About the author:

Author: Brent Taylor, CMP, CMM

Brent Taylor, CMP, CMM is a Managing Partner at Timewise Event Management Inc. based in Edmonton, Alberta. He is very passionate about the meetings industry and believes strongly in education, professional development and setting industry standards. Connect with Brent online at www.twitter.com/brentjtaylor and www.linkedin.com/in/brentjtaylor.

Articles by Brent Taylor

  • Six marketing tips to promote your next event

    By Brent Taylor Let’s talk marketing. It seems today that there is a plethora of marketing materials, opinions and experts advising us on how to best market any product or service we have to offer. Why is that? Why is there so much attention being given to marketing? I recently read Seth Godin’s books, All Marketers are Liars and Purple Cow. I recommend both these books along with Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. I was intrigued by what Godin identifies as…

  • Planning resilience: Facing today’s challenges as an event manager

    Do you have the most stressful job? Each of us is faced with perpetual challenges in our workplace that seem to be continually increasing and adding to our stress levels. With the current climate of economic uncertainties, increasing workloads and unrelenting demands, most of us will likely claim we have the most stressful job. CareerCast conducts an annual assessment of the most stressful careers. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, event coordinator was ranked No. 5 in 2014 and No. 8…

  • Building trust: What meeting planners want suppliers to understand

    Meeting planners are hardworking, resilient and well-organized individuals who rely upon a variety of suppliers to deliver the meetings they manage. They face the stresses of orchestrating an endless array of tasks and suppliers into a seamlessly delivered meeting, conference or convention. The reliance of the planner upon their suppliers cannot be emphasized enough. There is no second chance as the planner gets one opportunity to deliver their meeting well. Each supplier inherits partial responsibility, not only for the success…

  • Six strategies to mitigate outside supplier fees applied to audio visual services

    A growing frustration for meeting planners, when managing their conference budgets, are excessive or undisclosed fees imposed by providers of essential services. Conference facilities are such a provider. Many facilities impose fees in an effort to block outside suppliers from servicing conferences, in turn forcing the use of in-house suppliers. These exclusionary practices and policies are becoming prevalent with audio visual services. Most conference facilities have an official audio visual supplier who pays a commission to them for the services…

  • Six reasons outside supplier fees are a bad idea

    Meeting planners have the complex task of managing conference budgets and the wide array of suppliers that come with it. We do our due diligence to ensure everyone gets their fair share while maintaining a positive bottom line. Unfortunately, some suppliers that are an essential service to hosting a conference, like conference facilities, are taking advantage of their position. One of the ways is through outside supplier fees in the area of audio visual services. Most conference facilities have an…

  • Six steps to success with your event sponsorship

    Event managers are finding it increasingly difficult to secure sponsors and to keep them engaged in providing much-needed financial and in-kind supports. Something needs to change. It is time to bury the old idea of developing one-size-fits-all programs that beautifully outline our event’s Platinum, Gold and Silver sponsorship levels. These packages are still being heavily relied upon to secure revenue to help sustain our events. There is a better way. During a panel session of sponsorship buyers at a recent…

  • Six compelling reasons to outsource your meetings management

    A well-delivered and effective meetings program will enhance the success of your organization. It will move you forward through connection, the exchange of ideas, the dissemination of information, and educational opportunities. Meetings help to build your business and the relationships you have with your customers. The meetings management industry has experienced rapid growth and development in recent years. There is now a vast network of external resources available to help you develop and deliver your meetings program. This includes third-party…

  • Helping stakeholders see the big picture of meetings value

    Amid today’s challenging climate of economic uncertainty, more and more discussion about meetings and events is taking place in the corporate boardroom, where senior management teams are assessing the value those meetings bring to their business. For a professional meeting planner, knowing how to prove the value of tangible and intangible returns on a stakeholder’s investment is an enviable skill. Establishing the inherent value of meetings and how they tie in to corporate objectives is a critical component of the planning process, giving you the power to leverage that information with senior management and helping to justify their meetings investment.

  • Five key essentials to meeting management success

    Event management is a prestigious career choice. It is about more than party planning, creativity or décor. It is complex and encompasses project management, program design, measurement and evaluation, strategic development and so much more. Our industry is ready for talented individuals who understand this and want to achieve great things. Do you have what it takes? Here are some key essentials to finding success in managing meetings and events.