Nothing
can take the place of a good preconvention meeting but a
productive precon is largely a matter of who attends. While a
competent convention services manager will communicate your wishes
to various hotel functionaries, sitting face-to-face with vital
staff members will help you determine logistics, solve problems and
even give you an extra friend or two in the clutch.
“Bottom line, any department of the hotel that is going to be
active in your program has a place at the table,” says Renee Goetz,
CMP, an independent planner (and Meeting Professionals
International’s 2003 Planner of the Year for its Northern
California Chapter), who recently relocated from San Francisco to
New York City. “It’s the hotel’s way of saying, ‘We’re on board
with you. This is our team for you.’”
Read on for a selection of 10 hotel departments that are any
planner’s valuable partners, no matter what type or size of
event.
1) Accounting
The worst hassles often unfold after the meeting, when the
bill arrives. All the communication in the world won’t ensure that
the final bill exactly reflects the meeting that occurred, but a
good relationship with the folks in the accounting department can
make ironing out the discrepancies a simple, and maybe even
pleasant, matter.
“When we’re sending the client the bill, it doesn’t have to be
a negative thing,” says Earl Nightingale, general manager of the
Adam’s Mark Denver. Nightingale’s accounting team meets with the
planner before the meeting
finishes to discuss any possible errors, and maintains friendly
contact until the bill is paid.
2) Bell Captain
Often, the first face an attendee sees upon stepping into
the hotel is that of a bellman. These uniformed professionals can
be much more than luggage-carters; they should know the ins and
outs of the convention, or at least know how to find the answers to
questions about it.
If bellmen are to perform room drops, discuss with the captain
the nature of the material to be disseminated, along with when and
to whom.
In addition, if tips are included in the meeting package, it’s
important that bellmen know not to accept them, nor to stand by the
door with an open hand. “It does wonders with guests to say, ‘Thank
you, that’s being taken care of,’” says Renee Goetz.
PRECON DOS AND DON'TS
Here’s a list of things to cover and a few things to avoid at the preconvention meeting, provided by Dianne B. Devitt, CMP, president of the DND Group Inc., in New York City.
DO study the banquet event order before showing up. This is the hotel’s plan of action for your event, and it’s important that it matches your on-site worksheet perfectly. “Be very thorough, because that’s what the hotel operation and billing is based on,” explains Devitt. In fact, send your own worksheet ahead of time and bring it to the precon.
DON’T ignore minor changes to the plan. “There’s such a domino effect little things trickle down through many departments,” says Devitt. “If something has changed, no matter how small, a good planner will communicate it to all concerned parties.”
DO review the bill, and set up a plan to check it each day during the meeting. “You don’t want to forget what you’re paying for,” Devitt warns.
DON’T forget to get everyone’s name and phone number. Some will hand you a business card, but some won’t, so make a list.
DO discuss tricky production elements with the hotel, especially anything out of line with standard protocol.
DON’T discuss new themes and ideas for the meeting. It’s foolish to change major plans a day before attendees arrive.
DO ask about last-minute changes with other groups in the hotel. If another event has canceled or moved, you might be able or be forced to reconfigure your space. It may give a tightly packed event some breathing room.
DON’T leave important staff at home. Anyone who has decision-making power on the meeting should be introduced to the hotel staff. Include as well the destination management company and production company, if they are a part of the meeting.
DO bring photographs of VIPs. The hotel may have already met them, but it will help for everyone to study their faces.
DON’T announce how inexperienced you are. Says Devitt, “I had a friend who couldn’t attend a meeting she was coordinating. Her friend, who stepped in for her, started the precon by saying, ‘I’m not a meeting planner.’ Of course, the hotel will figure that out within the first five minutes.”
DO learn about the hotel’s emergency action plan. “Many times people are so worried about the kind of food they’re going to eat, they forget about emergency action procedures,” Devitt says. -- J.V.
3) Concierge
The concierge isn’t available just for individual guests’ needs. As
an expert on the host city, this person can help groups avoid
pitfalls in the world beyond the revolving doors. When 1,000
attendees will be descending upon the city streets for dinner, for
example, letting the concierge know in advance can allow her to
prepare recommendations and use her influence to set aside
appropriate space at the busiest restaurants. Groups also can use
this reservations whiz for setting up tours and activities, as well
as transportation.
