So before you read any further, realize I’m pretty biased. But here are the three reasons why I’m convinced having anyone speak while people are trying to eat is a terrible idea.

No. 1: People attend meetings and conferences for networking and education.

So don’t screw that up.

I understand why you may be tempted to blend the two. But you’re not going to create some kind of magical meetings Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup by doing so. Instead, you’re going prevent your attendees from enjoying either option.

People want to gab over a meal and meet new people. Speakers want attendees’ full attention. No one can talk and listen at the same time. And it’s hard to talk over all that clatter.

In short, the only secret recipe you’re creating is one quick way to annoy people. So for God’s sake, at least wait until dessert before the program begins.

No. 2: People need space and time to process great thoughts.

At a three-day conference, you should let people eat and connect with each other at least once a day without being subjected to some talking head, because they need time to discuss what they’ve been experiencing.

Dr. David Rock, founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute, told me that their findings suggest the human brain can only process three big thoughts a day. Let the meal functions be a place where people can debate and discuss those new concepts.

People need to talk about their ideas with other people. That helps them identify what’s relevant to them, how they can apply and adapt it to their unique situation. It’s a necessary step if you want attendees to transform information into action. If they don’t have a forum to do so, then you’re helping reinforce negative meeting stereotypes like this one.

No. 3: You don’t want the speaker (or the entertainment) to hate you

I have to be honest: When I did corporate improv shows in Europe, I almost never met the planners. But I often cursed them.

As the “talent,” I typically sat backstage (or off-ballroom in an unused meeting or hotel room), nibbling on a cruddy one-slice-of-cheese sandwich while the attendees noshed on prime rib and sloshed down fine wines. When it was “go” time, we’d bound onstage and energetically do our stuff for an audience who was mostly annoyed that we were interrupting their good time. By the end, we might have won them over, but it was hard going because the people who were having a really good time continued to do so over and through our act.

After returning to America, I covered a MPI PEC-NA conference (RIP) for Plan Your Meetings and got to hear Tim Sanders exhort an entire audience of meeting professionals to treat the staff as well as they treated their attendees. My former broodje kaas-eating former self wanted to stand up and cheer.

I went back to PYM and insisted that we do just that. Our speakers and entertainment always eat the same meals as our attendees. We treat them with respect. And one of the ways we respect them is we don’t force them to speak while people are trying to eat. I encourage you to do the same.

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10 Creative Ways to Enhance Your Events Using Social Media
Liz King, Liz King Events

Every event planner knows that the fun of event planning is in the creativity. This session identifies ten creative ways to approach your events with a fresh perspective. Social media can help you to put the “social” into your events by promoting engagement, networking, and collaboration. Social media can also drive attendance and reinforce content. We’ll talk about ways to spread the word about your events and help your attendees engage better before, during, and after events. Think live streaming, affiliate marketing, and so much more!

Event Technologies That Will Change Your Life
Liz King, Liz King Events

As a busy event planner, keeping up with the innovations in event technology seems impossible at times. Which new technologies offer an indelible value-added experience and which are distracting? When are old technologies your best choice? Join us to learn about innovative companies that are changing the landscape of events. We will talk about QR codes, online communities, ticketing tools, and many other tools and resources that transform the way we plan and implement events. Consider this your one-stop-shop to get you up-to-date on all things event technology related.

REGISTER NOW

• Meet exhibitors showcasing innovative office products, resources, ideas, and solutions – all at one time, all in one place!
• Enjoy “The Platters: The Best of Conference Room Cuisine (and the Breakroom of course!)” – sample cuisine for your next meeting from local vendors! Sponsored by Seamless and BizBash.
• See the latest office products, ideas, and trends presented at the office* Demo Theater
• Get inspired by four thought-provoking Keynotes
• Attend the 2012 office* HERO Award Presentation
• Avoid the rush-hour commute while enjoying refreshments and hors d’oeuvres on us at the Thank Goodness It’s Wednesday office* Reception! ** RAFFLE prizes include Amazon, Smithsonian Museum Store, Massage Envy gifts cards, and more!

