Meetings & Conventions: Planner's Portfolio February
1998
February 1998
PLANNER'S
PORTFOLIO:
Checklist
BY CHERYL-ANNE STURKEN
Program Design and Development
This checklist was compiled in part from The AMA Guide for
Meeting and Event Planners, by Catherine Price, AMACOM, a division
of the American Management Association, New York City ©1989
COMPILE RESEARCH
Establish clearly and concisely the purpose of your meeting and
identify specific objectives. Typical meeting goals include:
Generating revenueIntroducing new productsProviding staff training and developmentRecognizing or rewarding individualsBrainstorming and/or exchanging ideasConducting corporate/organizational businessIncreasing company visibilitySolving problemsMotivating staffPrepare and distribute an attendee survey in order to compile
individual attendee profiles. Be sure to ask for specific details
such as gender, age, profession, income, education level, special
needs, any accompanying guests, etc.Compile an overall, general meeting profile based on meeting
history. For example, will the attendees know each other? Will
spouses and/or children be included? What is the group's overall
personality -- serious, formal, relaxed?If sponsorship is involved, be sure to determine the sponsors'
expectations.Establish a budget.DESIGN PROGRAM
Based on compiled meeting and attendee research, determine the
ideal meeting type: conference, retreat, incentive meeting, special
event, etc.Select a meeting location and determine the appropriate length
of each event.Determine meeting and event space requirements for each
activity.Prepare a master list identifying any topics or activities that
are required or deemed a priority for your meeting. This may
include:
Keynote addressProduct introductionsAward presentationsNew/outgoing officer introductionsDEVELOP FORMAT
Prepare a list of meeting topics and assign a format to each.
(Take into account different adult learning styles.) Possible
formats:
General sessionDebateWorkshopGroup or panel discussionExhibit or product displayMultimedia presentationVideoconferenceSeminarSymposiumClinicDetermine room setups based on the topic's objective. What
works for a lecture may not be appropriate for a brainstorming
session.Develop materials (handouts, visual aids, etc.) that support
each meeting topic, and evaluate them for content and visual
appeal.Prepare a list of appropriate recreational/networking
activities. Match the needs of attendees and sponsors with
appropriate social and recreational programs. These include:
ReceptionsMeal functionsTheme breaksSports activities such as golf and tennisTeam-building activitiesGuest programsCultural eventsPrepare a detailed daily schedule of events. Take into account
the environment, mood, tone, atmosphere and format of each session,
time allotted and sequence.Avoid scheduling events too close together. Consider the
movement of people from one meeting room to the next and allow a
few extra minutes for them to get settled.Include brief breaks between sessions, especially if the
meeting topic is intensely educational.Provide speakers with a definite presentation time limit and
advise them to build into that a question-and-answer period.Establish priorities for all agenda topics and eliminate any
that are of limited interest or can be addressed in other
presentations.Notes:
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