Making yourself accessible

Make yourself accessible - Importance of returning calls and responding to messages
What's more annoying than having to leave a message for some you urgently need to contact
Having that message go unanswered, or how about taking at executive up on her invite to call, only to find out she's about as accessible as Fort Knox? Barriers like these are not only frustrating, but commonplace in professional exchanges. But they can also kill important relationships if they become chronic. Don't underestimate the necessity of being reachable.
We're all busy. Meetings, deadlines and correspondence leave many of barely enough time to breathe, alone to interact with contacts clients. But making time to avail yourself to others is something only you can
"Your time is your own”, so take charge and determine your own priorities. Making yourself accessible should be one of those priorities.
If your goal is to attract business or build working relationships, not returning messages or hibernating behind closed doors won't win you many takers. But, for those times when you're unavailable, you can employ some reliable substitutes to pinch-hit for you.
A capable assistant is one. By all means, utilize him to run interference for you when you're busy. Trained correctly, he can answer callers' queries, schedule your appointments, elicit detailed messages or prioritize urgent calls requiring your immediate attention, says management consultant Alec Mackenzie. This can significantly shorten that daunting pile of message slips.
No assistant? Your answering machine, voice mail, E-mail or beeper can serve as surrogates, but not if you don't retrieve and respond to your messages regularly. If callers know you routinely check in, they'll be more apt to settle for communicating with you this way.
By setting aside a specific time of day to return calls and address correspondence, you can keep them from snowballing. "Many people like to do this right after lunch and again toward the end of the day," since that's when they're at their desks, says Mackenzie.
If you're on the sending - rather than receiving - end of the connecting game, there's a lot you can do to make sure you reach your intended party. Leave detailed messages that explain the purpose of your call, even if the person might already know. Keep your business cards updated to reflect current information. Make good on those invites to "do lunch," dinner or tea. We're all busy enough. Making it hard for someone to get in touch with shouldn't be added to the pile.
A thought to remember every phone call you don’t return or every email you don’t reply to could be a lost opportunity you can never regain.

Charisma Productions Network launching new website: What's the ROI on Your Business Travel?

Charisma Productions Network launching new website: What's the ROI on Your Business Travel?: "Since the days of expense reports coated in road-weary cursive, managers have burrowed through spending data to figure out what business tri..."

What's the ROI on Your Business Travel?

Since the days of expense reports coated in road-weary cursive, managers have burrowed through spending data to figure out what business trips are actually worth. As Christa Manning, director of research at American Express Business Travel puts it: “Measuring ROI is somewhat art and somewhat science.” The science aspect has never been more valuable.
In recent years, companies have mined mountains of credit-card and booking data to scrutinize their staff travel. According to Future Watch 2010, a survey of 1,832 Meeting Professionals International (MPI) members presented by MPI and American Express, roughly 70 percent of organizations reported using benchmarks to track the value of their meetings. Only 7 percent said they didn’t track ROI at all.
“The data is actually becoming the fundamental tool that can be used to support strategic use of travel budgets in the company,” Manning says. “By just collecting the data and sharing it with executives and business line leaders, they can see just how significant travel expenditures are and what impact they are having on the business.
How Travel Generates Revenue
Two other studies released in late 2009 seem to support the correlation between travel and revenue on a macro level. One of them, conducted by Oxford Economics USA for the U.S. Travel Association and the Destination and Travel Foundation, found that a dollar spent on travel returned an average of $12.50 in revenue and $3.80 in profit. Another study, conducted by IHS Global Insight for the National Business Travel Association and partly underwritten by American Express, pegged the increase in sales at closer to $20 per travel dollar spent. Returns varied by industry, but the latter report went so far as to say that the economy could realize an additional $248 billion in profits if all industry sectors increase travel to optimal levels.
“Travel does drive the revenue numbers both ways,” says Manning. Following two years of deep cuts in travel spending, both she and Future Watch respondents are cautiously optimistic that an economic recovery will help stabilize travel budgets this year. Future Watch participants predict smaller budget cuts in 2010, although meeting planners also anticipate an average 21 percent increase in the number of meetings. Manning says that she expects flight prices to creep up in 2010, although she doesn’t expect pre-recession spending to return until 2012.
Whatever executives decide to spend, new techniques for analyzing travel data now allow them to hone budgets in surprisingly precise ways. Craig Fearon, the senior product director at New Jersey’s Cyber Shift, has spent the past 11 years turning the administrative backwater of expense reporting into a fount of cost-saving insight. Many customers who use his firm’s automation software, he says, also use the data it produces to enforce travel policy compliance, analyze the difference between expense reports and corporate card charges, and even capitalize on overlooked savings such as exchange-rate fluctuations or VAT refunds abroad. In many cases, travel managers approach vendor negotiations with specific dollar amounts spent on their companies in the past 12 months.
“Travel expenses have come under the microscope in the last couple of years, especially during this downturn,” Fearon notes. “So we’re seeing clients tinker with data and really push it into other systems,” such as customer relationship management and bookkeeping programs that can link trips to particular projects.
Why face-to-face business meetings are important.
Using Benchmarks
Beyond their own spending, data-driven companies have the ability to compare their travel expenditures with the rest of their industry. American Express Business Travel draws insight from $100 billion in travel transactions to set industry benchmarks for its consulting clients, and Travel GPA, a smaller firm that offers real-time reports on travel spending, uses anonymous data gleaned from more than 32,000 companies. This type of raw, aggregate information can point out hard-to-spot norms in areas such as the hotel tiers most used by a given sector—a touchy subject among travel managers, who are fearful of driving away talent.
“By focusing on performance benchmarking, that helps us get to that point where we can provide a detailed ROI analysis that pinpoints the problem areas by identifying the trips, travelers, markets, suppliers and those areas where savings opportunities were lost,” says Travel GPA chief executive Rock Blanco. Historically, executives have found ROI in travel hard to nail down because prices change so frequently. But a constant stream of data from travel companies now enables services like Blanco’s to calculate, for example, how much a department could have saved by booking flights to a given destination for a Tuesday instead of a Monday. In other instances, Blanco says, the data reveals that departments can save money by abandoning a policy to book flights longer in advance because the rebooking fees far outstrip the savings.
Even companies without a six-figure travel budget to scrutinize have found advantages to treating travel as an investment, rather than an expense. “Everything’s got to pay back six,” says Ted Wright, CEO of Fizz, an Atlanta word-of-mouth marketing company. “What that does is keep things from being willy-nilly.”
For conferences, the corporate policy employs similar logic. You should try to gauge how much attendees can learn from a conference’s advertised offerings. The better the development opportunities, the more people the figures will show up and the more potential customers your team can meet to earn back the cost of the trip. Like a growing number of businesses, you should no longer settles for a good price but instead takes a hard look at the numbers to figure out what travel is worth in terms of sales down the road. “I just say to them, ‘Look, its five grand for me to come out there. What’s my payback on this?’”

