz runs a company called More Sales – More Profits. He works with small business owners who want to get more clients and sell more products and services. Larry is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and small business marketing expert. For his free report, “Knock-Their-Socks-Off” Promotion and Marketing, go to http://www.moresales-moreprofits.com for your copy.

If you're in the process of organising a large function - whether it's a corporate meeting, an extended family reunion or a blow-out wedding - you'll likely find yourself under a lot of stress. From booking the event location to making sure that all the necessary attendees are notified, event planners and co-ordinators are bound to have a lot on their plate at any given time in the planning process. That is why it's essential for event planners to seek help from a trusted expert that will help them cover all the bases.

Many event and meeting locations - such as hotels or conference centres - offer detailed help and comprehensive support if you book with them. Through direct booking or online booking, the best event locations will offer first-class event planning services, including a Guest List manager, the ability to book multiple group reservations at one time and the opportunity to view floor plans online in order to create the perfect seating setup for your guests.

Some hotels that offer event planning help, such as Hilton Embassy Suites, even offer the opportunity to create a personalized online group web page with a unique web address, so that your guests or meeting attendants will be able to book their own guest rooms. For example, if you're planning a wedding, creating your own wedding website could work wonders during the planning process. Your guests will have the option to RSVP online, book rooms in the hotel in which your wedding is being held and view your wedding gift list online as well.

If it's a business meeting you're planning, then many hotel meeting venues will help you determine how to divide your budget between meeting space, food and beverages, guest rooms (if necessary) and any audio or visual rental equipment you might need. What's more, you'll find detailed advice on how to plan daily schedules, should your conference carry on for more than one day. If you're trying to plan a large social gathering of friends, then meeting venues will even help you compile a list of what you require for your function: for instance, whether or not you'll need a dance floor or a stage.

Whatever type of event or meeting you're planning in a hotel meeting venue, make effective use of the checklists and organisational services available to you. This will not only ensure that your event gets off to a roaring start, but will also take some of the pressure of your own shoulders.

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist who travels extensively.

Planning a meeting, corporate event or conference can be a trying task - particularly if you expect the event to be a large one. But before you despair over thoughts of potential meeting mishaps, remember that there is help at hand.

There are a number of comprehensive resources to which you can turn when planning a meeting or event - from extensive checklists to professional event planners. And whether you're a practiced corporate event planner or are about to embark on your first ever event-planning effort, it's always essential to make full use of these resources.

One of your most significant event planning resources will likely be the venue at which you choose to hold your event. That's because event venues are usually equipped with a range of internal event services and facilities, such as audio-visual technology and dedicated event staff. However, you'll likely still need to outsource various other services, such as transportation and accommodation (if the event requires travel) and possibly even catering services. In the end, all the outsourcing can amount to a lot more work than you had bargained for - meaning the organization of your event might face compromise.

However, certain types of venues, such as hotels, can offer a comprehensive set of event services through a single facility, meaning that your event planning package can encompass all of your meeting requirements. For instance, many hotels operate divisions that specialise in organizing hotel meetings and events, in addition to providing meeting facilities, catering and event staff, as well as guest accommodation - so you'll be covered in terms of both meeting services and event facilities.

Moreover, hotels can offer exclusive services which are personalised to ensure success for you and your event - so you can expect your event to run according to your company's unique needs and requirements. And finally, you'll find countless hotels that are ideally situated for business travel, whether that means being located in close proximity to the airport or having easy access to the city's business district.

So, whether you're planning a large corporate conference or a small company meeting, you'll have a number of essential factors to consider. Choosing to hold your meetings and events at a hotel will give you access to a wide range of meeting and events facilities, as well as tailored support to produce a successful event - meaning that no factor will be overlooked.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists traveling and rugby among his interests.

If you've ever attempted to make a group hotel booking, you'll know how difficult it can be. When it comes to business meetings or conferences in particular, mass hotel bookings can be particularly hard to co-ordinate. After all, it's likely that all the delegates attending the business meeting you're planning will be arriving from different parts of the country at different times; so how can you be sure all their rooms are secure? You'll also have to ensure that you have sufficient meeting space for your business delegates, as well as refreshments and audio/visual equipment - so things could get a little overwhelming!

However, the development of the internet over the past few years has meant that hotels have come with increasingly sophisticated ways for their guests to book hotel rooms - and this is especially useful when it comes to group business hotel bookings. Many top hotels and hotel chains, for instance, will offer comprehensive online group booking facilities, allowing you to book multiple guest rooms, a meeting room, food and beverages and any audio/visual equipment you might need with just a few clicks of a button.

From a business perspective, making e-bookings for your business conference can make your business meeting scheduling as productive as possible. You'll be able to estimate the right-sized room for your business meeting without having to travel to the hotel in question personally. What's more, the best business e-booking hotel providers will allow you to pick the arrangement of your room. So, rather than having to supervise layout of tables, chairs and a stage yourself, you can draw out a plan for hotel staff to follow to your requirements.

Often, you'll even be able to select from food and beverage menus. This way, if your business delegates have any particular dietary requirements - such as vegetarian or kosher food - you can make sure that they'll be well catered for. You'll also have the opportunity to order ample beverages for the business meeting - so the attending businessmen will always have something available to quench their thirst when the effect of the day's heated business debates takes its toll.

What's more, online business hotel booking facilities will even help you find the right equipment and technical facilities that you'll need for your business conference. You'll be able to choose from a variety of options, including high-speed internet access and Wi-Fi to top of the range AV projectors and visual screens for presentations.

So the next time you're organising a business conference in a hotel, make sure you choose a venue which offers business e-booking facilities online. For example, the Hampton Hotel E directory lists over 1400 hotels and locations, so you certainly won’t lack for choice! And, not only will you increase the efficiency of your task, you'll also have more time to get involved in what's most important - the business meeting itself!

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists travelling and rugby among his interests

The primary objective of a convention center is to facilitate events that generate economic benefit. As a concept, convention centers are advanced meeting solutions combined with modern accommodations.

The success of a meeting depends, to a certain extent, on the environment in which it is conducted. Organizations require private and comfortable spaces to accommodate varied groups. They need audio and video resources for live presentations. Atlanta hotels have large convention meeting spaces with advanced equipment. Atlanta hotel and convention centers are ideal for national and local conventions, corporate meetings, association programs, retreats and seminars.

The features of a convention center can be customized to meet the requirements of guests. Light, sound, and room temperature are self-controllable in convention rooms. Seats are designed to give maximum comfort, and writing surfaces are provided. There are deluxe rooms that combine the coziness of a luxury hotel with the latest amenities and technologies. The rooms in Atlanta hotels meet all the criteria laid out by the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). Atlanta hotels offer their guests a laptop, as well as wired and wireless Internet connections. Atlanta hotel and convention centers also supply technicians and staff for the coordination of events.

Additional services at Atlanta hotels include welcome packages and mailings, activities and entertainment programs, recommendations for sightseeing and recreational activities, housing assistance, bid presentations, media coverage and publicity, color slides or digital photography, information tables at registration, and marketing support. The restaurant services at the convention centers offer event catering, décor, and theme consultations to welcome guests. Atlanta hotels also help to engage experienced event-planning professionals who can manage events and ensure the success of conventions. The event manager schedules a pre-event conference with the convention event professionals to coordinate the required services. Atlanta hotels meet all the demands put forward by event planners. Atlanta hotel and convention centers thus give prime importance to overall guest satisfaction.

Atlanta Hotels provides detailed information on Atlanta Hotels, Atlanta Luxury Hotels, Atlanta Airport Hotels, Downtown Atlanta Hotels and more. Atlanta Hotels is affiliated with Boston Luxury Hotels.

Business meeting is an important happening in every business venture. If you are a manager or owns the company, every time you will like the business meeting to take place at a location giving all your executives a wonderful experience. Business meeting and conference is one thing that marks a very impressive occurrence in business. Business hotels equipped with good facility and services are worth making your business meeting and conference a success. Whether it is general body meeting of managers or you are willing to organise a business conference, a good business hotel will meet all demands.

It is important to consider several things before you have finally booked a hotel for your business meeting and conference. Many of us have notion that business hotels are boring place to be. In fact, such hotels are great place to sharpen your business acumen, and give you a better insight of your business. It is the place where you come to know many of your business associates, and experience good business exposure.

Today, business hotels are equipped with very well appointed services and facilities. The entirely furnished rooms endowed with all facilities keep guests at complete ease. Lush green lawn where you can take a walk, open top and spacious swimming pool, reading room and game room are places to keep you prettily engaged when you are away from your business meeting.

Having ample of facilities, these hotels are worth managing corporate gathering. Be it business conference, convention or simple business meeting, business hotels have special arrangements to meet your all needs. The conference hall would usually have facilities, such as wi-fi access, computer projection, OHP, LCD screens, whiteboards, excellent audio tools and equipments, good catering service, etc. Availing the facility of business hotels for all your official requirements, you need to find a service provider which gives you all information about all such hotels located at place where you want your meting/conference t be held.

