Amidst all the logistics of planning a meeting, it’s easy to forget the impact the start and end has on the meeting as a whole. Below are a few simple tips you can use while planning to make sure your next meeting is as successful as it can be.

To ensure the meeting begins on time and participants have the needed resources to start immediately, you can:

• Develop an agenda a week in advance and send it to participants.
• Ask participants to review the agenda and encourage them to add anything missing so all key items can be addressed.
• Confirm the meeting’s time and location with participants the day before.
• Establish a firm start and end time so everyone gets down to business faster and knows when to wrap everything up.
• Choose an unusual time like 2:05 to improve punctuality.

The ending of a meeting is also very important, because it’s the way a meeting concludes that solidifies the ideas offered and decisions made during the discussion, which leaves participants feeling productive and satisfied. Here are some things you can do:

• Establish clear wrap-up procedures including a conclusion and summarization of the items discussed.
• Have a timekeeper that signals the time a few minutes before the end.
• Set a deadline for reporting back and follow-up.

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.

Meetings have the capacity to be soul-crushing events or very lively, team-building exercises if they are properly planned. Meetings that are about creative problem solving can be broken up into two stages with a break in the middle.

The first stage is one where all ideas are accepted and negativity is simply not allowed. This promotes better idea sharing and creates a more open atmosphere that allows others to build off of ideas that may or may not be practical. The second meeting is one where negativity and even constructive criticism still need to take a back seat to the priority of choosing the most reasonable plan. Emotional investment in ideas should be distributed due to the very nature of the first meeting, and thus nobody should be championing a cause to further their own ends.

Another idea would be to give people special seats on corners when they are ‘idea’ people. The seats are honorary positions that change whenever a new idea comes up that is useful. Some meeting planners have special incentives ready for whoever spends the most time in one of these chairs, such as a covered parking spot for a period of time.

By following the aforementioned ideas and/or being a little creative, it is possible to create strong incentives without having to actually spend any money. Furthermore, productivity gains from smart meeting planning can be phenomenal and almost impossible to put a price tag on.

When planning corporate meetings and conventions, reserving shuttles to carry your participants from their hotels to the event location, from the event location to planned excursions or between multiple venues is generally taken for granted as part of the meeting planning process. Meeting and event planners automatically add a line for shuttle expenses to the event budget and usually assume this service is a must, even if the hotel is barely two blocks from the convention center. It would appear that having a shuttle has worked its way onto the essentials list, right along with tables, chairs and lighting.

While there be some circumstances where shuttles truly are a must, this additional expense is often unnecessary. Most cities with meeting and conference venues have plenty of hotels located within walking distance of event locations, as well as well-established public transportation systems that can easily and economically carry event participants to different venues or excursions. Most event venues also have dining options in close proximity.

Considering that most companies are still looking for ways to cut event expenses and many are on the lookout for easy ways to go green, cutting shuttle service out of your list of musts is an easy way to accomplish both goals. Before reserving shuttles for your next corporate event, take a moment to determine whether or not they are truly necessary. If most venues are in close proximity to one another and hotels are just down the street, shuttles may just be an extra expense that you can easily avoid without participant complaints.

Self-employed corporate meeting planners must constantly be on the lookout for new, innovative ways to market their meeting planning business. With so many people now using Twitter, this social media outlet is a natural choice for marketing meeting planning businesses large and small.

Whether you are just starting out or have a well-established business, incorporating Twitter into your marketing plan can assist you in staying on contact with previous and current clients, as well as increasing your reach and bringing new prospects into the fold.

A simple way to use Twitter as a marketing tool is to send out tweets that include tips for holding successful, efficient meetings. When sending out regularly scheduled messages that your clients and prospects will find valuable, you will provide them with useful information they can incorporate into their meetings, while encouraging new folks to follow you on Twitter in order to receive this valuable information.

By enticing new people to follow you, you can create an extensive list of contacts that will then be primed to receive other marketing messages as well. Making sure your messages or search engine optimized can also lead to new folks finding you when searching for meeting tips online.

This simple marketing strategy has proven effective for a vast array of businesses already using Twitter to reach out to their current and potential clients.

Most meeting planners have probably already read about how companies want more value than ever before from their conferences. While this can create more work for you, there are some things you can do to work out the kinks long before they happen.

Think Replacement

If you need to help the company keep expenses at a minimum, replace these meeting parts:

* Replace the reception with a working lunch – this will let people meet and network, as well as enjoy a meal together. * Replace the open bar idea with team building exercises or mind storming training-these programs have a much better chance of improving the ROI than a bunch of drunk employees blowing off steam. * Replace entertainment with a spa wellness trip. You will have more refreshed folks ready to work. * Replace land based venues with a cruise meeting, and save as much as 40%. Cruising is all-inclusive, so planners may be surprised to know that meeting rooms, meals, A/V equipment and luxury accommodations are all included in one low price.

Think Reduction

What if the customer says, "Okay, these cost savings are great, let's get rid of the reception, evening entertainment, and and welcome reception open bar meet-and-greet! So what do we do on the last day, then?"

Get rid of it. Tell your client that not only will she not need to make the usual expenditures that don't improve ROI on the cost of the meeting, she can eliminate the last night's hotel bill as well.

By just replacing the non-ROI generating activities and events, you have already increased the value of the meeting. Your client will be grateful for that for a long time. And happy, satisfied clients translate to more meeting planning business for you in the future. So, it pays to find every way to cut out unnecessary expenses and increase meeting ROI for your clients.

Explode meeting ROI with a cruise event. Cruising offers a savings of as much as 40% of the cost of hotel venues, since a cruise is all inclusive.

An all inclusive cruise event can save you up to 40% compared to land based venues since so much is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare.

If you run your business meeting planning business from your home, there are several ways you can run a leaner, greener operation that will help you save money, while also lowering your business’ environmental impact. While most of us have heard of the regular tips, such as using scrap paper to make notes and recycling, there are also a number of other steps you can take.

Here are five easy things you can do to save money and go green in your home office:

1. Switch to CFL light bulbs. CFLs use much less energy and last longer than conventional bulbs.
2. Plug your computer, printer and other electronics into power strips that can be turned off when not in use. This will help reduce phantom energy use that occurs when electronics are turned off, but still plugged in.
3. Learn to love sleep mode. Every time you walk away from your computer, take a second to put it on sleep mode and turn off the monitor. It will take only a few seconds to start back up and will save energy.
4. Invest in a desk lamp. Desk lamps typically use lower wattage bulbs and allow you to save energy by lighting only your work area, rather than the entire room.
5. Purchase recycled office products as much as possible. Items like recycled paperclips are inexpensive and better for the environment than products manufactured using new materials.

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

When planning meetings and events, the venue is often the first selection made in the planning process. Selecting the right venue that has the amenities and meeting rooms to meet your clients’ needs is paramount to a successful event and must be determined before other aspects of the meeting can be planned. Due to the importance of meeting venues to your event planning process, using the same venues on a regular basis and developing long-term relationships with your contacts at these meeting venues will make your job easier, will ensure that your client receives topnotch service and can save money.

When you use the same venues regularly you will become familiar with exactly what they offer, will know what to expect and will benefit from venue staff being able to anticipate your needs. You can also receive discounts for booking multiple meetings and may even get priority for popular dates. When you build relationships with meeting venue staff, you will also naturally begin to build relationships with local vendors and will likely get tips from the staff on which vendors provide exceptional service or great prices. When you can call a local caterer and tell them that you were referred by your contact at a local hotel with which they often do business, you are much more likely to get a great price and great service, making your job easier and helping you keep your clients happy.

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!