Who:

What: NEO – The Conference for Neonatology

Assignment: Plan an annual meeting including general sessions, breakouts, several receptions, sponsor lunches, a trade show with 50-55 exhibitors and a gala finale.

Special Challenges: In the first year, we had about 800 people; in the second year, there were almost 900 people. The room block for exhibitors was a continual challenge. While we appreciated the sponsors and exhibitors’ support, the frequent changes in personnel created difficulties in securing rooms and managing attrition.

Solutions: For the second year, we hired a third-party company to handle exhibitor management and the trade show. They handled customer service and changes in personnel. We also secured a special room block for exhibitors and announced that the rooms were on a first-come, first-serve basis. The exhibitors learned, after two years, that they needed to secure their rooms ahead of time rather than waiting until the last minute. They could change personnel but knew they were responsible for payment and cancellations.

Advice: Have a separate room block for exhibitors. Then, if you have space in your regular room block and can move the exhibitors to the closer hotel or the host hotel, they are very pleased and there is
no attrition.

Who: Terri Dotson, Senior Project Manager

What: Meeting Consultants Inc. event management company

Q: Why do you regularly choose resort properties for meetings?

A: For the size of meetings I typically manage, a resort usually fits my major requirements. I am normally working with a minimum of 1,000 to upward of 10,000 attendees so there are many needs/wants that have to be addressed. The resorts have the meeting space I require, the large number of sleeping rooms I am looking for with overflow properties nearby, and they are capable of offering amenities on pre/post show days or evenings when the conference does not have any scheduled events.

Q: What factors do you consider when choosing one type of property over another?

A: In the last few years, budget is on the top of my priority list so I look at venues that can be an answer to my budget parameters. This does not always mean that the venue with the lowest room rate wins the contract. I look at items such as: meeting space that can handle all my meetings without using a secondary location possibly resulting in more rental fees; number of hotel rooms so that I can keep as many of my attendees at or near the area of where the meetings will be held, which avoids additional transportation costs; and amenities such as restaurants, pool area or outdoor space so that evening events can stay on property saving on extra rental, transport and outside catering charges.

Q: What meeting formats are better suited for certain types of properties?

A: Meetings are like snowflakes. There are never two that are alike, which is why we have different types of venue options available. A resort works best for my customer/business partner events. If I had a small- to medium-sized internal sales meeting that had a short agenda loaded with meetings from morning until night, then I would lean towards a hotel or a conference center within walking distance of a hotel. IACC-certified conference centers typically have some great meeting rooms with upgraded audiovisual features. I would look at this type of facility for a board meeting or even a conference that the attendees were local or responsible for finding their own housing and willing to travel to the facility.

Q: Describe a success story you experienced working with one of these types of properties.

A: I had an agenda that required a conference networking event for 5,000 attendees on one evening, but also allowed the attendees to set up their own functions the next evening. The venue we chose had a large pool area and ballroom that accommodated our networking event nicely. It also had more than 10 restaurants on property and smaller meeting space that allowed the individual groups to throw some great evening events the following evening without feeling they were seeing the same space as the night before. The sleeping rooms were all within the venue, and we had additional rooms at a property immediately next door so attendees could leave the events at their leisure. This made for some very successful functions that might not have been as successful if we had to transport our guests to an off-property venue.

Members were skeptical at first, she said. Some wondered about the cost and objected to the untraditional setting. But in the end, nearly 700 members signed up for a three-day sailing from Long Beach, Calif., aboard the Carnival Paradise. Now the group’s asking when they’ll meet at sea again.

“There’s no beating the away-from-it-all atmosphere aboard a cruise ship,” Wertz says. “There’s more of an open, light feeling on ship than on land. You have more camaraderie. I saw people with their doors open and five and six women sitting around, and you’d just say hello.”

It’s also hard to compete with the price. Carnival, like most cruise companies, offers groups free use of meeting rooms and AV equipment. Meals are already covered since cruises are all-inclusive. And Carnival threw in cocktail parties and receptions for the sorority.

