Adventures in Meeting Planning

Continuing Education is Crucial for Success

I love to learn.  I think I have spent as much time in continuing education classes since I graduated college as I did taking my college classes.

I grew-up in the time of no computers, I think when I was at ASU I took a basic programming class and nothing more.  I have been playing catch-up ever since, but am happy to say, that technology comes quickly to me.

It better.  I have learned that I need to stay on top of and in front of that fast moving train called social media.  I have spend the past two days in a fantastic educational program called the Social Media Success Summit 2009.  This 11 part webinar has broken down all the parts of social media and showcases experts in those areas.  I just wrapped up a session on Facebook and Linkedin and start one on Twitter.  My goal...to have a higher social media standing by July.

I better get cracking!

Cathy

Meeting Planning Academy Class - Working with CVBs

We have a great complimentary class scheduled for today, Working with Convention and Visitor Bureaus.  The MPA will host guest speakers, Kelli Blubaum, CMP, Scottsdale CVB, Mark McMinn, CMP, CTA, Tempe CVB and Mike Van Liew, Greater Phoenix CVB.

Do you use the services of a CVB?  Do you know what they can do for you as a meeting planner?  I have found over the years that many of my fellow planner do not use the services of a CVB.  Even more surprising, I find that many planner do not know what a CVB can do for them, and that most of their services are free.

Join us this AM for a complimentary tele-class where we will hear first hand on what a CVB can do for you.

EVENT:  Working with CVBs

DATE & TIME: Tuesday, May 26th at 9:00am Pacific

FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast -- it's your choice)

TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW...

http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=7544217

Planning Meetings and Events at Convention Centers Vs. Hotels

There is a vast difference between planning events at these types of venues.  Join us on Tuesday, April 28th for a 1-hr tele-seminar covering these differences and navigating which venue is bets for your event.

The differences start immediately and you should have a pretty good idea of the type of venue you want before you start the RFP stage.  Convention Centers are know as the venue to use when you have a meeting with thousands of attendees, but sometime they may also be the best choice if you do not plan on having F & B served, or do not want to take a room block.

Hotels are more of a one-stop shop.  You work with a single person to plan your meeting.  At a Convention Center you work with a Convention Services Manager, but you also need to work with separate vendors in AV, security, F & B, parking exhibits, electricity and tele-communications.  Another big difference is that at Convention Centers, most of these fees are due in full before you even step foot in the building.  No master accounts here.

This is just a small taste of the items we will review in the class.  The class will run from 9 am - 10 am (PST) on Tuesday, April 28th.  Class fee is $24.95 and includes the audio download and handout.  Follow this link to register.

Happy Earth Day!

In Honor of Earth Day, I have posted some tips to make your meetings greener.  See if you can implement a few at your next meeting/event.

1. Find out how green the city is.  Print a Destination selection survey and send it to the local CVB or municipality to find out about their efforts
2. Have delegates participate in a local community clean-up campaign
3. Make a donation, on behalf of your meetings client, to a local environmental charity
4. Choose a hotel that is interested in doing more to become green.  A willingness to cooperate will make your task so much easier.
5. Choose a venue that’s connected to the airport by mass transit, and within walking distance of the hotel.
6. Include a Green Preference clause in your venue Request for Proposals. 
7. Choose a venue that is interested in doing more to become green.  A willingness to cooperate will make your task so much easier.
8. Ask the venue manager to suggest off-site activities that are nature-based, with minimal impact to the local environment.
9. If vehicular transport is required, look for vehicles that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2.  Electric and hybrid powered vehicles, as well as vehicles propelled by natural gas, propane, methane gas, and ethanol, produce less emissions than gas or diesel fueled vehicles.
10. Ask that condiments, beverages, and other food items be provided in bulk instead of individually packaged.
11. Ensure food and beverage packaging is recyclable, and that it will be recycled.
12. Give your delegates reusable coffee mugs at the start of the conference.
13. Ask your supplier to buy local produce that is in season, to avoid costly transportation of goods.
14. Offer fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee.
15. Request organic produce, and free run chicken/eggs/meats.
16. Offer vegetarian meal selections; vegetables consume less land base and energy to produce.
17. Ask delegates to ‘sign-up’ for meals, by letting you know what meals they will be attending.  This will reduce food waste – and your costs.
18. Arrange to have left over food donated to a local food bank or soup kitchen.
19. Ask if unusable left over food portions can be composted, or shipped to a local farm as pig feed.
20. Ask your supplier to use reusable cutlery, dishware and linens.
21. Choose centerpieces and decorations that can be reused, such as living plants, or silk flowers.  Give these away as table prizes.
22. Prepare an environmental policy for the meeting, and share it with all those involved: management, suppliers, delegates, presenters, and exhibitors.
23. Also, keep track of your specific greening initiatives and let the media know about them.
24. Use the World Wide Web and emailing lists to promote the event.
25. Offer electronic registration, and publish the conference itinerary on-line.
26. For material that needs to be available in hard copy, print using both sides of the paper, using soy or vegetable-based inks and recycled, chlorine-free paper.
27. Ask your hotel if they can dedicate a TV channel to conference information and updates.
28. Give delegates their packages when they check in - not beforehand - to avoid duplication.
29. Allow delegates to request electronic proceedings of the events.
30. Ask presenters to minimize paper hand-outs.