TONIGHT: Tuesday, May 15, 2012
6:30-9:30pm
Heartland Brewery, Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY

REGISTER NOW

WATCH THE LIVE STREAM at 6:30pm EST

PLANNERTECH PARTNERS

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Presenting Event Technology

There were such amazing companies that applied to present this year and the following were selected based on 4 key criteria that includes the application to the event industry, innovation, variety and cost for participant use. We are excited to announce the following innovative companies that will be showcasing at PlannerTech NYC 2012!

	Eventbrite At the Door + swiper. At the Door is an ipad application that allows you to sell tickets and become a box office anywhere. http://www.eventbrite.com @briteNYC NY2012 Participant
	Kojami Kojami has developed a comprehensive event mobile solution that allows users to discover, interact, connect and share information about any event easily! Kojami is a full event solution that captures the power of mobile marketing to enhance the event industry for both organizers and attendees. For event organizers, the service is a cost-effective way to create, manage and market events, as well as provide real time interaction with their attendees. Their attendees can utilize Kojami to simply discover, shove, and experience events at any time, from anywhere on any smartphone, with the touch of a finger. http://www.kojami.com @kojami NY2012 Participant
	Maestro Market Maestro Market is an online marketplace for discovering and connecting with experts on a wide variety of topics of interest to business meeting and other event planners: Leadership, Marketing, Career Development, Education, Wellness, Diversity and more. In addition to finding thought leaders for traditional speaking engagements, our platform opens up a huge potential for engaging experts in other ways such one-on-one, Skype-based “deep dive” conversations, Tweet chats or other meaningful experiences online or in-person. http://www.maestromarket.com @maestromarket NY2012 Participant
	OneLobby.ca OneLobby.ca is a social platform that allows attendees, organizers and exhibitors the opportunity to quickly make quality connections with the right people before, during and long after the event is over. http://www.onelobby.ca @onelobby NY2012 Participant
	P&V Enterprises Our tool is web casting, both live and on demand. This is a way to extend the reach of your event. We capture the live event add production value to the hybrid event as well as production value to the streams, live and on demand. http://pnventerprises.com/ @pnv123 NY2012 Participant
	Qrious Qrious helps ensure attendee, exhibitor and sponsor satisfaction by helping event participants meet more of the people that are important to them at professional events and conferences. Using the Qrious people-matching engine, event participants receive recommendations on who they should meet – and why – based on their role, goals for the event, existing social networks and specific business interests. Recommendations are presented to attendees on the web, in their inboxes and using the Qrious smartphone app. http://www.qriousapp.com @qriousapp NY2012 Participant
	Yapp Yapp is the easiest way to create a mobile application for your event. You don’t need any technical or design knowledge to create a beautiful, customized mobile application (iPhone and Android) for a wedding, fundraiser, corporate event, and more. Features include directions, schedule of events, real time updates, photo sharing, and more. The company was founded a year ago and we recently allowed select users try the product. The response from event planners has been phenomenal. We are backed by some of the world’s leading venture capitalists and individual investors from the women’s media industry. NY2012 Participant

Returning Event Technology

The following companies have presented at PlannerTech NY 2011 or DC 2011 and are back to show you all the upgrades and updates they’ve made to their products. PlannerTech is all about fostering innovation and we’re excited to bring our friends back for another round!