Corporate Meeting Facility to Create an Impression

Many companies do not have conference rooms or big spaces to hold corporate meetings. They opt for corporate meeting facilities provided by others for this. A corporate meeting facility is generally a luxurious and impressive space which can be rented by any company to hold their corporate meetings.
Renting a Corporate Meeting Facility
Large or small corporations often require having meetings for their staff for orientation or felicitations or educational purposes or for clients. Many of these companies may not have an adequate corporate meeting space to hold such meetings. Renting is the only option in such cases. Before renting out a space a proper idea regarding the requirement is very important. The size of the gathering and the kind of seating arrangements all depends on the purpose of the meeting. Once a clear picture regarding this is arrived at, a corporate meeting facility can be looked into. In major cities across the United States, there are huge varieties to choose from when it comes to an event space. Many city meeting facilities range from lofts, theaters, screening rooms, auditoriums, convention center and so on. These places could be stand alone or a part of a hotel or a bigger structure.
After identifying a few possible venues, it would be a good idea to visit them along with your chosen corporate meeting production specialist and see for one the space available and also discuss about the facilities provided at the place. Many halls provide digital screens, presentation software and hardware, high speed internet facility, good acoustics and other audio visual facilities which in most cases are far more expensive than having your own corporate meeting production specialist whose expertise can make sure you get the most for your dollar without comprising the quality of your corporate meeting production. In order to receive your best ROI you should always have your corporate meeting production specialist with you on these inspections. This is to make sure that you will not be caught unaware of any back end charges when utilizing there facility. The extent of the facilities required again depends on the type of event being hosted. The location of the conference space is also an important criterion. Easy accessibility and proximity to airports and hotels always helps if people are flying in from outside to participate in the event. Other arrangements that need to be looked into are toilet facilities provided in the space. The cost of the meeting space also needs to be looked into before renting out. Some places are highly expensive while others are relatively cheaper.
Most of the corporate meeting facilities seen these days have well trained staff. They make all the necessary arrangements in consultation with the renters and who also provide valuable assistance during the event. Together with these staff members the event can be made into a grand success. Choosing a place that provides it all from digital media to caterers is always better than going for a place where all the other elements have to be brought in from outside.
Always remember to be sure to consult your corporate meeting production company in order to exceed your corporate meeting expectations and to make sure you get the best ROI for your meeting.

Make Youself Accessible

Make yourself accessible - importance of returning calls and responding to messages
What's more annoying than having to leave a message for some you urgently need to contact
Having that message go unanswered, or how about taking at executive up on her invite to call, only to find out she's about as accessible as Fort Knox? Barriers like these are not only frustrating, but commonplace in professional exchanges. But they can also kill important relationships if they become chronic. Don't underestimate the necessity of being reachable.
We're all busy. Meetings, deadlines and correspondence leave many of barely enough time to breathe, alone to interact with contacts clients. But making time to avail yourself to others is something only you can
"Your time is your own”, so take charge and determine your own priorities. Making yourself accessible should be one of those priorities.
If your goal is to attract business or build working relationships, not returning messages or hibernating behind closed doors won't win you many takers. But, for those times when you're unavailable, you can employ some reliable substitutes to pinch-hit for you.
A capable assistant is one. By all means, utilize him to run interference for you when you're busy. Trained correctly, he can answer callers' queries, schedule your appointments, elicit detailed messages or prioritize urgent calls requiring your immediate attention, says management consultant Alec Mackenzie. This can significantly shorten that daunting pile of message slips.
No assistant? Your answering machine, voice mail, E-mail or beeper can serve as surrogates, but not if you don't retrieve and respond to your messages regularly. If callers know you routinely check in, they'll be more apt to settle for communicating with you this way.
By setting aside a specific time of day to return calls and address correspondence, you can keep them from snowballing. "Many people like to do this right after lunch and again toward the end of the day," since that's when they're at their desks, says Mackenzie.
If you're on the sending - rather than receiving - end of the connecting game, there's a lot you can do to make sure you reach your intended party. Leave detailed messages that explain the purpose of your call, even if the person might already know. Keep your business cards updated to reflect current information. Make good on those invites to "do lunch," dinner or tea. We're all busy enough. Making it hard for someone to get in touch with shouldn't be added to the pile.
A thought to remember every phone call you don’t return or every email you don’t reply to could be a lost opportunity you can never regain.

