Behind The Scenes

Behind the Scenes The Secrets for Planning Conferences and Retreats Dan Dumas Pastor of Assimilation and Conferences

INTRODUCTION Genius has been defined as “having an infinite capacity for taking pains.” Event planners must love details (the smallest details matter), possess an innate ability to multitask, interface well with people (servant-driven) and have a serious passion for excellence. Selecting the right person(s) is crucial to the vision, planning, operation, and success of the event. Where do you find such qualified and capable people? Two options are available for you to pursue. First, look at individuals who have already demonstrated the above skill set on your staff. Second, ask around your leadership team for suggestions of a volunteer(s) who is well known for having the right skills. Never settle for mediocrity in the area of event planning.

WHERE DO YOU START? •

Determine your target audience. (Each audience has various limitations and expectations.)

•

Decide the number of days and nights. (Keep in mind this determines travel distance for your event.) ¾ A good rule of thumb is one hour of driving per night stay (Max travel for three nights would be three hours.) ¾ Flying obviously changes this general rule

•

Choose your destination. (First or Second Tier Cities, Resorts, Alternative Sites) ¾ Waterfront properties are more expensive than the CBD (Central Business District) or inland properties.

•

Determine any budget restrictions for the group. ¾ If you have a maximum dollar amount, this will determine your facility of choice. ¾ Do you have any budget money or special fund(s) that you can access?

•

2 Catalog your goals for this special event. ¾ What are you trying to accomplish?

•

Choose multiple dates for negotiating leeway. ¾ Off-peak times are best for low room rates. ¾ Avoid holiday weekends. ¾ Evaluating your church calendar, community events, school, sports, etc. Poor planning will affect your attendance. ¾ Think about “mother nature.”

•

Select your keynote speaker(s). ¾ Speaker selection may be determined by your goals for the event. ¾ Event planning and speaking at an event is generally discouraged. ¾ Speaker topic can be determined later or prior to you contacting him. ¾ Inquire of any suggestions of topics from the speaker (Similar events he has done in the past) ¾ A speaker’s preference is to package his own messages. ¾ Offer the speaker the opportunity to determine what he preaches. ¾ Acquire biographical information, food preferences (gift basket) and picture from your speaker.

•

Investigate lodging and facility options. (A minimum of 12 months in advance) ¾ Hotel sales personnel are working on commission. (They want, and need, your business!) ¾ It is desirable to build an ongoing relationship with a Hotel and Sales Team. ¾ After the contract is signed, the salesperson will be involved only in contract issues, reservations and guest rooms. They will then hand your event over to the Convention Service Manager. This person is basically the Hotel’s meeting planner.

3 ¾ Hotels are prepared to give you a complementary “site inspection.” They will comp (compensate) you a one-night stay to experience their property. Take advantage of these to meet your potential sales team and dialogue about your event. (See the Site Inspection Checklist) ¾ The Hotels will request a “history” from you. They will contact the hotels where you have previously done business, in order to check your room block and ability to meet your room block (risk factor). This determines their risk in reserving a specific number of rooms per night for your event. ¾ Their terminology is a “room block” (Rooms per night). ¾ If at all possible secure one rack rate for single to quad. ¾ They are looking for rooms per night totals. (Do not exaggerate your number of rooms per night. Give a conservative estimation and increase, as your event registrations look promising.) ¾ Never assign event planning to a “non-negotiator” in your church. ¾ Do not tell them your budget up-front. Let them bid the event first then you may have room to negotiate. ¾ Food and beverage are negotiating tools. (If you do a food event with the Hotel they will usually wave the meeting space fee.) ¾ Check the surcharge and gratuity included for meals provided by the hotel. ¾ If your room block is high they should wave the meeting space cost or charge you a small token fee, to pay for staffing. ¾ Investigate the meeting space for appropriate size and sound. ¾ Be cautious of nightly parking fees. (This is an easy way for Hotels to gouge the pricing.) ¾ Don’t forget to figure room tax into the nightly cost. (Tax is different per city.) ¾ If you are staying at a resort there is usually a resort fee. ¾ Evaluate your meeting space. Will there be other events beside yours? I.e., a wedding. This can be a huge headache if you have music during their ceremony or vice versa. ¾ Incidentals should be charged to the attendees. ¾ Expect a deposit to accompany a signed Hotel contract. ¾ Are there any bottleneck areas that will affect your meeting and schedule.