	EventFarm Event ticketing has evolved. It’s no longer just about creating an online ticket order/registration page and processing payments. Event Farm is at the cusp of the shift. Are you leveraging technology to target specific audiences to ensure your event is not only at capacity but has the RIGHT people in attendance? How are your guests interacting with your brand? Are you using mobile applications to make event operations more efficient? Welcome to the new world of ticketing. Welcome to the Farm! http://www.eventfarm.com @eventfarmhand Friends & Family Member: NY2011, DC2011, NY2012 Participant
	imbookin (Powered by Pogby) imbookin is a site that connects those seeking a space for an event with those that have spaces to rent out. Planners can find and book spaces on this site and can also build connections with the Sellers of the spaces, learn about their options, view available packages, and experience the diversity of traditional and non-traditional settings for their event. imbookin makes it easy to merchandise and share your space to a global audience, and to find the right space for an event. http://www.imbookin.com @imbookin Friends & Family Member: NY2011, DC2011, NY2012 Participant
	Social Tables Social Tables is the first-ever social seating chart utility. It’s like Google Docs and Google Maps for floorplans and seating charts. It’s the first piece of an event planning platform that will be more robust than anything the industry has seen.. http://www.socialtables.com @socialtables Friends & Family Member: DC2011, NY2012 Participant
	Splash (by One Clipboard) Splash is the perfect online presence for your offline experience. Created by One Clipboard, Splash has every tool you need to execute a flawless professional event from start to finish. http://www.oneclipboard.com @oneclipboard Friends & Family Member: DC2011, NY2012 Participant
	Pathable Social networking services for events are critical to attendee satisfaction and engagement, and they provide exhibitors and sponsors with the opportunity for dialogue with attendees, not just tote-bag awareness. Pathable’s award-winning on-line community for events provides a private, branded conference community where attendees can meet, schedule meetings, and stay in contact before, during and after the event, and their mobile experience carries the engagement to the show floor on iPhone, iPad, Android and more. http://www.pathable.com @pathable Friends & Family Member: NY2012 Participant

Other Participating Event Tech

Bswarms Bswarms is your Social Event Promotional System. We encompass everything you need to make your event successful. Not only is our system FREE to organizers, but easy to use as well. Once you create your account, you will be able to host, monitor and promote your SWARMS. Within minutes you will be able to start directing registrants to your customized URL and embed the link on your website. http://www.bswarms.com @bswamrs NY2012 Participant

Herematch herematch is the ultimate business networking tool! A must have app for anyone attending conventions, conferences, trade shows, seminars, business networking groups, and business networking events. www.herematch.com NY2012 Participant

Game Plan: We will meet at the first venue (Ripley’s Believe it or Not) at 6:30pm and crawl together through the 4 venues. If you run late or get lost, text 914-299-5805!

REGISTER NOW FOR PLANNERTECH NYC (MAY 15, 2012) AND PLANNERCRAWL NYC (MAY 14, 2012)

PlannerCrawl Participating Venues

	Heartland Brewery (Times Square) Host: Ceri and Rachel Location: 127 West 43rd Street, NYC What to Expect: Upon arrival, guests will be schooled on the art of beer making and will sample 6 varieties of beer, customized with appetizers (Buffalo Chicaken Spring Rolls, Mini Pulled Pork Sandwiches and more). Each attendee will receive a free pint glass with a “pint of beer” coupon. Raffle: Beer Dinner for 4 – a 7 Course extravaganza! Heartland was one of the pioneers to ignite New Yorker’s passion for craft beers. Since then, Heartland has consistently brewed New York’s freshest craft beers, including Heartland’s classic six as well as a wide range of unique seasonal brews. We can host events ranging in size from an intimate dinner for twelve at our Chophouse to galas as large as 800 at our Empire State location. Book Your Event at Heartland Brewery via imbookin NY2012 Partner
	Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (Times Square) with Scoozi Events NYC Host: Beth and Jessica Location: 234 West 42nd Street, NYC What to Expect: Each attendee will have the opportunity to explore the bizarre and unusual, while you enjoy strangely delicious mocktails and desserts that are out of this world, but found right here in the largest Ripley?s in North America. Known to put a wild twist on events, Ripley’s kicks off your Plannercrawl with a sweet tooth! Raffle: Planner Souvenir Pack – 4 T-shirts, 4 tickets to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! As the largest Ripley’s in North America, we boast over 500 astonishing real artifacts on display, 20 themed galleries, and dozens of interactive elements. Ripley’s is the perfect venue in which to host a truly unique event while exploring the unbelievable world of Robert Ripley and his amazing adventures. Our goal with each event is to impress, engage and inspire guests. Your guests will love it so much – it’s up to them to Believe It or Not! Book Your Event at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (Times Square) via imbookin NY2012 Partner
	Tonic Bar & Restaurant (Times Square) Host: Wally and Kim Location: 727 7th Ave, NYC What to Expect: Bartending 101 – learn to be a mixologist with some of Tonic’s specialties. Experience a brand new laser light show Tonic plans to show off! Tempting bar treats (Buffalo wings, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, sliders) will be served along with drinks. Located in the heart of Times Square with three levels for all types of events. The third floor private space features a cozy and elegant marble top bar, comfortable seating and overlooks the second level. Book Your Event at Tonic (Times Square) via imbookin NY2012 Partner
	Little Town NYC (Restaurant Row) Host: Mike Location: 366 West 26th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues What to Expect: Learn about Little Town’s Farm-to-Table philosophy and our commitment to locally-sourced New York State food and beverage. Guests will also receive 1 complimentary Taste of NY-Brewed Draft Beer per person and a sampler of NY Soft Pretzels, Stadium Garlic Fries, and our famous Fried Cheesecake Bites. Raffle: Complimentary Dinner for 4 + First Round of Drinks with submission of a business card! Little Town NYC is a contemporary brewhouse that pays homage to NY and everything it has to offer by bringing the tastes of its “little towns” like Ithaca, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton and Long Island to the heart of it all, Manhattan. Boasting a menu of almost 100 beers all sourced from NY breweries and food specials inspired by local hotspots throughout NY State, Little Town NYC proves you don’t have to leave Manhattan for quality food & beer and to feel like you’re at home. Book Your Event at Little Town NYC (Restaurant Row) via imbookin NY2012 Partner