Time Management – Something We Can all Appreciate

Do you find that you the days just fly by and you feel like you haven’t accomplished much? Personally I feel like this more days than I care to admit. Trying to manage home, work, children and their activities is like being the circus juggler. When I finally get a moment of quiet, which is a rare occasion I make an attempt at organizing my life. The old adage of making lists has helped me become organized and accomplish more than expected. Here are a few tips and or tricks that have worked for me:
1. At the beginning of the week, take five minutes (preferably in the morning when everyone else is sleeping) and make yourself a list of tasks you need to accomplish by the end of the week. Keep the list with you at all times, don’t just leave it on top of the kitchen counter or on your desk.
2. Daily lists puts too much stress, you worry more on how you’re going to finish everything you have to do and evidently not get anything done at all.
3. After you’ve written your list, look it over and make every attempt to prioritize it. Usually I start by counting how many phone calls I need to make and then take an hour or two, sit at my desk and make all the calls in one shot. This is usually quite successful, although sometimes you may have to do it on two separate days, depending on the follow up calls needed.
4. Then, after the calls, go over your list again and review all the things that you are sure won’t take but a few minutes to complete. Do those next. After those are done, look at your list and see how much you have accomplished thus far and start feeling good.
5. Finally, do the more time consuming tasks by order of priority.
6. Cross things out as you complete the task and also add things to the list as the days go by. You’ll notice that as the week passes if you started with 15 tasks to accomplish, by the end of the week you’ll have, maybe 15 or more added to it. This is normal, and if this doesn’t happen, you really did not have much to do.
7. By the end of the week, take that wrinkled, ripped, messy paper you call a list and review it. You’ll be surprised how much you’ve actually accomplished and pat yourself on the back. Just don’t worry if there are tasks left undone, there’s always next week.
8. Any left-over tasks get transferred to the next week’s tasks. And try to do those first on the following week, or else you’ll start stressing and say that lists don’t work, bunch the paper up in a wad and throw it away. Then you go back to being your old self, stressing over everything you have to do and get nothing done.
I know like any good plan there are those unexpected interruptions, or else it wouldn’t be called life.

Charisma Productions Gazette

Charisma Productions Gazette

The Importance of Meetings and Incentive Programs in a Down Economy

Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

Historically, incentive programs and meetings have been the early victims of economic downturns. In the current economy it has impacted the industry, there are reports of cancellations, delayed plans, and general cutbacks. With that as background, it is wise to restate the need for continued use of incentives and meetings even if on a somewhat contained basis.

Some managers react to these situations by immediately cutting all “unnecessary” expenses without looking at bottom line impact. “Unnecessary” becomes a very subjective evaluation. Others assess the value of each program before deciding the reasonable course of action.
There are now numerous studies that show a very definite relationship between motivation, the work environment, and bottom line profits. Satisfied workers produce at a higher, more efficient rate. The management dictum that employees are satisfied just to have a job in difficult times has long been disproven. Keeping employees and customers satisfied especially in difficult times is the basis of reaping healthy profits.

Keeping your employees engaged and giving them the feeling of being part of the team and appreciated will help them with the mental stress and will improve their outlook. An employee with a positive attitude is just as contagious in improving morale in the workplace as a disgruntled employee is in destroying morale.
In the book, “Contented Cows Give Better Milk”, the authors compared business results of companies considered employers of choice with a comparable group of Fortune 500 companies. (An employer of choice is a company that is primarily people-driven.) Although the Employers of Choice had about 1/3 of the revenue of the others at the start of the study, over a 10-year period (one that included a recession), they:
 Outperformed the latter about four to one in revenues,
 Increased net income 202% vs. 139%,
 Roughly doubled the net income of the latter group,
 Added 79,000 jobs while the latter LOST 61,000 jobs.

The point: simply that a motivated, committed work force --- one that continues to be recognized by incentive programs that reward excellent performance --- continues to achieve growth while others stagnate.

Using these programs correctly is a competitive advantage, especially under difficult economic conditions. Measuring the success of incentive programs and meetings – whether return on investment (ROI) or return on objectives (ROO) or anything else – is the best way to show the value. Measurement as a tool for planners and business leaders is essential at all times. It addresses requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the need to demonstrate results to management, and, often, the justification for one’s job.

Both incentive suppliers and corporate planners say that they are increasingly asked for data related to measuring program results. ROI analysis also helps a company determine the impact of an incentive program across the entire operation, something that is crucial to avoiding long-term problems.

According to the MPI Foundation, “…ROI is THE single most important tool for a meeting professional. In today’s economy, with more and more meeting professionals answering to their Procurement office, the emphasis on ROI has never been more important.”

Employee Incentive Programs reward exceptional employees for reaching work goals, achieving milestones or simply doing a good job. These types of programs are designed to offer incentive and motivation in employees and increasing the overall performance of the company. An incentive program is a great way to show employees that you value their input while at the same time increasing your business potential.

Off-Site Meetings....A New Perception

Although the perception of off-site meetings is a big concern, the intense scrutiny the industry experienced in 2009 will continue to influence how meetings and events are designed in 2010. Budgets will remain tight, there still will be fewer perks for attendees, and planners will continue to downscale F&B, entertainment and activity expenditures.
But some planners may be facing a different, and more intimidating, challenge: Making the case to reinstate meetings that were canceled due to the economy. And, although there has been a lot of talk about small growth,” there is a very real possibility that the economy will take years to rebound. But that doesn’t mean that companies should continue to cancel meetings.
“Tough times are a great time to renew trust, “Leadership Matters. “When employees see the leadership team standing front and center and delivering the message, it demonstrates that management cares about them and considers them essential to weathering the storm. Canceling such meetings sends the message that employees are expendable.”
The value of face-to-face meetings, show that business executives support the need to meet and illustrate the dangers of not bringing employees and company leaders together. They offer great talking points planners can use in discussing why meetings should be reinstated as soon as possible.
“In order to grow, businesses have to invest”. Face-to-face meetings and incentive awards to top performers are among the smartest investments companies can make.
During the recession, the use of technology-enhanced and other virtual meeting alternatives has skyrocketed, so Forbes conducted an insight study with more than 750 businesses this past summer to see if Web conferences, videoconferences and other virtual meetings could replace the need to meet face-to-face.
• More than 8 out of 10 of the executives said they prefer face-to-face contact to virtual meetings.
• The top three reasons those executives preferred face-to-face meetings were because they build stronger, more meaningful business relationships (85 percent); give them the ability to read body language and facial expressions (77 percent); and there’s more social interaction and ability to bond with co-workers and clients (75 percent).
• The less than 20 percent who favored technology-enhanced meetings did so because it saves time (92 percent); saves money (88 percent); and offers more flexibility in location and timing.
• When asked to choose the meeting method most conducive to fostering specific business actions or outcomes, executives overwhelmingly preferred face-to-face meetings for achieving almost every business objective, including persuasion (91 percent), leadership (87 percent), engagement (87 percent), inspiration (85 percent), decision making (82 percent), accountability (79 percent), brainstorming (73 percent) and strategy (73 percent).
• Web conferences were preferred only for data presentation (44 percent) and information dissemination (43 percent), although it held less than a 10 percent margin over face-to-face meeting in those two areas. Roughly 27 percent favored teleconferences for matters of urgency, but otherwise, the percentage of executives preferring the use of teleconferences or videoconferences to achieve business objectives was negligible.
• 87 percent of the executives agreed with the statement “There are tangible business benefits to in-person; face-to-face meetings that outweigh the cost savings of alternative, technology-based meeting methods such as web conferencing or videoconferencing.”
“People don’t want to sit in their office looking at each other on computer screens. That personal interaction — getting together to talk over dinner, drinks or a cup of coffee — is the foundation on which business relationships are built. It’s what drives business, builds employee morale, and gives real incentives for higher productivity.