About The Author: Dona Markley writes for UK Conference venues that offers free service to find conference venues and centres in the UK and worldwide. She has done her masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting UK Conference Venues as a marketing specialist.

So, you have a potential client who’s requested a meeting with you—at “your office”. But, you work at home. And, if you’re anything like me, your home may not be worthy of a spread in Architectural Digest, or even Not-Quite-A-Safety-Hazard Gazette. What to do?

As an independent professional, I’ve had meetings literally everywhere you can imagine—parking lots, onboard boats, and at mutual friends’ weddings. I’ve even met extremely busy clients at their supermarket and walked the aisles with them, asking questions while they shopped. But, that’s a bit extreme. There are several more tame options for alternate venues for meetings. Here are a few:

- Go to see them. When I offer to “come to them”, most clients are thrilled and flattered – they think that you’re taking great care of them, and they’re glad to not have to worry about travel time. If they work out of their home, they may be comfortable having the meeting at their place. I’ve even found that going into my clients’ offices and homes helps to give me an idea of their design and organizational styles. It even gives me an idea of how much project management may be required on a particular project—if their home is chaotic, there’s a good chance that the project will be, too.

Just be sure to dose up on allergy medication if you have any pet allergies—you never know when “Fluffy” may be lying in wait. Pets are even common in offices these days—which I learned the hard way (with a combination of much sneezing and a rescheduled meeting).

- There’s always the local coffee shop. Though this option is now a bit “laughed at” as the official meet-up for freelancers, many clients don’t mind meeting here. Make sure that you don’t schedule the meeting for the early morning rush hours if possible, so you’ll have some peace and quiet. Better yet, do an audit of the off- name coffee shops in your area; small, local places are often more cozy and atmospheric than the local Starbucks’. You may even find a shop nearby with free Internet access, which will enable you to show your live, online samples in a meeting —a great benefit.

- Restaurants are a good option, too. Everyone needs to eat lunch, right? So, a restaurant can be the perfect place to take care of lunch and business at the same time. Visit several of the restaurants in your area to read the menus, get an idea of the food quality and options, the price range, and the atmosphere and seating arrangements. Do a bit of advance consultation on the restaurant choice with your client, too; it’s a good idea to make sure your client’s not a vegetarian if you’re planning to take them to the steak house. And Plus, good etiquette often dictates that you pick up the tab. (At least it’s tax deductible.)

- Hotel lobbies can be comfortable. There’s a hotel by my house that has a grand, sweeping foyer with several groupings of armchairs, sofas and tables. This particular hotel is very accommodating to occasional business meetings; but you may want to check your local hotel before scheduling a meeting there. I suggest phoning ahead to inquire whether they’d mind if you have a meeting there, or go by yourself and “hang out” for an hour or two, with your laptop or a good book, to make sure that their security team doesn’t get itchy about your presence. You don’t want to get shut down mid-meeting!

- Many public and school libraries have conference rooms. You can either use these rooms on a first-come, first-served basis, or you can sign up for a specified time— depending on the library. The good news here is that you get a large, private, quiet space, and if there is a cost associated, it’s often minimal.

- Check with your professional associations. Many professional associations offer meeting space as a member benefit. For example, some Chambers of Commerce offer their meeting rooms to their membership. Check with the associations that you belong to, and see if they offer any spaces to conduct meetings.

- Outdoor sculpture gardens or parks can boost creativity. For these two options to work, you need favorable weather and an open-minded client, and when the combination’s right, great things can come of these meetings. Walking while you talk can also keep the inspiration, and your blood, flowing. A dog-owning client will often love this idea—as long as you like dogs too, invite the pooch along!

- Form an alliance. If you have a friend, business acquaintance or client with an office space, you may be able to arrange to take an occasional meeting at their workplace. I have a couple of such alliances, and I offer my alliance partners small consultations and bits of help in exchange.

- Rent-a-room. I’m not talking about a sleazy motel room! If you’d like to present a buttoned-down, professional image, there are several options for conference rooms that you can rent by the hour. There are “Executive Centers” popping up all around the world that rent out office space and conference rooms on an as-needed basis. HQ Global (www.hq.com), some FedEx Kinkos (http://www.fedex.com/us/ officeprint/storesvcs/technology/conference.html?link=4) locations and many hotels offer executive meeting space.

Choosing a great place to have a meeting involves developing a bit of intuition about your client, and doing some research on the options available in your area. However, with a touch of creativity and sometimes a bit of cash, you can find a great place that will be host to a comfortable, project-winning or relationship-building meeting.

About the Author Erin Ferree, Founder and Lead Designer of elf design, is a brand identity and graphic design expert. She has been helping small businesses grow with bold, clean and effective logo and marketing material designs for over a decade. elf design offers the comprehensive graphic and web design services of a large agency, with the one- on-one, personalized attention of an independent design specialist. Erin works closely in partnership with her clients to create designs that are visible, credible and memorable – and that tell their unique business stories in a clear and consistent way. For more information about elf design, please visit: Logo design at http://www.elf-design.com

If you're a businessman who travels often, the chances are you know what to look for in a good hotel room. And, if you're the kind of business traveller who spends a lot of time on the road, you might also carry around photos of your family, or other small items from home to make yourself feel more comfortable in your hotel room - after all, it's the small things that can make someone feel at home!

But most of all, it's important that you can enjoy the convenience of staying connected to the internet and in touch with technology at every turn. Modern business is now so reliant on the World Wide Web that, if you're a business traveller, it's paramount that you're able to access a high-speed internet connection wherever you go. So, if a hotel has high-speed internet access in all guest rooms, business travellers will be able to enjoy the freedom of staying connected to both their home and the office when they need it most.

What's more, if you're holding a business meeting in a hotel, it'll be essential that the meeting room has high-speed internet access or wireless internet access. This gives both meeting attendees and presenters the chance to demonstrate products, video conferencing and interactive training, amongst many more benefits of being online, so that you'll be able to conduct your business seminar or workshop with ease.

Of course, while it's normal that you'll be carrying your own (or your company) laptop during your business trip, it's much less likely that you'll bring your own printer with you as well! That's why it's always handy to stay in a hotel that has printing facilities for business travellers. This means that if you've prepared a presentation on your laptop in your hotel room the night before a big business meeting, you'll be able to conveniently print it out and hand out to the other members of your seminar.

Moreover, after a hard day's work, business travellers will want to wind down in the hotel's leisure facilities before another day of meetings - or the inevitable trip homeward. This might involve taking some time out in the hotel spa, going for a midnight dip in the swimming pool or even opting for a relaxing evening in the hotel bar.

You’ll likely find that most providers of business hotel accommodation will offer these first class services; and if you're lucky, the better ones will also throw in a few useful technological gadgets that will make your life simple - such as speakers in which you can plug your mp3 or CD player or handy alarm clocks that will make sure you don't miss that business meeting in the morning!

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists travelling and rugby among his interests

It's important to talk to the right person when trying to get a great deal, that means someone who has the authority to negotiate with you. You can ask to speak to the Sales Manager or if they have a dedicated staff for meeting and event coordinating, speak to the manager of that department. Remember to research comparable room prices in the area online so that you'll have a good point of reference to bring to the negotiation table. It does take some advanced planning to get the best deals, but hotel room prices are more flexible than the average person realizes.

Be aware of the seasons and try to schedule your seminar during a time when the hotel's business is typically slow. Getting a great room at a great price will always be easier when the hotel isn't full. If you're booking a block of rooms for seminar guests and speakers in addition to the meeting room, you're also more likely to get a better price for both. Several popular hotel chains have extensive planning tools available online so be sure to take advantage of the wealth of information made available.

Once you've got a list of possible venues together, you can start contacting the sales department of each hotel and sending them your request for proposal or RFP. Make sure your RFP includes preferred dates, number and type of sleeping rooms you require, food and beverage requirements, a tentative agenda and the amount of meeting space that is needed. Based on the hotels' responses to your RFP, you should be able to narrow down the field of possibilities and schedule some site inspections. To save both money and time, you can substitute an actual site inspection with a detailed questionnaire, virtual tour or both!

When you start negotiations, always remember that everything is negotiable. If the group generates sufficient guestroom and food and beverage revenue, the meeting room rental fees can and should be waived. If you're planning a reoccurring event, you can also use your loyalty as leverage.

Once you've weighed your options and made your decision, make sure everything, big and small, is outlined in explicit detail in the written contract. Deposit procedures and acceptable methods of payment are two things that should be agreed upon before you sign anything.

After the event, take your time going over the invoice with a fine-toothed comb. The first draft of the invoice from the hotel is almost never correct so be sure to point out anything that needs to be corrected. Get feedback about the hotel from the seminar attendees. If there are complaints, politely let your hotel representative know about them. Any good salesperson will gladly offer an additional discount to ensure that you consider them again next year.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com.