With the right strategy and support in place, blended conferences can be incredibly powerful for your brand. Here are a few things you should consider when organizing your next event.

The experience

Those who attend in person will have a dramatically different experience than those watching a livestream. Create a list of the challenges that each group might face and keep these in mind during your planning process. Challenges you might face can include:

• Difficulty engaging remote attendees when on-site participants are doing something hands-on.
• Remote attendees who are hard to hear and who may have trouble expressing questions from outside the room.
• On-site participants who lack smartphones or laptops and have trouble connecting with remote attendees.

Read more on PlanYourMeetings.com

Mutual transparency needs to start from the first conversation you have together.  Keep it simple and I don’t think this is asking much but be honest.  If you cannot offer a service, tell them, if you need upgrades or must have items, tell them.  Not being honest makes it difficult for everyone to do their job properly and work hand in hand making this industry successful.

Meeting planners, please (I’m begging on my knees) I have written about this in the past on RFPs but put everything in there that you want, need and dream about, the more the better.  A little tip I have is that I would separate my concessions list into two categories: Must Have and Would Like.  This tells the venue or hotel what you must have for this meeting, i.e. upgrades for VIPs, discounts on various items, commissions, or rates, it can be anything.

Your venue contact is not a mind reader and can only see what you have provided.  The response and offer is always based on that valued piece of business you provided in the RFP.  A difficult situation is when the piece of business is awarded based on the response and the planner comes back asking for more stating these additional requests are required and we must have them.   In the end nine times out of ten the two come to an agreement and make it work but it would have saved time and a lot of back and forth if everyone was just honest and transparent up front.

Hoteliers, which includes myself, you know what the hot buttons are for meeting planners so be upfront and address those right away.  It allows the planner to get the items they are focused on out of the way so they do what they do best and that is plan meetings in our hotels.  Be honest on the pricing of your AV, Food and Beverage, everything.  The biggest focus for the planner is not only a meeting taking place without a problem but staying within budget and proving the ROI.

Don’t sit on the opposite side of the table, sit on the same side and make it a win-win.  Pick up the phone right away when you get an RFP and give a call to the planner and thank them.  Inform them you received their RFP, looked it over, and wanted to find out what the top 3 most important things on it are.  They should be honest with you because you are being upfront and honest with them.  Mutual transparency is such a beautiful thing when done by everyone.