4 •

Evaluate your contracts carefully. ¾ Look for binding qualities in the contract. ¾ Have your controller or elders evaluate the contract. ¾ Many contracts have cancellation clauses that hold you and your church financially liable for the first night of your specified room block. ¾ Remember this is a binding contract and not to be taken lightly. There are consequences for being fickle.

•

Decide your speaker’s pay. ¾ Pay for all travel and food expenses. ¾ Pay for all lodging expenses. (Always give the speaker his own room) ¾ If possible offer to pay for the speakers spouse to accompany them. ¾ Pay your speaker a minimum of $150-$200 per message. Always lean towards the gracious side. If they are a nationally known speaker the honorarium should be considerably higher. ¾ Don’t forget to include your speaker’s cost into the budget. ¾ Always provide your speaker with a hospitality basket. (Call his secretary or wife for suggestions.) ¾ Choose a responsible person to transport the speaker.

•

Determine a per person budget. ¾ Add 5 to 10% of your total budget for unexpected contingencies. ¾ Do you want to do anything special for each person in attendance? ¾ Hotel, tax, and meeting space cost ¾ Food and beverage ¾ Speaker travels and cost ¾ Staff accommodations and cost ¾ Music cost and expenses

5 ¾ Promotion and advertising cost ¾ Decorations and equipment rental •

Determine your registration plan. ¾ Select what ways to register attendees. (Internet, credit card, payment plan [usually discouraged] etc.) ¾ Decide your non-refundable, non-transferable deposit. (Make this substantial not a token fee.) ¾ Non-refundable deposits are to cover your preconference cost and products ordered based on the number of attendees. ¾ Decide your daily cost for those who come for only a limited portion of the event.

•

Teach your people about tipping etiquette. (See Tipping Guide) ¾ The concept of tipping began many years ago “To Insure Promptness.” ¾ Bellhops are to be tipped a minimum of $1.00 per bag and $2.00 for every room delivery. ¾ Doormen for hailing a cab, $1.00. ¾ Concierges who provide extra services such as making reservations, $5.00-$10.00. ¾ Housekeeping Staff are to be tipped $1.00 per sleeping room per night.

•

Prepare the promotion for the event. ¾ Choose a theme for decorations and advertisement. (Coordinate all your advertisement). ¾ Plan your advertisement timeline well in advance. ¾ In-house design costs are relatively inexpensive compared to an outside design firm. ¾ Determine the event schedule. ¾ Answer all the pertinent questions in the brochure.

6 ¾ Have an outsider attempt to register. This will ensure you’ve answered all the right questions. ¾ Allow a minimum six weeks between direct mailers. ¾ Internet registration saves staff costs. •

Plan your meeting room setup. ¾ Meeting rooms come in all shapes, sizes, and with a number of obstructions and inadequacies. ¾ Prepare scaled diagrams that incorporate equipment, staging, decorations, and add the desirable square footage to be allowed per person for the required type setup. ¾ Check the lighting intensity, air controls, acoustics, safety features, accessibility for the handicapped, quietness, accessibility to restrooms, elevators, and telephones. ¾ Pre-conference setup time is a crucial question. ¾ There are basically four types of room setups: classroom, theatre, banquet (6 to 8ft round tables), and conference. Each setup requires a certain square footage. ¾ Acquire a 24-hour hold on your meeting space. This will ensure they cannot sell the meeting space to another group or event.

•

Going the extra-mile. (The smallest details matter!) ¾ Contact your hotel concierge for restaurant and activity recommendations. ¾ Whatever you plan, plan with excellence. ¾ Refuse to settle for mediocrity. ¾ Negotiate graciously but firmly. ¾ Develop and train a volunteer team. Volunteers will be your “salvation army” to effect meeting planning. ¾ Choose an innovation team to help with the planning. ¾ Arrive early to the event to assure all preparations are complete.

7

AN INSIDER’S TIPS ‰

Most hotels will provide complimentary meeting space to a group in ratio to sleeping rooms used. For example, a group that uses 50 percent of a hotel’s guest rooms allocated to groups would typically receive 50 percent of the hotel’s meeting space without charge.

‰

Typical hotel concessions include one free sleeping room for every X number of rooms booked, suites for VIPs, a complimentary suite for the main speaker, discounted of free equipment rentals and meeting room setup if the sleeping room block is large enough.

‰

You may find you can fill a vacancy for the hotel by simply moving the meeting a few days in either direction. Low season and holidays will also give you bargaining power.

‰

Hotels make money on food functions-the more catered meals you plan in the hotel, the lower the room rates.

