Conference Organizers Workshop Planning Your Event Elsie Cabrera, CMP Manager, Sales & Conference Activities IEEE Meeting & Conference Management (MCM)
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Conference Organizer’s Workshop
Planning Your Event
Elsie Cabrera, CMPManager, Sales & Conference ActivitiesIEEE Meeting & Conference Management (MCM)
Workshop Agenda
How to develop a conference timelineCreating request for proposals (RFP) – hotel/venue– audio visual supplier– destination management company (DMC)
Negotiating – how to get the best deal Food and beverage planningHotel room block managementSummary
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How to Develop aConference Time
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How to Develop a Conference Timeline
Begin by considering all tasks and dates required in planning your event
IEEE and OU requirements– Sponsorship requirements– Budgeting requirements
Building your technical program– Abstract Submission– Paper Submission– Peer Review Process– Notifications
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How to Develop a Conference Timeline
Visa process
Registration Searching for a Payment Card Industry (PCI) vendor Early Registration Deadline Onsite Registration Activities
Review Contractual Obligations and incorporate into timeline
Deposit due dates Contract room block review dates Cancellation dates
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How to Develop a Conference Timeline
Exhibit management Exhibit Decorator Floor Plan Prospectus (selling document) Payment Due Date Booth Assignment (date)
Other functions Social functions Tours & Transportation
Assign tasks to committee members
Managing your conference timeline is crucial
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Sample Timeline
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Sample Timeline cont.
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Creating Request for Proposals (RFP)
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Request For Proposal (RFP)What is it?
The RFP is a request for a quote for service– identifies the goals and objectives– provides a profile of the group– provides historical data
When writing an RFP, think about it as the first step to negotiating a contract
Consider what you need vs. what you want– needs are non-negotiable– wants can become the basis for negotiations
10
Hotel RFP
A hotel needs as much information as possible so they know what is important to the eventDon’t assume a hotel will have space available later– be sure to include all space requirements at the start
Be specific about the number and type of guest rooms required– number of rooms needed at varying rates
government vs. standard; – upgrades for VIPs
Don’t be overly optimistic about the block; you will pay if you fall below the allowed shortfallEvent history, if available, is invaluable to the negotiation process– establishes the value of the event to the hotel– reduces risk to the hotel by demonstrating solid history
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Hotel RFPWhat It Should Include
Group profile (who/what the event is about) Preferred event dates (pattern and any flexibility) Number of attendees (if possible, include attendee profile)Meeting space requirements (i.e. setup of each room, # of people, accessibility) Preliminary schedule of eventsEstimated food/beverage functionsRoom block pattern (days/number of rooms per night)Concessions (i.e suites required, parking passes, etc.)Specify if you plan to use your own a/v supplierConference history (past locations, actualized room pick up, food/beverage spend) Date when proposals are dueDecision date
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Sample Hotel RFP
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Sample Hotel RFP
Audio Visual (A/V) RFP
A/V is critical to the event
Cost should always be considered, but should not be the most important criteria
Clearly communicate as much detail as possible about your technical needs
The needs of the event will determine what vendor to use
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Audio Visual (A/V) RFPWhat It Should Include
Event name
Dates, time, location
Preliminary schedule of events– Rooms assignments and setups
A/V requirements per room (i.e. projectors, screen, podium, microphones)
Concessions (what you would like)
Date when proposals are due
Decision date
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Sample Audio Visual RFP
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DATE BEGIN END EVENT LOCATION ROOM SET-UP # of Pax A/V & Telecom Needs
Wed, 17-Sep-2008
8:00 12:00
Region 4 Executive
Committee Meeting
HiltonBeaumont &
Belair
U-Shape for 15 with 10 chairs in rear of room
for observers25
1-Screen with dress kit1-Projector with appropriate VGA cable1-AV Cart1-Powerstrip to the Projection Cart1-Power Strip for each 6' table in the U
Wed, 17-Sep-2008
8:00 17:00MGA Student
Activities Committee
Hilton BeauportU-Shape for 25 with 10 chairs in rear of room
for observers35
Wed, 17-Sep-2008
13:00 17:00
Region 4 Long Range
Strategic Planning
HiltonBeaumont &
BelairExsiting Set-Up 25 Existing Set-Up
Thu, 18-Sep-2008
8:00 17:00Region 2
Committee Meeting
Congress Center
301 A/BU-Shape for 40 with 20 chairs in rear of room
for observers60
1-Screen with dress kit1-Projector with appropriate VGA cable1-AV Cart1-Powerstrip to the Projection Cart1-Power Strip for each 6' table in the U
Thu, 18-Sep-2008
8:00 17:00Region 4
Committee Meeting
Congress Center
302 A/BU-Shape for 40 with 20 chairs in rear of room
for observers60
1-Screen with dress kit1-Projector with appropriate VGA cable1-AV Cart1-Powerstrip to the Projection Cart1-Power Strip for each 6' table in the U
Thu, 18-Sep-2008
8:00 17:00
Region 7 (IEEE Canada)
Committee Meeting
Congress Center
303 A/BU-Shape for 40 with 20 chairs in rear of room
for observers60
1-Screen with dress kit1-Projector with appropriate VGA cable1-AV Cart1-Powerstrip to the Projection Cart1-Power Strip for each 6' table in the U
Destination Management Company (DMC)or Professional Conference Organizer (PCO)RFP
They save time, research, and money
DMCs/PCO’s offer a wide range of services including– tours– transportation– convention staffing– Extra services (i.e. entertainment, décor)
Use a local DMC/PCO– obtain recommendations from the hotel, convention
center, or the city’s visitor bureau
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Destination Management Company (DMC)What It Should Include
Detailed information will allow the DMC/PCO to develop a program and pricing specific for your event. Details should include:– Group profile– Event services desired
Offsite event shuttles (buses, mini vans) Tour program (which days, time frame, cost) Offsite event location selection and planning (gala dinner,
