10 quick meeting planning tips for your next event

Meetings matter. Whether you are booking your next big event or even an internal meeting for your co-workers, remember these 10 quick tips to have a successful event:

  1. Pick a destination where your attendees want to go.
  2. Ooh la la them! Create a sense of anticipation.
  3. Enhance your evening gathering. Create a theme or provide a unique experience.
  4. Golf, ski, spa, beach… Build a little free time in the schedule.
  5. Save time and headaches for everyone! Use technology to your advantage and provide registration through event software.
  6. Prevent ducking out at important times by not planning every meal. Let your attendees have some private time. It will save you money too!
  7. Who, what, when, where, how – Give attendees easy-to-read information.
  8. Be prepared – Do you need audio visual equipment, catering, permits, signs, etc.?
  9. Everyone has a different idea of fun! Offer a variety of activities.
  10. Meet or beat budgets! Negotiate with suppliers, services, and venues.
About the author:

Andy McNeill, CEO of AMI, is a veteran of the meetings and event industries, with more than 25 years of experience in the profession. He has assisted firms in a variety of industries including pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, consumer, sports marketing and investment banking. He firmly believes in the strategic meeting marketing model and provides consulting services to Fortune 100 clients on the practice. After graduation from Florida State with a degree in marketing, Andy began his career in the event marketing group at Florida State Athletics. Soon after, he launched his own event marketing company and after five years merged with a major sports marketing firm. Andy spent six years with NSG Corporation as the Senior Vice President leading the sales and marketing for the firm who produced events for over 200,000+ attendees annually across the globe. Andy and the NSG team worked with the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta to produce portions of the Opening Ceremonies. Following NSG, Andy secured the role as COO at Fanizzi Associates, one of the nation’s largest event pharmaceutical firms. There he managed the overall operations of the company who executed over 400 events annually for physicians and internal pharmaceutical clients. Revenues exceeded $40 million a year. In 2002, Andy left Fanizzi Associates, and launched AMI with the vision of owning and operating a premiere event marketing and meeting management firm. Since 2002, AMI has grown into a multi-million dollar organization producing hundreds of events annually. The firm has managed programs in more than 20 industries for clients such as Novartis, Mars, Cleveland Clinic, J & J, Baxter, Pfizer and Office Depot. Andy’s vision of keeping AMI on the forefront of meetings technology, theory and practice has made it an industry leader. He is a member of MPI, Site, and the American Marketing Association. He volunteers as a chair of the Human Rights Campaign. Andy's day-to-day responsibilities include client acquisition, consulting and overall company strategy.

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