I recently came across a blog from Meetings Net titled, Why Hotel Negotiations Are Like a Game of Tetris. The blog focuses on a special session that was presented at the Global DMC Partners’ Connection 2017 Conference, that took place in Las Vegas this past August. The session was a panel discussion, featuring several contributors[...]

or any other destination your group may go, usually requires a bit more planning. Here are a few ways to prepare for an international meeting: Who do you know: You’ve been to your own conferences and networking meetings, reach out to some of your contacts or organizations and ask if they can connect you to[...]

Do this, enter the word “Negotiate” into Google, then click on images. Most of what comes up are images of handshakes. In other words, this is what negotiation leads to – a deal that you seal with a handshake, or as we like to call it in the Meetings biz, a contract. To be an[...]

Presidential debates are in the air. Debates are a test to see how candidates behave under pressure; can they answer questions coherently and to-the-point, are they decisive and concise, do they have a high likability factor and a commanding presence. If you are still debating over whether to use the services of someone like me,[...]

Recently we talked about Wide Open Spaces for those big scale meetings, but not all meetings are big. Some meetings are more intimate and more focused and smaller in scope. Here are some venues that are perfect for small meetings: Warwick Hotels: This worldwide chain offers several smaller hotels that offer a “harmonious hotel experience[...]

    You’re running out of time To find some hotel space For your meeting’s soon And you can’t find a place You’ve called LOTS of hotels Who won’t accept your RFP Now you need to get some rooms For your meeting in a hurry!   SO! Call Jill Stone Helmsbriscoe She’ll find what you[...]

I recently caught up with Kris Keesling at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel. She is my contact at the hotel, and was an integral part in creating a win-win meeting for one of my clients. We chatted about the industry, her hotel and third party planners (aka me). Here is what Kris had to share with[...]

We talk a lot about saving time and money, and though quite important, saving our sanity also ranks rather high. Meeting Managers have the capacity to store amazing amounts of information, details, schedules, data and more – there are computers out there that are envious of your abilities, I assure you of this. That said,[...]

I read a lot of contracts on behalf of my clients and have learned that there are items you absolutely need to be on top of when it comes to creating the as-close-to-perfect-as-possible contract for your meeting. So here we go: 10.  Service Fees: This includes miscellaneous, administrative, equipment fees and more. Though many of[...]