Wertz says she was overwhelmed by the cruise line’s attention. A staff member flew out from Miami to join the group, and another ship crewmember was assigned to look after the sorority. “The two of them were at every event and they solved every problem,” Wertz says. But planning a cruise meeting is different from planning a land-based gathering. The lead time is compressed because cruise lines often don’t set itineraries more than 18 months in advance. In addition, attendees must pay attention to details when registering, entering their names exactly as they appear on their passports, and bringing proper identification. It’s not as easy as showing up at a hotel.

Carnival’s 22 ships operate out of 15 ports, making it easy for regional groups to gather. Joan Levicoff Sanchez, the vice president of large group sales and operations, says she can make the case that a cruise costs less than a land meeting, but she likes to come back to the atmosphere. “Anytime I am personally feeling stressed out all I have to do is imagine myself standing on a deck and feeling the breeze blowing through my hair,” she says. “There’s something about being on the water that has that calming effect on all of us.”

What: Annual Scientific Meeting

When: June 11-13, 2010

Where: Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Sandestin, Fla.

Details: The Alabama Society of Otolaryngology has gone to the Beaches of South Walton area each year for its annual scientific meeting. About 55 doctors and physicians, mostly from Alabama and a few from surrounding states including Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri, bring their families for the three-day meeting.

Location: “We like the area and we have good attendance,” says Teri Dingler, the society director who plans the event. “With everything there is to do in the area, we plan to continue to go there.” Attendees like the ambience of the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the restaurants and the family-friendly feel. “It’s not that crowded,” says Dingler, which she adds often can be the case at family-type resorts or destinations, but not in Sandestin, she says.

Timing: The meeting was held a few weeks after the Deepwater Horizon rig started leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico, but Dingler says there was no evidence of any problems. “We didn’t have any issues with it while we were down there,” Dingler says. “My doctors really enjoy what’s available at the resort. They enjoy the pool, the family activities. I don’t know how many ventured across to go to the beach or if they even worry about going to the beach.”

Advice: “When you’re trying to get attendees to a meeting during the summertime, they want to make a vacation out of it,” says Dingler. When planning events during the summer, she recommends destinations like Sandestin. “You’re more than likely to get the attendees to the gulf area. There are so many activities and things to do and see. And it’s true that you can get seafood anywhere you go, but it doesn’t taste the same as it does at the beach.”

Sharon Seay, CMP

Executive Director, National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association Inc.

Biggest event: Always the national convention. We have a trade-show component, a ladies program, a teen program and a religious program. We have just under 1,000 attendees, including exhibitors, and we usually use one hotel. Our attendees use the event as a family vacation so it is important that we have a destination that is attractive for them. Kids are a main focus; we look for venues that have activities for young people, especially outdoors.

Special challenges: Funeral directors and embalmers have to have their licenses renewed every 12 to 18 months, which requires a certain number of education hours. We have members from all 50 states and the requirements are different for every state. We have to work with state boards and coordinate with our presenters to make sure we help our members meet those requirements.

In the past two years, we have had to review contracts more closely, especially in regards to cancellations, early departure fees, etc., to avoid or limit penalties. Some hotels are more flexible than others. With resort properties, our challenge is having to pay large deposits up front, especially when our dollars come from memberships. Members going outside the block, sometimes even getting reservations in the same hotel, presents another major challenge, which we have been trying to overcome by rewriting our contracts.

Results: We are working with the hotel on clauses that will be beneficial to both the hotel and the group; working more closely with the sales department to make the meeting more affordable for everyone; and posting rates and getting information out to members earlier.

I do all the contract negotiations and my staff calls me the mad scientist because I go through so many details to make sure I’ve covered all areas.

Favorite destination: I have so many because we’ve been to so many places. When I say favorite I look at it from the point of view of convenience, service and a good destination for a family vacation. If I had to choose, it probably would be all of my meetings in Florida, including Orlando and West Palm Beach. Our 2010 National Conference is in Fort Lauderdale at the end of the month [July 31-Aug. 6 at the Harbor Beach Marriott]. Florida is a good attraction area for everyone, especially the beaches.