Meetings That Deliver

Every great off-site meeting should have well crafted objectives that the top leadership team is committed to achieving. The off-site objectives should drive every other decision about the off-site meeting. They will influence the location, how many days, who will attend, and how much preparation time and resources you will need. So get started early, ideally 3-4 months before the meeting. Keep in mind your venue site; some companies book their venues 1+ years in advance.
Leaders sometimes underestimate what an important, and potentially defining, leadership moment such off-site meetings can be – for better or for worse! Invited participants assume that everything that happens, everything on the agenda, is there because the most senior leaders wanted it there. They expect to hear from the senior leaders, and they often are interested in the senior leaders’ reactions to what happens and what is discussed at the meeting. Be sure your senior leaders appreciate both the opportunities and risks that such meetings present. And be sure to design the meeting in such a way as to help them make the most of their leadership moments.
Meetings that have impact engage people - their minds and their hearts. Think of the few off-sites you’ve been to that really made a difference, off-sites that truly accelerated lasting, positive changes in your company or organization. What happened? Chances are that these meetings demonstrated a few important meeting design principles.
Get Creative, there are dozens of effective and engaging ways to accomplish off-site objectives - clustering people in smaller discussion groups, electronic “secret ballot” surveying, hands-on projects that help drive home key points and build relationships, panel discussion formats, customer speakers, and so on. Of course, the choice of methods is guided by your specific off-site meeting objectives and the design principles above. No matter how “cool” the method is, it has to be a “best choice” to serve off-site objectives and design principles. Splashy methods can make a meeting memorable; they are only worthwhile if they are created to delivering on the meeting objectives. Charisma Productions Network can help you develop what it takes in order to get your meeting objectives met and exceeding all of your expectations.

Off-site Meeting Design Principles
Connection before Content: People are encouraged to “connect” with each other, informally and personally. This happens early and often. If the meeting participants are to do any “real work” with each other at the off-site (e.g. make new organizational arrangements, commit resources, etc.), this foundation of personal connection is essential.

Conversations, not lectures: There is lots of conversation, and little lecture. The core principle here is that people typically learn more, and change more, when they have to formulate and express their ideas, not just listen to the ideas of others.

The right people: The “right” people are in the room. Building and paring the invite list for most off-sites is a challenge, and invariably additional people get added for political reasons. But be sure that enough of the right people are there – the ones with the knowledge, the power, and the influence to accomplish the meeting objectives - and the ability to bring the rest of the organization along with the new direction when they return to work. Be careful not to dilute the meeting with too many who are not well positioned to help.

An off-site is more than a list of agenda items: There is a coherent arc to the meeting, an overall story line. Each step of the meeting builds toward the next step, serving the overall objectives and deliverables. You get the sense that it is well choreographed, that there is a good reason for everything that is on the agenda.

The “how” says volumes about the “what”: How the meeting is conducted is in sync with the messages delivered at the meeting. For instance, if the message is that senior management wants ideas and input from the next levels of management, then lots of time at the meeting must be devoted to eliciting ideas, and demonstrating that (at least some of) the ideas will be acted upon. It isn’t, “55 minutes of slides with 5 minutes of Q&A.” Careful design helps the meeting itself “walk the talk.”

The off-site began before it started, and finished well after it ended: There is pre-work and communication that prepares you to be most effective in your time together and there is follow-up after the off-site that helps assure that things committed to at the off-site are accomplished and integrated into your on-going work.

What Kind of Business Traveler are You?

In our many years of travel, we've come across our fair share of completely obnoxious travelers. The kind of traveler that flies mainly for business, people that are busy and need to get to their destinations on time for a meeting or a sales presentation. They usually have a ton of status, but because they never pay for these tickets themselves, they have earned themselves a false sense of entitlement.

You'll laugh at these things - but they are all from real people we've encountered.

Type A: The God Complex - Use this phrase a lot. Do You Know Who I Am is one of the most important tools of the obnoxious business traveler. The gate agent or flight attendant may know your name, but without your constant reminding of your importance, they'll never know just what a big shot you actually are.
Type B: The VIP - Don't settle for knowing you are an elite "platinum global services 1K member" - buy a lanyard and wear your elite status card around your neck. This way people can see how important you are. Wave the card at anyone that gets in your way.

Type C: The Snob - Once you are settled in your first class seat, pay close attention to people who don't look like they belong in your cabin. Feel free to tell them that the economy class cabin is in the back of the plane. Apply the same logic in the elite boarding line at the gate, or the elite check-in desk. Bonus points for using the phrase "shoo" in your rant.

