The following is based on
post-convention meeting criteria created by Financial &
Insurance Conference Planners (www.ficpnet.com). The association is
headquartered in Chicago.
FIRST STEPS
Meet with the parties who were
present for the pre-con and any suppliers instrumental to the
meeting’s effectiveness.
Provide constructive criticism to
each present party.
Ask for constructive feedback related
to your role and that of your team.
Make notes for the next
meeting.
BEFORE LEAVING
Meet with the credit manager to
discuss the final master account bill.
Correct verified errors and note any
discrepancies that must be followed up on when you’ve returned to
the office.
Distribute any staff gratuities not
built into the cost of food or A/V.
Check that any materials that need to
be shipped back to the office are packed and labeled
correctly.
BACK HOME
Send thank-yous to the facility staff
and vendors who worked directly with you and your staff during the
event (and copy the general manager, management company and
owners).
Send thank-you letters to your own
organization’s staff and volunteers, and all speakers. Let them
know specifically how they contributed to the meeting.
Hold a staff debrief as soon as
possible, and discuss what was and was not accomplished at the
meeting.
Consider whether the meeting’s
delivery methods, including room setups, were effective. Explore
what facets of the meeting could be improved.
Record all comments made about the
speakers regarding their presentations, and send each of them a
written evaluation based on same.
MONEY MATTERS
Review notes you have kept during the
meeting regarding additional food and beverage, A/V needs, etc.
Detail this information for your files.
Reconcile master account bills, staff
and speaker bills, and all relevant expense reports.
Prepare an itemized report of
expenses; file it with the wrap-up records and notes for the next
meeting.
Review contracts and contact vendors
to renegotiate any provisions out of sync with the actual course of
events.
Direct the hotel bill to be paid,
minus any disputed amounts, within 30 days of receiving the
invoice.
Follow up with internal accounts
payable to make sure bills have been paid.
For any disputed charges, reconcile
immediately with the vendor, and be sure that all final bills are
paid within 30 days of resolution.
FINAL REPORTS
Prepare a written post-meeting
report; include details on attendance at different events and
numbers of attendees served at each meal. Distribute the report to
internal meeting stakeholders.
Record your thoughts about the
meeting and how it could be improved.
Calculate the meeting’s ROI and
return on objective (ROO).
Compare the RFP with the actual
results, covering room pickup, food and beverage spending, etc.
Incorporate changes into future RFPs.
Write up a time line for the meeting,
including both due dates and completion dates, and file for future
reference.
Notes: