Meeting & Event Tips & Traps

Many years ago I had a boss who was the ‘King of Clichés.” His office was filled with motivational or thought provoking sayings. I’d often sit and wonder…why? What was the point. As I got older and had more experience I realized it was not the saying, but how they applied to me…or YOU. Case in point.

In a recent conversation with a planner with nearly 20 years of experience, she commented that over the years she had created many templates, documents and tool. She stated that these would make everything come together easily and seamlessly. GREAT! I am all for that. As the program approached, I took the time to review, in detail, these templates and tools. Templates by definition are made to be modified and customized. These had not, and although they were technically complete, they did not contain the necessary level of detail necessary to ensure complete success.

Lesson #1 – Only use templates as a starting point.

• Often, it may take more time to modify a planning or contract template that it would be to create one of your won. Especially if the software program versions are not compatible.
• ALWAYS make a list of what you need to have included when using or modifying a template so you do not forget.
• Always allocate enough TIME to edit, recheck and check the math. Excel spreadsheets are famously wrong when you forget to check the calculations or forecasts.

Lesson #2 – Some Standardized Contract templates may be older than you are!

• If you or your company has a set of “standardized” agreements, take the time each time you use them to make sure that they are current and up to date. I had a client tell me he used an old addendum and inadvertently agreed to ridiculous attrition stipulations.
• Today’s economic times often nullify older contracts. Terms of past meeting contracts may not be applicable and may cost you in a big way.
• If you have signed a multiple year agreement, go back and review what the future may bring. Based on the current hospitality climate, you may be able to “update” upcoming events that were contracted in the past.

Lesson # 3 – Read, Re-read, take a break,  then look one more time

• Always look at any agreement first for major gaffs, errors or formatting faux pas. They should stand out.
• THEN, look at all the variables and make sure that they “jive.” Room night totals, dates and days, guarantees, misc charges, concessions. The only way that you will be able to walk away with your head held high when all is done is if you have protected yourself by making sure that all is in the document.
• LASTLY, put the document down for a while. Do something else, and then go back for one more look. You would be surprised how many times there are still one or two items that you need to change or that come to mind.

In closing, the morale of this story is that “You can’t expect what you don’t inspect!” If you assume it’s all there, you may get surprised. I still thank that manager with all the sayings on his walls. This one has saved me more times than I’d like to remember.

“This originally appeared on Plan Your Meetings (http://www.planyourmeetings.com), a free educational and social resource for meeting and event planners. For more meeting industry best practices, news, educational tools and advice, become a PYM Planner.” ( http://www.planyourmeetings.com/subscribe/)