Tips for Meeting Planners | Plan Well to Prevent and Address Potential Problems

"When All Goes Wrong In Paradise:  Meeting Planners Have Problems Also"

Article Summary: Sam Silverstein, well-known corporate keynote speaker and President of the National Speakers Association, gives a speaker's perspective to help meeting planners avoid embarrassing problems.  He uses real examples and suggests the following tips for planning a successful event:

1. Arrange a trial run with the speaker to test out the room and equipment before the event.
2. Lay the foundation by planning to the greatest detail and documenting everything.
3. Arrive early with your documentation in hand and be open to change.
4. Have a back-up plan for speaker and equipment in case of an emergency.
5. Remember there is always a way out if you've planned well.

Article Excerpt: 

It looks great on paper. Tomorrow’s annual convention in Scottsdale is opening with a keynote speaker and all the fanfare of a Hollywood movie premier. One thousand of your association’s finest members have arrived. They are excited and chomping at the bit to get underway. Then you get a call in your room at 7:00 in the evening. It’s your speaker. She’s in Kalamazoo and can’t get out because of snow. What now?