Many believe that the economic meltdown of the late 2000s will forever change business, or at least make businesses more frugal during our lifetime. This is likely to be true for many industries, but some industries such as the travel industry rely heavily on the free-spending big budgets of other companies and organizations. This could be good news for meeting and event planners. Here’s why:

• With the travel industry being more hard hit than most other industries, it is possible to get some truly amazing deals by leveraging that fact. Some deals are even unreasonably good as businesses are willing to take a small loss over a big loss to keep the doors open another season and see what happens. Take advantage while you can.
• Customer service and choices have both gotten a little bit better, but only so long as they are a known demand. The travel industry has had to let a lot of talent go, and that means that customer service is stretched thin. Some accept this along with budget prices, but that does not have to be the case. Let the management know that you expect quality service at any price and chances are good that you will get it and more.
• Some of that talent may also make for excellent meeting and/or event planners. Especially the venerable hotel or cruise line concierge. These people know how to plan meetings/events, leverage industry knowledge, and may even have contacts that will prove valuable.

If you want to book a meeting at sea, instead of at a hotel, here are some differences between the two venues that you should be aware of.

Arrival time: It is common for meeting and event planners to arrive at a hotel a day or two before a big event, but with a cruise ship you can arrive an hour or two before the meeting participants.

Reserving rooms: Unless you charter a ship for your group cruise, you will need to coordinate with the cruise line in advance to secure the meeting space you need on the day and time you need it. Otherwise, another group may already be using the space.

Saving money: The cruise ship includes things like AV equipment and themed décor, so you do not have to budget for these items separately like you do for a hotel. You can either keep the extra cash or use it to offer incentives or fun activities, such as additional onboard amenities or shore excursions.

Promoting differences: A cruise ship offers different options than a hotel, so you can advertise these when promoting the trip. For example, you can mention that participants choose from a vast menu for all three meals, or that there is a wide range of activities available, or that participants will be able to visit several different destinations without extra packing or travel hassle.

Icebreakers are a fun way to get people talking and interacting at the beginning of a meeting, team building experience or conference. Whether you are planning a group cruise as a team building trip for a staff that regularly works together or a conference with folks who have never met each other, icebreakers are a great way to get things going. Since cruise ships provide a unique environment in their own right, it can be even more enjoyable to employ unique icebreakers that are far removed from the ordinary choices of name games and activities of that ilk.

Icebreakers for group cruises can easily take place in a meeting room, just as they would on land; however, sending your attendees off on a trek around the ship will help them become familiar with the layout, meet some of the crew and create a fun cruise atmosphere right from the beginning. And, all of this can take place while they are getting to know their fellow participants and working together as a team. One ideal option that provides all of these benefits is a scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts do not require tons of materials or time to plan and are simple to implement. All that is required is a list of items to give to each team and a conversation with the appropriate crew members to make sure they know what is going on.

You simply send each team off in search of cruise-related items, such as drink umbrellas, something that has the cruise line’s logo on it, a napkin from the buffet or other similar trinkets. Providing the winning team with a prize that is also related to the cruise, such as an onboard activity or shore excursion will increase the fun even more.

Accept Article

Newly launched Seasite.com provides 24/7 access to all cruise brands, and the most content-rich and searchable database for the cruise industry.

Miami, FL (Vocus/PRWEB ) January 21, 2010 — Planning a group cruise requires searching for detailed ship information and not always finding what you need – even on the cruise lines’ own web sites. Now, with Seasite.com, the first cruise portal for meetings and events, group organizers can find all the ship data they need in one place – at no cost.

I’ve bookmarked Seasite.com – it’s invaluable in selecting the right ship for a group and to verify it’s a good fit before I present it to my client. And for operational planning, it has all the info I need – which isn’t on cruise line web sites.

"I’ve bookmarked Seasite.com – it’s invaluable in selecting the right ship for a group and to verify it’s a good fit before I present it to my client,” said Millie Evans, President/CEO Alliance Incentives and Meetings. "And for operational planning, it has all the info I need – which isn’t on cruise line web sites.”

Seasite.com provides 24/7 access to all cruise brands, and the most content-rich and searchable database for the cruise industry, so that planners can:

1.   Find ship data never before offered online or in print, such as:
   - Meeting/function room capacities
   - Dining room seating, and details for private group dining
   - Outdoor group function areas
   - A/V equipment lists
   
2-   Search, compare, and save favorite cruises; then create one RFP and submit it to multiple cruise lines. (Group pricing is the same as booking direct.)

3-   See the cruise lines most committed to groups, and search their mini-sites (all laid out the same — when you’re familiar with one, you’re familiar with all!)

4-   Search by ship name for a chronological list of future Itineraries and Basic Ship Information, and find it faster than a brochure.

5-   Search for a cruise anywhere in the world by any date range (as short as several days or as long as several months). Sort your results by meetings-specific criteria.

