No matter where you are in your planning career, it’s important to remember that planning is a two-way street. Just as we expect the world from our venues, they too expect us to return the favor by freely sharing with them the information they need
Whenever I get together with my fellow planners, inevitably we talk shop, exchanging war stories about our experiences with one venue or another, which ones we love, who’s got the best facilities, which properties have the most attentive meetings
Sitting as they say, is the new smoking, and we’re all doing it way too much at the office and at those super sedentary meetings and conferences. Granted, clients want to pack as much as possible into a limited amount of time, but in the process
Throughout the year, I can be found at a lot of events, but mostly as part of the behind-the-scenes team making it all happen. This summer however, while New York City has been in the midst of a relentless heat wave, I’ve had the pleasure of
Every year, a few career sites publish their top 10 lists of stressful jobs, and not surprisingly event coordinators consistently rank high on the list. So, how to cut the stress we’re all too familiar with in this line of work? Stop it before it
For many planners, one of the more enjoyable perks of the job is getting to see the world and getting paid to do so. However, before bags are packed and the event begins, most planners will have to climb several mountains, jump through a few hoops
Though I’ve always liked the idea of the Department of Homeland Security’s Trusted Traveler Global Entry program, signing up seemed like such a hassle that I just never got around to it. Instead, to get through airport lines a bit faster, I relied
Summertime, and the living is – busy! Once summer kicks in, finding the perfect event date gets complicated because your guests are likely to be heavily booked with many more social events, family obligations and vacation time than usual, all
If there’s one thing planners don’t have a lot of, it’s time to spare, so anything that will save us a few minutes worth of travel-related hassles is a welcome addition. Here are a few problem-solving, time-saving must-have innovations to help make
Whether you’re ramping up for a big event or are already on-site getting ready for kick-off, a planner’s day can get very, very long—but then nobody gets into the planning business for the regular hours. With our crazy schedules, it’s often tough to
When planning events in far-flung locales, there are always hundreds of details to consider along the way. One of the most important, yet often overlooked? What’s going on while you and your guests are visiting – and how those local events can impact
If there’s one thing planners need, it’s a good night's sleep. But it’s not always easy to do when there are hundreds of event details swirling through your brain at 2 a.m. Head out on the road, add an unfamiliar bed, a few time zone changes and an
Ordering branded ‘swag’ or premium items should be one of the simplest things on a planner’s to-do list but often the premium picking, purchasing and production process is not without a few headaches. Over the years I’ve ordered plenty of premiums
When you’re a planner, as soon as “doors open” the job expands. You go from computer-based desk jockey to problem-solving event MacGyver, ready to solve any problem on the spot with whatever is within reach. It’s all in a days work. But it takes more
No matter how ready you think you are, rest assured at your next meeting or conference, there will be a few blips along the way. Here are four common speaker-related challenges that can pop up just when you think it’s smooth sailing—and here’s how to
Whether you’re spending 5 days on the road or 50, as Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ said, “there’s no place like home.” While she does have a point, if you’re a planner, home is rarely where the work is, so it helps to create a bit of home wherever
Ah, clients. Seems there’s always one or two who are, to put it politely, completely bonkers. Recently, when I polled my planner colleagues, virtually all agreed that one of the biggest challenges we all sometimes face isn’t the event at all, it’s
Cultural gaffes are easy to make, long remembered and difficult to undo, thus my desire to avoid them. As the planning business can take you just about anywhere in the world, handling yourself politely and in a culturally sensitive manner is an
When it comes to producing meetings and events, the old adage is true: it’s always something! As in no matter how perfect the planning and execution, there’s always some wildcard that pops up to remind one there’s always more to learn – and lessons
I travel for business, on my own most of the time, and I’m almost always in a hurry to get into town from the airport – and in many cities that’s easier said than done. Touching down often in the middle of rush hour, town cars, Ubers, taxis and most