AV MISADVENTURES Audio/visual equipment is expensive to rent. If at all possible bring your own equipment. Graphics ‰

Keep it simple: many presenters try to cram too much information on their slides.

‰

Use contrasting colors: these are easiest on the eyes. Good choices include blue and orange, red and yellow, or black and white.

‰

Don’t use a white background: with PowerPoint slides, white backgrounds make the type look blurry.

‰

If a person can’t understand and assimilate what’s on the slide in three seconds, there’s too much information.

‰

Know how to turn on the monitor. The monitor port connects the laptop to the projector; if it’s not on, you won’t get an image on the screen. It’s usually as easy as hitting a function key, but most presenters don’t learn how. Connect the laptop to a projector before the show, figure out the connection, or ask a technician to show you ahead of time.

‰

Bring the manual. Nine-out-of-ten presenters forget to, and if your presenter hits the wrong button and gets a menu on the screen that blocks out the presentation, it could take hours to fix the problem. So don’t leave the tomes at home.

Laptops

8

FOOD & BEVERAGE ‰

Review the history of your group and compare the quantity of food ordered to food consumed-and adjust your menus accordingly. (Get references from other events that had the same or close to the same menu.)

‰

Check out dining room, room service, and catering menus-sometimes the same items have different prices and can be negotiated.

‰

Find out what another group staying at the same hotel is serving and choose the identical menu-the hotel can buy in bulk, lowering the cost for each group.

‰

Serve a continental breakfast, rather than a full sit-down meal.

‰

Offer mini-bagels, mini-muffins, and mini-pastries rather than full-sized items.

‰

Skip the lunchtime dessert and then serve it as a snack at a coffee break later in the day.

‰

Eliminate the juice and soda at coffee breaks-most attendees will never know they’re even missing.

‰

Replace a full dinner with a reception featuring hors d’ oeuvres.

‰

Pass on a couple of the courses-do attendees really need a salad and an appetizer?

‰

Go causal with a Southern-style barbecue, Northeastern clambake, deli buffet, Tex-Mex feast, or box lunch-such options are both fun and inexpensive.

‰

One option is to charge attendees for meal tickets at meetings.

‰

Solicit sponsors for all or part of a meal or reception.

‰

Forget about the pre-planned menus the catering department offers and ask them to create something personalized within your budget.

‰

Plan receptions at off-times, such as mid-morning or mid-afternoon, times when attendees tend not to gorge.

‰

If you’re planning a lavish or large meal, ask the hotel to throw in some freebies, such as complimentary hors d’ oeuvres or an upgrade of a menu item.

‰

At a reception, alternate fancy hors d’ oeuvres with lower cost favorites, such as crudités, cheese and crackers, olives, breads, and chips and dip.

‰

Go for local flavors for dessert or reception treats-try TastyKakes in Philadelphia, chips and salsa in Phoenix, fresh oranges and grapefruits in Palm Beach, soft pretzels in New York.

9 ‰

Save money on a centerpiece by having dessert do double-duty and function as an edible centerpiece during the meal. Consider a fancy decorated cake, a beautiful bowl filled with trifle, a tiered cookie stand…pretty on the table, and delicious.

‰

Control per-plate costs with a restaurant dinner rather than a hotel dinner.

‰

Cut out a few options at a reception, ordering larger quantities of fewer items.

‰

Limit the number of chairs and tables at a reception-attendees are more likely to eat more when they can sit.

‰

The more food and beverage functions you hold on site, the more flexible the hotel is likely to be in terms of prices.

‰

Local pack and have the item event catered form a local vendor.

FOOD & BEVERAGE ORDERING Morning Break Regular Coffee Decaf Coffee Tea Soda

All Male

All Female

50/50

Attendance Attendance Attendance Attendance

x60% x20% x10% x25%

x50% x25% x15% x25%

x55% x25% x10% x25%

Attendance Attendance Attendance Attendance

x35% x20% x10% x70%

x30% x20% x15% x70%

x35% x20% x10% x70%

Afternoon Break Regular Coffee Decaf Coffee Tea Soda

TIPPING GUIDELINES United States alone forks out over $16 billion in tips each year. A tip is a voluntary amount given for good service at an individual’s discretion; it differs form the following: Gratuity: Mandatory and automatic amount added to bill for service personnel, who receive the entire amount. Service Charge: Mandatory and automatic amount added to bill for service personnel and the facility, which receives a portion.