Las Vegas stands out for its great service. I had the best experience ever from the CVB to the hotel. It was my first convention and I made lots of mistakes, but the hotel made it up for me. It was a good experience for a green person and I have put that same requirement for service on everyone since then. We are returning to Las Vegas in 2012. Service is key. I like hotels that put more stress on having a knowledgeable, accommodating staff, as well as companies that train employees to feel empowered. (I do well with Hilton, Starwood and then Marriott.)

Best advice for fellow planners: Build relationships. Attend outings with your colleagues. Have a call date when people know you are available to talk. I block out Thursday, especially for hotel companies. We start calls at 10:30 a.m. and go to 4 p.m. We have the files open and accept sales appointments. It’s the end of the week so if they have a proposal they can work on it Thursday or Friday and get back to us the following week.

Also, I always encourage people to improve their own education. I like to attend workshops, and courses that universities and hotels have. There are opportunities to improve on something even if you’ve done it for 30 years.

Favorite music: Jazz. I like instrumental jazz and a little jazz vocal. There are so many wonderful artists. My favorite musician, though, is Stevie Wonder.

Favorite book: I like novels and I love short stories. I love reading. Right now I am reading “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Pattillo Beals, about the battle to integrate Little Rock’s Central High.

Favorite movie: I’m not a big movie buff but I was an extra in a movie, “Let’s do it again,” with Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. I made my family sit through it to see me walk through a street for a minute. Now, I can pause the movie so you can actually see me. My nieces watch it and laugh.

Favorite quote: “If I can help somebody, then my living will not be in vain.” Those words are from a favorite gospel song.

Heroes: My mom. She is an inspiration every day I see her. She taught me everything I know. My college drama teacher is another hero. Miss Amerious Hawk saw something in me I never saw in myself. She thought I needed something more creative than what I was majoring in and encouraged me to look into a new department opening at Clark Atlanta University. I changed my major to Mass Communications.

Who

What: Annual Conference

When: June 10-13, 2010

Where: Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Sandestin, Fla.

The details: Last month, members of the Automotive Aftermarket Association of the Southeast (AAAS) spent three days in the Florida Panhandle for the organization’s annual conference. Nearly 60 automotive aftermarket professionals from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Florida came together at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Many even brought their families along. The event, which has been held at the resort for several years, included seminars, receptions, a golf tournament and even some beach time. Though news agencies reported tar balls on Florida beaches and sluggish numbers in early June, Ward says he didn’t notice anything different in Sandestin from previous years. “Every year we’ve had a great experience down there and this year, it was as good as ever.”

The location: Ward doesn’t recall the original reason he started going to Sandestin for the AAAS annual conference, but he knows why he returns every year. “Our folks just love it. So many of them plan their vacations around this conference,” says Ward. “Sandestin has it all to offer. It starts with the beaches, but then there [are] the restaurants, the golf course and many other activities. It’s just a beautiful place, and you get a little bit of all of it all.”

The timing: The conference began just a few weeks after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and oil started leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. That didn’t affect numbers for the AAAS conference at all, says Ward. “It went off without a hitch. The food was wonderful and the weather was great. We had a great golf tournament, and the crowd was good but it wasn’t overcrowded,” he says. And the beach? “The beach is not our top priority, but it was beautiful this year.” That could change at any time, but that’s not going to keep Ward from heading to Northwest Florida for meetings. In fact, he’s headed back to the area in mid-August with more than 700 attendees for the Alabama Self-Insurers Association summer conference at the Hilton Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort. He says he’s getting a few calls from attendees asking if the event is still taking place in Sandestin. “I said, ‘Why wouldn’t we be down there?’ There’s bicycling, canoeing, golf and tennis. The beach is just one of the aspects,” says Ward.

Advice: “It’s not a time to stick your head in the sand,” says Ward, who wants his fellow planners to go ahead with any events or meetings scheduled in the Gulf area. “We all want to help and this is a way to support the businesses down there. There’s a problem in the Gulf, but this area has so much more to offer. If anything, it means people will be in your meetings and seminars. Let’s be honest — the best attendance is when it’s raining. This is something else to keep them off the beach,” he jokes. “I just feel it’s really a time for us to stand up and support our friends and our meeting partners.”

