Event Management

By the end of 2009 the Convention Industry Council (CIC) will be launching a new set of standards for green events. Not since 2004, when the first set of guidelines and best practices (PDF)  were developed by the CIC, has there been this much discussion about greening the meetings industry. A green meeting or event incorporates environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment – and the meetings industry is a dramatic offender in this area – second only to the construction industry.

Therefore it is no surprise that over 200 volunteers have been working for almost two years on the new CIC guidelines and standards, which are launching at a critical juncture. According to Event Marketer Magazine, “the market for Green Solutions is expected to nearly double in the next 12-18 months.”  In concert with this movement, the CIC has joined forces with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) and The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) to develop a minimum standard to qualify an event or supplier of that event as “green”.

What’s Covered in the New Guidelines
The goal of the new guidelines is to give meeting stakeholders and planners a framework for purchasing decisions. This framework is not built in absolutes, but in defines levels of acceptability, performance and a clear path to improvement if levels are unacceptable. The new guidelines cover nine areas common to both meetings and tradeshows:

• Accommodation
• Audio/Visual and Production
• Communication
• Destinations
• Exhibits
• Food & Beverage
• Meeting Venue
• On-Site Offices
• Transportation

For those interested in seeing the current specifications in progress (currently open for review and feedback) there is a forum available online at http://wp.apexsolution.org/.

Why Be Green?
According to the CIC, “planning and executing a green meeting isn’t just about being environmentally responsible, they can have economic benefits for the event organizer. In fact, many of the minimum recommended guidelines in the Green Meetings Report can actually save money. For example, collecting name badge holders for reuse at an event of 1300 attendees can save approximately $975 for the event organizer.” While this may seem minor, there are endless lists of ways to reduce waste AND investment in events – and they are scalable to the size of the event.

There is also no limit to the leverage a company can gain from a green event in the eyes of its employees, constituents and customers. For example, according to Meeting Strategies Worldwide, “If a five-day event serves 2200 people breaks, breakfasts, lunches and receptions using china instead of plastic disposables, it prevents 1,890 lbs. of plastic from going into a landfill. Another example is by not pre-filling water glasses at banquet tables during three days of served lunches for 2200 attendees; 520 gallons of water can be saved.”

Get Ahead of the Curve
While the meetings industry has recently jumped into the issues of sustainability practices, parent corporations have been struggling to find effective ways to comply for years. On October 8th The WOW Factory will host an interactive video webcast on green meetings, featuring Roxane Peyser, CEO/President, maurgood LLC. Roxane’s specialty is developing highly-effective corporate responsibility practices and sustainability strategies for companies and organizations. In addition to specializing in environmental sustainability, she has specific expertise in climate change and carbon reduction strategies. This one-hour session will explore how to turn meetings and tradeshows green — and how it is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Attendees will be encouraged to explore cost-savings from greening a meeting, and how to leverage green meetings and sustainable strategies into growing their brands.

The WOW Factory has begun hosting a series of webcasts focused on demystifying some of the newest and most visible (if not best understood) ways to deliver value to meetings and events. Seems we are not alone – although the focus these days seems to be more on cutting costs than delivering value. Not surprising since the meeting industry is undergoing a sea change along with the rest of our economy. This economy has shaken the status quo and assumptions that particular meetings are necessary and put others under the microscope. Planners – and the organizations for which they work – have been forced to scrutinize the strategic value of each event and each dollar spent; it comes down to “survival of the most effective.”

For example, one of WOW’s clients that chose not to have a meeting at all in 2009 is now planning to revive it next year. Another is readdressing all of its meetings and might eliminate some while keeping others.

A recession can be a real opportunity for growth and increases in efficiency. According to a new study, the economy is driving meeting planners to take a more strategic role in their business, demonstrating their organizational value by positioning why their meetings are critical. PCMA, American Express and Ypartnership fielded the U.S. Meeting Planner Intentions Survey during April and May 2009.

The study surveyed 516 professional meeting planners working for corporations or associations. It found that the economy is the main factor driving changes observed in meeting planning, booking and rebooking. Corporate meeting planners were more likely than association planners to indicate they expected a decrease in meetings due to meeting budgets being cut because of general economic conditions or image/publicity/public‐policy considerations.

Other findings include:

• 44 percent expect to plan fewer events in 2009/2010 than in 2008
• 47 percent expect to plan the same number of events
• Planners intend to make greater use of alternative meeting methods, including Webinars (54 percent), teleconferencing (48 percent) and videoconferencing (30 percent)
• 52 percent of meetings booked were for 100 attendees or less
• 12 percent of respondents planned off-site meetings for more than 1,000 attendees

Increased scrutiny of meetings paired with economic constraints has led planners to carefully consider not only whether or not to have a meeting, but also whether a face-to-face meeting is the best method for an event. The takeaway here is that the industry isn’t collapsing, it’s getting stronger and smarter… more effective.