If your sales techniques include meeting with customers at a business event, introducing a speaker, or leading a presentation at a meeting, a light touch of humor works wonders for your sales.

A good sense of humor draws people to you, and is a key element in building relationships. Laughter is a kind of social glue that binds people together. When people laugh together, tension is reduced and connections are made.

You don't have to wear a lampshade on your head or tell jokes to show you have a sense of humor. In fact, humor that is based on observation is far more effective in creating bonds, because it is based on a situation you share. Here are some tips for injecting fresh, original humor that will help you connect with your customers.

Sales techniques - adding humor

1. Look for connections between people, places and situations. Observe what is around you - the location of the hotel where your meeting is taking place, signs, restaurants, local cuisine and customs.

2. At a company meeting, find out what is happening in other locations and at other times. Know what is happening that evening, and the next day. Find out if there is any inside humor for this meeting - perhaps something unusual that happened earlier in the day.

3. If you are introducing a speaker, or you are the speaker, open with observational humor only if you are sure it's funny. If you aren't sure, use it later in the program, or after the audience is warmed up. Then if no one laughs, you can just continue as if you meant to be serious all along.

4. Don't tell jokes. People respond differently to jokes, and you are likely to offend someone. It's also hard to tell jokes well.

5. Never poke fun at anyone. It's much better to comment on the oddities that you all share, such as a new food you all tried at the restaurant the evening before, than to point at something unusual about another person. The exception is poking fun at yourself, but this should also be more about something you didn't realize, (alligator tastes like chicken!) than about you personally.

Spontaneous, observational humor is a wonderful way to build connections. When people laugh with you, they'll be more likely to remember you. A small dose of humor can remedy almost any situation. You're guaranteed to experience very positive side effects with these sales techniques.

You are invited you use these sales techniques to help you connect with your customers and build relationships that lead to more sales.

I'd also like to offer you a free report: "Breakthrough Communication Skills" packed with powerful tips for business success, at http://www.ImpressforSuccess.com when you join my Communication Capsules newsletter. Would you like to attract new customers, increase sales, and boost your career? Click here for simple How-to Guides that give you immediate results. http://www.goldmansmythe.com/howto.html From Lynda Goldman, business communications and etiquette consultant and author of 30 books, including How to Make a Million Dollar First Impression.

What are the different sources of revenue you have? You need to determine these and which one is your “money-maker.” There are four different types of revenue within the seminar business. Each has a different position to making you money. When I plan seminars, I take each of these four streams of revenue and determine where the money goes from each one.

You must determine these revenue streams to make money!

1. Registration (Gate)
Your registration fee should be high enough to cover the expenses of your conference. You are NOT going to make money in this area! The goal of registration is to cover your overhead cost, NOT make a profit.

2. Sponsors/Vendors
Sponsors and vendors are a great way to help cover some of your overhead costs, also. Another way to use this money is to provide something you wouldn’t normally provide. For example: At the Family Ebiz Expo, if we are able to get a sponsor or two, we will add food at one of our break-out sessions.

3. Product Sales (Back of the Room Sales- BOR)
This is your “MONEY-MAKER!” This is where you will bring in profit. Speakers will sell products; this should include your invited speaker and you! Yes, you should speak at your event! When a speaker speaks at your event, you get a 50% commission. This should be in your contract! This is very important, so that you make money. One of the reasons you should speak is you get a 100% commission. This is your pay-day. This is where you will make the most money. Later on, I will talk about seminar etiquette but if you follow the etiquette secrets I share with you, you should have the most sales at your event!

4. After Event Sales
The last stream of revenue is after event sales. This can be a pretty big money-maker, also. Make sure to record and/or video the event (video-taping depends on your budget). You can then sell these recordings to attendees and those who didn’t get a chance to come. There are different ways to sell these; either as a big package or as individuals talks. Right after the event, I would sell them as a package. Then once things die down a little start releasing them one-by-one. This becomes a more constant source of income.

Remember where your “money-maker” is: Back of the Room Sales! This is where your profit will come from; not your registration costs!!! This is a mistake many people make. They think they can make profit and cover all the expenses in the registration costs. This is NOT true! Don’t try it! This shows why choosing speakers is so important. They are your money-maker!

Ashley Beck, President of Seminar Agent, promotes and manages conferences and seminars. She shares the secrets to managing a profitable seminar with you! To see more secrets visit: http://www.AshleyBeckLive.com

If you are looking for a perfect setting to conduct corporate meetings and business retreats, then business conference centers are the right choice. Equipped with hi-tech facilities, business conference centers provide everything to meet your business needs. They are ideal for hosting functions, seminars, product launch events, training events, and conferences.

With attractive and affordable rates, business conference centers provide facilities such as meeting rooms, board rooms, and conference rooms to make your business or team meetings a success. To meet all your training needs, there are state-of-the-art training rooms. Catering services for coffee breaks and full business luncheons are also available upon request. Business conference centers offer leisure facilities such as swimming pool, gym, fitness studios, bars, and restaurants.

To create an effective meeting experience, most of the business conference centers provide a wide range of audio/visual equipments such as large screen, LCD projector, DVD player, VCR player, Cable TV, microphones, overhead projectors, and much more. Besides, they provide facilities such as fax machines, printers, scanners, wireless high-speed internet access, multiple phone lines, and copy machines.

Business conference centers that are conveniently located close to top-notch hotels and restaurants are more in demand. Ribby Hall Village, Avenue Business Centers, Battery march Conference Center, John Hancock Conference Center, Villanova Conference Center, Ralph A. McMullan Conference Center, and Villanova Conference Center are some of the finest business conference centers in the U.S.

Finding a conference center is quite easy with the websites. They can be booked online, directly or by contacting the hotel which provides conference facilities.

Rates of business conference centers depend on a number of factors such as the size and duration of the seminar or presentation, and services requested. Certain conference centers demand an initial deposit at the time of booking. Some conference centers demand a damage deposit at the time of booking. Special rates and discounts are offered for registered nonprofit organizations. Seasonal discounts and frequency discounts are also available with business conference centers.

Conference Centers provides detailed information on Conference Centers, Hotel Conference Centers, Online Conference Centers, Best Conference Centers and more. Conference Centers is affiliated with Audio Conferencing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Valentino

If you are planning to host corporate and association meetings, conferences, training sessions, seminars, sales and marketing presentations, product launch event and other special events, then executive conference centers are the right choice.

With award-winning facilities, executive conference centers provide elegant and efficient meeting space to accommodate small to large size meetings. These days, executive conference centers are gaining more popularity among the business community. To make your executive meeting a total success, executive conference centers provide you with a professional business environment that is conducive to corporate meetings.

Executive conference centers provide facilities such as meeting rooms, training rooms, board rooms, and conference rooms that are fully furnished with executive chairs, computer chairs, conference tables, sofa, and easels. They are also equipped with a wide range of audio/visual equipments such as overhead projectors, LCD projector, DVD player, VCR player, Cable TV, and podium microphone.

Wireless high-speed internet access, printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines are also provided in executive conference centers. Apart from the above facilities, they provide professional on-site conference service staff to provide assistance in meeting or event planning.

To make your business meeting a memorable experience, executive conference centers provide leisure time facilities such as fitness center, gym, athletic clubs, swimming pool; exquisite dining options, and beverages. In short, everything you need ranging from productive meeting rooms to a comfortable guest room is available with executive conference centers.

Executive conference centers that are conveniently located close to popular attractions and shopping areas are more favored by business people. Some of the best executive conference center options are AMA?s executive conference centers at New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC; St. Louis Executive Conference Center, Davidson Executive Conference Center, Babson Executive Conference Center, and R. David Thomas Executive Conference Center. To take advantage of excellent meeting facilities, one can book these conference centers either online or by contacting over the phone.

Conference Centers provides detailed information on Conference Centers, Hotel Conference Centers, Online Conference Centers, Best Conference Centers and more. Conference Centers is affiliated with Audio Conferencing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Valentino

I don’t know why it is, but no matter how carefully I brief a hotel on the room set-up I want for my seminars, workshops and training meetings, more often than not when I arrive, they have provided a standard hotel room set up. What I find even more alarming is the number of times that I attend a meeting either as a guest speaker or audience member to find that the meeting planner or speaker has not bothered to think beyond this standard room set-up which is often quite hostile to the audience.

Seating Arrangements

The standard hotel set up for seating is theatre style with a centre aisle, set square with about 20% more seating that you need, based on your audience expectations.

