My Top 5 Meeting Planning Tips

1.     Customize the way you communicate with each specific client.
Some of my clients love email, others prefer I pick up the phone.  Several prefer to communicate via Slack or other tech platforms. Knowing the preferred method of communication is key and helps alleviate stress on both sides.

2.     Have a detailed agenda.

With that being said, any planner will tell you that something will always go wrong. So while you should have a detailed run of show in place (and a backup plan), it’s equally important to think on your feet and continuously assess and adjust as needed.

3.     Site inspection. Site inspection.

It’s imperative that you conduct a site inspection to not only see the venue, but to walk through the agenda of your event.  It’s key to be able to see how far, for example, the sleeping rooms are from the breakfast, and how many minutes will it take to walk from the general session to the breakouts. Becoming intimately familiar with the property and building a rapport with staff before everyone arrives will make for a smoother event.

4.     Leverage ideas from other events.

I was staying at a hotel a few weeks ago and decided to meander through the meeting space (It’s what planners do when they are on holiday...we can’t help ourselves.) I saw the coolest snack break: a donut wall. I knew immediately I had to replicate this for one of my events. I mean, who doesn’t love donuts?! And a wall of donuts is totally Instagram-able.

5.    Be VERY specific when communicating the details of the event.

Everyone may understand that the event starts at 5pm, but do they understand that they need to book a flight that arrives no later than 3pm in order to make it to the event by 5pm?  Most attendees do not take into consideration the tiny details like ground transfers, and distance of venue from airport. It’s your job as the planner to communicate those nitty gtritty details.

My Marketing Arsenal: The Personality Profile

Using a DISC Personality Profile for marketing is one of the strongest tools in my arsenal. Knowing my personality type and that of my clients and colleagues helps me work more effectively. So much so, that I often recommend that clients implement the simple test as part of their team building.

Have you ever noticed that your thinking style, interests, and behavorial traits are different from your friends and colleagues? You may subconsciously interact differently with people based on their personality. You often, without thinking about it, customize your communications with people depending on how you know they process or work.

Everyone is different. As Mister Roger says, “You are special. There is no one else like you in the whole world.” Understanding your own thinking style as well as your colleagues is powerful –it will increase work productivity, teamwork, and communication. It can also help you to recognize and express gratitude.

A great venue to discover thinking styles is a company retreat.  Company retreats are often organized to help team members bond in a more relaxed, casual, non-work atmosphere. There are many do-it-yourself training and developmental tools on the market that you can simply implement into your retreat agenda. Or, you can go as far as hiring a professional facilitator to administer the tool, and provide deeper color around the results.

So what are the four personality types?
Dominance, Inducement, Submission, and Compliance.

I’m a “D” and the adjectives used to describe a “D” are pretty spot on for me.

D=challenge, winning, control, dominance, bottom line

I=Approval, popularity, excitement, enthusiasm, breaking new ground

S-Stability, traditions, acceptance, support, encouragement, collaboration

C=Precision, order, logic high standards, clear expectations, independence

At a recent clients’ company retreat I was able to see first hand the true power and insight that a tool like this provides.  After the event, I spoke with a few of the attendees to learn how they immediately improved interpersonal communications, connected more effectively with co-workers, and understood what they needed to be most effective.  The feedback speaks for itself:

Darnell: “I am a C. It was nice to know to why I was clashing with certain people. Some D's tend to rub me the wrong way and I feel like I left the retreat with a better understanding of why and adding a little more grace to those people who aren't even aware of how they come across to different personalities. For example: If Pam's words and actions feel a little pushy and overbearing., I can step back instead of immediately being defensive or taking it personally. I can remember that Pam is a D and accept that she more than likely means no ill will, it’s just her take charge type of personality.”

Kristel: “I'm a D.  It helps sometimes to understand why some people think and approach situations completely differently from how you approach things.  I think it just helps explain some reactions to situations. Andrew and I are both Ds and so we will "challenge" each other often on things and he is very pushy about it.  That is his "D" personality coming out.  I'm sure he would say the same about me.  Knowing he is that way, helps to put it all in perspective (I can think of since I"m a "D" too, how would I react to that situation/question).  On the flip side, James is an "I", so he is not pushy but he is much more effective in sales type situations.  I try to pay attention when he talks about how he presents things because I think the "I" side of him can present that type of information much more effectively than I can and since I have to try and sell also, I try to learn as much from him as I can.”

This client continues to reflect back on this exercise, and takes into consideration the four personality types when making large company-wise decisions. I often hear the disclaimer, “Well, how are the Cs going to react to this? What will the Ds have to say about that?” It’s great that they continue to keep the different behavioral traits in mind when making company decisions.

What’s your personality type?