A RFP/RFI can be a complex, time-consuming, high-stakes process for everyone. There are a number of reasons to generate RFPs and RFIs. For many companies the bid process is instituted only for high-profile projects, while others may do it as a matter of course. Purchasing may mandate RFPs for projects over a certain dollar amount, or it might be up to the event stakeholder to ensure the best resources are being used. Increasingly, corporations are turning to online RFP and RFI technology to screen prospective suppliers. The intention of this digital process is to keep the playing field level and not give any company an edge based on personality or relationship. Whether this is actually true or not remains to be seen.

Whatever a company’s particular approach, there are some important considerations that ensure the buyer makes the best, fairest, and most effective selection of a partner, and that every bidder can walk away with a better picture of the competitiveness of their offerings and a real respect for the organization that generated the bid.

The WOW Factory has developed a white paper to explore the best practices for event RFPs. Click here to download it.

I saw this handy reminder from Plan Your Meetings’ Kristi Casey Sanders, and she has kindly granted permission for me to repost it:

The ABCs of RFPs
What you need to include on your next request for proposal

Finding a location and vendors is one of the most basic things planners do. But oftentimes, they forget to include essential information on their request for proposals (RFPs). Here’s a handy checklist of things to include along with some tips on making the most of the follow-up. Keep in mind that meeting suppliers will respond more quickly to a RFP if they know that they are only one of a handful being considered.

Basic information you need to include:

• Your name, title and contact information. Let them know what method of communication works best for you (i.e. phone, e-mail, etc.).
• Your company information, including Web site address.
• Dates, pattern and times for the event. Are these dates and times flexible? If so, let them know because it could save you money.
• Number of room nights needed.
• Food and beverage requirements. Include a specific timeline. Indicate whether or not times are flexible.
• Audio/visual requirements.
• Off/on-site requirements.
• ADA requirements.
• Your timeline for decision-making dates: Make sure vendors know when you need to hear back from them. Strictly adhere to all deadlines; your vendor will.
• If green or sustainable initiatives are important to you, you should include a question asking suppliers if they have eco-friendly initiatives in place, what they are and if they have any certifications (e.g., Green Seal, LEED, etc.), if they source their food locally, etc.

Information you should know that will help the vendor help you:

• Your budget, and where you do and do not have leeway.
• History of past events.
• The group’s pattern of attendance/attrition.
• What’s worked and what hasn’t; what can be improved; and your goals for this event.
• What they can expect from your group, and what your group expects.
• Any special needs or concerns that have occurred in the past.
• Concessions you are willing to make: Remember that being ethical and fostering long-term relationships are paramount. Make sure the concessions you ask for pertain to this meeting and it’s not just a set list.
• Billing/payment arrangements. Questions about money should pertain to what’s included in the RFP.

Do not send an RFP if:

• You have no intention of working with them.
• The property or vendor cannot meet your client’s needs.
• You are planning everything in-house and are using the RFP to shop for fresh ideas or tips.
• You are using the RFP as a tool to plan your budget.

What hotels and vendors need from you after they send proposals:

• Answers about what you want.
• Decisions and payments made by the set deadlines.
• Your honest critique of their proposal with the reasons they were or were not hired. If projects are not awarded to the lowest bidder, vendors need to know what your determining factors were.

This article originally appeared in a Plan Your Meetings (PYM) e-newsletter, a free educational and social resource for meeting and event planners. To receive more industry news, trends, tips and education, join PYM at http://www.planyourmeetings.com/subscribe/.

Green events are a hot topic and the trend is toward more sustainable events in general. Still events are a target of scrutiny: they’re cited as wasteful and often unnecessary. But some events are easier to green than others – small meetings aren’t the offenders, usually; it’s trade shows that are the greatest challenge.

Meetings, because of the smaller attendance and more intimate structure, are easier to approach sustainably and foster a smaller environmental footprint. Rather than providing bottled water for attendees and throwaway packaging of catering offerings, it’s reasonable to use water coolers with glasses and to serve meals and snacks on plates with cloth napkins and silverware. Meeting materials can be delivered to participants digitally, and most likely, there’s no need to give everyone a heaping stack of literature.

