The first step in tapping into the SMERF market would – of course – be understanding exactly what the SMERF market is. This particular travel, meeting and event market consists of social, military, education, religious and fraternal organizations, hence the SMERF acronym. This growing market of potential clients is the bread and butter of some event planners who have chosen to specialize in organizing events and meetings for these particular groups, and with good reason.
Most corporate meeting and event planners who do not have experience with the SMERF market do not realize that their needs and wants vary greatly from corporate clients, which makes many planners ill-equipped to meet the unique challenges associated with SMERF event planning. This has opened the way for savvy planners who are well-versed in working with SMERF clients to tap into this lucrative market and make a name for themselves as an expert in this niche.
At first glance, it may appear that there is less money to be made when working with SMERF clients. It is true that these groups may not have the per person spending power of profitable corporations, and it is also true that events for these groups can be absolutely huge, including such challenges as booking 1,000 rooms for a single event. However, SMERF groups also tend to have a higher level of loyalty than corporate clients, which means that putting together a single successful event for a SMERF client could result in repeat business from a loyal client for life.
Whether your corporate event lasts for two days or two weeks, there are bound to be certain points where participants begin to get edgy, stress begins to take its toll, or energy and attention begin to wane. Even in the most interesting meetings this can happen, which can lead to lower productivity and decreased satisfaction among attendees. This is why savvy corporate meeting and event planners have begun to include spa treatments in their event schedules. These luxury extras are an excellent addition to meetings and a great way to perk up attendees, relieve stress and prepare them for a few more hours at the table.
This growing trend is particularly popular at resort hotels that house spas on the premises, which also makes the inclusion of spa treatments much easier to organize. When the equipment and staff necessary to conduct spa treatments is already in place, only minimal planning is required to provide this added luxury to your event. Popular options for spa treatments during meeting breaks include chair massages, foot massages, head massages and mini, instructor-led yoga sessions and stretching breaks.
If your venue does not have an in-house spa, you can still incorporate spa treatments into your event with ease by finding a local, mobile team of spa service providers or contracting with a local spa that can send over staff and equipment.
Whether you are planning a day-long corporate event or an event that takes place over a number of days, you will more than likely be asked to schedule some sort of entertainment into the itinerary. In the case of multi-day events, you will need to consider activities and entertainment options for several different time slots, since naturally there will be downtime between meetings or at the end of the day. While scheduling organized outings, entertainers, social functions or other entertainment options will certainly be necessary, you may want to consider interspersing planned activities and free time during periods of downtime throughout your event.
There are a number of advantages associated with designating certain days or evenings as free time to allow the attendees to plan their own activities. The most obvious and significant advantage is the money that will be saved, followed closely by the fact that allowing for free time means fewer events for you to plan, which makes your job easier. Experiencing significant cost savings and having less planning to do is reason enough to schedule in free time; however, there are also additional benefits of opting for self-styled entertainment options.
Scheduling in free time is sure to please attendees who would rather explore the city, go out for a drink or retreat to their rooms after a long day of meetings. It also allows you to avoid risking folks not showing up due to lack of appeal or simply being too tired after the day’s activities.
Finding fun, interesting entertainment options is often the most enjoyable part of planning corporate events; however, once you have exhausted your list of local entertainers and spent the majority of your entertainment budget on one or two well-known acts, it can sometimes be a challenge to come up with additional entertainment options that will appeal to your attendees. Most people enjoy comedy acts and it is always a plus if you can provide an evening of relaxation and laughter to your participants, making booking a comedian an enticing option.
The thing about booking a comedy act is that it can go really well, or very wrong – and the outcome can directly affect your reputation. If it goes well, people will be talking about your event long after it concludes and attendees will remember that you provided a lighthearted evening of entertainment that was thoroughly enjoyable. If it goes wrong, they will also be talking about it – and you – long after the event is over, but the things they will be saying will not be nearly as flattering.
You can avoid a not-so-comedic disaster by taking the time to thoroughly vet potential comedians before booking them for your event. To do this, you can look for reviews online, inquire about how many corporate events they have done and either attend one of their shows, or request a DVD of their show if they are not local.
Are you looking for unique, affordable ways to motivate staff, award employees who met their sales goals, or encourage cohesion, communication and camaraderie among your team members? If so, you may have already discovered that many team building and employee incentive options are rather expensive and may not fit your budget. This is particularly true during the current economic crisis, which has forced more and more companies to get creative when searching for ways to reward or motivate their team as the funds for these types of activities shrink. And, as luck would have it, when team building and employee appreciation budgets are getting tighter due to dropping profits is exactly the time when you need your team to be more motivated and cohesive than ever.
Thankfully, there are plenty of affordable options available that will allow you to create an exciting team building experience or incentive for less than $200 per person.