The Wheels on the Bus

Ground transfers are part of most meeting and events. Whether you are transporting to/from airport and hotel, team building activities, or dinners—there are many opportunities to not only brand and communicate your message—but also to engage your attendees. It’s always great to have a cooler of bottled water on hand and a basket of snacks. If my client has the budget, I’ll brand the bottled water—or even suggest they go green and provide everyone a branded re-usable water bottle for later use. Snacks are good too! A variety of sweet, salty, and healthy is important. I try to source from local vendors and introduce my groups to unique and tasty snacks that are made in the area they are visiting.

You have your attendees’ full attention. They aren’t going anywhere while the bus is moving. How do you take advantage of that? How do you make it a memorable experience? These three interactive games work best for smaller groups (under 50 people) and really well for company retreats.

Who Bowled in a League with OutKast in Atlanta?

Ahead of your program, ask each attendee to provide three “secret” facts about themselves. On the bus drive, read the fun facts and have attendees guess who it is.  Attendees will not only get to know each other better, they may connect over similar interests.

I Got the 1981 Motley Crue Album. 
Ask attendees to bring an old CD or DVD that they no longer want/need. Collect all the items and redistribute on the bus ride.  It’s really fun to see peoples’ different music and movie preferences. You can even try to guess who “donated” your new gift.

I Love Your Purple Squirrel Hat!

Ask each attendee to bring a crazy hat. Do not define “crazy”—let them decide how they define “crazy.” Attendees can wear their crazy hats on the bus—it’s a great ice breaker and even better for photos once you get to where you are going!

How do you use ground transfers as a marketing opportunity?

Seven Tips for Curating a Memorable Company Retreat

This article was originally published in the May 2018 Group Travel Leader Magazine.

http://smallmarketmeetings.com/articles/seven-tips-planning-memorable-company-retreat/

More companies, especially distributed ones, are implementing company retreats into their budgets. It’s a smart move as it allows employees to bond in a more relaxed, open environment and for leadership to receive candid real-time feedback. It’s also a great way to kick off the year and set goals. As with any event, all the elements are a big puzzle—that you the planner—need to fit together. Andrea Cannistraci, CMM, President & Founder of andgreat, a marketing, branding , and events agency, shares seven tips to ensure a successful and memorable company retreat.

1. Send a pre-planning survey
Survey your attendees before the company retreat. Find out what destinations interest them, what topics they would like to discuss, what goals they hope to achieve from attending, and what activities interest them. Getting attendees onboard at the planning stage will ensure better participation, excitement, and a much more focused and successful event.

2. Develop a strong team of suppliers
Reach out to the local CVB of your chosen destination. They are the experts on the area and will be essential to helping you navigate the area and source the best caterers, AV, entertainment, restaurants, transportation, off site venues, and team building activities.

3. Conduct a site inspection

It’s imperative that you know the area and your way around. Meet personally with all the suppliers you’ve received quotes, experience the activities, restaurants, venues, entertainment. Start to build the relationships. Take copious notes. Know where the closest hospital, pharmacy, Kinkos, and grocery store are located.

4. Schedule free time
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not building free time into your agenda.  Give attendees an hour each later afternoon before dinner to check-in with family, refresh, relax, or hit the gym. Often, you’ll see the attendees will want to continue the day’s conversions at the bar, or around the pool. Those unstructured moments where employees bond on their own can create the most insight—and best memories.

5. Use natural meeting space

If your company retreat is in a warm climate, definitely take advantage of outdoor meetings places for casual breakouts and meals. There’s nothing worse than being in an awesome destination but stuck inside four walls all day. Let your attendees see the sun and feel the breeze! A simple U-shape of chairs under a tree, or a few cabanas at the pool are excellent non-traditional meeting spaces for breakouts. Many conference rooms have patios—use those for breakfasts and lunches. Trust me, your attendees will thank you.  (And the Instagram pics will be the envy of all.)

6. Consider meeting floor plans
The setup of the meeting room matters.  Know how many attendees you are expecting and plan accordingly. Your General Session should be configured so that everyone can see everyone. A flat oval shape works well.  Will attendees be taking notes on their laptops? If so, they’ll need a bit more space.  The last thing you want is a room full of sardines.  A good rule to follow is two people per six foot table. And make sure the room has windows—preferably doors that open to a patio (see #4.)

7. Plan an unforgettable group activity
Almost every company retreat has at least one group activity incorporated.  This is a great opportunity to make your company retreat memorable. Look at your destination. Look at your demographics.  Keep it local. If you’re at a beach, consider SUP or surfing lessons, or chartering a boat for a dinner cruise. If you’re in wine country, schedule dinner in a wine cave or a biking wine tour with lunch. If you’re in New Orleans, plan a hands-on Creole cooking class for dinner or a scavenger hunt through the Garden District.

Post Mortem Best Practices: an interview with Prevue Magazine

What is a post-mortem? Hint: it's not (only) an examination of a corpse in order to determine the correct cause of death, it’s a "discussion" to identify and analyze elements of a project that were successful or unsuccessful. It answers the question, “How’d we do?”

