Buyer and agency comments continue
to suggest that meetings are being booked at shorter notice. The result
can be additional stress for planners, greater difficulties in tracking
down availability, and an enhanced emphasis on the communications skills
of the organiser.
This is the context in which we launch the LATELATEMEETINGS.COM AWARD
(see below).
Meanwhile, ten additional categories of meetings types:
* FunMeet – centred on a theme park or visitor attraction to help delegates
relax
* ROIMeet – involving qualitative and quantitative evaluation techniques
before
and after (questionnaires, focus groups, performance analysis etc.)
* Multi-culturalMeet – for which planners require specialist skills in
handling
relationships between delegates from two or more continents
* EscapeMeet – the deliberate selection of a hideaway venue to avoid
distraction
and intrusion
* MeteredMeet – using software to cost the event to the last ££;
accommodation,
travel, and ancillaries; plus an allocation for delegates’ salaries
* PersonalityMeet – in which psychologists use questionnaires and other
simple
aptitude tests to gauge how contrasting attitudinal and thinking types can
best work together
* FlightMeet – using airport hotels to maximise discussion time for delegates
arriving from overseas or other airports
* SportsMeet – adopting the metaphors of sport (team effort, competitiveness,
focus, beating targets) by using an appropriate venue (e.g. soccer stadium;
leisure or golfing resort)
* PartnerMeet – involving delegate partners for the subtle morale-boosting
that
is implied
* BankHolidayMeet – the deliberate timing of the event for those weeks
prior
to and after Bank Holidays when hotels are quieter, and cheaper
PLUS
* The LateLateMeeting
NEW AWARD
Your case-study of reserving or planning a late, late, late conference
could win you one of three prizes of £25 worth of M&S vouchers.
There are three categories to enter:
•
the largest residential meeting/event that you have booked or organised
at the shortest notice
•
the most complex meeting/event that you have booked or organised at the
shortest notice
•
the most challenging meeting/event (perhaps amusing/irritating etc.)
that you have booked or organised at the shortest notice
Over to you. The closing date is July 31.
Note: For each category (you may enter all three) please outline the
lead-time for the event … the numbers involved … other relevant
details … and be sure to recall any or all of the complications
you encountered.
Entries, please (up to 100 words for each category) to chrismartins@latemeetings.com.
Good luck!
The next edition of Outlook ’06 from www.meetingstrends.com will
appear in July.
Previous Outlooks:
January 2006 - Click here to view
March 2006 - Click
here to view
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