Meeting Planning Academy Classes for Spring 2009

Hello.  It's been a long time since my last post - I got very busy with a new client.  I am back now, and committed to posting 2 - 3 times a week.

The Meeting Planning Academy Tele-seminars and Meeting planning Boot Camps webinars are back for Spring.  The classes kick-off next week, and here is a sneak peak at the scheduled:

Meeting Planning Academy  (all Classes are from 9 am - 10 am PST)
April 21st        How to Find a Job in the Meetings Industry
April 28th       Planning Meetings and Events at Convention Centers Vs. Hotels
May 5th           Why Dose My Coke Cost So Much?  Tips for Negotiating Better with Hotels
May 12th        Preparing Program Specs for Your Venues and Other Suppliers
May 19th        Setting-0up the Right Registration system for Your Meetings and Events
May 26th       Working With Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs)
June 2nd        The ABCs of RFPs and Site Selection
June 16th       How Much Money Are You Leaving on the Table?:  7 Clauses Planners Need in Every
                           Hotel Contract

Click here for Registration and More Info

Download MP Academy 2009 Tele-seminar Schedule

Meeting Planning Boot Camp Courses
This Spring the Boot Camps will be taught 3 times in a 4-part webinar series.  Pick the month that works best with your schedule.  Each class will run from 9 am - 11 am PST

April 2009
Monday April 20th - Wednesday April 22nd
Monday April 27th - Wednesday April 29th

May 2009
Monday May 4th - Wednesday May 6th
Monday May 11th - Wednesday May 13th

June 2009
Monday June 15th - Wednesday June 17th
Monday June 22nd - Wednesday June 24th

Special Pricing is being offered this Spring

Click here to Register and for more info

Click to Download the 2009 Webinar Schedule

Adventures in Meeting Planning

View my page on EventPeeps.com: The Network for Live Event Professionals

MPI WEC 2008

Greetings from Las Vegas.  Well, it is Sunday, the first official day for WEC 2008 and a lot has already happened.  We started the day with a spectacular general session, with Futurist Robert Dixon, MD.  Made me think about the way I construct my meetings...from an attendee standpoint.

Next was the first of two days of trade show.  Very interesting set-up.  20 x 20 with a center cicle and up to 4 vendors around.  It made for a great layout, but was a little harder to find the booth numbers you wanted.

I just finished the wonderful Google-licious class taught by James Spellos.  If you ever get a chance to learn from him do.

Well off for the evening opening reception.

Cathy

Why Outsource?

The days of you believing that your meeting is too small to outsource to a meeting planning firm should be over. Meeting planning firms have evolved to meet the needs of association and corporate staffs' increased workloads, reduced staff and tighter budgets. Firms are using their combination of experience, creativity and expertise to help produce outstanding meetings - without increasing the cost of the event or doing away with your current staff.

C2 and Company Meetings and Events presents a Free Tele-seminar on:

                        What Outsourcing Can Do for My Company
                                        Thursday, August 21, 2008
                                    9:00 am Pacific Standard time

(the call will be recorded and if you can’t make it live on the 21st, and the recoding link will be sent out)

This 45 mins session (30 minutes of session, 15 mins Q & A) will cover

•    What Outsourcing is and what it can do for your company
•    Debunking myths of out-sourcing your planning needs
•    Understand the benefits of partnering with Independent Planners
•    What C2 & Company can do for you

For information on C2 & Company Meetings and Events and President/Owner Cathy Clifton, CMP, CMM, please visit www.C2andCo.com

To register for the free call, please visit www.C2andCo.com/Outsourcing

A confirmation e-mail will be sent out on Monday, 8/18 with call–in information.