Type D: The Empowered - If an airline employee gives you a hard time, remind them that you are more important, that you make more money, and that you pay their salary. It is important to make sure these people know their place. The phrase "I pay your salary" is a sure way to remind them that they need to help you.

Type E: The Over Indulgent - Don't settle for checking bags, that is for tourists and people with floral pattern luggage. All your bags belong in the main cabin. Ignore the gate agents talking about how many pieces of luggage you are allowed as those rules don't apply to you.

Type F: The Privileged - Being in "group one" is a bit of an insult to you - the airline needs to invent a secret "group zero" for people with your status. So, when you arrive at the gate, be sure to walk up towards the boarding doors and make it obvious that you will be boarding first. The objective here is to prevent being blocked by the status-less riff-raff.

Type G: The All Important One - Remember that your loud and obnoxious phone calls are another way to show people how important you are. Use lots of big words to confuse the uneducated people listening in on your call.

Also, don't forget to keep talking when you approach a customer service desk. Your call is always more important than their time. Walk up to the desk, hand them your ticket, and use hand movements to explain what you want them to do - but don't stop talking, no matter how unimportant the call may be.

Type H: The Demander - When requesting changes from the airline, always tell them, don't ask them. The commoners "ask" for an earlier flight - you tell the airline what you want, and demand that it happens.

Type I: The Degrader - Forget the whole "we are here for your safety" mantra - the flight attendant is actually a stewardess. Think of them as your personal servant. Don't settle for "a coke" - make insane demands. Ask for two and a half slices of lime with your coke. Or a coke with 4 ice cubes. Anything to make their lives just a little more miserable is going to make you feel a little happier with yourself.

Type J: The “Wait Until I’m Ready” Syndrome - Never let anyone rush you. If you are blocking the aisle when everyone wants to disembark, relax for a moment. Take your time to put your jacket on, turn on your phone and check your messages, and don't worry about the 140 people standing behind you. They are nowhere near as important as you.

If you have not been able to identify yourself with any of these types, consider yourself one of the few considerate business travelers who understand and value the importance of each person’s role in getting you to your meeting destination on time, relaxed and safely.
We’d like to continue with this topic, please send us your travel experiences so that we can share them in an upcoming article. Please send them to comments@cpnevents.com

The Importance of Meetings and Incentive Programs in a Down Economy

Historically, incentive programs and meetings have been the early victims of economic downturns. In the current economy it has impacted the industry, there are reports of cancellations, delayed plans, and general cutbacks. With that as background, it is wise to restate the need for continued use of incentives and meetings even if on a somewhat contained basis.

Some managers react to these situations by immediately cutting all “unnecessary” expenses without looking at bottom line impact. “Unnecessary” becomes a very subjective evaluation. Others assess the value of each program before deciding the reasonable course of action.
There are now numerous studies that show a very definite relationship between motivation, the work environment, and bottom line profits. Satisfied workers produce at a higher, more efficient rate. The management dictum that employees are satisfied just to have a job in difficult times has long been disproven. Keeping employees and customers satisfied especially in difficult times is the basis of reaping healthy profits.

Keeping your employees engaged and giving them the feeling of being part of the team and appreciated will help them with the mental stress and will improve their outlook. An employee with a positive attitude is just as contagious in improving morale in the workplace as a disgruntled employee is in destroying morale.
In the book, “Contented Cows Give Better Milk”, the authors compared business results of companies considered employers of choice with a comparable group of Fortune 500 companies. (An employer of choice is a company that is primarily people-driven.) Although the Employers of Choice had about 1/3 of the revenue of the others at the start of the study, over a 10-year period (one that included a recession), they:
 Outperformed the latter about four to one in revenues,
 Increased net income 202% vs. 139%,
 Roughly doubled the net income of the latter group,
 Added 79,000 jobs while the latter LOST 61,000 jobs.

The point: simply that a motivated, committed work force --- one that continues to be recognized by incentive programs that reward excellent performance --- continues to achieve growth while others stagnate.

Using these programs correctly is a competitive advantage, especially under difficult economic conditions. Measuring the success of incentive programs and meetings – whether return on investment (ROI) or return on objectives (ROO) or anything else – is the best way to show the value. Measurement as a tool for planners and business leaders is essential at all times. It addresses requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the need to demonstrate results to management, and, often, the justification for one’s job.

Both incentive suppliers and corporate planners say that they are increasingly asked for data related to measuring program results. ROI analysis also helps a company determine the impact of an incentive program across the entire operation, something that is crucial to avoiding long-term problems.

According to the MPI Foundation, “…ROI is THE single most important tool for a meeting professional. In today’s economy, with more and more meeting professionals answering to their Procurement office, the emphasis on ROI has never been more important.”

Employee Incentive Programs reward exceptional employees for reaching work goals, achieving milestones or simply doing a good job. These types of programs are designed to offer incentive and motivation in employees and increasing the overall performance of the company. An incentive program is a great way to show employees that you value theire input while at the same time increasing your business potential.

What Type of Business Traveler Are You?

In our many years of travel, we've come across our fair share of completely obnoxious travelers. The kind of traveler that flies mainly for business, people that are busy and need to get to their destinations on time for a meeting or a sales presentation. They usually have a ton of status, but because they never pay for these tickets themselves, they have earned themselves a false sense of entitlement.

You'll laugh at these things - but they are all from real people we've encountered.

Type A: The God Complex - Use this phrase a lot. Do You Know Who I Am is one of the most important tools of the obnoxious business traveler. The gate agent or flight attendant may know your name, but without your constant reminding of your importance, they'll never know just what a big shot you actually are.
Type B: The VIP - Don't settle for knowing you are an elite "platinum global services 1K member" - buy a lanyard and wear your elite status card around your neck. This way people can see how important you are. Wave the card at anyone that gets in your way.

Type C: The Snob - Once you are settled in your first class seat, pay close attention to people who don't look like they belong in your cabin. Feel free to tell them that the economy class cabin is in the back of the plane. Apply the same logic in the elite boarding line at the gate, or the elite check-in desk. Bonus points for using the phrase "shoo" in your rant.

