WORKING WITH A MEETING MANAGEMENT EXPERT
Who are they? Meeting Management Experts are organizations or independent experts that specialize in managing all or a portion of your meeting and or event management activities.
Who hires them?
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Corporate Sales & marketing executives; training executives; and busy meeting planning departments. |
Association Executive directors; Chairman; Board of Directors |
Government Meeting planning departments |
Social Event Special interest group organizers such as clubs; reunions & sports team travel |
Other meeting & event planning companies |
Why should I hire them? To plan and/ or execute the annual convention and /or tradeshows, sales or marketing meetings, training meeting, product launches, incentive programs, awards banquets, executive teambuilding and planning meetings, special events. They may do the planning and execution from A – Z or you may use their relationship power to negotiate the best rates on product and services. They may also act as part of your registration team so you are able to attend to the content of the meeting and delegate the details to a seasoned meeting expert.
What kind of services do they provide? You may opt for full-service (everything from A – Z) or just a piece that fills a gap such as site selection, registration, on-site staffing. The following is a partial list of services you may require.
Menu of Services
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
- Budget Development
- Site Selection
- Contract Negotiation & Review
- Online Registration, Housing, Travel
- Special Events, Unique Venues, Tours
- Program and Theme Development
- Sponsor Management
LOGISTICS
- Work Management and Reporting
- Speaker Management (Speaker contracts, Learning objectives, Bio, photo, logo)
- Speaker Support (Scripts, A/V, Communications, travel arrangements, compensation)
- Conference Materials (Development and Production of program, signage and badges)
- Website Development and Email Blasts
- Database Management
- Media, Social Media and Public Relations
- Trade show Exhibit Design and Production
ON-SITE MANAGEMENT
- Registration
- Program Flow
- Floor and Stage Management
- Food and Beverage
- Vendor Management
- Billing
- Surveys and Follow-up
Benefits of using their services
- They have developed relationships within the industry that will often get the client value-added services.
- They have the expertise to fill the void and ultimately save the client time and money and their compensation is project based.
- They are knowledgeable about facilities, travel, service providers.
- They provide experienced staff needed to complete the project.
- Your team can continue to focus on the tasks for which they are paid and have expertise.
What will it cost? There is no industry standard in the way meeting management experts are compensated so discuss your expectations on the scope of services your require before entering an agreement. The proposal for services can be done:
- Commission only
- Flat project fee
- By the hour or by the day
- Combination of any of the above
What should you look for?
- Companies that meet your specialized needs
- Companies with depth in experience
- Do they have industry certifications
- Ask for client references
- Have they managed events of similar scope & size to yours?
Do they belong to any of the major associations and how active is their contribution?
- Meeting Professionals International
- American Society of Association Executives
- Professional Conference Management Association
- International Special Events Society
What value will they bring to your meeting or event?
- Sharper negotiations skills with time savings as all you need to do is review results rather than gather the information and respond to proposals
- Cost savings
- Time savings
- Broader options list of suppliers to choose from
- Organization
- Relationships that are committed to quality service at a fair price
- Creative ideas and updated industry information
The best news of all is that you stay in control. A Meeting Management Expert takes all direction from you and operates as an extension of your team. They are not compensated for any time or services that are not productive. The cost of a good Meeting Management Expert is usually made up in the savings they are able to acquire through their negotiations. You are able to stay FOCUSED ON YOUR CORE BUSINESS while the Meeting Management Expert attends to the details behind the scenes so that when you arrive, it is LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
