Continued from Part 1
So what
does a Meeting Site Selection Service typically include
and involve? First
a meeting planner should listen. And then they should ask
questions. If you haven't planned a meeting before, the
questions should make you think about your meeting and
these questions from the meeting planner should lead you
to ask your own questions. The process should educate you
about what is important and what isn't...based on your
needs. In short, the meeting planner and you will work
together to determine
your specifications, requirements, and preferences.
Armed
with this information, the meeting planner will perform
a thorough search of available facilities or venues. If
the location is a key "need" of your meeting,
then they will focus on the location or locations that
you provide. If the facility, amenities, or level of service
is the primary concern, then they will search a broader
area looking for your "must haves". Depending
on the timeline and your directives, the meeting planner
will then either present the alternatives all at once or "on
the fly" as the venues or properties respond to their
requests. In either case, an experience meeting planner
will highlight the best alternatives for your meeting and
they should tell you why they see them as the best alternatives.
What
about Site Inspections?
A meeting
site inspection is simply a visit to the hotel, conference
center, or other venue being considered. The site is inspected
first hand to make sure that it lives up to ratings and
claims. It is the best way to make sure that the site is
appropriate for your meeting. Typically,
the meeting planner travels to the location(s) either with
you or on your behalf and then meets with the property's
sales person or team to tour the property. The meeting
space, guest rooms, level of service, property condition,
layout, and any other amenities or items that may influence
the success of your meeting are all inspected.
Is this
a necessary expense?
During
the Site Selection and Contract Negotiations process, a
first hand inspection of a site is highly recommended to
ensure that the best site is selected for your meeting.
Our inspection experience can identify and highlight both
positive and negative aspects that cannot be quantified
by reviewing sales literature or meeting contracts. In
addition, face to face meetings with facility representatives
allow a meeting planner to develop relationships that can
be beneficial during final contract negotiations. As an
alternative, a local independent meeting planner can perform
the inspection. This saves on time and travel expense. GCG
Event Partners has meeting planners across the country
with in 2 hours of any destination. Utilizing this resource
is an excellent way to reduce costs during the site inspection
process and if your meeting will require additional on-site
managers or staff during
the meeting, this is an excellent way to "get them
onboard" early in the process.
Conclusions
To be continued.... |
