Many companies and hotels plan at least one event a year, either a morale-boosting event for employees or a client-appreciation affair. In addition to food and beverage, entertainment is a way to differentiate an event. So if you’re in charge of planning the entertainment and catering, get a firm commitment from the CEO, or human resources, that 1.) you know the monetary amount of the budget, 2.) that you’re given decision-making authority, and 3.) you have all the details.
If a planner is not given guidelines, or is powerless to make a decision, then time is wasted, both of the company and of the supplier.
Examples: A planner looks at videos, approves a $1,500 budget for a headline comedian and a $2,500 budget for a jazz quartet, only to be informed that there’s a limited budget, and that the comedian is not appropriate; or, a planner is informed that entertainment is needed after the awards ceremony.
A better plan would be to have the entertainment before the awards ceremony, as people tend to get tired after sitting through a long awards ceremony, and may walk out of the event.
Can the planner make these decisions, or must everything be approved through a committee or through the CEO?
Planners need guidelines before accepting the responsibility, and certainly need the following details: the time, place, location, purpose, the number of people, and the theme.
Respectfully submitted,
Stan Heimowitz
Celebrity Gems
Castro Valley, CA
MeCo Musings
Bingo!
I am working on a program and have been asked to create some type of “passport” that requires the attendees see each exhibitor. As an incentive, prizes will be awarded when those passports are turned in.
1.) I’m not sure it’s realistic to get every attendee to every exhibitor.
2.) There is no real budget for printing something too elaborate.
3.) How and when have you distributed these types of things?
4.) Not all attendees will be at the entire conference.
A couple of my thoughts are:
1.) A bingo-type card. Each card would be numbered 1-600 (attendees) at the top with a perforation. The main portion of the card is a block with the number of the exhibit booth. The bottom perforation will have the card number (1-600) and the attendee name and phone number.
2. The attendees would have to get a “bingo” to be eligible for a prize.
3. There would be better prizes for those that have an “x” bingo or full card.
Marcelle McCullough
Masterpiece Meetings & Events
Redondo Beach, CA
Responses included:
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on this. You could put everyone into a five-across, 15-down grid, with company names on a single piece of paper (with booth numbers and company IDs in a list on the back for quick reference).
Personally, I hate the passport idea. As an attendee, I don’t want to rush through the hall to get a prize. I am there to shop and learn about products and services of interest to me. I also get annoyed when someone interrupts a fact-finding conversation I am having with an exhibitor so they can grab a trinket, get their passport stamped and move to the next booth to disrupt that conversation. Can’t see how that helps the exhibitors either.
MaryAnne P. Bobrow, CAE, CMP, CMM
Bobrow & Associates
Association and Meetings Management
Citrus Heights, CA
