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There is a misconception among a number of segments of the corporate meeting and incentive travel industry that cruises are an excessively expensive choice for corporate meetings and incentive travel. When instead, choosing to arrange your next corporate event onboard a cruise ship can be extremely economical and can effect in sizeable cost savings when compared to corporate event destinations that are land-based.
According to a recent report published in Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine, 34 percent of their readers had used a cruise for an incentive program and an astounding 72 percent said they planned to – a clear indication of where the industry is moving.
This is especially true when incentive travel and meeting planners take advantage of inviting packages offered when planning meetings with many attendees. The cost benefits can be even more if the majority of the attendees live nearby a port or cruise terminal, avoiding the need for air travel.
The notion of participating in a corporate meeting at sea event is additionally much more thrilling and intriguing to meeting participants, which results in them in reality looking forward to the voyage, to a certain extent dreading yet another incentive event where they use up hours locked in a boring meeting room in Omaha or Kansas City.
Onboard cruise ship activities and entertainment are an outstanding way to relax after a long day of meetings, and offer ample of options for days off. Stopping in fascinating ports of call also adds appeal to shipboard corporate incentive travel, and permits event participants to spend time enjoying attractions, dining, entertainment and shopping off the ship as well.
Plan your next corporate event on a cruise ship and you will find that attendees will be happier, more motivated and more productive as they enjoy the opportunity to both work and have fun onboard.
If you are planning a business incentive travel package, make it easy for yourself and delight your attendees when you go to Seasite.com start sourcing cruise event package.
Last minute planning is always a no-no, but sometimes it is unavoidable. Unfortunately, some bosses drop last minute meetings on their meeting planners and expect everything to be ready. Here are four tips to planning a last minute meeting without it turning into a debacle:
• Anticipate – Record the times and locations of every meeting as well as other related data. If it looks like the powers that be seem to like Friday afternoon meetings with deli snacks, then you should know what is coming without being told. To this end, keep all relevant supplies and coupons stocked, and favorite restaurants that deliver on speed-dial. • Take imitative – You do not necessarily have to wait to be told about meetings in every case. It is usually acceptable to ask about meetings unless you have been expressly directed not to do so. • Check schedules – Are the powers that be showing open schedules are the same time? If so, this might be a clue that a not-so-surprise-to-them meeting is getting set to be dumped into your lap at the last second. Now you have some warning! • Have a to-go kit ready – Do meetings require certain tools or props? If so, keep all these props in a suitable to-go bag and have it ready 24/7. This will give you more time to get everyone into the meeting room and you will spend less time getting yourself prepared.
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.
Site-inspecitons are essential to planning a successful meeting. Marriott.com offers a meeting planning checklist that is comprehensive and helpful,including site inspection. Here are some things to consider when inspecting a site:
Do a detailed site inspection to avoid surprises.
If the next meeting you are planning is going to be held in the Seattle or Redmond Washington area, think about selecting an entirely new sort of venue. Everyone has been to a convention center, a hotel meeting room, and a rented hall multiple times. Increase the buzz level about your next project by booking the meeting into a movie theater. Big Pictures can host your small or mid-sized groups, allowing them to walk the red carpet to your event in a style that is anything but meeting generic.
Plush, comfy couches, state of the art audio-visual equipment, and a sound theater that puts to shame the squeaky feedback of convention center microphones are only part of the package Big Picture offers. Your guests will have the entire theater to themselves and themed events are easily accommodated. When attendees are relaxed and comfortable, they feel more creative and energized.
A theater setting offers new possibilities for meeting entertainment. Big Pictures offers catering and provides cocktails. Imagine relaxing into the TempuPedic theater seats with a cocktail and a bucket of white cheddar Champagne popcorn and enjoying a private movie screening or musical event. Book your next meeting with Big Picture and your clients will remember you as a star.
Planning an event whether as an independent caterer or as an employee for a corporation is not easy unless you know some tips and tricks. Meeting planning software can be a real blessing and can help you lessen your burden in your attempt to organize a perfect event. So, what are you options?
Some of the well known meeting planning software is the “Conference Matrix Grid View”, “Conference Resume”, and “Complete Conference Specifications”. The Conference Matrix Grid View is 67kb in size, and it also has a quick view HTML version for you. Businesses are using the HTML version of corporate meeting planning software increasingly, which provides them with the advantage of holding meetings with people geographically apart. All that the participants would need to have is a laptop with internet. It provides a summarized one page view of large, multi-session, and multi-day meeting. The software provides you with information, such as what the meeting room assignments are, and at-a-glance view of what is going on presently in the meeting. Read the rest of this entry »