Here are some examples:
• Organizing ride-alongs for employees to experience the exhilaration of a stock car racing around a track • Scheduling full- or half-day white water rafting trips • Arranging one- or two-day customized nature or outdoor adventure programs at a local wilderness area • Finding a local company that offers bungee jumping
There are two driving forces behind the push for stay-cations: the current economic crisis and the green movement. As individuals and families are feeling the pressure of financial hardships and increasing numbers of people are committing to lowering the impact their lifestyles have on the environment, the world of vacations and travel is changing. More and more people are opting for cost-effective day excursions or nearby travel destinations that require less transportation and inflict less damage on the environment, while still being filled with fun activities and opportunities to make lasting memories. This new form of vacations is being called stay-cations by some, and companies are beginning to jump on the bandwagon to apply this idea to their incentive travel programs and corporate events.
The benefits for companies that opt for incentive travel destinations and corporate event locations that are nearby include significant cost savings, particularly in regards to transportation costs, and a positive public image that shows a commitment to limiting your company’s carbon footprint. Both of these can be very enticing and are often enough to convince a company to bypass exotic locations and opt for staying close to home. This can certainly help a planner keep things under budget, but it also puts additional pressure on the incentive travel or event planner to come up with an enticing nearby destination and appealing entertainment options that will please participants who may be accustomed to boarding a plane and heading to an exotic locale.
Cruises have always had an air of luxury of extravagance, dating back to when the first cruise lines began to offer elegant vacation options, rather than simply providing seafaring voyages for transportation purposes. While most people still consider a cruise a luxury experience, present day cruises are actually quite cost-effective and convenient for incentive travel packages, meetings at sea, conferences and trade shows, and other corporate events.
Aside from the cost savings and easy of planning that cruises provide, here are ten additional advantages of choosing a cruise for your next event or travel award:
1. Cruises offer personalized, attentive service, which enhances participants’ experience. 2. Cruises offer inclusive packages that assist planners in sticking to the defined travel budget. 3. Cruises provide a fulfilling, exciting travel experience for employees at a variety of income levels. 4. This exciting travel option is highly motivating for staff and encourages increased performance. 5. The self-contained environment makes event planning easy and convenient. 6. Planners can offer their participants multiple destinations with no additional effort. 7. Sharing an exciting travel experience is ideal for teambuilding. 8. Cruises offer all of the luxuries of resort hotels with the added value of foreign destinations. 9. Entertainment options abound, providing participants with plenty of activity options that the planner does not have to organize. 10. A contained environment ensures that more attendees will show up to onboard meetings and events.
It is no secret that not every staff loves team building exercises, events and travel. Once they have attended the same old team building workshops or participated in their twentieth trust exercise, some folks will understandably balk at the announcement that yet another team building experience has been added to the calendar. It is up to the person planning the team building or incentive experience to find new, enticing ideas that will appeal to employees and get them excited about the upcoming event.
This is actually much simpler than it may sound, particularly once you begin to explore the wide variety of options now available for incentive and award programs, corporate entertainment events and team building opportunities. Stock car tracks and racing schools are a prime example of just how exciting incentives and team building can be, and are a fun option that can be customized to fit your needs. Whether you are looking for a half-day event or a multiple-day program, taking your team to the track is sure to provide them with an exciting new experience with opportunities for everyone to participate.
Stock car racing schools offer ride-along programs for folks who may not be ready to get behind the wheel, classes to teach your team how to drive race cars and pit crew activities that offer a whole new take on team building.
As an event or meeting planner that works with a variety of clients, you are bound to come across some who are more difficult to please or with whom you simply have a personality conflict. This can be a frustrating experience for both you and the client, but handling these situations with style, class and grace will assist you in getting through the planning process and will help you keep your good name and reputation, regardless of your client’s behavior or demands.
The most important thing to remember is that communication is the key component in any business relationship and that conflicts often occur due to miscommunication or a breakdown in communication. Knowing this, you can often avoid problems by implementing appropriate, thorough communication right from the start. Of course, this will not always resolve issues immediately, but it can diffuse many sticky situations and, if nothing else, will ensure that you did your part in maintaining your professionalism and attempting to meet your client’s needs.
It is also important to remember that, as long as you are completing your responsibilities properly and in a timely fashion, you are holding up your end of the bargain and are maintaining your professional integrity. In order to help you get through the planning process without going crazy, it is also helpful to keep in mind that this is your business and you choose who you do business with. Once you get through this particular job, you can always choose to not work with this particular client in the future.
If you work as a meeting and event planner for a corporation, there are very likely hiring policies and procedures in place that make the process of hiring new staff members clear and simple; however, if you are a self-employed planner looking to expand your staff, it may feel like more of a challenge to determine how best to acquire new talent. Fortunately, there are always folks looking for work; therefore, the task is simply to find someone with the skills, experience and personality to be a good fit for you and your meeting or event planning business.
Starting with people you know is usually a good first step. This does not necessarily mean hiring friends or family members, as this is sometimes a good idea and sometimes not. But, it does mean that you should keep an eye out for potential candidates at networking socials and events you attend, as well as letting people you work with know that you are looking to hire.
A great place to start can be the folks that work as event staff, such as servers, bartenders, check-in staff or security guards. Some of these people may have taken these jobs as a way to get into the event planning field and begin to make connections, or to cover expenses while they complete their college degrees.
