Not everyone in the office can get the big promotion and the corner office, but that does not mean that there are no other rewards to dole out to encourage performance and loyalty. In fact, some of those rewards can be tax deductible while simultaneously offering an immediate and direct benefit to the company, such as incentive travel where meetings or other events are part of the plan. Here’s how it works:

• Corporate travel and meetings are very common, but usually the top few people in any department get to go. If a new promotion has been handed out, consider letting the runners up to the position go as sort of a second-place prize. This shows them that even though they may have come so close to getting that coveted promotion, that they are not truly that far away. Special perks are still available, and Joe’s corner office as much as perk as it is a ball and chain.
•  It is usually best not to announce the travel meetings or travel events as a secondary prize before any decision making is done regarding who gets which promotion. Instead, try approaching the proposition of meeting travel as a conically prize as a way to reward those that try so hard to please and perform their duties with diligence. Loyalty and hard work deserve rewards, and those rewards are even better when they help smooth over potentially ruffled feathers while still putting the needs of business first.

The sad truth is that most workers do not actually throw themselves into their work these days, and many only hold on to their job because it is inconvenient or difficult to replace them. This is the situation in many businesses simply because they lack a meeting planner that knows how to turn meetings into the bright spot of any day. Here’s how:

Make meetings more interactive – Most people hate being ignored. Try to insure that everyone is listened to at a meeting by including time for each department to comment on various proposals or ideas.

Set aside time for brainstorming – If ideas are needed, then let those ideas be generated in an open environment free of critique and negativity. Nobody likes having their ideas shot down, and nobody knows when a sub-par idea will inspire someone else to come up with a good idea.

Offer small rewards for participation – Even things as silly as branded pens or a USB memory key can substantially impact how participants feel about a meeting. Never overlook the opportunity to build morale and loyalty with branded products bought at bulk prices.

Remember that loyalty is something that can spread just as easily as a bad attitude. A good meeting planner can kill the latter with the former simply by planning meetings well.

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.

As a business meeting and event planner, you are continually seeking for ideas to add value to your services. Recently the federal government set forth guidelines to the corporations receiving bailout cash. These guidelines can essentially assist you to be a more valuable planner.

The boards of directors of firms acquiring unusual aid from the government have got to adopt a company-wide policy on any disbursements connected to air transportation services, entertainment and holiday parties, and conferences and events. This policy is not designed to include conservative expenses for sales conferences, team development, acceptable performance incentives and other standards attached to a corporation’s usual business operations. What does this mean? Here are some of the provisions and ways you can utilize them to cause your client’s corporations appear golden even if they are planning incentive travel. Read the rest of this entry »