Type D: The Empowered - If an airline employee gives you a hard time, remind them that you are more important, that you make more money, and that you pay their salary. It is important to make sure these people know their place. The phrase "I pay your salary" is a sure way to remind them that they need to help you.

Type E: The Over Indulgent - Don't settle for checking bags, that is for tourists and people with floral pattern luggage. All your bags belong in the main cabin. Ignore the gate agents talking about how many pieces of luggage you are allowed as those rules don't apply to you.

Type F: The Privileged - Being in "group one" is a bit of an insult to you - the airline needs to invent a secret "group zero" for people with your status. So, when you arrive at the gate, be sure to walk up towards the boarding doors and make it obvious that you will be boarding first. The objective here is to prevent being blocked by the status-less riff-raff.

Type G: The All Important One - Remember that your loud and obnoxious phone calls are another way to show people how important you are. Use lots of big words to confuse the uneducated people listening in on your call.

Also, don't forget to keep talking when you approach a customer service desk. Your call is always more important than their time. Walk up to the desk, hand them your ticket, and use hand movements to explain what you want them to do - but don't stop talking, no matter how unimportant the call may be.

Type H: The Demander - When requesting changes from the airline, always tell them, don't ask them. The commoners "ask" for an earlier flight - you tell the airline what you want, and demand that it happens.

Type I: The Degrader - Forget the whole "we are here for your safety" mantra - the flight attendant is actually a stewardess. Think of them as your personal servant. Don't settle for "a coke" - make insane demands. Ask for two and a half slices of lime with your coke. Or a coke with 4 ice cubes. Anything to make their lives just a little more miserable is going to make you feel a little happier with yourself.

Type J: The “Wait Until I’m Ready” Syndrome - Never let anyone rush you. If you are blocking the aisle when everyone wants to disembark, relax for a moment. Take your time to put your jacket on, turn on your phone and check your messages, and don't worry about the 140 people standing behind you. They are nowhere near as important as you.

If you have not been able to identify yourself with any of these types, consider yourself one of the few considerate business travelers who understand and value the importance of each person’s role in getting you to your meeting destination on time, relaxed and safely.
We’d like to continue with this topic, please send us your travel experiences so that we can share them in an upcoming article. Please send them to comments@cpnevents.com

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The Importance of Off-Site Meetings

Off site corporate meetings, many companies are saying this has become a great expense that is not necessarily helpful in promoting their product and building employee morale or making them more efficient. Through research we have found that this is quite the opposite. A survey of Fortune 500 companies shows face-to-face meetings have the highest return on investment of any marketing tool available to them.
"Knowledge sessions" held throughout the day would aid companies in crafting new strategies to highlight the inherent importance of in-person gatherings. As quoted by Ben Stein, Actor, lawyer, economist and Nixon speechwriter "The truth is that business meetings are usually not a waste of time, even if they are held in Las Vegas or at a resort with a golf course near a Southern California beach," Stein said. "They are not decadent, with rare exception.
Off –site corporate presentations serve as an effective tool for convincingly presenting your company, and its products and services to your target audience. Since corporate presentations today use flash and other hi-end multimedia tools to develop highly engaging and creative presentations; it is not always within the wherewithal of the company to do this on its own. Hence, corporate firms, both big and small are today outsourcing such work to professional companies such as Charisma Productions Network, which specialize in such areas.
An impressive corporate presentation not only effectively showcases your products and services but it also helps in enhancing your corporate image and add value to your business.
A corporate meeting complete with impressive animation, videos, photos, voice over and music would definitely have more impact on the target audience as compared to a static presentation. Therefore various companies incorporate flash into their corporate meeting in order to make them more appealing and impressive. Audio video solutions help in grabbing the attention of the users in relation to the subject highlighted in the meeting or event, thus motivating them and engaging them with the subject. Moving images have a powerful impact amongst the viewers as they have the ability to portray and inspire hidden emotions.
In an off-site corporate presentation you can present all information in an interesting and user-friendly manner, giving details such as the company’s goal, product/services details, various services, catalogues, infrastructure manpower, and growth pattern and just about anything you wish to. You can use images and video clips of your company, its people, its infrastructure, etc, in the presentation. This enhances credibility and also enables your customers, dealers and investors to have a look at your company.
For creating corporate presentations, you should approach a professional production company, such as Charisma Productions Network, to create innovative presentations which would enable you to communicate to your audience easily, make them aware of your company and influence their decisions.
Offsite Meetings and Productions benefit:
Clients- With the help of a corporate presentation you can tell prospective customers in detail about your services and show details of your previous successful work. This way you lend credibility to your work and new as well as existing customers get to know what benefits they stand to derive from you.
For educating or updating employees- You can make corporate meetings to impart training to your employees, help them update themselves and improve their skill sets. It can also be used for maintaining good internal communications among employees of different departments.
Trade fairs & exhibitions- You can demonstrate about your company, various products and services at trade shows with the help of a professional looking corporate presentation.
Conferences & important meetings- In conferences and critical meetings, a presentation helps you to convey your point in a much clearer and profound manner.
Product launches- Whenever your company is launching new products in the market; you can efficiently inform the prospective buyers what your product is all about by giving a presentation.
Meetings facilitate engagement. People engage by being invited into the game. If they know the business goal, the team goal and the role they have to play then they're more likely to truly plug in to the business. If they don't know what the business is trying to achieve, how can they connect with business goals alone at their desk? Off-site meetings and presentations still hold a powerful message, one that a web conference or phone conference cannot compare to.

Cold Calling...A Curse or a Blessing

In this crazy, mixed up world of technology, how do I get to my customer without having to go through the secret service aka the receptionist? I have been in customer service and sales for most of my adult life and it used to be quite easy to do sales calls over the phone. You called a company, asked to speak to the person in charge of meetings and events and the receptionist would put you directly through. Now-a-days, it seems as if that department no longer exists, the receptionist either hands you off to whomever she thinks can answer your question or merely tells you that they no longer do that. Please, tell me of one company that no longer holds meetings.