1. A centre aisle means that the speaker stands in front of empty space, or more often a projector, with the audience split to right and left. Theatre style means that the audience cannot interact or even see each other and they also tend to fill up from the back. More seats means that people spread out and the room feels empty, i.e. unsuccessful.
2. The larger the audience the more likely you will have to use theatre style – but try a herring-bone or semi circle shape with no centre aisle. Instead have two aisles, one either side.
3. If you expect 100 people set out 90 seats and have the extras on the side – let the room fill up, then bring in the spare seats for the late comers. This creates a great sense of the meeting exceeding expectations.
4. If you get less bookings than expected for a meeting which will result in an empty space problem – switch to classroom (rows of tables) or cabaret style (round or square tables) layout. Bringing tables into the room fills it up and helps to convey the feeling of success.
5. If your workshop seminar style is interactive seriously consider a cabaret style or horse shoe style set up. Each has its benefits, but they share the fact that the audience can see each other and interact. People will simply interact more is the room layout is designed to encourage it. Numbers in attendance often dictate which style to use – Horseshoe is not really practical for more than about thirty and cabaret is not really practical for less than about fifteen, but don’t take either as unbreakable rules – be creative.
6. Above all – think about the room set up as an essential part of the programme, and be creative. Design a room set up that provides you with the best chance of making the meeting a success. Put yourself in the audience and see things from their perspective. How you set the room can literally make or break your meeting.

Stage Set-up

The standard set up is a top table with two or three chairs behind set to one or other side of the room, a flipchart on the other side, a screen in the centre of the room and a data projector blocking the centre aisle.

1. If you have to use PowerPoint it don’t make it the centre of attention relegating the speaker to the role of narrator. If possible move the screen to stage left (if you are right handed) at an angle and move the projector off there as well (same for OHP). That way the slides are a side show and remember the "B" key. Pressing “B” when you are showing a PowerPoint slide "Blacks Out" the presentation until you press "anykey."
2. Place the Flip Chart on your left, if you are right handed so that you can write on the chart without standing in font of it.
3. Get rid of the top table – I even do this at other people meetings, I hate having someone sitting at the table behind me when I am speaking.
4. Look at the stage set up as a member of the audience from every angle. Make sure that nothing interferes with your ability to communicate.

The entire room set up should be something that the audience don’t really notice. It should work naturally with your seminar or meeting and contribute to making it flow. Anything that gets in the way of that – change it.

If you are speaking at someone else’s meeting you will be more restricted in what you can do, and they are often reluctant to stray from the hotel standard, so I try to work with them, rather than being demanding, to make the room set up work. That means asking for changes as a big favour and it also means getting there very early with plenty of time to make changes if they are needed. Make yourself a resource for the meeting planner, and demonstrate the focus of your recommendations to be in support of their meeting objectives.

About the Author: Founder and First President of the Professional Speakers Association, RikkiArundel is an International Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Writer and an expert in sales and marketing communications with an impressive track record. Get your free copy of How to Get Customers Queuing up to Buy at http://www.SpeakingandMarketingTips.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rikki_Arundel

Planning a conference means details, details, details!

So let’s look at the details necessary for planning a successful conference.

The Right Time

What may be the perfect time for you may not be the perfect time for your attendees or the city/hotel you want to use. Plan and coordinate a time that would be suitable to all. You can’t please everyone in this, but it is best to schedule it around the important attendees and speakers.

Avoid any holidays or important events during the time that may affect attendance such as religious holidays and other industry-related events.

The Right Location

The right location, with the necessary facilities, is the key in making an event attractive to potential attendees. It’s best to hold conferences in a cosmopolitan city, which is also a business hub.

The city's convention and visitor’s bureau (CVB) Web site will provide you information about other conventions, meetings or sporting events taking place during the same time. The local CVB also can assist you in finding the right hotel for your event. They will send your lead out to all their member hotels so you don't have to contact each individually. Be sure to identify what type of hotel property you are interested in i.e., four-star, close to the airport etc. Make sure there are plenty of travel options by air, train or road.

The Right Hotel

The right hotel is pivotal to the success of your conference; make sure the hotel has all amenities that might be important to your conference needs.

The hotel must have, fully geared Business Centers with state of the art facilities coupled with boardroom and meeting rooms. A multi function room to cater to meetings, theatre style seminars and promotions and exhibitions, is important, and of course, sit down dinners and lunches with full and latest audio + video conferencing facilities.

Find out what food and beverage venues the hotel offers or are within walking distance, especially if you are not providing breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.
 

The Right Equipment

Most hotels have an audio/visual department, and this department also controls the sound. But they also service other groups in the hotel as well. Consider arranging for a technician to be in your conference room at all times.
 

If your presentation is on a computer, make sure you back-up your presentation to a jump drive. Podium microphones and wired lavaliere microphones are the least expensive. Make sure your video devices are setup for maximum exposure.

Pre event checks

Two weeks prior to your event, send your specifications to your hotel, include: date, time, set-time, rehearsal times, room set-ups, microphone and audio/visual requirements, and any special needs you may have.

Catalog the number of meeting rooms needed; seating set-up, number of seats; AV requirements; food and beverage rooms, offices, and/or storage.

If space is stretched and you need multiple meeting rooms, try scheduling the main session in the morning or afternoon and use the same meeting room for lunch.

Ask the hotel to list amenities that might be important to your group i.e., free wireless, health club, room service, spa facilities etc.

Be sure to review the catering menus and prepare an estimated budget.

Check your meeting room setup as soon as possible, before doing anything else.

Request the room to be set for 25 percent more than you expect.

Schedule a daily meeting with everyone that is involved with your event including the catering manager, convention services manager, AV and sound technicians.

Last but not the least pays attention to details, details and details.

Prabhash Bhatnagar is Manager of Sales & Marketing, maker of hotel management software and Resort management software handles the key aspects of the running of client’s business, including bookings & reservations, Housekeeping, Spa, POS and generating reports. For further details, contact prabhash@blueappleonline.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Prabhash_Bhatnagar

With the advent of technology and given today's fast paced life, organising a conference is no longer limited to hiring an auditorium with an overhead projector. In fact, organising any corporate event, especially a conference, involves a lot of planning and strategy. From identifying the number of attendees to selecting a perfect venue to assessing the facilities required, all form a part of organising a perfect conference. If this sounds daunting, do not be dismayed, as there are many specialised agencies that excel in the field of organising conferences. Conference organisers have made this mammoth task very simple by their expertise and efficiency. Whether you are organising a conference in Staffordshire or Essex or Surrey, there are conference organisers that will help you identify the best venues, get the best deals, and make your event a great success.

Professional and successful conference organisers will take care of all aspects of your conference, thereby giving you time to enjoy the entire conference and benefit from it, rather than worry about the logistics. Once the type of conference being organised is decided and also the number of invitees, conference organisers come into the picture and help you plan and implement the entire event. Planning a conference begins by identifying the perfect venue that will suit the needs of the event. Most conference organisers are well resourced and can provide a list of available venues along with the facilities and services and their rates. Choosing a venue becomes very simple with all the information available at hand. However, it is always best to personally visit the venue to ensure that all the aspects advertised by the venue owner are indeed true and would be made available. While selecting and identifying a perfect venue for the conference, conference organisers take into consideration the location of the venue and its accessibility. These two factors are very important, as they decide whether participants to a conference can attend without any apparent difficulty.

The next step in organising a conference, before finalising a venue, is listing the facilities and services provided by the various venues. While looking at the facilities and the services provided at the venues, one should always keep in mind the kind of conference being organised, as this would determine the requirements. A professional and successful conference organiser would predetermine the needs and requirements of the conference and identify a venue that would provide all the facilities required for the conference. These could include audiovisual equipment needed for presentations, a big auditorium, a good podium or stage, and perfect lighting to enhance the event, among other needs. Personal inspection of the venue would help in identifying the other facilities provided by the venue owners. A creative conference organiser will identify certain extra facilities provided by the venue and use it effectively in the conference.

Conference organisers play an important role in selecting the theme and feel of the conference. They provide the creative content that is absolutely necessary to make the conference a successful event. Their activities are not restricted to venue search and logistics, but include handling and managing the delegates, identifying facilitators, and preparing conference material and delegate packs. Once the subject of the conference is conveyed to the conference organiser, designing and preparing subject-related material, identifying eminent speakers on the subject, and requesting their presence for the conference is the duty of the staff, which is highly resourceful and dynamic. The conference organiser ensures that the material being distributed is of good quality, both in terms of content as well as appearance. Once you hire a good conference organiser to handle your conference, they handle everything right from inviting the delegates for the conference to registration of delegates to collecting delegate fee and finally making sure that the delegates are comfortably placed in their respective accommodations during the conference. They also make sure that the invitees are well aware of the itinerary of the conference and are given their delegate packs on arrival. Even while compiling the delegate packs, the conference organisers take utmost care to see that all the material is properly placed and nothing is left out. Most organisers even cater to the entertainment needs of the delegates by choosing a venue that has varied options that would both intrigue and benefit the attendees of the conference.

Finally, the conference organisers provide onsite help during the conference for the smooth running of the conference and to iron out any problems that may arise during the course of the event. This helps the delegates to attend, enjoy, and benefit from the conference without any hassle. Apart from the actual services provided during the conference, organisers also help in marketing and PR of the conference. In some cases, where necessary, the conference organisers also help in obtaining sponsorships for the conference. In short, they provide expert holistic support to the conference being organised by a corporate.

