An Independent HelmsBriscoe Associate | 636-678-7661 | jstone@helmsbriscoe.com

Jill Stone

Your Meeting Matchmaker Fairy Godmother

Clone Yourself with One Phone Call

Recently, Cathy Sexton, The Productivity Expert, asked me to be on her radio show “Ignite Your Performance.”  It was so much fun to be interviewed and have the opportunity to talk about what I do. Thank you so very much to Cathy for making it easy, she is a great interviewer and I so very[...]

Negotiation Time

According to a recent article: Average daily hotel rates will likely increase 3.2 percent throughout next year. Increases will vary by market, with the top business destinations able to command much higher prices. Meetings and events spending continues to grow, with an average 4.8 percent increase expected in cost per attendee, per day, along with[...]

Year of the Meeting Planner

Okay, not really. It’s actually, according to The Chinese culture, the Year of the Snake, most specifically the Water Snake. We tend to call people who are untrustworthy, or sneaky, or all around slimy – snakes. But this is not the case at all when it comes to the astrological aspect. Instead, snake people are[...]

When Meeting Meets Disaster

Disasters are rare, but they can be so big and devastating. having a bit of upfront knowledge can go a long way when you are called to act quickly. Here are some things for you to keep in mind should disaster befall your meeting. Keep the Lines of Communication Open: Your attendees are privy to[...]

One on One with My Client, Dewayne! Part 1

This article is in a HelmsBriscoe newsletter and I wanted to make sure to share it with all of you! It allows you some insight as to how I work with my clients, all of which I adore. I divided into two parts as it is a longer than usual read, at least when it[...]

On Budget

As meeting planners I know the word “budget” can cause a bit of  teeth gnawing and jaw grinding. You can create the best, most awesome, outrageously amazing meeting, but if it does not come in on or under budget, those powers that be will not be very happy. The next time you are in budget[...]

Negotiation Success is Key to Meeting Planning Objectives

It’s all a part of planning better meetings, capturing higher returns on investment and creating long term relationships with properties that are willing to demonstrate their knowledge of your expectations, and to fully support those expectations through contracts that speak to your particular meeting. For meeting planners, successful negotiation with a property is critical! The[...]

The Negotiator

For as long as I have been in the meetings industry I have been a negotiator; it is a huge part of the meeting planning process. Negotiation takes a bit of finesse and a bit of savvy (maybe even a bit of sassy), but it also requires a lot of knowledge. We need to know[...]

The Amazing Meeting Planning Race

Meeting Planners must navigate some crazy territories. You live the Amazing Race every year! First you are dropped off at an unknown location called Site Selection. Have you ever heard something like this before? “Hello Meeting Planner, this year we would like to have the meeting somewhere close, budgets you know, but it should have[...]

Meeting Planners will soon be Vying for Space

According to Meetings and Conventions, there are less hotel rooms. They state that the “total active US hotel development pipeline decreased by 10.1 percent in July over the previous year.” This fact was issued by STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report only a few weeks ago. They went on to state that, “Currently in the[...]