6-   Refer to the Knowledge Center to answer all your questions, including these:

7-   Discover a list of "Cruise Gems” – those rare, hard to find, short cruises.

"Everyone who plans group travel should take a good look, and bookmark Seasite.com if they want to simplify cruise sourcing and planning” said Jo Kling, CEO Seasite.com.

For more information on Seasite.com, A Landry & Kling Company, visit www.seasite.com or call 888-713-1371.

About Seasite.com/Landry & Kling
Seasite.com is designed for meeting and event planners who want more control in the cruise sourcing and planning process. It’s the fastest and easiest way for group organizers to master the world of cruising, building on all that’s been learned by Landry & Kling, who are credited with being the first distribution channel between the cruise industry and corporate America. Now, 28 years since their startup, they have responded to changing times by creating Seasite.com, with innovative cruise sourcing tools that enable meeting planners and other travel intermediaries to be more pro-active and confident in booking cruises. Seasite group pricing is the same as booking direct, with the advantage of impartial Cruise Advisors to assist as needed.

10 Reasons Why Seasite.Com Will Revolutionize The Cruise Meetings & Incentive Market

1. Seasite.com is the first and only web portal for the cruise meetings and incentive market. Until now, there has been no single, online platform dedicated to serving the highly specialized cruise meetings market. Seasite’s innovative technology opens up the untapped world of cruising for planners, connecting cruise lines and meeting professionals like never before. Cruise sourcing can now be as easy and efficient as planning hotel events, and equally reliable – thanks to the tried and tested experience of Seasite’s founders, Landry & Kling, the meetings-at-sea experts.

2. One source delivers it all. The tedious tasks of phoning and searching multiple cruise web sites in vain are gone, as Seasite provides impartial access any day, any time, to 35 cruise brands (over 250 ships), and its meeting-friendly search criteria even allows users to search for charters of a specific size, plus three other specialty searches. A simple click compares ship choices along with maps, itineraries, ship profiles and essential meeting planning data.

3. Data not found elsewhere. Planner’s Guides offer comprehensive ship data harvested only for Seasite – never before published – not even on individual cruise line web sites. Planners will find meeting space grids, function room capacities, outdoor function areas, group dining information, photo galleries, an inventory of guest rooms by category, AV equipment, communications technology and more.

4. High tech/high touch. Rich data and sophisticated search technology lets planners “loose” yet “in control,” providing 24/7 answers and ship-sourcing tools so they can become more knowledgeable planners and educated cruise buyers. At the same time, Cruise Advisors, who are trained by Landry & Kling, offer the expertise, backup and support to source and deliver with confidence.

5. Search, sort and conquer. Seasite’s powerful search capabilities allow planners to drill down and refine searches by cruise line, ship rating, size, capacity of largest function room, cruise style (floating resort, boutique ship, sail ship, river boat), by port or day of departure, destination, cruise length and much more.

6. Unique eRFP process. Streamlining and simplifying what can be an arduous process, Seasite offers the first group cruise RFP online, all supported by Cruise Advisors. One single RFP is sent to multiple cruise lines, generating electronic bottom-line quotes for a quick and accurate “apples to apples” comparison.

7. Cost cutting and value driven. Cruise meetings can provide cost savings of 25-40%, and Seasite helps make that a reality. No longer is sourcing and planning a meeting or incentive at sea labor intensive and intimidating for those unfamiliar with the process. With Seasite, everything you need to research the possibilities and create a successful program is a click away (with expert Cruise Advisors at your service when needed). Seasite.com finally puts cruise sourcing on par with hotels, so group travel buyers can easily compare price/value – their main focus in today’s economy.

8. The ultimate source for Do It Yourselfers (DIY). An indispensible tool for savvy DIY planners as well as those looking to learn more about cruise meetings and incentives, the Knowledge Center is a repository of information and advice designed for all levels of expertise. It includes operational checklists and timelines, comparison of using a cruise verses a hotel, how to overcome obstacles and myths about business at sea, distance between airports and seaports, sample day-by-day agendas, cruise contract terminology, a cruise event feasibility quiz; case histories and much more. Planners no longer have to rely on others to spoon-feed them information and ideas. A wealth of data and resources, driven by a robust search engine, allows 24/7 research and planning anywhere, anytime.

9. Creativity and inspiration. Seasite’s “Great Ideas” section stimulates individuality, creativity and customization. An invaluable source of ideas, planners will find recommended “Gems,” (rare and hard to find, short cruise opportunities), a “Top 10” list of best ships and itineraries for groups and “Quick Picks” with cruise ideas based on group size. Additionally, the all important aspect of on-board dining is transformed from challenging to exciting as Seasite provides the facts about dining facilities, seating capacities and exclusive use of specialty restaurants.

10. It’s free. There’s no cost or membership fee to use Seasite.com and pricing is the same as buying direct.

For more information on Seasite.com, A Landry & Kling Company, visit www.seasite.com or call 888- 713-1371.