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.

The simple answer is yes and no. Of course, you already know that you do not have to be certified to enter the field of meeting and incentive travel planning. While some employers might require a certification in order to qualify for positions with that particular firm, there are plenty of uncertified incentive travel and meeting planners doing quite well in the industry. That being said, industry certifications are almost always a good idea, regardless of your field. Meeting planning is no different.

When you become certified, you will receive recognition of your skills and professionalism from your peers and the meeting and incentive travel planning industry, and will also enhance the first impression potential clients receive when you hand them your business card or they visit your website. People love to see letters after any professionals name when they are considering procuring their services. This alone could be reason enough to seek certification. On top of increased recognition and an improved perception of your abilities, industry research carried out by Meeting Professionals International shows that certified planners earn more than their uncertified counterparts.

Industry certifications include:

• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) offered through the Convention Industry Council
• Global Certification for Meeting Management (CMM) offered by Meeting Professionals International
• Certified Incentive Travel Executive (CITE) offered by the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives
• Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP) offered by the International Special Events Society
• Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP) offered by the Association of Destination Management Executives
• Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) offered by the Destination Marketing Association International

Whether you run your own meeting planning company or are a meeting planning professional employed by a major corporation, self-promotion should be considered an integral part of your job. Many meeting planners avoid self-promotion for one reason or another, but if you do not have the confidence in your skills and the motivation to get out there and get your name known, others will likely pick up on this and may not have complete confidence in your meeting planning skills.

Self-promotion is, of course, absolutely imperative for self-employed meeting planners and is a key component in landing new clients and sparking interest in your services. Making yourself available as a speaker, writing articles for trade publications, maintaining a blog and billing yourself as an expert are all excellent forms of self-promotion that will increase awareness of your meeting planning services and will instill confidence in potential clients considering using you for their meeting planning needs.

For planners currently working for corporations or non-profit organizations, self-promotion is also important. Participating in the abovementioned activities, such as blogging about event and meeting planning, offering your expertise to partner organizations or writing articles, can increase exposure for your current employer, while also positioning you for stepping out on your own at some point or increasing your marketability to potential future employers.

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.

Some meeting planners are dead set against ever serving alcohol at one of their events, while others think it is integral to certain social functions and see no issue with letting the liquor flow at certain events. There are pros and cons to the inclusion of alcohol, but it is largely accepted as an appropriate addition to events of a social nature, evening and weekend events, and a variety of other occasions.

Before adding alcohol to the offerings, it is important to check with your client to determine if there are any particular reasons that it should not be included. For example, there may be cultural or religious reasons why alcohol should not be served at all, or should not be served on certain days or at certain times. Additionally, some clients may fear that having alcohol at a work event will tarnish their image, and in some cases they might be right. The public can be rather unforgiving when it comes to their perception of a company crossing the wrong line. When it comes to alcohol, they may see this as an unnecessary expense or as inappropriate, depending on the type of company hosting the event.

In general, including alcohol is not an issue – and will likely be expected, depending on the type of event – but it is always best to avoid making assumptions and ask your client directly.

As you well know, many clients need their meeting planners to pay particular attention to expenses these days. With tighter budgets and fewer event planning dollars, meeting planners must get creative in order to meet and exceed their clients’ expectations while keeping a close eye on expenditures.

With current and potential clients concerned about budgets, it is also just a good all around idea to find creative ways to keep costs down, which will certainly get people talking about you and how you can plan a stellar event for a fraction of the expected cost.

When it comes to saving money on event entertainment, you don’t have to rely only on low-budget acts or free attractions. For cost-saving ways to entertain your attendees, simply follow these five tips:

1. Look for group discounts on tickets to local museums and attractions.
2. Seek out entertainers who will be performing in the same city during your event. Oftentimes, entertainers are happy to add another gig to their schedule for a discounted price.
3. Plan your meeting in a city that offers numerous entertainment options within close proximity to your meeting location. This way, you can simply schedule free time and allow the attendees to entertain themselves.
4. Contact local entertainers or the music department of a local college or university to find low-cost options.
5. Many museums and similar attractions include monthly free admission days. Check local events calendars to see if these days coincide with your event.

The best incentive programs to motivate employees include rewards of money or travel.  People love to win trips to destinations that are different from their own environment.  Trips to exotic destinations such as an incentive cruise to  interesting ports of call are among the most popular incentives, and tend to have the best ROI overall. 

Seasite.com, the first online group cruise meeting planning portal, allows planners capitalize on the value of cruise meeting and incentives. Cruising can cut the cost of land based venues by as much as 25-40%, allowing planners to persevere with today’s shrinking budgets. Why not make your next corporate incentive event a meeting-at-sea ? Take a look at Seasite.com today!

London is one of the world’s most visited cities. With its combination of historic buildings, renowned museums and galleries and the best in dining, clubbing, entertainment and now a new range of boutique hotels, you won’t run out of activities for your meeting attendees.

It’s no surprise that London is full of hotels of various sizes and standards. Famous and expensive hotels sit alongside smaller guesthouses, but it is the boutique hotel that’s currently proving a popular choice with meeting planners with small groups. Small and stylish, with impeccable service and a real atmosphere rather than one manufactured by the marketing department of a large hotel chain, staying in one of these hotels can only make your trip to London more enjoyable.

There’s so much going on in London that even the residents don’t see it all. Plan your event so that your attendees can enjoy a little bit of history at the Tower of London or St. Paul’s Cathedral for example; some of the treasures and paintings in the museums and galleries; a show in the West End and some great drinking and dining.

 It seems that everyone is trying to cut costs today. This is true of many meeting planners, as well their corporate clients. Whether the impetus comes from the need to decrease expenses to stay within a new, lower budget or to maintain a responsible appearance to members of the public that keep a watchful eye on big business spending, the simple truth is that everyone is more concerned about cost these days. This can often place meeting planners in a difficult position where clients are demanding the same level of quality for a lower price.

There is only so much you can trim off of your fees and still continue to make payroll and a profit; however, there are other ways to trim expenses while pleasing your clients and not selling yourself short.

If you do not already bargain and barter with your vendors, now is the time to start. With a recession in full swing and folks becoming increasingly aware of every penny they spend, bargaining and bartering have become quite common and are an excellent way for both parties to benefit from the relationship and meet their goals.

You have a valuable service that you can trade for the products and services you need. Alternatively, do not be afraid to ask for lower prices and to bargain your way to better deals for you and your clients.

Many business meeting planners have taken steps to locate corporate meetings in centralized locations, which allows participants to attend meetings closer to home. This has come on the heels of pressure to limit the environmental effects of transportation and an increasing need to cut costs wherever possible.

This new consideration of locations is also an important factor in assisting your corporate clients in maintaining a positive image, particularly with everything from meeting locations and travel expenses, to the quality of food being served and additional amenities offered being reported in the news or on various online channels.

Hosting meetings closer to where participants live means using more regional transportation. While train travel and charter buses are two viable options, many clients will require air travel to accommodate tight schedules and busy professionals.

Fortunately, there is a new trend in air travel that makes this option more appealing to higher-end clientele. Major airlines, such as Delta, Northwest, United and American Eagle are now offering premium seating and service on regional flights. First class and business class seating options are no longer reserved solely for mainline flights and are quickly becoming the norm for regional subsidiaries.

This is great news for business meeting planners that cater to clients who prefer premium services, or companies that wish to offer upscale seating as part of their incentive travel packages.