reception) Airport transfers
– Budget– Anticipated attendance– Conference dates and location (venue name) – Specify if you intend to have an exclusive tour program– Date when proposals are due– Decision date
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Sample DMC/PCO RFP
Negotiating How to Get the Best Deal
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NegotiatingHow to Get the Best Deal
Negotiating is the process leading up to the point of contracting
Many items are negotiable most of the time
The ability to negotiate depends on your knowledge of the meeting (history; size, scope; profile; revenue generated for the facility)
Recognize that are vendors/suppliers are in the business to make money, you should understand how each vendor makes its money (sleeping rooms, f&B, a/v, ancillary)
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NegotiatingHow to Get the Best Deal
Negotiate items that are important to your group first– You can ask for more, but everything has a price
Never say yes to the first offer – suppliers rarely put their best offer first and will usually come
down in price
Vendor consolidation leads to better pricing
Utilize vendors who have an established relationship with the conference and/or IEEE or have been recommended– discounts offered for repeat business
Get all that you have negotiated in writing
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NegotiatingTools
IEEE has standard templates in place to help get you started– Hotel contract templates– Meeting Management company template
You will need to negotiate pricing, concessions, function space, and other details specific to your conferenceUsing the established templates creates more efficient and timely execution of the contractTemplates are located– http://www.ieee.org/web/conferences/organizers/contracts.
html
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Food and Beverage Planning
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Food and Beverage Planning (F&B)
Understand the conference history for attendance at meal functions– do the majority of delegates attend the functions? – what type of meals are ordered? (i.e. buffet, plated,
or boxed)– are the meals additional purchase items or included
in the registration fee? Hotel/venue considerations– understand how the venue counts delegates at meal
functions (i.e. by plates used or by seats)– does the venue prepare for 5% more than
guaranteed?
Apr 10, 202326
Food & Beverage Planning (F&B)Menu Selection Tips
Consider the location and setup of the meal function space
Select the menu prior and compare to the conference budget– remember to include tax and service charges
If the standard hotel menus cost are prohibitive, inquire to customize a menu to fit your budget
Try to offer local cuisine as part of the conference meals if possible
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Food & Beverage Planning (F&B)Menu Selection Tips
If you have parallel events with meal functions, utilize the same menu
For smaller events, consider hosting joint meal functions to eliminate additional service charges
Inquire about menus ordered by other groups in-house at the time of your event– bulk ordering creates better discount– reduces labor for the venue
Review your advance registration activity to determine guarantees
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Communicating Your Details to the Venue
Prepare and send detailed event specifications that include– Day and date of the function– time the room should be setup and how (i.e. theater, schoolroom, u-
shape)– food and beverage selections and counts– room assignments as well as published start and end times– a/v and electrical requirements
The venue will translate the information into a format known as a banquet event order (BEO) for review and signatureEnsure the BEOs correlate with your specifications– communicate any discrepancies immediately– once signed, these become the contract with the venue
Conduct a pre-conference meeting with the hotel to review all the beo’s once onsite to be sure the needs are interpreted and captured correctly
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Meeting Specifications
Room Block Management
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Room Block ManagementKeep an Eye on the Contract
Many hotels require conferences to pick up at least 80% of the contracted room blockMonitor the room pickup regularly and assess if reductions/increases in block are required– increases may not be available or may be at higher rates
before increasing, confirm that it is necessary– reductions may incur penalties
If fall below the contracted room block– attrition charges may apply– concessions may be reduced or eliminated– meeting space allocation may change due to the size of
the group and space charges may applyAll changes to the contract should be agreed in writing by both parties (hotel and conference chair) by creating a contract addendum
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Room Block ManagementTips for Success
Understand the conference pickup pattern– How far in advance do delegates normally make
their reservations? – Monitor and compare the pickup to the previous
years to determine if you are on target– Confirm the following have made their reservations
VIPs (ie. award winners, plenary speaker) Authors/speakers Committee
– Compare hotel rooming list to conference registration list(s)
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Summary There are many components to planning a successful eventThe timeline is key to staying on track to meet deliverablesAlways keep an eye on the contract terms Don’t be afraid to ask for help from an expert; there are many resources available– Event management professionals– Convention visitors bureau– Destination management company– Audio visual suppliers
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Questions?
Resources and Tools
Conference Organizers websitewww.ieee.org/web/conferences/organizers/index.html
Attend Panel of Conference Organizers and visit the website for review of presentationswww.ieee.org/web/conferences/organizers/poco/index.html
Utilize a professional management companywww.ieee.org/go/mcm
Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (provides industry best practices and standard templates)https://www.conventionindustry.org/apex/accepted.htm
–
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Contact Email Phone
Elsie Cabrera, CMPMgr. Sales & Conference Activities
e.cabrera@ieee.org +1 732 981 3428
Apr 10, 202337
Website: www.ieee.org/go/mcmEmail: mcminfo@ieee.org
IEEE Meeting & Conference Management (MCM)445 Hoes LanePiscataway, NJ, 08854U.S.A.
THANK YOU
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