Then there is the other receptionist who holds an inquisition when you ask who is in charge of meetings. And have you ever asked a receptionist to provide you with someone’s email address? You would think if they can provide you with the person’s extension or direct line; what difference does it make getting someone’s email address? The person on the other end can easily delete it if they do not have the time or interest in reading about your company. People just don’t want to be bothered. No matter how good of an idea or how beneficial something may be. People are very reluctant to give something new a try, unless it comes recommended from colleagues in the industry.

When you need a service and go to the internet and find a company, see their webpage, yes they look like what you need. What do you do? Do you call and find out about them, who they are, what they do. Do they know your company’s culture and understand what your scope of work is? Do you know their company’s culture?

Cold calling is definitely not what it used to be. Where has that personal touch gone? In this technology ridden world it seems that people no longer have time to talk, it’s the old adage “Don’t call us, we’ll call you”. Cold calling comes down to building a relationship and that personal touch. So when you do receive a cold call from a company that you’ve not done business with before. Take a moment and listen to what they have to offer. You may never know what added value they can bring to your business. Don’t be rude on the phone, people doing the calls do remember you, believe me. Then when you need them, those missed opportunities are the ones that can hurt you in the end. In business no one should become comfortable with a company, like an old pair of shoes. When you get comfortable, you get sloppy and you can become blindsided very quickly.

If cold calling was easy and always fun, everyone would be able to do it. But it’s not always easy and fun. A good friend of mine used to say that hospitality/meetings industry suppliers are great huggers, but not hunters. I repeat this assertion most respectfully: we forge great, often long-lasting relationships and even friendships. But many find taking the first steps very difficult.

Social media has taken over and it is getting harder and harder to get your foot in the door. I believe that all medias work, but it has a lot to do with timing. If someone is looking for your specific expertise for an upcoming event and you were able to call, or send an email at the right time, you have a chance to make a contact. Also consistency is the name of the game. Don’t just send one flyer or email or make one call. Be consistent and persistent. Eventually they’ll tire out of getting your “junk” and actually speak to you. That’s when you have your 3 minutes of opportunity. Talk to the person on the other side with the expectation that you can serve the other person that you can make them smile and make the 3 minutes they give you of value to them. Remember…I am here to serve you…like the Michael Jackson song…”I’ll be there…just call my name and I’ll be there”.

Recently I read that many meeting managers or event planners refuse to take calls or emails from new companies that they don’t know. As a meeting planner, don’t you want to be educated and know who’s available to serve you company the best? Or do you want to wait until the need is there and your decision is based more on desperation because of time constraints or whomever you found online not someone you have had a previous contact with? Isn’t it better to know what’s available out there?

As a meeting planner ask yourself one question: When I am depending on a meeting provider, do I put the fate of the meeting’s success in the care of a stranger that I looked up on the internet or someone that I have spoken to on a few occasions who really cared about getting my business and who was not hesitant to provide me with references up front?

Cold calling works in conjunction with an integrated, strategic approach that encompasses your web presence, your networking activities and the knowledge of the sales person who calls and offers a service that you may have been looking for and not found online. Be open to new ideas, as we have opened ourselves up to new technologies. In the same respect, work smart; open yourself up while other people are trying to educate you Be proactive in your decision making, don’t get too comfortable because something can always go wrong.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Now that the holidays are over and everyone is getting back to their routines. Charisma Productions Network thought that we can help everyone ease into the New Year with a little humor. So this edition is focused on laughter and humor.


Let’s start with company holiday parties. Did you do anything embarrassing at the company Christmas party? Did you play, who was the best and worst dressed? Did you overindulge with food or beverage? We understand, we’ve all attended our share of these. Some are fun, some are boring, some you just want to forget altogether and a few, you just lie and tell people you never attended that one. And do we have stories to tell. But we’ll keep those to ourselves for now, but if you share some of yours, we’ll share some of ours.

So, let’s move on to those vendor gifts. How many vendors sent you the all too familiar popcorn tin? Or did anyone get a fruitcake? Or what about a meat and cheese on a carving board set?

Now think about it, if you’ve received any of the above mentioned gifts, you are either on the bottom of their totem pole or they are frugal. I think we’ve all seen our share of “unique” gifts. Here’s a few funny one’with so much vendor advertisement on it that we couldn’t see the actual days on them, oh by the way, did I tell you we don’t even know who that vendor is? We have never worked with them before.

We want to know what the strangest gifts you’ve received were because we want to share them in our next issue. Or, if you would like, tell us about your embarrassing moment (We promise not to mention your name and company)?

Now the parties are done and the New Year’s resolutions kick in. We know, we know; you have to start your diet or you exercise program or you are giving up cigarettes. What about your work resolutions? How about being more organized? Well, you know? You walk into your office after the New Year and clean your desk and make new files and swear that you will keep up with it for the rest of the year. Then you get bombarded with meetings, emails that need to be read (The Charisma Productions Gazette) or responded to, memos that need to get out, events to plan, RFP’s to send, phone messages that need return calls (within 24 hours, not the usual 4 days later or not at all and hope they call back). Then sticky notes get posted around your computer screen and on your desk and all of a sudden, your desk looks just like it did last year.

WHERE HAS CUSTOMER SERVICE GONE?