Tell us about the conference.

COAA’s Spring Owners Leadership Conference is a two-and-a-half-day educational conference for 250 people, which encompasses 18 educational programs (36 presenters), an educational tour, two full breakfasts, two lunches, two networking receptions (with open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres) and an exhibitor area.

Where was the event and how did you decide on the location?

We originally targeted a city on the Northeast coast and had Pittsburgh “on the bench” as a back-up city if we were not able to secure an ideal location. As it turns out, we were not able to find the meeting space or rates we had hoped in the original destination, so a site visit to Pittsburgh ensued.

We chose the Pittsburgh Hilton right across from Point State Park for its location, ideal meeting space and rates. This is a very walkable area to sporting events and great restaurants; the view of Pittsburgh from nearby Mt. Washington is absolutely breathtaking.

Did any special challenges come up while planning and executing the event?

Yes. The privately-owned Hilton informed us during the initial site visit of a planned multi-million dollar renovation that should have been completed at least a year before our event. While the sleeping rooms were completed, the remainder of the renovation (expanded banquet facilities, health club and swimming pool) was stalled, which left the exterior of the hotel looking unfinished.

The stall was due to its financial state of affairs, which was actually our bigger concern. Multiple lawsuits were filed against the hotel for non-payment and construction stopped. Our dilemma was whether the hotel would perform well or even survive in these tough economic times. The local media released stories that would frighten any meeting planner.

What did you do?

The first thing we did was renegotiate our contract. We asked to adjust the room block and remove the attrition clause due to challenging economic conditions that many associations are facing. The hotel agreed to the amendments, and that gesture was very much appreciated. It was during this process (about nine months prior to the event), however, that we learned of the many difficulties the hotel was encountering.

One of the reasons the city of Pittsburgh was attractive to us was because we have a strong chapter forming in the state. Of all the hotels in the city, this was only one with ideal space for our event. It came down to making a decision either to cancel our contract and relocate the conference to another city or trust that the hotel could perform.

Thankfully, the hotel underwent a restructuring and began operating under new management about four months prior to our event. I was able to develop a communicative relationship with a new employee in charge of my event. I checked other event planner references and found that other groups had held successful conferences in recent weeks. We decided to make every effort to keep the event at the Hilton and work hand-in-hand to make it a successful event.

How did the event turn out?

Our 2010 Spring Owners Leadership Conference was the best-attended spring event we have ever held. Our conference program was highly rated, and the attendees that had never been to Pittsburgh found it to be a very pleasant surprise. Expectations were greatly exceeded and the hotel performed well under difficult circumstances.

What was the best part of the event? And the worst?

Clearly, the worst aspect of this particular event was the hotel’s unfortunate state of affairs and the challenges that caused. Our conference was held during a period of transition; we could see positive changes being put into place, but we were not in the hands of a well-oiled machine due to turnover and other related factors. It kept us on our toes.

Though I was not able to predict the outcome, the big components of our conference were handled quite well. Even the behind-the-scenes missteps were corrected fairly quickly and our attendees were oblivious to the problems. In hindsight, the nice surprise was the beautiful city of Pittsburgh and the challenged Hilton’s overall on-site performance.

What advice do you have for other planners when organizing a similar event?

Ultimately, I decided not to recommend canceling our contract for several reasons. First, the hotel reorganized and brought in new management, which allowed me to see the “light at the end of the tunnel.” Approximately three months prior to our event, I was finally able to establish a good relationship with a key person (new hire) at the hotel. She was able to supply the information I needed to make wise choices. And finally, it has becoming increasingly important to place our conferences in a destination that will draw local (drivable) attendance. We knew we had strong member representation in Pennsylvania, the Northeast and the Great Lakes region. Their show of support for our spring conference exceeded our expectations.

The event: American Volleyball Coaches Association Spring Conference in Palo Alto, Calif., May 6-8, at Stanford University’s Arrillaga Family Sports Center. The conference ran in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship, which was being played at Stanford University.