Free Venue Finding Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk + 44 (0)8700 490000 FREE call back service Free Hotel Accommodation Reservation Service UK & Worldwide http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk/Articles.aspx?id=85 + 44 (0)8707 520433 FREE call back service Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mandy_Chagger

If you're in the process of organising a large function - whether it's a corporate meeting, an extended family reunion or a blow-out wedding - you'll likely find yourself under a lot of stress. From booking the event location to making sure that all the necessary attendees are notified, event planners and co-ordinators are bound to have a lot on their plate at any given time in the planning process. That is why it's essential for event planners to seek help from a trusted expert that will help them cover all the bases.

Many event and meeting locations - such as hotels or conference centres - offer detailed help and comprehensive support if you book with them. Through direct booking or online booking, the best event locations will offer first-class event planning services, including a Guest List manager, the ability to book multiple group reservations at one time and the opportunity to view floor plans online in order to create the perfect seating setup for your guests.

Some hotels that offer event planning help, such as Hilton Embassy Suites, even offer the opportunity to create a personalized online group web page with a unique web address, so that your guests or meeting attendants will be able to book their own guest rooms. For example, if you're planning a wedding, creating your own wedding website could work wonders during the planning process. Your guests will have the option to RSVP online, book rooms in the hotel in which your wedding is being held and view your wedding gift list online as well.

If it's a business meeting you're planning, then many hotel meeting venues will help you determine how to divide your budget between meeting space, food and beverages, guest rooms (if necessary) and any audio or visual rental equipment you might need. What's more, you'll find detailed advice on how to plan daily schedules, should your conference carry on for more than one day. If you're trying to plan a large social gathering of friends, then meeting venues will even help you compile a list of what you require for your function: for instance, whether or not you'll need a dance floor or a stage.

Whatever type of event or meeting you're planning in a hotel meeting venue, make effective use of the checklists and organisational services available to you. This will not only ensure that your event gets off to a roaring start, but will also take some of the pressure of your own shoulders.

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist who travels extensively. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Regan

Finding meeting venues is not necessarily as simple as you might imagine. For a simple meeting, it will not normally be too difficult; simply phone up a venue, advise them of your requirements, and then show up on the day, right? Well, up to a point. Certainly it's easier booking meetings and seminars for small numbers, when your needs are simple and few; but even here there are usually quite a few considerations to bear in mind. For larger meetings such as conferences and conventions, there are any number of things to bear in mind, from technical requirements to catering, location to breakout rooms. For this reason, it may be wise to consider the services of a specialist venue finding service, as this can take a lot of the hassle out of finding meeting venues and organizing all the add-ons that make a successful event.

The first thing to consider when looking to book a venue for your meetings or team building events is the size and location of your chosen venue. You should aim to site your meeting venue in the most convenient location for all attendees, and ensure that the venue where you'll be holding the event is large enough to cater adequately for your needs. This may seem obvious enough, but stop to consider ancillary requirements such as space for lunch and coffee breaks, breakout rooms for subgroups and smaller working parties (if necessary), and how delegates are going to get to the meeting.

Other issues to bear in mind when finding meeting venues can be broken down into the following categories; catering facilities, technical requirements, and accommodation needs. Consider, when arranging meetings, how much hospitality you wish to lay on for your attendees – bearing in mind any rules or guidelines that may exist in your business – for example, the rules on permissible hospitality that pertain to the pharmaceutical industry.

If you have any specific technical requirements, it is important to flag these up as early as possible. Most meeting rooms will have basic projection equipment, but if you have extra requirements, you may find that a surprising number of venues simply can't fulfil your requirements. For example, you may wish to use internet conferencing facilities to include remote attendees in your meeting, and for everyone round the table in your own meeting room to have a laptop to access spreadsheets as the meeting progresses. This is a special requirement that some meeting venues won't be able to meet – so be extremely clear beforehand on what you expect from your chosen conference centre or meeting rooms, and don't hesitate to look elsewhere if necessary. And ensure that, if your meetings or corporate events are likely to be lengthy, that suitable accommodation is available and booked. We will come back to this issue presently.

It's important when finding meeting venues to book as far ahead as possible. A surprising number of companies aren't set up to hold large or important meetings, and go to outside hosts for team building events or training courses. This can lead to pressure on places, and make it difficult to find a suitable venue at short notice. There are ways round the problem of holding meetings at short notice, as we'll see in a moment; but if it's at all possible, do try to give venues as much notice as humanly possible.

If you have to schedule a meeting at very short notice, this is where the services of a specialist venue finding service can be helpful in finding meeting venues. Conference organizers have extensive lists of contacts, and can phone round meeting rooms quickly to find suitable venues that are free and happy to take your custom. Even better, they're free of charge, so you can use them on a no-risk basis; as specialist venue finder and conference organizing services make their money on fees from the venues themselves, rather than by billing you, if you don't find something suitable you can simply look elsewhere. However, going to a conference organizer will open up a portfolio of conference and meeting venues that you may well never have thought of otherwise.

In addition to these benefits, there are other up sides to choosing a conference organizer. Using such services allows you to spend your time on the more immediate matter of preparing the content for your meetings or team building events – tweaking your visual aids, working on agendas, perfecting sales presentations. Accommodation, too, is an area where using a specialist company to organize your conferences or meetings; they can negotiate special discounted rates with partner hotels that simply wouldn't be available to you if someone from your company phoned up to make a block booking.

Should you prefer to make the arrangements yourself, then bearing these simple factors in mind will help make finding meeting venues a relatively straightforward task.

Free Venue Finding Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk + 44 (0)8700 490000 FREE call back service Free Hotel Accommodation Booking Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mandy_Chagger

Meetings held and organised by Pharmaceutical companies are an essential way of communicating and evolving scientific research, clinical development and medical education. However, there is always the danger that they can be seen as a blatant attempt to railroad Health Care Professionals into prescribing products by using lavish surroundings and hospitality to influence them.

This is where the ABPI 2006 code of practice comes into its own, specifically clause 19 which deals with the arrangement and holding of HCP meetings within the Pharmaceutical industry. The key requirement being that the main purpose of the meeting should be its content and any hospitality offered during these meetings should not only be secondary but in fact no more than basic subsistence.

How can we work out what would and would not be acceptable? In answering this question, you would need to consider all aspects of the meeting from the venue, timings, hospitality, content (including speakers) and all associated materials ie handouts, stand material and invitations and equally as important, the costs. All of these elements factor in how the end product, the meeting, will be perceived. This is how it would be deemed acceptable or not, the overall impression given from combining all of these elements. Therefore, one of the requirements of the code is that all Pharmaceutical companies have a specific policy dealing with meetings and hospitality. This must be adhered to otherwise companies can find themselves in breach of the code which can ultimately lead to heavy sanctions against the offending company.

What sort of meetings are acceptable? In simple terms, educational meetings. This however does not rule out promotional meetings as these can be just as educational as non-promotional meetings. Either way, the educational content of the meeting must be the primary purpose of the meeting.

To achieve the right balance between educational content and hospitality the following must be considered. Timings- Does the length of the meeting justify the hospitality offered? For example, a meeting lasting one hour in the afternoon does not warrant an elaborate 3 course dinner and overnight accommodation, however if the meeting commenced at 12 noon and ran till 6pm and extended until the following morning, then this level of hospitality could be justified.

Costs/Quality- Is the cost and quality of the hospitality in accordance with the level of the meeting? For example, a good quality venue with 3 course dinner could be booked for a meeting featuring an international speaker however would not be justifiable for a local GP speaker meeting as this would be more appropriately hosted in a conference centre.

Arrangements- Have the arrangements been made to be suit the educational content of the meeting? For example, a talk over dinner suggests that the educational content comes secondary to the food, whereas a short meeting with just simple refreshments would indicate that the education is why people are attending.

Advertising Emphasis- Does the advertisement of the meeting ‘sell' the content or the venue/hospitality? For example, if the meeting is billed on the invitations as a ‘Gala Dinner' or being held at a ‘Luxury and Renowned Venue' this would be seen as luring the attendees on the hospitality or the quality of the venue. The meeting must be advertised with the educational content being its primary ‘selling' point.

Venue- Is the venue appropriate to the purpose of the meeting? The meeting content should be planned first and only then a venue should be sourced to fit in with that content. Never should a venue be hired and the meeting content be edited to fit to that specific venue. The venue must be professional and offer privacy for the duration of the educational content of the meeting. Nightclubs and Casinos are a big no-no.

Sporting venues and Spas should be avoided unless there really is no alternative venue to host the meeting. Any sporting venue that is used should have no fixtures immediately before, during or after the meeting. Location of the venue is also important. For example, it would not be acceptable to hold a local GP speaker meeting from the midlands in central Scotland as this would mean unnecessary travelling, accommodation, expense and would be perceived as the venue being the main attraction for the meeting allowing the attendees a mini-break on the back of the meeting.