Take a moment. Sit back. Now think.  Think about how your interactions take place with a planner or a hotelier.  Is it good?  Great?  Could they be better?  How do you think we can take this industry to the next level by working together to provide a more mutual transparent process of planning meetings?

Photo by LungCookie

Today I am going to share just a few things about how my team and I organize an opening and share a small secret about one of our own in the pipeline .

Some tips on organizing an opening

1.    Think of a theme for your grand opening. Is it an effective and worthwhile theme? Is there a charity or cause which your opening will support. Base the theme on what type of business you are in if possible. For example, your opening could focus on pet adoption of shelter animals if you sell pet supplies.

2.    Get the word out about your opening. Take advantage of all the freebie advertising out there including email solicitation and putting up fliers and speaking to local business. Use some of your budget to market with radio or television ads. Contact your local chamber of commerce for mailing lists and send out direct invitations also look at tourism company’s, will it bring people in or be something that can be added to a social calendar or one for the city it’s in ?

3.    Invite the local media (international if you think the opening is worth it)  to cover your grand opening. Call the local news stations, radio personalities and newspaper reporters. The more coverage of your event, the more people are going to be made aware of your company. If you can get celebrity attendance do but more about that below.

4.    A recent blog I read by the very credible and incredible Adam Sternberg talks about celebrity attendance and what it can add to an event and I think this paragraph from the article says it best, “a celebrity appearance can be extremely valuable. One of the appeals of having celebs at events is the aforementioned associations they bring with them. A well respected public person can reinforce brand values or signal a change in direction for a company’s image. Some of these famous folk are famous for a reason after all; a well chosen celebrity guest can energize a room thanks to the kind of charisma that sadly, Joe Public can’t match!” And its attention and attendance you want most from a grand opening! Or look at hiring local celebrities to attend the occasion. Be sure to include their names in your advertising and invitations. Have them perform if they are amenable or just socialize with guests to make your event memorable.

5.    Dish up appetizing food if possible. People love to eat, especially when it is free. Serve up little tidbits of popular items, including both sweet and savory items. Don’t forget the beverages and if you don’t have the budget look at symbiotic partnerships with sponsors like if you were doing an opening of the ICE BAR you could talk to Ben and Jerry’s about giving away ice cream and Duff Beer (best served ICE COLD).

6.    Make the event fun with door prizes possibly. Issue everyone a ticket as they come in and then hold a drawing with as many prizes and winners as possible. Make the prizes items you sell if feasible or go interactive with RFID or QR codes and collect interesting content, offer them great rewards, with RFID you could take their photo, get them to engage with interactive kiosks, gain entry to points of interest, then post it to Facebook simply tapping their wristband on the kiosk for RFID or taking a snap with QR technology.  And the best part, of course, is while they are interacting you are gathering data and intelligence to understand and enhance their experience. All in real time for the next time.

7.    To enhance BRAND YOU, what about giving a brief speech detailing your background and your vision for what this is and where it will go from here…. Remind guests why they are there and thank them for coming while bringing more attention to your sponsors and brand partners.

8.    Highlight your products by displaying them prominently. If you are in the business of providing services, you can distribute informational booklets. Use demonstrations if applicable to your business just think outside the box !

As for me I am now in talks with some lovely people about The Grand opening of Leicester Square in May with a conversation about a Royal attendance.  Any guesses what the theme is going to be ?

“PREMIER !” What else…:-)

If you are not going to be in London here are some teasers of what you will be missing, see below, if you are, why don’t you come on over to The Penthouse London, and ask for me.

The tallest building on the square with its breathtaking 180 degree balcony overlooking the new never before seen Leicester square is the perfect venue to watch the eagerly anticipated Grand opening in late May 2012. The Penthouse London will offer inimitable views of the famous square, and maybe even a Royal or two, from seven floors up of one of the most prestigious addresses in London, The Penthouse, No.1 Leicester square London WC2H7NA.

Panoramic views of London are just one of many features to be found at The Penthouse, where three unique venues are to be transformed into spellbinding viewing platforms for one of the most talked about events of the summer and a grand opening that will leave your jaw on the floor with the team who understands the word PREMEIR!

