Association Meetings

Four Overlooked Tips to Make your Conference Experience More Successful

What am I reading today?

One of my favorite meeting planner bloggers, Jeff Hurt shared his Four Overlooked Tips To Make Your Conference Experience More Successful

• Take the path less traveled
• Take a break from the information shower
• Share the wealth
• Be a Canteen

My personal favorite is to "share the wealth".  I have found that when I make the decision to share what I am learning whether it is through Twitter, blog posts or photos, I have a far more meaningful experience.

What other tips might you offer?

14 Online eCommunity Options for your Next Annual Meeting

What am I reading today?

Today I am reading a great blog post by a fellow meeting planner from whom I have learned a great deal - Jeff Hurt.  His post lists several online eCommunities that you can use for your annual meetings.  These are great tools to offer your attendees to enhance their meeting experience. 

Thanks Jeff!

14 Online eCommunity Options For Your Next Annual Meeting

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Event Panners

What am I reading today?

A really great blogpost  by Anne Thornley-Brown on the topic of Social Media Marketing Strategies for Events.  She nicely lays out step by step how to develop a marketing campaign with ease.

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Event Planners - Part 1

Enjoy!

If You Have Attendees from Overseas, Get to Know ESTA

What am I reading today?

As the meeting planner for many international meetings, I am always looking for ways to keep my attendees up to date regarding travel regulations.  There is now a website that all planners should become familiar will to aid in answering questions and making travel to the US smoother!

If You Have Attendees from Overseas, Get to Know ESTA

10 Ways to get the most out of a meeting ....

What am I reading today?

Reading Mike McAllen's blogpost - Meetings Podcast is always good!  However today he has a really great listing of the 10 ways to get the most out of a meeting.  Thanks Mike!

Internet Scams Targeting Event Planners

While I haven't seen this email yet, it is good to know that this exists ...  Please share this with your colleagues.

Internet Scams Targeting Event Planners

Thanks Keith for sharing!

Headed to Leiden ...

Photo by jkhewett

In the next couple of hours I will be headed to the airport to go to Leiden, in The Netherlands.  Over the next several days I will be attending a meeting; planning a meeting and exhibiting at a meeting!  I promise to take notes and to share as I go along.

One of the main issues that I want to be thinking about and hopefully address:  what are those challenges faced when planning an International meeting?  Especially those challenges we now face due to the current economical status.

What issues do you think international planners face?  I would love to hear your thoughts ...

For now however, I need to get to the airport!

Seth's Blog: Three kinds of meetings

Image via Wikipedia

Meetings vs. Conferences - what is the difference?  Is there a difference?  I have often had this conversation with our various clients and now I have one definition that can be used to show the difference between these different events.

Seth Godin's definition:

A Conference - A conference is a chance for a circle of people to interact.  Whereas a meeting can follow on of three types of formats:

1.  Informational - a place where information is provided.
2.  Discussional - where feedback is involved.
3.  Permission based - This is a meeting where the other side is supposed to say yes but has the power to say no.  

For me, the first two types are very clear and easy to understand.  The third I had to think about for awhile.  Maybe it was the word "permission" that threw me.  My take on Seth's definition; the third is a meeting where you are trying to persuade another to your point of view.  To convince others to join your cause or support your project. 

What are your thoughts on these definitions?

Seth's Blog: Three kinds of meetings

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Silent Auctions ... Tricks & Tips

Recently I've attended several conferences where the meeting organizers conducted a silent auction to raise funds for its organization or foundation.  Many of my clients also use silent auctions to raise monies for scholarships and faculty development projects.  While observing these auctions I came away with a few suggestions:

1) Look closely at your participants.  Are the items you have available of interest?  Having NFL Football memorabilia available when your audience is primarily European, may not go over so well.  If you have a wide range of participants in terms of demographics - have items that match. 

2) Have items available that everyone can support financially.  Look at all budget ranges.  I would have gladly participated in some of the past auctions however, there were no items that I could bid on for less then $500.  Sorry .. funds come directly out of my personal account.

3) The purpose of the auction is to raise money.  If you agree, then establish your auction to do so.  Think carefully about your starting bids.  If the starting bid is viewed as higher than the value of the item, you are not going to get as many bidders.  One auction I observed had starting bids at $1,000 for items that were worth far less.  Yes I realize that this is for charity, but let's be realistic!

4) If the auction is connected to a meeting or event, can you also conduct the auction on your website?  If so, you have just increased the number of potential participants.  Bids can be taken electronically  until the cut-off and updated to those received at the event live.

5) At the recent MeetDifferent Conference in Atlanta I saw a very unique way to post non-tangible items such as memberships or tickets.  Post these items on a wall instead of hiding them on a table. The picture I've included here shows how this can be done.  I believe that this will bring more attention to those types of item.

 

6) Create excitement!  Make sure to announce throughout your meeting that the auction is taking place and how to get involved.  Create an environment where participants feel like they are missing out on something special.  Don't hide your auction or have it as an afterthought.

7) Engage your participants and don't overlook your speakers or exhibitors when asking for item donations.  If your speakers are published authors, why not include an autographed copy of their book in the auction? Do your exhibitors want the added exposure by donating items?  If this auction is for a member association - why not include a year's membership fee? Or conference registration for the next meeting?

8) Make it easy to win!  Offer free shipping on items that cannot be carried home easily.

9) Have LOTS of pens on the auction bid sheets. 

10) Have FUN with it! 

I would love to here your suggestions and tips .....

Dear Senator Kerry ...

I've emailed this to Senator Kerry and encourage you to do the same!  Thanks Barb Taylor Carpender, CMM, CHSC for the text!


Dear Senator Kerry:

It has come to my attention that you are proposing legislation that would prevent companies that have received bailout funding from hosting, sponsoring or paying for conferences, holiday parties and entertainment events. The bill will affect any companies that have received government help under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

Meetings and events are responsible for 15 percent of all travel-related spending in the U.S., creating nearly $40 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state and local level and generating more than 1 million jobs. Industry experts project that without the jobs generated by meetings, events and incentive travel, the current unemployment rate of 7.6 percent would rise to 8.2 percent and cost the average American household an additional $136 in taxes annually.

I humbly submit to you that meetings will continue to play an integral role in the success of our country's efforts to pull ourselves out of the current economic malaise. The recent inauguration, for example, was an outstanding event that galvanized millions of our citizens to move towards a new era of hope and optimism. The congressional committee meetings that have been held to pass the recent economic stimulus package are another example of meetings that have been held to spur the economic recovery.

I would encourage you to carefully reconsider what you are proposing and to then decide to support the *business of meetings*. A million jobs in our country depend on your understanding and support!

For more info:  http://www.mpiweb.org/cms/mpiweb/Blog/commonblog.aspx?viewblog=2656&groupblog=2