The attendees: The majority of attendees consisted of volleyball coaches, but several business owners and exhibitors attended to promote their products. Several players from a local NCAA Division III school, University of California Santa Cruz, helped with demonstrations and participated as well.

The plan: Provide new education and coaching ideas to attendees. “Our main focus with this event is coaching education, which is one of the cornerstones of our association,” says Engle. The theme of the conference was 21st-century coaching skills, or what Engle calls “outside-the-box” ideas, including teaching players to “read” other players and marketing volleyball programs through social media.

The logistics: With some guidance from university administrators, Engle opted to host the conference at the Arrillaga Family Sports Center on Stanford’s campus because it had an athletic court and multiple classrooms in the same location, which suited the AVCA’s combination of on-court and classroom educational sessions. “The facility was beautiful, just the right size, and everything was in the same building in close proximity,” says Engle. Attendees stayed at the Sheraton, Westin Palo Alto, Creekside Inn and Courtyard by Marriott, all in close proximity to Stanford’s campus.

The result: The conference, which has grown considerably since its inaugural event three years ago, hit the right note with its on-court education sessions using demonstrations by the UC Santa Cruz players. “The players were not only very easy to work with, and good at demonstrating, but also they also were very enthusiastic about helping and eager to learn along with the coaches in attendance,” says Engle. “Finding unpaid, non-attendee volunteers, not to mention college students who are not only enthusiastic about helping and learning but also grateful for the opportunity, was certainly a gem that our association has not always easily found.”

Mike Sorem

Organizer: Mike Sorem

Mike Sorem

Organizer: Mike Sorem

Affiliation: National Technical Investigators Association (NTIA)

Event: Annual Meeting

What was the plan?

NTIA, an association that works with law enforcement agencies, wanted to add a golf tournament to its annual meeting.“We thought it would provide another way for members to interact with exhibitors in a social setting,” says Sorem, a retired law enforcement officer from Minnesota. The first outing was such a success that it has become an annual event, and Sorem has been chairing the outing since 1999.

Have you made any changes?

The group has tinkered with the format over the years, but purposely keeps the event laid back. The association even dropped the word tournament, calling the activity a golf outing. “A guy who’s a real duffer golfer who still wants to play, he’s not going to feel like a fool,” Sorem says, “and he can still have fun.”

What advice do you have for other planners organizing a golf event?

“It helps to see a course before arranging a tournament,” advises Sorem. “Anything can look beautiful on the Internet, but it’s only by visiting you realize that the after-golf luncheon you’re planning will be held in a tent in the parking lot and not an actual clubhouse. If you can’t make an inspection trip before the meeting, ask a local member for recommendations.”

The event: From March 11-21, roughly 4,200 bridge players of all ages descended on Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort for the Spring 2010 North American Bridge Championships.

The plan: Provide enough space, light and food for thousands of bridge players. “We’ve been going to Reno every six years for as long as I can remember,” says Johnston. The Grand Sierra Resort has changed names and ownership since the first NABC in Reno in 1989, but the venue has everything Johnston needs: 1,200 rooms on peak night, 100,000 square feet of space, bright lighting (essential to play cards), cash concession services and late convention hours. “Very few of our high-level games begin before noon or finish before 11 at night,” he says. Some players appeal game results, and those appeals meetings sometimes start as late as 1 a.m. “Casinos are more flexible on hours,” he says.

The result: Players cruised through more than a week of competition without any major snafus. “The special challenge that I have is that the tournament is 10 days of bridge,” says Johnston. Add a board meeting, set-up and tear-down time, as well as pre- and post-convention planning, and Johnston needs two weeks of uninterrupted space and venue rental. The Grand Sierra accommodated all of Johnston’s requirements.

Bill Gates drops in for a photo op with young bridge players.

The special appearance: Microsoft founder Bill Gates dropped by to play for a few days, and not because Johnston paid him anything to make a feature appearance. “If we are close to his house or in a city with something Microsoft going on, we can count on him attending,” he says. “He plays for three or four days and plays for seven or eight hours a day. He blends right in to the crowd … It’s one of the few places he can go and just be one of the guys. The bridge players are much more concerned about their bridge game than the celebrity sitting across the table from them.”