Some information on  LEICESTER SQUARE, it costs a small fee of : £15.5?million

Cluttered, confusing and not fit for purpose is the appraisal of Leicester Square by those in charge of it – but more than £15million of investment prior to the Games will now see the area get a revamp on a scale it hasn’t seen since first being laid out by Albert Grant back in 1874. An extravagant new lighting design will be able to adapt to certain events in the Square – such as Chinese New Year – while “wayfinding” techniques will help directionally challenged tourists find their way to nearby landmarks by attractively illuminating certain routes, combating the tendency for visitors to use the Tube to go one stop to Covent Garden. So come the final product now and come see it with me !!

Scrap the plans?? Is she crazy?!?

Live events are a tricky business. Because they encompass so many moving parts, things can go wrong at any moment. Deliveries may not make it on time, staff or crew members can get stuck in subways (yes, it’s often used as a lame excuse, but people do actually get stranded without cell phone access once in awhile), talent can become ill at the last minute, trucks can break down, electrical service can fail, snow storms and hurricanes can hit… the possibilities for calamity are endless. And that doesn’t even take into account human error. From miscommunications to miscalculations, we have infinite ways of making a mess of our own events.
And sometimes, things just don’t work out as planned. Maybe certain aspects of your program don’t go over as well as expected, or not as many people showed up as you had hoped.

The good news is, in addition to thoughtful preparation, flexibility and awareness can get you out of most jams. If we are to be truly capable of creating successful events and meetings, we must not only have a good plan, but also be willing to respond in the moment to last minute changes and unexpected circumstances. I think this need is more obvious when you’re troubleshooting major problems, but more nuanced situations also require equal attention.

For example, an event you are planning may have several components – perhaps a casual, unstructured beginning followed by a formal presentation. You may have certain timing in mind for the transition, but you may have to be flexible on starting your presentation based on how many people have arrived, or the general mood and energy of your crowd.

Other decisions, such as when to start or stop serving alcohol, or when it’s OK to let your speaker go on for longer than planned will often need to be made depending on the circumstances of the moment. Certain situations will allow for more flexibility than others, but it’s always a good idea to stay tuned to the current state of your guests, and be willing to go with an alternative plan when necessary.

Be prepared to make mistakes. Some things can’t be taught, and you will have to screw up on the job once in a while to really learn what not to do. In fact, sometimes these discoveries are so valuable, they help you achieve better results going forward than if everything had worked out exactly as you had planned. In fact, staying with those uncomfortable moments can be as important and rewarding as enjoying your successes.

Photo credit

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Turning an attendee into a fan starts with creating a culture that puts them first.

Impeccable service goes beyond responding to a customer’s need in a timely fashion—it also means addressing the need in the way the attendee desires. Chick-fil-A and Morton’s, two companies on either end of the restaurant spectrum, both have embraced a culture of service that extends from the in-person experience to social media. Both restaurant chains have wowed customers by showing up unexpectedly with food orders a fan made on Twitter. Chicken sandwich and steak lovers can go anywhere, but they beg for Chick-fil-A and Morton’s.

Augusta National Golf Club chooses a more traditional approach. Last month, I had the pleasure of experiencing The Masters, held every year at the club in Augusta, Ga. The legendary golf tournament creates a lingering experience for every attendee. Even during the practice session I attended, every minute detail is covered on the course. The event has a culture of Southern hospitality where guests stay in homes rather than hotels, pimento cheese sandwiches are a mere $1.50, and volunteers greet every attendee with a smile, saying “Enjoy the tournament!” And they come back every year. The Masters has managed to turn fans of a sport into fans of its tournament.

Organizations that are successful at creating a culture of customer service have something in common: Interactions with guests are based on relationship rather than transaction. As we throw out the word “community” over and over again to describe our social networks and in-person events, I wonder how much of a culture we’re creating around our events.

Do your attendees come to you for your content or because of the experience you create for them? How can you turn attendees into fans?