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Tag: meeting planning tips

3 Guidelines That Will Change How You Plan

Posted on by Editor

Meeting planning is so much more difficult than many people think, and if you don’t keep on top of every detail, you can easily become overwhelmed and wind up in a time crunch. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this. Follow these major guidelines below and never dread your planning deadlines again!

Start Early

This can’t be emphasized enough: you need to begin planning as soon as possible, ideally a year or more before, but definitely as soon as the meeting date is defined. Everything – finding a venue, hiring event staff – everything will be more difficult, and more time-consuming the longer you wait. Give yourself and your clients a break and give yourself plenty of time to set up a checklist of things to do, and put that checklist in the form of a timeline that you share with your clients as well. That way, everybody is on the same page and knows what needs to be taken care of and when.

Use Technology

Let technology do the heavy lifting for you. Nowadays there are numerous ways in which the herculean task of meeting planning can be made easier by utilizing the proper software, project management apps, and marketing automation tools. On average, companies that use planning software save themselves a whopping 223 hours per year.

Focus

You may think you’re great at multi-tasking and that in fact, you’re being more efficient by doing so. However, recent research conducted by Stanford University refutes that notion. According to the study, high multi-taskers were more prone to distraction and had less retention than low multi-taskers. Distraction is a primary time-wasters, so it’s clear that an ability to focus rather than to spread yourself too thin trying to do many things at once will be far more efficient. If necessary, delegate tasks so you can keep laser-focused.

If you take these tips onboard, you’ll find your days go more smoothly and your deadlines won’t loom over you. To ease your burden even more, click here to contact with AMA Executive Conference Centers and lock down your venue meeting dates for Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC!

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5 Easy Tips for Gathering Post-Meeting Feedback From Attendees

Posted on by Editor

Post-meeting feedback is the foundation for building future events that meet, and possibly exceed, client expectations. Attendees are your largest source for gathering insight into what worked and what didn’t—valuable information for securing returning and new business. Here are 5 easy tips for how to gather post-meeting feedback from attendees:

1. Make Providing Feedback Easy

Surveys are a helpful way to gather feedback and are most engaging when they are short and not time consuming. Develop questions that go beyond the standard yes or no answers. Explore using apps like EventMobi, which provides for instant feedback.

2. Monitor Social Media

When attendees have a positive experience—or a negative one—they are quick to share the details on social media. The ability to post comments quickly—along with a hashtag identifying the event or location—makes monitoring social media a must in gathering attendee feedback.

3. Provide Incentives

Most attendees must catch-up on work and family obligations once the meeting is over. Taking the time to provide feedback about the event from which they just returned is yet another task. By providing incentives, such as reduced registration for the next event, is sometimes helpful in drawing their focus and for receiving their feedback.

4. Engage During the Event

Interacting with attendees while they are on site is a great way to capture feedback as attendees are “in the moment.” Their feedback is fresh and can lead to making immediate changes when possible. Additionally, always remember to say thank you. Let attendees know you appreciate their presence at the meeting and welcome their feedback afterward.

5. Don’t Forget Vendors

Your vendors play an important role in the overall success of your meetings and events. It is important to include them when seeking post-meeting feedback. Their input can go a long way to improving the next meeting experience for everyone.

Contact us today to learn more about hosting your meetings at AMA Executive Conference Centers in Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC.