Do you have what it takes to be a corporate event planner?
Event management is all about listing and keeping track of what you have done and what
still needs to be done. It requires special skills in marketing and sales, planning,
organization, finance, human resources, and motivation. Event Coordination also
demands a great deal of patience, attention to detail and follow up with a quick reaction
to change. In addition, to hold a successful event, the organizer should have vision,
leadership, and management skills in the following key areas: Marketing, Financial,
Operational, Legal, and Human Resources. These departments function together as the
core of any successful event. Therefore, as a Corporate Event Planner, you must be
knowledgeable in each area and willing to work with employees to further financial
success.
Be certain you and your client are always on
the same page and have the same vision.
As a Meeting Professional, where and how the process begins is immensely important so
you can easily gauge your success and the Return on Investment (ROI) for your client.
Establishing the goals and objectives is the first step in the Meeting Planning Process.
The scope of work, goals, and objectives must be clearly defined, prioritized, and realistic.
Be certain you and your client are always on the same page and have the same vision.
The client must know what success looks like and what is not possible based on your
resources and theirs. When determining the scope of your goals and objectives you must
understand the difference between the two elements. Goals are long-range targets in the
future. Objectives are short-range targets that are specific to the meeting.
It is all about the lists you make and small
details that make the difference
Logistics is the planning and management of any complex project. It is all the “behind the
scenes” work you do to make sure everything runs smoothly. Logistics includes all the
pre planning, planning, scheduling, and coordinating you do as a meeting
professional. It is all about the lists you make and small details that make the difference
(such as time lines and production schedules). Proper coordination of logistics provides
for a seamless experience for your attendees and allows you to manage the project or
meeting from a point of control.
As the Meeting Professional, your role is to determine, research, and schedule food and
beverage functions, taking into consideration special needs, and the budget, goals, and
objectives of the meeting. This will include the reception, hospitalities and coffee breaks.
Work with the venue staff to review their policies regarding set up fees, service charges,
guarantee deadlines, liability and state laws regarding liquor consumption.
To assist in managing your project it is recommended that you always develop a time line
and production schedule in order to identify and assign tasks, and monitor progress.
These are the two crucial elements in project management. Create a conference resume,
or a time line and production schedule that list guest rooms, every event, meeting, food
and beverage function and suppliers. Distribute to all who are part of your team. Meet
with the venue and cross check all banquet event orders (BEOs) and function sheets. As a
Meeting Professional, you will develop your timeline and then make changes as needed.
Most likely, you will be in a city where you are not as familiar with the options that are
available. Local vendors may include a Destination Management Company (DMC),
transportation company, production company, florists, photographers, entertainers, and
security. Should you attract a global audience, you may need to consider translation
services. If you have attendees with special needs, you may want sign language or
auxiliary aides. If a marketplace or trade show is a component, you will need to select a
company with an expertise in that area.
Food and Beverage is an integral part of any meeting; some events and functions are
planned specifically around the meal. Food and Beverage will use a majority of your
budget and, without some controls in place, can easy spiral out of control. It is important
that food meets nutritional needs and be pleasing to the eye. As a planner, you should
look at who must be fed, why they must be fed, what they must be fed, when they must
be fed, and where they must be fed. Pay attention to both your budget and creative
elements when working on menu design.
After the meeting, it is critical to have a face-to-face meeting with your team, the hotel
staff, and your vendors, to discuss what actually happened and gain feedback for next
year. After each session, and at the conclusion of the meeting, those attending should fill
out an evaluation form. You may elect to have an online evaluation form emailed to
attendees after the meeting. The data you collect will assist you in determining your
Return on Investment or ROI.
In short, your role will be to work with committees to maximize their strengths and
support their weakness. As a Meeting Professional, you will create a budget and forecast
all of your human resource needs and compensation. Create job descriptions for each task
and find the appropriate person to assign the task. As a Meeting Professional, you will
need to nurture your personal and professional growth with a focus on trends,
administration, leadership and organizational skills. One thing is certain, as the team
grows so will the challenges, it is your responsibility to manage the team and overcome
all challenges so that the end result is a successful event.
A Corporate Event Planner should be nothing
less than the top of the line in the hospitality
business
A Corporate Event Planner should be nothing less than the top of the line in the
hospitality business, which is why it is a good idea to take a look at HMBookstore.com,
which will provide you with an excellent training program to better your understanding
of a Corporate Event Planner, and to use as a reference when in need of a reminder.
CEO Tristar Hotel Group & HMBookstore
CEO of Tristar Hotel Group turns decades of Hotel experience into an eLearning
program
Ken Edwards, CEO of Tristar Hotel Group, has been putting his 25 plus years of
building, developing and hotel management experience to good use; developing
eLearning for hotels. The HMBookstore.com product was designed to provide education
and training materials and to help those looking to enter the hospitality industry, as well
as those already working in it.
HMBookstore has over 95 eBook courses used for training to include 11 in Spanish and 9
in Mandarin. The eLearning courses range in educational content from line-level
employees through management positions up to the General Manager, and include
training for hotel management companies. HMBookstore is currently supporting
hospitality training in 22 colleges and universities, such as UNLV, University of San
Francisco, Northern Arizona University as well as both individual hotel owners and
Management Companies.