So...how'd I do on this article?

http://prevuemeetings.com/spark-blog/the-shakedown/finding-the-right-balance-for-effective-postmortem-practices/

Nobody is Too Busy; It's a Matter of Priority

We all have the time we need. We always have. We simply have to decide how we want to use it. I decided last fall that I wanted a new challenge for 2018. I wanted to transform my 43 year old post baby body. My daugher would be turning three in April, and I would be turning 44 in August. No time like the present!  As someone who already worked out four-five days a week, stayed active playing sports, ate relatively healthy, and meal prepped, I knew that I'd have to make drastic changes. I hired a coach. Not just a coach. I hired a seasoned figure competitor who has competed in over 13 competitions starting when she was 40.

On January 8, 2018 with 14 weeks out, I started an intense training program that put me in the gym twice a day: one session of cardio for 30-60 minutes a day, plus one 60+ minute weight lifting session a day. I also followed a very strict meal plan --weighing to the ounce my foods. I get bored fast with food, so this was a challenge. (There are only so many different spices for chicken, fish, and eggs.) I continued to meal plan and prep, cooking everything from scratch for myself and my two year old daughter. We only ate whole foods: fresh veggies and berries, bananas, egg white omelettes, chicken, fish, quinoa, brown rice, and once a week early on, I was allowed one RX Bar... the only pre-packaged food I ate (although they are 100% whole food protein). Towards the end, however, the carbs were cut, the fruit was cut. I was left with canned tuna fish--which actually excited me. 

What did I need to give up for this to happen?
Alcohol.
Chocolate.
Work/Personal Travel. (except for one short biz trip to NYC)
Eating out. (except on a few rare occasions, see above)

I continued to go out with friends, but I didn't eat or drink. It's a challenge to eat out when on a strict meal plan. All the money that I normally spent on eating out went towards protein shakes, supplements, vitamins, and grocery shopping. I was at the grocery store and fish market almost daily.

The result? After 14* weeks of training, I competed in my first National Figure Committee competition, dropping over 20 pounds, and losing 8% body fat -- without compromising other aspects of my life.

Oh, did I mention that during this time I was a single Mom, and an entrepreneur running a successful business?  Since all my family lives back on the East Coast, I had no help. *And for nearly two of those 14 weeks I was in bed (yes, actually in bed for 20 hours a day) with the flu--only up to take my daughter to/from school. 

So next time you say you're "too busy to make your own chocolate cake," remember this: We all have the same number of hours in the day. How do you choose to use yours?

"Every once in awhile we need to challenge ourselves; set crazy goals, and fulfill them. When you say you don’t have time to make a cake— I say we all have the same amount of time. What you chose to do in that time, is up to YOU". -- A.Cannistraci

Employee Spotlights: A Marketing Strategy for Effectively Engaging and Connecting (Part 1/5)

AUGUST EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Do you love your job? We spend 40+ hours working every week, it’s important to not only love what you do, but enjoy who you do it with. Collaboration with co-workers is crucial to drive business results. And when you have a good relationship with your co-workers, life—and work—is better.

If you work for a company that has over 50 employees, you might not know every person, because you may only interact with a few people. And, if you work for a distributed company, you don’t even have the option of “bumping into co-workers at the water cooler.”  You probably need that interaction the most. There are several strategies for effectively engaging and connecting employees, even if remote:

1.            Company Retreats

2.            All Company Meetings

3.            Social Hours

4.            Group Meals

5.            Employee Spotlights

Employee spotlights are engaging and a simple way to connect people at your company. People always want to hear about other people. It’s human nature. andgreat recently implemented a monthly employee spotlight with one of our distributed clients. Each month, a different team member is chosen. The key is to not choose the people everyone is already familiar—but to choose people that are newer to the company, or work in a department or areas that are not afforded much interaction.

Questions. Some of the questions can be light-hearted and fun, and others can relate back to the company and their specific role. This should be a fun exercise for the employee. A good number of questions is 8-10, as a few questions may be “passed” by the employee. Here are a few sample questions from which you can pull:

Are you messy or organized?

What is your role at the company?

Where is your favorite place to eat?

Where do you go to unplug?

Where did you work previous?

Interview. Conduct an in-person/video interview so you can get hear real time answers with more detail. We use the caricature headshots as the featured image. It’s fun to have a visual of who you are reading and it lends to a more consistent look over the Blog as well.

Publish. Publish the Spotlight on your company blog and promote via social media. Key: Don’t forget to promote to the internal team, i.e., the entire company. They too should be sharing it on social media, re-tweeting, liking, etc. Employees should be your biggest fans.

Repeat. Be sure you are asking employees to comment internally on Spotlights. Slack is a great tool for that. It’s important to release Spotlights on a regular schedule so you create a culture of anticipation and recognition. The first of the month is a good time.

We’ll dig deeper into the other above strategies in future posts, so check back often. We’d love to hear what are you doing to engage and connect employees.