10 Whether or not service personnel share in the gratuity or service charge, it is common to reward anyone who has provided service above and beyond. Consider setting aside a dollar figure per attendee for tipping, anywhere from $1.50 to $5.00. For a total tipping figure, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) recommends 1 to 1.5 percent of your overall budget. Consider tipping: ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰

Bell captain Airport bag handlers Housekeeping Valet Parking Room setup crews Doormen Car service, limousine, coach, and shuttle drivers Waiter staff Concierge Interpreters Security Staff

Who receives a portion of a preset gratuity or service charge varies; ask your convention services manager for a breakdown of who is receiving what. Always check ahead of time if tipping is acceptable, and keep a tipping list to record who and what amounts you’ve tipped. For convention services, sales managers, and other executives, and a handwritten note and a personal gift is more appropriate than cash.

SITE INSPECTION CHECKLIST Depending on how far in advance you’re planning, be prepared to do several site inspections, including: before contract negotiations; 1-2 years before meeting date; and before and after property renovations. Location Distance to nearest airport and downtown

‰

Availability/cost of valet parking

‰

Transportation options and costs

‰

Local entertainment, shops, stores, restaurants

‰

Number of on-site parking spaces and cost

‰

Standard room rate

‰

Check in, check out times

‰

Air quality/filtering cleaning

‰

Room amenities

‰

Guest Rooms ‰

‰

Number of rooms by category (single, double, king, smoking, nonsmoking, concierge level, ADA compliant, etc.) Complimentary room policy

11 Mini-bar Computer access via television Coffeemaker Multiple phone lines Iron/ironing boards Fax machine Hairdryers In-room safe

Data-ports Security ‰

Fees (800 or local phone calls, use of safe , fax receipt, etc.)

‰

Policies on room guarantees, attrition, etc.

Meeting Rooms ‰

Rental fees

‰

Windows

‰

Dimensions

‰

Doorways

‰

Capacities

‰

Column sizes and locations

‰

Lighting

‰

Storage rooms

‰

Health club (fees?)

‰

Spa

‰

Pool

‰

Tennis courts

‰

Golf course

‰

Parking (fees)

Hotel Facilities ‰ ‰

Restaurants Room service

‰

Gift shop

‰

Business center

‰

Additional stores

Services and Setup ‰

Cleaning

‰

Signage

‰

Drayage

‰

Types and sizes of tables

‰

Floral

‰

Types and sizes of chairs

‰

Furniture

‰

Screens (rear or front)

‰

AV (audio/video)

‰

Lecterns, podiums, projection stands

‰

Security ‰

‰

Catering

Microphones, projectors, other equipment

‰

Insurance

‰

Computer hookups/Internet access

12 ‰

ADA compliant

‰

Restrooms (number and location)

‰

Telephones (number and location)

‰

Electrical built-in screen, stage, podium

‰

Air walls

‰

Freight access (clocks, loading area, freight elevators, etc.)

13

CONVENTION VISITORS’ BUREAU SERVICES Starting right from the beginning, a CVB can be a powerful ally. CVBs provide a range of services including. ‰

Checking availability of hotel and convention center

‰

Site inspections

‰

Blocking hotel rooms

‰

Vendor contacts

‰

Collateral materials (e.g., shell brochures, slides, videos, coupon books, etc.)

‰

Meeting services coordinator

‰

Registration assistance

‰

Housing bureau

INSPECTION TIPS ‰

Obtain references from planners who have held a meeting within six months with a comparable number of attendees.

‰

Expect sales staff turnover.

‰

Ask about changes in ownership, management, or franchise; staff turnover; current owners and managers.

‰

Research destination for conditions that could impact your event-economic forecasts, changes in the local business environment, possible strike actions or labor disputes, downtown revitalizations or funding initiatives underway that could imply renovations or new construction.

‰

Find out age of property, last renovation, scheduled renovations.

‰

Is there a complete meeting package rate or pre-or post-conference rate for group members to stay extra days?

‰

Are there other groups meeting at the facility at the same time?

‰

See the meeting space when it is empty, and if possible, when a meeting is in progress.

13

14

‰

Ask for dimensions and floor plans of the meeting space, including differing setups, tables, and necessary equipment.

‰

Find out when the meeting rooms will be available for set up.

‰

Discuss who controls the lighting and temperature.

