Meeting Planning

What makes a successful meeting?
Organization, creativity and attention to detail

How do Conferon's clients meet with success?
Organization, creativity and attention to detail

From the mundane to the extraordinary to the downright bizarre, we have probably planned it.
Have you ever:

  • Arranged for the proper care and temporary living arrangements of a Bengal tiger in a convention center? We have.
  • Arranged for chair massages for attendees? We have.
  • Arranged a fly fishing demonstration in a ballroom? We have.

Logistics

  • Function space assignment and appropriate room setup
  • Audiovisual needs
  • Phone lines
  • Office equipment
  • Theme parties
  • Security arrangements
  • Signage ordering and placement
  • Floorplan design
  • Guest amenities
  • Floral arrangements
  • Entertainment
  • Photographers
  • Translators
  • Registration personnel
  • Audio taping

Food and Beverage Planning

Quantity - Conferon has developed formulas over the years to assist in determining what is the correct quantity of food and beverage to order for each of your events. This applies to coffee breaks, continental breakfasts and receptions.

Quality - Conferon's meeting planners are trained to select menus that fit each group's needs while at the same time providing variety and taste.

Budget - We can keep your food and beverage budget under control through:

  • careful pre-ordering based on Conferon's formulas
  • negotiating
  • accurate guarantees
  • on-site monitoring and inventorying practices

Suppliers

We can assist with so many of your supplier needs.

  • Locate and research suppliers
  • Prepare RFPs
  • Review proposals
  • Negotiate
  • Create comparison grid of various proposals
  • Make recommendations based on research
  • Assist in contract review
  • Manage pre-planning and on-site service
  • Review final bill

Monitoring Expenses

Your expenses will be controlled though:

  • the initial negotiation of a facility contract
  • supplier negotiations
  • calculated food and beverage ordering
  • carefully monitored food and beverage guarantees
  • bill review
  • managing attrition fees

Conferon's Event Guide

Over the years while working on hundreds of conventions, we have developed a format for meeting planning specifications that many hotels and convention centers prefer. These specifications are organized into a standard format that we refer to as a meeting Agenda. Every detail for your meeting is contained within this document and it is updated as the meeting planning process progresses.

Post Convention Reports

Memory fades - usually as soon as your convention is over. This is why it's essential to record what was successful and what can be improved about your meeting.

One of the most important benefits of our Post Convention Report is that it illustrates the value of your meeting. With the current sellers' market, it is imperative that the value of every meeting be documented. When presented with concrete evidence of your meeting's total worth, a hotel can make a more educated decision on whether or not to book your meeting, when to book it, at what room rates, and what concessions are appropriate. Knowledge is power. By knowing how much was spent on the various aspects of your meeting, we have more negotiating leverage in the future.

Our Post Convention Reports include:

  • total guest room pick up and pattern, along with revenues generated
  • total food and beverage dollars spent by your group and its affiliates, including hospitalities
  • other income for a city or facility (suppliers such as audiovisual, floral, decorations, electrical, etc.)

In addition to documenting the value of your meeting, the Post Convention Report also includes a basic meeting overview, along with suggestions and recommendations for both the pre-planning and on-site stages of future meetings.

How else does Conferon help create great meetings?

"Writing this letter is, inevitably, a difficult task, as the amount of admiration we have for our key account planners, Jeff Sacks and Courtney Unterreiner, is immeasurable. Always professional, genuine, skilled, responsible, flexible and creative, we couldn’t ask for a better union. This year was an especially challenging show, as we were faced with potential disaster in the form of monsoon rains. Jeff and Courtney kept us calm and thus able to focus on dealing with the situation. As we’ve mentioned previously, they have both become a vital part to every aspect of our planning process. We consider them to be an invaluable part of our team…"

Sheldon Metz, Director of Conventions & Meetings
 National Nutritional Foods Association

"Lise Fitzpatrick does everything right, and takes the pain out of meeting planning. She is sensitive to the needs of this group, and is always out front with new ideas, and the way to create them...In this day of the increased need to delight the customer, you folks are giving yourselves a competitive advantage by having people like Lise Fitzpatrick on your staff."

Thomas R. Tucker, Coordinator - EWLC