Welcome back as you continue to learn how to plan and produce an amazing international event for your guest.
In last week’s edition of Planning Internation Corporate Events, we introduced the three best global event planning practices:
- NOT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME CLOCK
- YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE TECHNICAL FLOPS
- YOU DON’T WANT TO HAVE A CULTURE CLASH
It can be really tough trying to orchestrate an event across 3 continents, 4 time zones and 2 currencies. Hard, yes! Impossible, no! Learn how you can plan a better conference or meeting!
Let’s Get Some Grub
International cuisine can be a tricky task. In this day and age, many people eat diverse menus and are open to trying different cuisine. On the other hand, we also live in an era where many people have strict dietary requirements that might be foreign to a specific destination. It’s crucial to make sure there is a cross selection of food. Recognize and acknowledge that you are in a different culture and experience the food within the culture yet always have a variety of choices for those who might be a bit timid.
As a global meeting planner it’s your responsibility to take the worry away from your attendees by communicating in advance the food and beverage experience they will have. And don’t forget to ask about dietary restrictions in the registration process. This can save you lots of stomachaches onsite.
Currency Exchange
Is budgeting for a global meeting tricky? Yes. Impossible? No! There are many International Destinations where pricing is provided as a Convention Meeting Package (CMP). Be sure to understand the inclusions in this package, it’s similar to an “all Inclusive” vacation package, but for the meeting component of your program. A CMP package can include meeting space, meal functions, break food, breakout rooms.
Currency and conversion are extremely important in budgeting for your event. Will you, or your global meeting planner, be doing a budget in your own currency or the currency where your meeting is located, or both? It’s important to have a good understanding of the volatility of the financial market within your destination as currency conversion rates change daily and can make a big impact on your budget, especially when you are spending tens of thousands of dollars.
Organizing a Team To Get It Done
Even if you have produced a meeting or event in the global destination, hiring an experienced global meeting planner can save you time, money and headaches.
The majority of global meeting planners have a “can do anything attitude” and are always up for the challenge; its part of what makes us tick, the thrill and the adventure of the next exciting planning opportunity. But when interviewing your potential global meeting planner, ask a ton of questions. You want a clear understanding of whether they have worked in a specific location and how they will manage the process. You also want to understand what local resources they will utilize. Even if they haven’t worked in the exact spot their work in other similar locations could prove their ability to produce a successful meeting for you.
Is your potential global meeting planner a member of any global industry organizations such as the International Special Events Society or Meeting Professionals International? With tens of thousands of professionals across the globe, these types of organizations can be great resources and give your global meeting planner what we call “feet on the ground” in the chosen location. They can also provide recommendations for local experts like transportation specialists, translators, tour operators, photographers, and more.
In the end you want to work with a global meeting planner who clearly understands your needs as well as your meeting objectives. The partner should have proof of their ability to plan abroad successfully. Ask for examples and to speak with other clients. Ultimately you want a global meeting planner who gives you good sleep factor.
TOTAL EVENT RESOURCES – AWARD WINNING GLOBAL MEETING PLANNER
As a global meeting planner, Total Event Resources has been producing innovative events for Fortune 1000 companies, major trade associations and not-for-profit organizations since 1995. A certified Women Owned Business with work spanning across five continents, Total Event Resources clients include Abbott, Alexian Brothers Health System, American Bar Association, Cisco Systems, Georgetown University, HSBC, National Restaurant Association, and Navistar.
Recognized as a PepsiCo Supplier of the Year 2011, Total Event Resources has also been recognized with multiple ISES Esprit Awards, Gala Awards, NICE Awards, and the Business Ledger Newspaper Annual Award for Business Excellence in the Hospitality Category.
Let’s Plan!
Contact Us To Learn More!
Error: Contact form not found.