HOTEL NEGOTIATIONS What’s negotiable? The short answer is “everything.” According to the Convention Industry Council (CIC), these are the items most easily negotiated. ‰

Meeting/function space rental rates

‰

Comp rooms

‰

Suites and upgrades

‰

Food and beverage

‰

Attrition and cancellation policies

‰

In-room amenities

‰

In-house services

‰

Cut-off date

‰

Discount for early payment of master account

‰

Round-trip limo service for VIPs

‰

Number of hospitality suites in the host hotel

‰

Miscellaneous concessions (free decor props, house phone in reception area, microphones in meeting rooms, etc)

Enhance your negotiation power by knowing the answers to the following before you negotiate. Your Group ‰

History of sleeping room pick up

14

15 ‰

Meeting space required and its ratio to sleeping rooms

‰

Special requests for VIPs or the group as a whole

‰

Arrival and departure pattern

‰

Whether attendees dine in the hotel or go out

‰

Payment policy

‰

Overall value to the hotel regarding revenue and repeat business

Selected Facilities ‰

High and low season

‰

Transient business versus group business

‰

Arrival and depart pattern

‰

Ratio of meeting space to sleeping rooms

‰

Rack and corporate rates compared to standard group rates

‰

Rates of comparable hotels for similar space

‰

Occupancy holes that need to be filled

‰

Areas of greatest profit to the hotel

LEGALESE Attrition:

If one party to a contract fails to fully perform its obligations, it can be required to pay the other party damages for partial breach of the contract. Be cautious that the attrition formulas can actually enrich the hotel, not just make it whole. Under general contract law principles, the nonbreaching party is entitled to compensatory damages (never punitive damages) and has a common-law obligation to mitigate its damages by reselling the space.

Force Majeure:

The conditions under which a party may terminate an agreement without liability. Many are put into place to protect the hotel or facility and not the group. Cancellation fees can also apply to the hotel if it cancels. You can negotiate a “penalty-free” right to cancel the contract if hotel management changes. 15

16

Overbooking:

A hotel or a meeting sponsor that intentionally overbooks a group bock may be committing fraud by selling rooms that it does not have. Their solution is to pay for an attendee to stay at another hotel may not be sufficient to avoid liability. The meeting attendee may have had a specific purpose for wanting to stay in the overbooked hotel that cannot be fulfilled at the substitute hotel.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE No matter whom you’re dining with it’s important to make right impressions. Here are some guidelines to assist you with table manners. (Marjorie Brody and Pamela Holland) •

If you’re the host, let your guest order first; then order in the same price range as your guest.

•

Don’t discuss business until the order has been taken.

•

Treat the server with dignity and respect.

•

Know how to use your utensils correctly.

•

Put your napkin on your lap when everyone is seated. If you leave the table during the meal, the napkin goes on the seat of your chair. At the end of the meal, it should be placed to the left of your plate.

•

Don’t wave your silverware around when talking.

•

Break you bread one piece at a time before buttering it.

•

Don’t cut all your food at one time, like you did when you were five years old.

•

When out on business, don’t ask for a doggie bag.

•

If you are a guest, write a “thank-you” note to the host or hostess.

NONPROFIT VENUES CHECKLIST Colleges and universities, retreat centers, camps, and cultural and historical venues have resources that can bring a “wow” factor to your site selection and meetings.

16

17 Standard operating procedures with nonprofit venues might be different from working with hotels or accommodations that you are accustomed to. Avoid surprises and ask the following questions when you contact a nonprofit, alternative, meeting site. ‰

Is it one-stop shopping, or will I need to deal with different people? Is there a clearinghouse, or do I have to talk to the caterer, the accommodations person, the person, etc?

‰

Is sponsorship required? In order to use the facility, does someone who works there have to sponsor my group?

‰

Does my group have to be a nonprofit or fit within the mission of that facility in order to use it?

‰

What are the booking requirements and timelines? Can I book far in advance, or do I have to wait until six months prior?

‰

What are the space guarantees?

‰

Is an insurance policy required, or is it built into the rates?

‰

Is security required? Do I need to hire the venue’s security staff? Can I bring my own?

‰

Is master billing accepted?

‰

Are credit cards accepted?

‰

Is AV included in charges, or is it extra?

‰

How flexible is the meeting room space?

‰

Are rates negotiable?

‰

Is there free or ample parking? Is there a fee for parking?

‰

Are deposits required?

‰

Are dining and catering services handled internally or by contract with an outside vendor?

‰

Are complimentary rooms available for speakers and VIP’s?

‰

Is staff available around-the-clock? At some low-budget facilities, staffers might not be there after 6 or 10 p.m.

17

18 ‰

How will meeting facilities be set up?

‰

What are the cancellation and attrition policies?

‰

Can my meeting be bumped by an event from within the organization that owns the facility?

‰

Does the facility offer special meeting/planning services? For example, travel arrangements, child-care facilities, spouse facilities.

18