Activities- Which activities are acceptable during the meeting? Any activity offered must be professional. Activities can only be offered if they relate to the main educational purpose of the meeting. Any activity which is mainly for entertainment value should not be included. For example, a round of golf, Spa treatments, wine tasting. These activities are unprofessional and therefore unacceptable in accordance with the code.

Materials- Which materials can be used? All meetings should ideally be documented by at least an invitation or a letter confirming arrangements. All materials used must comply with the relevant sections of the code which also includes materials produced by third parties as the Pharmaceutical companies have overall compliance responsibility. Sponsorship must be clearly stated on all relating material whether the meeting is promotional or not. All materials used must show that the meeting is in accordance to the code. For example, invitations/stands must not give the wrong impression of the meeting content.

There are many factors which could potentially lead to a breach of the code in booking a meeting for HCP's. Some Pharmaceutical companies are seeking help in this area by using venue sourcing companies who have been certified by an industry consultant and have in-depth knowledge of what is and not acceptable under the ABPI 2006 code of compliance. This is proving to be of great use to them as although it does not remove their ultimate responsibility, it acts as a further safe guard in the need to comply.

In summary, perception is key. Put yourself in the position of an outside observer, how would it look to you?

Free Venue Finding Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk + 44 (0)8700 490004 FREE call back service Free Hotel Accommodation Booking Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mandy_Chagger

On a regular basis, companies find that they have to organise meetings, seminars and other corporate events. In terms if organising an annual general meeting, companies have to engage in substantial planning and research when it comes to finding the most suitable venue. The process of organising meetings such as this can be a lengthy one. Moreover, not all companies have the time or resources to go through the whole process of organising a meeting. This is because there are many factors to consider when organising a meeting. This includes the number of people that will be in attendance, the accessibility of the venue and the equipment/facilities available at the venue. It is also worth mentioning that not many companies have the adequate personnel required for effectively organising a meeting.

If a company does not wish to directly locate a meeting venue, there are a few options available which they could explore. Hiring a specialist agency which organises meetings would be the one way to stream line the process of securing a meeting venue. Such agencies will charge the company a fee for the venue finding service they offer. Though this sort of service is more efficient and cost-effective than searching for a meeting venue directly, there are still some pitfalls and bottlenecks that could be encountered. These obstacles have the potential to cost a company substantial amounts of unforeseen expenses.

The main reason for this is because using such services often means that companies may not necessarily get the best deal possible, as some hidden costs might be involved. Such hidden costs may arise from the fact that the agency's service fee and the cost of using the venue could be over-inflated, especially if the agency has commercial affiliations with the venues. In light of this, it will be advisable for a company to patronise the services of a free meeting organiser. A free meeting organiser will be able to provide a fully customised venue finding service on a free-of-charge basis. These free meeting organisers are funded by conference venues and hotels and as such, there will be no conflicting interests in terms of venue fees and service charges. Regardless of what type of meeting venue you require, whether a traditional or contemporary venue, meeting organisers can provide effective assistance. Before patronising the services of a meeting organiser, it is important for a company to know how many people will be attending the meeting and what venue equipment or facilities they would require. Companies also need to make sure that their delegates and attendees will be able to easily access any prospective venues.

Providing meeting organisers with as much information as possible will certainly facilitate the service that they provide. For those corporate meetings which will be held over a few days, companies will have to consider accommodation booking. Many good meeting organisers are also able to provide an accommodation booking service. If the selected venue does not have accommodation facilities, a meeting organiser can book accommodation in nearby hotels and inns. This can be done easily since the most reliable meeting organisers build and maintain close affiliations and communication links with a network of local hotels.

Finding a meeting organiser is seldom a difficult task because the market for this service has been growing rapidly over the last few years. This means that the market is characterised by many competing firms which all engage in strategic advertising and promotion. New firms also enter the market on a frequent basis. Doing a simple keyword search on a reliable Internet search engine will yield a variety of free meeting organiser sites and advertisements. There is no doubt that with the assistance of an experienced professional meeting organiser, companies can be sure that they will obtain the most suitable venue at the most favourable rates. Once a meeting organiser has located potential meeting venues, they normally give the company the opportunity to inspect the venue before any final arrangements are made. Companies who are looking to organise a meeting outside the UK will also find meeting organisers to be helpful in this regard.

It is very important for a company to have a good idea about the track record of a meeting organiser in order to ensure that they would provide a satisfactory service. Asking prospective organisers for client references and looking out for customer testimonials on their websites is a good way to do this. Many meeting organisers can be contacted via their websites using online forms or email. Inquirers can usually expect a same-day response time. Their teams of fully trained customer service advisers will also be able to provide you with expert advice and guidance. Furthermore, some meeting organisers offer comprehensive services which include things like information management, accommodation group booking, event management and budget control.

Free Venue Finding Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk + 44 (0)8700 490000 FREE call back service Free Hotel Accommodation Booking Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mandy_Chagger

Ways an automated system makes it easier for attendees, giving you MORE REGISTRATIONS:

1. Provide 24 hour, anywhere access.
Give prospective registrants anytime/anywhere access to your event information so that they can easily find, refer back to, and recommend your event to others. An automated system increases the ease of access, enhancing the chances of people making a decision to attend your event.

2. Auto-fill information and steer attendees to your goal.
Make it easier for registrants to say yes by auto-filling their registration form and auto-selecting their registration type options (member, non-member, sponsor, etc.) Some automated systems allow your form to pre-populate known contact information into a prospective attendee's registration form and then steer them down the proper registration path based on their registration type.. It's less confusing for them and you get correct data the first time.

3. Provide payment solutions.
More payment options equals more registrants. Each person typically has a preferred mode of payment that, if not offered, will cause them to hesitate or not enroll at all. Make sure you offer ALL five of the major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Amex, Diners & Discover), as well as checks, echecks, and PayPal. A good online registration system enables you to easily offer and accept all of these payment options, in real-time, with automatic processing.

4. Implement ‘one-stop shopping’.
One of the biggest reasons people don’t register immediately for events is because they want to first check into travel arrangements. Using an online system to offer hotel booking options and flight arrangements in your online registration, means you will convince more people to register right away, minimizing the potential to forget about your event.

5. Present more details.
In your online registration, give your registrants as much detail on your event as possible. Provide links to venue maps, further venue details, detailed agendas and speaker bios. It is easy to automatically generate an "Event Details" web page that makes it easy to provide extra details that people need during their registration process.

6. Send instant confirmations
Give your registrants ‘warm-fuzzies’ by instantly confirming that their registration is complete. Increase your conversion rates by offering an extra e-freebie that you can include in your confirmation email along with their receipt/invoice and other event materials. The immediate follow-up that an automated confirmation email provides will increase your attendees’ confidence in referring others to attend your event.

7. Notify registrants of incomplete forms.
50% of potential registrants start, but do not complete their registrations. Send them an automated email letting them know that your event is well worth attending – along with a link back to your registration form. Give them five more reasons to attend or an extra incentive to complete their registration. There is only one system that currently offers this capability.

8. Provide a self-service option.
Automated services enable users to make changes to their registrations online... versus having to call or email the event organizer. Give the attendee more control and reduce staff time in managing these changes. By promoting this option to registrants, more people will register because they won’t feel locked into their registration preferences.

A fully-automated online registration system is specifically designed to make it easier for you and your registrants... attracting 20% more attendees in the process.

I sincerely hope this article makes your conference and event registration even more successful! Bill Flagg is the President of RegOnline Putting smiles on the faces of over 9,200 event-planning professionals worldwide because it is the easiest-to-use online event and conference registration system available. P.S. - If you would like to receive more tips like this via email then go to http://www.RegOnline.com/eTips Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Flagg

"My brain is fried."

"I'm exhausted."

"I can't take in another piece of information!"

Ever felt this way after a long day at a convention or meeting?

Of course you have. For most people, there comes a point when attending meetings or conferences when the brain becomes overloaded. Even if it is content that is interesting to you, there comes a point of saturation where you simply cannot take in anything else. You are fried! You need a break.

So why do so many people think that when it comes to meetings, trainings, and conventions that they must pack in content, content, content to the exclusion of anything else? We've all seen it at conferences: the person standing at the lectern, using PowerPoint, droning into the microphone: "And that concludes our analysis of the proposed multilateral trading initiatives. Now let's discuss these multilateral initiatives as they apply to penguins." Good gravy.

Television and the internet have lowered the attention span of the modern adult. In order to stay engaged, meeting attendees need variety and multi-sensory stimulation to have their mood uplifted and their concentration enhanced throughout the day.

Thankfully, there are many meeting professionals who understand the value in providing motivation and humor during their conferences and meetings.

