Conference Organizers Workshop Planning Your Event Elsie Cabrera, CMP Manager, Sales & Conference Activities IEEE Meeting & Conference Management (MCM)

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

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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?

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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

[email protected] +1 732 981 3428

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Website: www.ieee.org/go/mcmEmail: [email protected]

IEEE Meeting & Conference Management (MCM)445 Hoes LanePiscataway, NJ, 08854U.S.A.

THANK YOU

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