Trade shows, though, are rife with waste. This isn’t a case of bottled water versus water coolers – it’s a fundamentally different beast. Because these events are large affairs, they generate more travel, utilize more space, and everyone involved produces more material; the footprint is exponentially larger. The greatest source of trade show waste: carpet. At the close of each trade show, hundreds of yards of carpet are sent to landfills. Yes, some show services companies offer recycled of carpet, but it’s still quite costly. In an effort to appeal to exhibition hall browsers, exhibitors tend to bring boxes upon boxes of literature and promotional items – much of which requires costly shipping and tends to get pitched if it’s not distributed, rather than saved for use at the next show. Then there are the booths. Many companies design a new booth every couple seasons, and often the retired booth doesn’t get recycled.

Yes, there are green trade show materials, and many companies are actively working to reduce the waste they produce in relation to these events. But being green can mean paying some serious green – and many managers have to weigh the environmental cost of trade shows with the financial cost. Also, many green materials are currently incapable of properly replicating critical corporate brand colors (like the signature Coke red). Advances are being made, but it’s a slow road.

What’s a conscientious company to do? Ensure that the format meets the strategic objectives of the event – rightsize. Plan events concurrent or on conjunction with one another so that travel is minimized. Leverage digital distribution. Make as many sustainable choices as possible, and streamline use of materials that can’t be delivered sustainably. It’s not about just reducing, reusing, and recycling, it’s about rethinking how we approach events as a whole.

Special events are one of the first types of events to be cut in the current economic downturn. Their impact on a business’s bottom line is much more difficult to define. However, many corporations do recognize the value of these intangibles (esprit d’corps, employee loyalty and trust, motivation) and instead are reinventing how they execute these events with less. Some best practices include:

1. Change The Location
   If the event is a stand-alone event (award recognition), combine it with another event most of the same attendees participate in, such as an annual company meeting, or national sales meeting or management conference. If the event has been a customer appreciation event, extend a company meeting in the same property and take advantage of the same rates for a new set of attendees. If the venue has been in a remote, exotic destination, try something in the U.S. – keep in mind hotel properties from Vegas to exceptional boutique properties are all in a very negotiable frame of mind right now. Make the most of their willingness to give great deals.

   Additionally, great small event spaces are opening up, such as art galleries. The spaces are already well decorated with the art they sell. While most of these spaces cannot provide catering or AV (although some have gotten wise, and can) the reduction in cost can be very attractive.

2. Scale Your Entertainment
   Not every event has name talent, but many do, and this is one great area to cut back and still deliver top-notch talent. Don’t eliminate the name draw, but do an unplugged set, eliminating the hefty rider cost that is often a part of name talent’s rider. Or replace a musical act with a name comedian, which also comes without the hefty rider.
   If the event is on a more modest scale, utilizing a dance band or troupe act of any kind, take a look at how many members are included. Almost all troupe or multi-member bands are scalable. Keep the act, but pull back some on the number of bodies included.

   For those already cozy budgets that need to cut even more, consider DJ’s with their own lighting packages for a bigger feel and impersonator talent for a big talent feel.

3. Lighten Up Your Décor
   Lighting can transform a space, and potentially cost a great deal less that trying to fill the same space with drape and other hard scenic elements. While lighting cannot create a space all by itself, judicious use of lighting can greatly reduce décor expense.
4. Pace Yourself (and your attendees)
   Rearranging menus can certainly reduce the cost of events, but one of the greatest expenses is alcohol consumption. If you provide open bars, consider only offering beer and wine. If you offer unlimited drinks, consider limiting the length of the event (most people drink 2 drinks in the first 45 minutes – after that consumption increases). Offer drink tickets for 2 drinks and have cash bar.

While these items are certainly not all-inclusive, they tend to be areas where expense can run amok. We welcome other ideas and input for cost-saving tips, please post here to share your thoughts.

Times are tough, but for those who think long-term (and are certain our meetings will continue) there are real opportunities to snap up some bargains. I know, I know. It seems opportunist. But it really is a win-win. I promise. If you’re planning an event – any event – in the next four or five years, WOW believes now is the time to begin negotiating and booking. Venues, particularly hotels, are under pressure to bring in business so they’re offering serious discounts for meeting planners. Hospitality Performance Network is saying “the current environment is the best meetings buying opportunity in 20 years.”

Certainly, companies are cutting back on live meetings in lieu of web-based conferences or in some cases shelving them altogether. But events are a necessary part of business, and as the economy picks up, most organizations will begin to resume meeting; and as the stimulus package begins to bring more revenue into the hospitality industry, hotels will be less amenable to cutting a sweet deal. So, those organizations looking ahead and taking advantage of the current bargains offered by venues will be able to see some serious cost savings.