While determining if alcohol will be a part of your event, there is one important occasion that is often overlooked: champagne toasts. Even clients who want no other alcohol served during the duration of their event may want a champagne toast to celebrate meeting their sales goals, welcome a new CEO or simply to congratulate their employees on a job well done throughout the year. Champagne toasts are very common, and even expected, if there is any sort of celebratory air to an event. Being easy to organize and affordable to plan, a simple champagne toast may seem like something that requires no additional thought, but meeting planners can sometimes overlook an important aspect of planning a successful toast that all attendees can enjoy.

This often overlooked component is the touchy situation that can arise when there are non-drinkers in the room. For starters, no one should be left out or made to feel uncomfortable during a toast. Therefore, it is imperative that a non-alcoholic alternative, such as sparkling cider, is readily available and is served alongside the champagne – avoiding putting an attendee in a situation where they must ask if there is a non-alcoholic option. Whether they are in recovery, adhere to religious convictions or cultural mores that forbid drinking, or simply choose to not indulge, the passing out of beverages prior to the toast should be a seamless process where no one will even notice which selection each attendee chooses.

When professionals attend well-planned meetings or conferences, they often want the contact information of the event planner for possible future use. Meetings that run smoothly, are productive and enjoyable, and include comfortable meeting spaces, good food and fun activities are sure to be remembered. Therefore, when you make sure that each attendee knows that you planned the meeting and that they will return home with your contact information, you are taking an important step in setting yourself up to obtain additional clients and experience future success.

Aside from high-powered professionals that may be in attendance, you should also keep in mind that each staff member at the meeting has the potential to rise in the ranks of the company they are currently with, to broaden their career path and go to work for another company, or to go out on their own. Making sure these folks remember you and have your contact information is an excellent way to increase the likelihood that they will tell their new company about your services, or use you for their own meeting planning needs in the future.

Promotional products that can be used during the meeting or conference, as well as after the attendees return home, such as pens, notepads, folders, rulers, calculators, desk sets or conference bags are affordable, effective marketing tools that will put your name and contact information in the hands of conference and meeting attendees, and will ensure that they have your information when there is a need for your services.

There’s more to Hershey, Pennsylvania than good chocolate. It is home to the Antique Automobile Club of America. The museum hosts all sorts of events from weddings, banquets, holiday parties, corporate events. Rotating exhibits combined with a variety of permanent automobiles on display are certain to intrigue the most jaded attendee.

Groups ranging from 40-300 can be seated in the 71,000 square foot facility. The AACA museum maintains a courteous, adept staff ready to meet all your needs. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner is easily accommodated; in addition, portable bars and a dance floor can be added as part of the entertainment.

The automobiles really make this a great place for a meeting. The permanent display includes motorcycles and buses in addition to classic cars. The oldest car on permanent display is the 1895 Chicago Motor Benton Harbor. The 1977 Chrysler Cordoba will bring Ricardo Montleban to mind extolling the virtues of “fine Corinthian leather.”

The bikers in your group will be easy to find during the breaks – they will be drooling over the “Fast from the Past” display. The AACA joined into an agreement with the Antique Motorcycle Club of American in 2008 and at least forty motorcycles owned and restored by that group will be on permanent display.

Organizing meetings that are easy on the planet is the new trend in the meeting planning industry. If we look at the way meetings were arranged in the past, environmentalists are sure to cringe with annoyance. Planning an event usually means using a lot of paper- in the form of invitation cards, pamphlets and other meeting related documents. However thanks to modern technology, meetings no longer need to use the earth’s resources and can make do with technological or online resources that lead to a greener and healthier planet.

Here are some ways in which you can plan a green meeting: Read the rest of this entry »