You are a meeting planner. The speaker demanded two wireless mics and a sound check 1.5 hours before the program. “That’s an extra $150 per wireless microphone, plus we now need to have the AV guy to set it up which is $75 an hour. Our other speakers don’t have these requests. She also requests a stage, backdrop and 8 foot screen. What next? Will she ask us to polish her tiara? What’s up with her?”
Your out of town speaker, keeps asking you questions about the audience he will be addressing in his full day customer service program. “It is annoying. We hire him to do his program, not to evaluate the personalities of everyone here. I feel like I am doing more work , than he is doing. Argh!”
Do you ever wonder why your speakers are adamant about trivial details? This is the time to ask professional speakers “why?” Plus this is a chance to share with your speakers the scope of your job as a planner and how the speaker fits into the big picture.
You are a speaker. The meeting planner puts these beautiful floral arrangements as the centerpiece. However, now 3 people at each table cannot see you presenting. As a surprise to everyone, the meeting planner and client reward the team with an open bar before your dinner presentation starts. Do they know downward impact these two factors will have?
This is second time planners and speakers get to hash out their confusion about each other’s job and how to make each other look great for the client.
Santa’s Gift is this program
Behind the Scenes of Meeting Bookings
Friday, January 8, 2010, 2-4:30pm NSA Meeting
Columbia Tower Club in Seattle
Meeting Planners:
- What are your responsibilities as a meeting planner?
- Where does a speaker rank in the hierarchy of venue, food, etc?
- What makes an ideal speaker?
Speakers:
- Which information is vital to get from the planner?
- Why floor plan, seating arrangements and food service affects your presentation.
- How other activities and topics in the schedule affect your program.
Both planners and speakers will leave with valuable knowledge of each other’s worlds.
Register here at www.NSANorthwest.org, info@nsanorthwest.org
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| Jolene Jang, The Meeting Maximizer |
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| President, NSA Northwest, National Speakers Association |
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