August 29, 2016 // 2 min read
How to Estimate Your Meetings Cost Savings
While I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that for many companies, cost savings is not enough of a driver to secure complete buy-in or get the go-ahead for...
August 22, 2016 // 2 min read
How to Develop a Meetings Policy
Last week I talked through some of the reasons your company might be looking at implementing a meetings management program. The next step is to outline your meetings policy. I’m still surprised by how many organizations still do not have a meetings policy in place, even something informal. The true value of a meetings policy is to
August 15, 2016 // 2 min read
Understand the Reason for Strategic Meetings Management
As discussed in last week’s post, meetings management programs have developed a reputation for being difficult and incredibly time-consuming to implement. This blog series will help you simplify the process and achieve executive buy-in and company adoption. Historically, meetings program managers embraced this initiative for the potential cost savings. Strategic meetings management research proved that
August 08, 2016 // 2 min read
How to Successfully Sell Meetings Management in 7 Easy Steps
At the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention in Denver, I had the opportunity to lead a discussion on selling meetings management to executives by securing internal buy-in. During the discussion, I was joined by Cvent clients Kiewit and Estée Lauder, who both won Plannie Awards at Cvent CONNECT 2016 for exemplifying success in their event
July 10, 2016 // 2 min read
5 Things to Expect From Your Banquet Event Order
A Banquet Event Order, commonly referred to as a “BEO,” is a document that outlines the details of your event. It serves as a guideline for the hotel to execute and communicate logistics to all necessary hotel departments. The onsite Event or Catering Manager builds the BEO and will typically send it to you for
May 31, 2016 // 1 min read
Access to Instant Insight Drives Better Attendee Experiences
According to the IBM Global Chief Marketer Officer Study, almost two-thirds of CMOs believe ROI will be the primary measure of their effectiveness. Discover insights that will increase your events’ ROI and effectiveness year-over-year. You have the power to utilize data about attendee engagement, traffic, and feedback to catapult the success of your events. Check
May 17, 2016 // 2 min read
The New Data Gold Mine for Event Marketers [Infographic]
Actionable attendee data is one of the most powerful marketing weapons in an event professional’s arsenal. Data shows you what your guests want from your event and how to improve their future experiences. Tracking the attendee journey produces actionable data for your organization. By measuring attendee movement from registration to post-event, you gain the pieces
May 03, 2016 // 2 min read
The Planner’s Guide to Measuring Event Success (The Right Way)
If you walk up to someone in your organization and ask what makes for a successful event, chances are you’ll get very different answers. While revenue is an obvious (and important!) goal, tracking and forecasting event expenses is typically a planner’s nightmare. Thankfully, when you have the right metrics available, measuring success becomes easier, quicker,
March 09, 2016 // 3 min read
Budgeting: How to Estimate Coffee Consumption
One of the most common conversations I encounter in the event planning industry is that of coffee consumption. How is my company charged? Per gallon or per cup? Can I put a cap on how much is consumed, so I don’t exceed my budget? What quantities of consumption should I expect with a group of
November 03, 2015 // 3 min read
A Small Budget Can Still Go A Long Way With Mobile Engagement
There seems to be a wide range of pricing for mobile apps, and as event managers, we worry about spending our tradeshow budget appropriately. But what if you have budget limitations and are still hoping to have great mobile engagement? Yes, you can have a great mobile app on a small budget if you know