Also, VIPs likely will be under the concierge’s care, as she
usually oversees club-level services. If an important attendee
enjoys candied orange slices instead of chocolates on the pillow,
the concierge often will be happy to take care of it and take the
worry out of your hands.
4) Garage/Valet
“A lot of times, the parking garage is your first impression at a
meeting,” says Anthony Delgaudio, director of marketing for Loews
Philadelphia. “The last thing you want is for the garage to be full
and to send attendees away when they don’t know where they are
going.”
When meetings will draw a migration of vehicles, be sure the
manager of the hotel’s parking garage knows how many motorists will
arrive, so that spaces can be reserved. The garage manager should
also know when many guests will be arriving or leaving, so enough
valets will be available.
5) Hotel Operator
Hotel argot refers to this department as the PBX, or private branch
exchange actually, the term for the computerized telephone switch
that replaced switchboards decades ago.
No matter what you call it, most people who phone or fax the
hotel must funnel through this department, thereby falling under
the purview of a potentially vital helper. If the hotel operator is
not knowledgeable about the meeting schedule and attendee list,
callers can be bounced through a series of voice-mail boxes before
throwing in the towel. Equally important, the PBX department should
have enough information to anticipate peak calling times and thus
be able to provide adequate staffing.
6) Housekeeping
“We don’t want to be vacuuming the carpet at the same time
3,000 people are walking through,” says Jeff Hess, event manager at
the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis. “When the meeting is in
session, the meeting rooms should already be clean.”
In short, by keeping the cleaning staff abreast of attendees’
whereabouts at any given time, they can ensure that someone will
precede and follow the meeting masses to keep things tidy. And if
the staff knows about guests’ personal preferences concerning when
and how to clean the rooms, attendees will be doubly happy.
7) Public Relations
Not long ago, when a group touting a variation of the
low-carb diet wanted publicity for its annual convention at the
Adam’s Mark Denver, Earl Nightingale invited the property’s public
relations director to the precon. Subsequently, the meeting
planners found themselves allied with a valuable expert on the
local press. Indeed, thanks in part to the hotel’s PR department,
both local and national news outlets picked up the story.
For groups that aren’t aiming for media coverage, a hotel’s
public relations also can help get the word out to potential
attendees, to encourage room pickup and meeting attendance.
8) Reservations
Only a privileged few get a glimpse of the reservations
manager, who works in the back of the house and knows the status of
every room whether booked, occupied, clean, etc. If the rooming
list changes at the 11th hour, it might be wise to give him a quick
ring. For example, if some attendees will be arriving early, only
the reservations manager will know if and when rooms will be
ready.
In addition, let the reservations manager know who the VIPs
are, to ensure swift placement into the best rooms.
9) Security
“I’m seeing more of a demand for security, especially with
financial firms,” says Christina Cabral, director of conference
services at the New York Palace in Manhattan. “These clients don’t
want party crashers.”
Now more than ever, it’s imperative to take steps to keep
attendees and information safe. For most large meetings, that
requires hiring the hotel’s security team or a supplementary
outside group. Even for meetings without hired security, planners
can take advantage of guards’ presence.
At the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, for example,
members of security often can be found in conspicuous areas of the
hotel. “Security people at our meetings are there to provide
assurance,” says Jeff Hess. “They can identify attendees and can
provide directional assistance and quick safety tips, as well as
CPR and first aid.”
10) Spa Director
An hour at a hotel’s spa can be a blissful addition to a stressful
meeting, but missed appointments and confusion over the bill can
sour any benefit that the health refuge might bring. To avoid such
worries, build a firm rapport with someone on site at the spa, and
keep lines of communication open to avoid very expensive
surprises.
“Sometimes folks forget about spa appointments,” says Deborah
Goedeke, vice president of meetings and conventions for
Guilderland, N.Y.-based Empire Travel. “If you know the people at
the spa, you’ll have a go-to person when problems come up.”