Engage Your Attendees with Motivation and Humor

We live in an entertainment-based culture. It is not enough to simply present a "data-dump" of information and expect people to stay tuned in. To keep meeting attendees engaged throughout the day, many seasoned meeting planners use the following formula:

• Motivational or humorous speaker for morning general session to kick off the day with a bang.
• Content-rich breakout sessions in alignment with learning objectives that are led by presenters who are well-versed in adult learning principles.
• Motivational or business humor speaker after lunch to reenergize attendees for the afternoon breakout sessions.
• More content-rich breakout sessions in alignment with learning objectives that allow for learner application and interaction.
• High energy wrap-up to end the day on a positive note.

This format energizes, motivates, and connects people during the general sessions, so that they can refocus and reengage in significant learning throughout the day. Because attendees aren't suffering from information overload, they are more likely to be fully present in their learning experiences during the breakout sessions. According to Debbie Taylor, owner of Taylor Made Events and Speakers, there is great value in adding motivational humor to the general sessions of a conference: "Laughing and learning go hand in hand. Humor holds the audience's attention and helps them to think creatively. It releases stress and creates great memories. Find a way to add humor to your meeting and you will see an increase in the bottom line."

Build a Positive Community Through Humor

Besides creating educational opportunities, meetings and conventions are also occasions to build community. When people laugh together, they are bonded in a positive experience. These good feelings create a positive association with the organization in which they are members. It allows for deeper a connection among attendees.

Cara Tracy, CMP, meeting planner for the National Speakers Association, uses humor at their conferences throughout the year. "At our meetings we like to lighten up a content-filled program by kicking it off with humor. This raises the energy level in the room and engages the audience--setting the stage for a successful learning environment. I find that the use of humor in meetings can really help unite a group--giving them inside jokes to laugh about when they get back to the office or to carry a funny incident throughout the event."

When planning your meeting, in addition to assessing your learning objectives, also ask yourself, "What experience do I want to create?" Then, use the general sessions as the time to create those positive experiences. Additionally, make sure that you allow ample networking time for the attendees to share their insights and laughter in order to enhance the feeling of community.

Engagement + Community=ROI

Utilizing motivation and humor can increase attendee satisfaction. Furthermore, it can make learning stick because attendees are more alert and engaged throughout the meeting. When attendees are satisfied and learning, there is a greater chance that an improvement in behavior and results will follow, thus increasing your ROI. If your attendees are tuned out and overloaded, your ROI suffers.

Mark LeBlanc, President of the National Speakers Association adds: "Humor is one of those intangible elements of a presentation that is invaluable. Without it, even the best strategies and ideas can fall flat. It's the intangibles that drive the tangibles and make them stick. It turns a meeting into an experience."

A meeting without levity is like a joke without a punchline...it flops. However, a meeting that creates a positive experience while offering educational value is priceless.

Tim and Kris O'Shea of The O'Shea Report provide comic relief for meetings and conventions. As experts in business humor and corporate comedy, they are one of the most respected humor teams in the meetings industry. The O'Sheas travel from coast to coast, presenting to such organizations as Nordstrom, Hewlett Packard, Travelers Express/MoneyGram, and the American Payroll Association.

To learn how The O'Shea Report can wake up your meeting, visit http://www.theosheareport.com Copyright 2007 Tim and Kris O'Shea (You may republish this article with byline) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kris_O'shea

Have you ever wondered what the real cost of mediocrity within your organization might be? Sales managers must wake up! Has there ever been a time when a mess-up by someone internally, proved to be quite costly in both money/resources and time/energy? Has there been a time when a mess-up by someone in your organization caused a huge toll on an outsider, i.e. supplier or customer?

In the world of selling, mediocrity can demand untold costs. In selling, there are generally two categories: hunters and farmers. The hunters are the sales people, both inside and outside, that specialize in going after new business—their thrust is the hunt, bringing in new customers. Farmers on the other hand specialize in nurturing house accounts and business that the hunters have brought in. Too often, organizations will settle for farmers that are mediocre, or careless and don’t tend to their crops. The prices businesses or organizations pay for allowing this kind of behavior are truly unnecessary.

My first real job in outside sales, other than selling encyclopedias door-to-door, was in selling to retailers. The owner of the business, Ray Kahn, once told me, “If you lose an account because you were out sold, it’s okay. But, if you lose an account because you weren’t paying attention to that account—you’re out of here!” Several years later, I saw first-hand that he meant it. Ray fired a hunter/farmer salesman, Mike that had been with him for a decade. Unfortunate for all that were involved, Mike got complacent and lazy, losing a major account because he wasn’t paying attention to the needs of the customer.

When a farmer doesn’t pay attention, it is an absolute travesty. Mike was an okay hunter, but not a great farmer. This situation is not unusual. If you manage sales people and you tolerate a farmer not tending to their crops (accounts), I believe that you are just as guilty as your farmer sales person. It is you, after all, to whom they are accountable.

Not long ago, I traveled to the American East Coast to speak on selling at a chapter of the National Speakers Association (NSA), of which I am a member in Los Angeles. This NSA chapter had been meeting at the same suburban area hotel on the same Saturday of each month for the previous three years. This particular Saturday in January was to be different.

The “you know what” hit the fan late Friday night. Following dinner that evening, my contact with the group dropped me back at the hotel where I was staying and where the meeting would be the next day. In passing, she asked if I knew that I’d be presenting the next morning in the hotel’s restaurant…during regular service hours…to the public? Their usual meeting room had been booked out from under them. Well, that was a surprise that was to me.

Three days earlier, when the NSA Chapter’s program chair called the hotel to check if everything was in place for their coming Saturday meeting, the hotel sales contact, Lois, told the program chair that they had no reservation for the group for the coming Saturday. And, Lois told the program chair that the room they usually use, along with every other meeting room and space in the hotel was also sold out. Wow, what a predicament! Even worse, Lois offered no possible solutions to a long-time customer.

The meeting chair asked Lois how this could be? Especially since the group had been using that meeting room the same Saturday of the month for the past three years and had an on-going relationship. Lois answered by stating that she thought it was odd that the organization had not signed a contract for the coming year. Lois continued by stating that since the hotel’s customers “call them” she didn’t give it a second thought. Excuse me! If I was Lois’ boss, I’d do to her what Ray Kahn did to Mike—fire ‘em! There is no excuse for this kind of behavior.

That farmer, Lois, definitely was not tending her crops (accounts). Can you believe it? Worse, the sales person was ignorant enough to state, “Our customers call us.” She sold the room out from under this group. Perhaps because the group to whom she sold the room was generating higher revenue? Perhaps she was only mindful of her commission check? Perhaps it was her way of telling this NSA Chapter that they were no longer welcome at that property?

The Real Cost

What do you think might be the real cost to the hotel from Lois’ debacle?

To the credit of the hotel’s General Manager, late that Friday evening, I worked with him and food & beverage (F&B) manager for over an hour looking at possibilities to make the next day’s presentation work, even though it was to be in the hotel’s restaurant, during service hours to the general public. The hotel general manager explained to me that he, and his staff had been working on the problem for the past three days. They had even called other hotels to try and move the meeting—but without success.

Let’s take a rough look at the real cost to this hotel: A hotel general manager making around $100,000 a year, working a six-day work week equates to about $333 per working day. If we take into account that the general manager, food & beverage manager, sales staff and others had been dealing with the issue for three days and just add up the general manager’s pay, that gives us about $1,000 cost to the hotel. I’m sure Lois’ commission on the sale of the room and F&B was nowhere near that much.

Now let’s add in the damage to both the national brand and that particular location. This group happened to be a gathering of local-area professional speakers. Since many are intimately familiar with hotels, their expectations tend to be a bit higher than most. What will they say to local meeting planners about this hotel? I doubt it would be complimentary. If the approximately 50 professional speakers mention the situation to only one meeting planner over the following year—that’s potentially 50 local meeting planners that have received a poor report about this property. What’s the cost of that?

If only one of those 50 meeting planners decided not to book a meeting at that property based on what they heard, how many thousands of dollars would that property not receive in future revenue because of Lois’ behavior? Let alone the tarnished perception of this particular brand nationally could cost the chain dollars. Surely it would be more that Lois’ commission on that particular room, on that particular Saturday.

The Rest of The Story

This had been the second time that this property, or should I say Lois, had pulled this kind of situation on that particular NSA Chapter. As such, the board of directors immediately decided to start looking for another property at which to hold their monthly meetings. By the next month’s meeting, the chapter had already found a new home for their monthly meetings. That adds even more to the real cost, as the revenue from the chapter was valuable to the hotel during slow times.

Gosh, because that farmer, Lois, was too unorganized, oblivious, lazy, apathetic, ignorant or greedy, the real cost to the hotel’s productivity and revenue was, and will continue to be, substantial. What does this mean to you? In selecting and/or maintaining the wrong people to represent your organization’s interests, you will pay dearly for their impoverishment of skills.

Solutions

The TEA Master Key should prove helpful. The three key areas necessary to explore in serving your customers well are: Training, Ego and Attitude.

