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.

Life is all about relationships, and business can be too. Meeting and/or event planners can use this piece of knowledge to their advantage once they have recognized and fully accepted it. Contacts are often the difference between a successful event or off-site meeting and something that turns out to be less than stellar. Here are some basic tips to consider:

Make friends everywhere you go, especially at venues, restaurants, and catering services. Even the lowliest dish washer or clerk might be remember you if you are friendly, and could let you know when an opportunity is ripe for the plucking. Perhaps the restaurant or hotel is not doing so well, and that information could be leveraged to save expenses at a particularly good venue.

Keep in touch with those people that you do meet, and remember to invite them to events whenever appropriate. Even a night out at the bar once a month or so is typically enough to keep contacts friendly and willing to let knowledge slip out that may prove useful in certain cases. Keep in touch in other ways too, such as phone calls and e-mails.

Find the best scheduling program you can and learn how to use it effectively for social networking. If calls to contacts and meetings are not on one’s schedule, then something is missing.

If you have the position of coming up with incentive ideas, one thing to keep in mind is that many people are being more concerned about the environmental impact of travel. This is especially true of younger employees who earn rewards from their companies. Here are some travel ideas that may help you present the best possible package.

Eco-Conscious Regions

First, travel to eco-conscious regions is always a plus. Costa Rice is a big favorite. It has more variety in its indigenous life than any other place on earth of the same size. It is also proud of its eco-conscious image: its motto is “No Artificial Ingredients.” How can you go wrong?

You can go wrong with places like that by providing unfriendly travel. Make sure the you present your client with travel and accommodation options with the smallest impact on the area.

Even though you can rent cars in Costa Rica, find top-notch resorts and restaurants, you might give another option to you client’s employee. Offer the option of having all portions of the trip be eco-friendly (even though it cannot, admittedly, be zero impact) and all the food options be low impact.

Once you have a good idea for a destination, contact their tourist board to find the best options for the best prices. If you have a meeting planner buddy in that country, contact her as well for the inside scoop.

All of this may take you a little longer than usual, but you make a big splash with the client and help ensure a good ROI.

There has been a lot of talk of government restrictions on corporate travel. Frivolous expenditures in other departments has brought meeting travel under scrutiny. However, if planners study the guidelines and make the government a partner instead of an adversary, they can make the recession work in their favor.

First, Look at the Bright Side

No one likes a perennial Pollyanna, but if you look at the positive things the guidelines will do it can help you work your way into a special place in the companies you serve. It will make you a better planner. When you talk to your clients your voice will have a new spirit of confidence. You will have ready solution for their problems. You will be able to give them more value. Read the rest of this entry »

Any planner who wants to specialize in green meetings has some research to do. There are so many ways to “go green” it’s difficult to keep track of them all long enough to decide which ones will apply in each situation. However, there are some basics that can help you keep your ideas organized and give you a way to build a large file on green meetings–paperless, of course.

First, let’s divide ideas into four categories. The three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), automation, waste impact, and community impact. You can easily reduce waste by requiring advertisers to offer reusable items, like water bottles, grocery sized canvas bags, reusable coffee mugs with lids, etc. This will reduce the use of throw-away plastic bottles and cardboard cups. Ask that the materials used are made from post-consumer waste, and this should also go for any printed material (which will also be recycled locally). You can also request that handouts be delivered electronically as well, or provided on portable digital media. Read the rest of this entry »