Meeting and Event Planner and Supplier Education

If you are like me, summer slows down for you.  Besides taking a well deserved vacation, what else do you do over the summer?  Clean out files, write out new procedures, take some education courses...

I had the opportunity to do many of the things I have been putting off - this blog for instance.  I also learned how to make websites.  This has always been a desire of mine, as a type A control freak , I wanted to control this part of my company too.  I spent many months researching the easiest and best software.  I DID NOT wish to learn HTML, just some basics and use a program designed for people like me.  Well I found the perfect product, XSite Pro.  This software is so easy, and they just came out with a revised version.  Now, this is only software, they do not host your website, but I did find an easy place to host, Xsite Registrations, they are an affiliate of the software. 

If you have ever wanted to design a website, from the simple to the extravagant, I encourage you to check this out.  Send me an e-mail if you want more info - CClifton@C2andCo.com.

My plan with learning how to design websites was to launch my new business with my Co-Founder Mary Young, CMP.  Some of you may know Mary and I from the Meeting Planning Boot Camp courses - and now we have expanded our offerings and formed The Meeting Planning Academy.  This site has a lot of education and training options for meeting and event planners, and our supplier friends as well. 

We just launched the Fall 2008 Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) Study Group and will hold 2 Meeting Planning Boot Camps this Fall.  September through December we will offer a 15 week series of tele-seminars on various meeting and event planing topics.

Finally, if you are an Independent Meeting or Event Planner, and you are looking for a group of like minded individuals, take a look at the Independent Meeting and Event Planners Meet-up.  We are based in Metro Phoenix, but anyone can join as long as they are an owner of a meeting/event planning company  Click on the name above to follow the link for more info.

I am also looking forward to attending the Meeting Professionals International WEC in Las Vegas.  The last time this was held in Vegas, it was awesome!

I also took about 20-30 hours of tele-seminars and webinars this summer.  If you have not tried this method of getting your education, it is wonderful.  Most courses are also recorded and you get a download of the session so you can re-listen to it on you own.

So, what kind of education have you done this summer?  What types do you like?  I would love to hear back from you!

Cathy

Welcome to my blog!

Summer is slowly fading away and I wanted to make sure I got this first post up.  I have been wanting to do this blog for some time, and I had the opportunity to work on several projects like this over the summer. 

As you can read from my bio, I own a meeting and event planning company.  I sort of fell into this industry, like many people do.  I graduated from ASU in 1988 with a degree in Economics, and my first job was to produce a housing study for the the College of Business.  I soon learned that being a number cruncher was not for me.  I did enjoy planning the quarterly business meetings, where we handed out the study to our members. 

A few years in, I became restless in my job and started taking random classes at ASU to see if I could figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  I stumbled upon a little class called Special Event Management and had my light bulb moment...this is was I was born to do!

I decided to earn a second BS degree in Recreation Management and Tourism and finished in about 2 years.  It took about 9 months to find my first job.  I went through so many jobs looking for the perfect one.  Then, I decided to put an job AD in my local MPI Chapter's newsletter, and struck pay dirt.  My future employer was not a member, but happened to get that one issue. 

My first official job in meeting planning was CME Coordinator at Maricopa Medical Center.  I loved this job and helped contribute to the growth of the department.  I achieved my CMP in 1996, was named AZ MPI Planner of the Year in 1997 and was soon promoted to Director of Meeting Management with a staff of 4. 

Then in the Fall of 1998, I received the news that my boss was being laid off and she encouraged me to start my own company.  I jumped at the chance and 3 months later C2 & Company was launched.  The company name is a play on my initials, and a tribute to my Father, the original C2.

I started my business with 7 clients and 12 meetings - so I hit the ground running.  In 2002 I had two major achievements, I served as President of AZ Chapter of MPI and I earned my Certification in Meeting Management (CMM).

The CMM lead me to partner with another local meeting planner and we formed Meeting Planning Boot Camp, and I became a trainer.  This is where I discovered my other love, teaching.  I had always thought about teaching at ASU, and in  2005, I came full circle and now teach the very same class that got me started on this grand adventure.

There have been many ups and downs in my career, I have mastered a lot, and am still learning a lot.  I plan to bring all of this to my blog, and hope you will become an active participant.  Please feel free to comment and make sure you subscribe to this blog feed.  Posts will cover things I have learned and experiences in this wonderful, stressful world of meeting planning.

Please check out my pages as well - I have links to my favorite things and recommendations for tools and services that make my life easier.  You are welcome to post your favorite things too, and reviews, just keep things positive.

Until I blog again,

Cathy