!. Training your employees well is a given, the subtleties are in their understanding the DNA of your organization’s culture and an advanced understanding of how to most effectively use the “tools” that you have made available to them. Understandably, this takes time, but few companies devote the necessary hours to this endeavor. And, if your employees are not continually learning, you must re-examine the limited value they deliver to your organization.

2. Ego is good, when kept in check, allowing one to be confident, yet not arrogant. Unfortunately, too many employees let their ego get in the way of their performance, i.e. too much ego that they never admit a mistake. Mistakes are good, if one learns from their mistake. Years ago, Ray Kahn would say, “If you are not making mistakes, you are not learning, and I don’t need you. But, if you do not learn from your mistakes, I don’t need you either.” Other ego issues revolve around one’s need to be right! In serving customers, it is more important to get things done, than to focus on being right.

3. Attitude can make, or break, an employee and a customer’s perception of your organization’s value proposition. Employees with an attitude of apathy are like termites eating away at the fiber of your organization and one day that fiber that holds your organization together will give fail. On the other hand, employees with the attitude of service, not servitude, flourish and with them so does your organization. Give your employees plenty of reasons to have superior attitudes—it will serve you well.

To access helpful additional information from Ed Rigsbee at no charge, please visit www.rigsbee.com/downloadaccess.htm.

Adapted from Rigsbee's forthcoming book titled, Customer Service Screw Ups--Learn from the Mistakes of Others. In this book, Rigsbee rants about the crummy customer service he has received and offers suggestions on how you can truly partnering with your customers. Ed Rigsbee, CSP is the author of PartnerShift, Developing Strategic Alliances and The Art of Partnering. Rigsbee has over 1,000 published articles to his credit and is a regular keynote presenter at corporate and trade association conferences across North America. He can be reached at 800-839-1520, ed@rigsbee.com, or visit http://www.rigsbee.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ed_Rigsbee

When it comes to setting up conference meetings, everything must be perfect and planned down to the last detail. There are a number of different considerations to make when planning conference meetings, including location considerations, hotel selection, cost considerations, and one must also take into consideration the general services offered by the venue of choice. Finding a good venue may seem like a cumbersome task, but the proper preplanning and forethought with ensure that conferences and meetings go smoothly. Further, the selection of a venue will affect the successfulness of any given event and the selection of a venue will create a lasting impression on those that attend an event.

The first thing that one must plan when organising annual general meetings, award ceremonies, conference meetings, conventions, exhibitions, PR events, product launches, sales presentations, or seminars requires the event planner to determine what the primary focus of the event will be. Any event must be planned with the end result in mind, and the focus of the event must prove to be entertaining even if work related. Events like seminars, product launches and sales presentations must be something that will maintain the interest of those that attend. By maintaining the interest of those that attend an event, one can ensure that the attendance of future events is secure.

When it comes to sales events and product launches, selecting the perfect venue is an act that cannot be overestimated in terms of importance. The selection of an appropriate venue can literally mean the difference between a successful product launch and an unsuccessful one. The venue selected will ultimately leave an impression on those that attend the sales event or product launch: an impression that will remain with those in attendance long after the event is over. The impression established at a sales event or product launch will ultimately be associated with the event and the company or the organisation that arranged the event: thus, a venue selection must result in a positive impression.

The second thing that must be considered in terms of conferences and meetings is how many people will attend. Conferences, meetings, and seminars are established for groups both small and large. The number of anticipated attendants will help to determine the size of the venue required. The establishment of a list determining the number of people expected to attend a meeting, seminar, exhibition or convention will also determine the cost of the venue in question: larger meeting spaces may cost more than smaller ones. If a larger meeting room is not required, there is little sense in paying the additional fees associated with the use of a larger meeting area.

After determining the size of an event, a venue can be chosen: once the number of people expected to attend is determined, an event planner will have a solid idea of the size of the venue required. How one chooses a venue will depend up convenience: the event should be hosted in an area where it is easily accessible to those attending the event. Of course, if an event planner is not intimately familiar with a particular location, they may not immediately realise where all of the best locations for an event are: it may be wise to speak with a knowledgable event organiser and planner in such an instance. An organiser can help plan every step of a conference meeting or event, taking away a major burden from a corporation or organisation looking to host an event.

When a location is chosen, the type of menus available must also be considered, as well as available transportation to and from the location. Before selecting a venue, one will need to review the general services offered. Good questions to ask are questions pertaining to available entertainment, what forms of entertainment are permissible, and what fees are involved with the use of the location. To find the best prices in terms of a venue search, it may prove beneficial if one relies on the knowledge of an event organiser; event organisers are not only familiar with the best venues, but they are also knowledgeable about the venues that will generate the least in terms of expense.

Whether your meetings are conference meetings, sales presentations, PR events, product launches, annual general meetings, conventions, exhibitions, seminars, award ceremonies or you want to host one or more team building events, the selection of a venue is critical. It may be necessary for you to rely on the services of a qualified conference organiser to ensure that your conference meetings are perfect. Micromanaging every detail of a conference will help to ensure a positive outcome for the event and for all individuals that attend. By utilising the services of professional event organiser, a company or organisation can ensure that the event is not only successful, but also hassle-free.

Free Venue Finding Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk + 44 (0)8700 490000 FREE call back service Free Hotel Accommodation Booking Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.com + 44 (0)8707 520433 FREE call back service Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mandy_Chagger

It's important to talk to the right person when trying to get a great deal, that means someone who has the authority to negotiate with you. You can ask to speak to the Sales Manager or if they have a dedicated staff for meeting and event coordinating, speak to the manager of that department. Remember to research comparable room prices in the area online so that you'll have a good point of reference to bring to the negotiation table. It does take some advanced planning to get the best deals, but hotel room prices are more flexible than the average person realizes.

Be aware of the seasons and try to schedule your seminar during a time when the hotel's business is typically slow. Getting a great room at a great price will always be easier when the hotel isn't full. If you're booking a block of rooms for seminar guests and speakers in addition to the meeting room, you're also more likely to get a better price for both. Several popular hotel chains have extensive planning tools available online so be sure to take advantage of the wealth of information made available.

Once you've got a list of possible venues together, you can start contacting the sales department of each hotel and sending them your request for proposal or RFP. Make sure your RFP includes preferred dates, number and type of sleeping rooms you require, food and beverage requirements, a tentative agenda and the amount of meeting space that is needed. Based on the hotels' responses to your RFP, you should be able to narrow down the field of possibilities and schedule some site inspections. To save both money and time, you can substitute an actual site inspection with a detailed questionnaire, virtual tour or both!

When you start negotiations, always remember that everything is negotiable. If the group generates sufficient guestroom and food and beverage revenue, the meeting room rental fees can and should be waived. If you're planning a reoccurring event, you can also use your loyalty as leverage.

Once you've weighed your options and made your decision, make sure everything, big and small, is outlined in explicit detail in the written contract. Deposit procedures and acceptable methods of payment are two things that should be agreed upon before you sign anything.

After the event, take your time going over the invoice with a fine-toothed comb. The first draft of the invoice from the hotel is almost never correct so be sure to point out anything that needs to be corrected. Get feedback about the hotel from the seminar attendees. If there are complaints, politely let your hotel representative know about them. Any good salesperson will gladly offer an additional discount to ensure that you consider them again next year.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Bacak

Planning a meeting, corporate event or conference can be a trying task - particularly if you expect the event to be a large one. But before you despair over thoughts of potential meeting mishaps, remember that there is help at hand.

There are a number of comprehensive resources to which you can turn when planning a meeting or event - from extensive checklists to professional event planners. And whether you're a practiced corporate event planner or are about to embark on your first ever event-planning effort, it's always essential to make full use of these resources.

One of your most significant event planning resources will likely be the venue at which you choose to hold your event. That's because event venues are usually equipped with a range of internal event services and facilities, such as audio-visual technology and dedicated event staff. However, you'll likely still need to outsource various other services, such as transportation and accommodation (if the event requires travel) and possibly even catering services. In the end, all the outsourcing can amount to a lot more work than you had bargained for - meaning the organization of your event might face compromise.

However, certain types of venues, such as hotels, can offer a comprehensive set of event services through a single facility, meaning that your event planning package can encompass all of your meeting requirements. For instance, many hotels operate divisions that specialise in organizing hotel meetings and events, in addition to providing meeting facilities, catering and event staff, as well as guest accommodation - so you'll be covered in terms of both meeting services and event facilities.

Moreover, hotels can offer exclusive services which are personalised to ensure success for you and your event - so you can expect your event to run according to your company's unique needs and requirements. And finally, you'll find countless hotels that are ideally situated for business travel, whether that means being located in close proximity to the airport or having easy access to the city's business district.

So, whether you're planning a large corporate conference or a small company meeting, you'll have a number of essential factors to consider. Choosing to hold your meetings and events at a hotel will give you access to a wide range of meeting and events facilities, as well as tailored support to produce a successful event - meaning that no factor will be overlooked.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists traveling and rugby among his interests. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Regan