Back in the day you could go almost anywhere and you would find a friendly face to help you find what you needed, they would give you recommendations and suggestions and always had the product information memorized, and if not, would find it for you immediately. What Happened!? Now a days when you go to a service establishment, you either can't find anyone, or they're in a small group chit chatting and planning their next happy hour. Then when you ask for help instead of helpful assistance you get a blank look.
How many times, when you shopped around for service did the representative profess customer service, quality care and let's not forget the "Call me anytime if you have a question?" Then you finally make a choice of a vendor / supplier, sign a contract and all of a sudden the calls, the service and the care disappear.
Have you experienced this recently? all too often, I have found the need to question, what happened to customer service?!
So many times when meeting planners / coordinators choose venues and Audio Visual Production companies, they are romanced and offered the sun, the moon, and the stars, but after the contract is signed, it's a whole different picture. Audio Visual companies tell you they have the "Top of the line" equipment and when it arrives, it's outdated equipment and sometimes does not even work correctly. What happened to those meetings? How does that make the planner / coordinator look, when the sound is not working or the screens are wrinkled and sometimes not matching because the projectors are not the same brand, or one has more lamp hours burned on it.
Here is a perfect example, one of our recent new-hires had this to say during their interview "Recently I worked with an Audio Visual company that told me to just make sure I got the client to sign the contract, then we could add all the extra labor and extra fees afterwards," Basically he told me to reel them in, then we could stick it to them". I was horrified that companies would actually contemplate doing that to a valued client. Having worked in the Customer Service industry all my life and knowing that if you treat a client with respect and follow your word and promise of service, you will probably have that client for many years. I found it appalling and walked out the door. This was against my belief of service and I realized that the owner ran his business in what was in my opinion nothing short of deceptive, which I wanted no part of.
Before hiring on with another company, I researched companies and did my own reference checks. That's when I came to Charisma Productions Network. I found that they not only carried out their professed quality care and customer service but they actually educated their clients and let them know when they were being over charged by a provider or venue, and in some cases actually renegotiated the terms and contracts for venues. Their work ethics, customer service standards, their attention to detail, and most importantly their honesty with the clients was the main decision maker for me.
This situation is not the rule but seems to be the norm in today's world. It's sad to think that as a meeting planer, you're thinking of what a professional event you're going to present and then you cannot even get your service providers on the phone when situations begin to pop up and changes need to be made. This is when panic begins to take effect. It seems everyone is doing it, hotels, meeting facilities, AV companies even production companies.
Some hotels tell you that it is mandatory to use their in-house audio visual company (which normally ends up costing you more money than using an outside vendor). Also, you need to read the VERY FINE print on those venue contracts. That's where they sometimes put down room space and not actual room names, which sometimes ends up with you not having use of the rooms that you were promised, and also restrict you from a reasonable time to set up you special event. Even minor changes can turn into major problems and major expense, when in reality, it should not have happened in the first place.
As a corporate planner, when the events are not 100% of what you had anticipated you look bad in front of your client or boss. Your reputation is in jeopardy of being attacked because you are the one who will have to explain the WHY? things did not run as smoothly as you had promised your client or boss, and you also end up explaining all those extra charges that were not on the contract.
When you talk about planning a meetings, conference, product launch, or corporate tours you should always get at least 3 bids, from production or audio visual companies, and see what each has to offer. Then before making your final decision, ask for references, check their websites, and look for testimonials. Referrals from other meeting planners are also very helpful. If the company you are considering is not willing to provide you with this information, you should be very cautious. Planners need to be savvy in who's who in the meeting industry. Not all who profess to have the quality care and service actually bring it to full term.

E-mail me your opinions at info@cpnevents.com


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Don’t Believe the Snow Job the Facilities Give You!

Back-end hidden fees


Mandatory usage of in-house AV

Charisma Productions Network

Have you ever put together an event or meeting and used a facility? Did you need AV for your event? Did the facility tell you that is was mandatory to use their in-house AV? Well, guess what? That’s a “snow job” the facilities use to make even more money from unknowing planners. Most facilities use private inhouse AV companies that have negotiated with the facility to provide service. What does this mean? Basically it means that the AV company provides an estimate of all the equipment that you request and labor needed to complete the task.

When your company sends the facility an RFP they have to make a profit on AV equipment and labor as well. In order for them to make their profit, an extra 40% - 60% is added to your cost on top of the equipment and labor rates. Let’s face it, they’re in business, like everybody else to make a profit.

In-house AV services charge you 40%-60% more than a production company. Why? Because they have contracted with facilities and they have to pay the facility to be there. So, for example, a power surge protector that you need in a conference room, can cost up as much as $50 per day compared to a using an outside AV production company which usually includes power strips and A/C cables at no charge. What a difference!

After making numerous calls in the past months and hearing companies say that the facility they are utilizing has told them that it is mandatory that they use their in-house AV, I found the need to inform planners that this is not true! You don’t need to utilize in-house AV. As a matter of fact, by doing so, you will have a MUCH higher AV bill than utilizing a production company. Not only will you get a much lower AV bill, but you will also get more personalized service.

Also, by utilizing an outside production company you get a project manager that only works on your event. Whereas using the in-house company, they are there for the whole facility and the response time is very slow. On average the response time for an in-house AV service is 7 minutes as compared to an outside production company, working only for your company, of 1.25 minutes.

When you give an RFP to a facility, they may come within your budget, but if you’re not careful and don’t read the fine print, you may get caught “holding the bag”. Every time you make a change, no matter how small, you will be charged extra. At the end of the event, when you get your final bill you’ll find surprise back-end service charges, local and city taxes, labor charges, that you weren’t expecting.

So the next time you begin planning and choosing your facility, make sure the facility can accommodate the number of your attendees and rooms needed for your meetings. Also be sure they can put this in writing and that they will not do double booking for the same meeting rooms in your allotted time frame, because, you must remember, any changes made, big or small, will be done at your cost.

One important question to ask is if they are a union or non-union facility. This can bring on even more charges because union facilities have higher labor rates.

Most importantly remember always send your RFP with your budget constraints out to bid. Get at least 3 bids, one being your facility, and see who can, not only, stay within the restraints of your budget, but can also provide you with the service that you would like to have. This is not going to cost you extra. Bids on RFP’s are at no charge to you.

Event Marketing Boosts Business During Challenging Times

The economic crisis is taking its toll on nearly every industry, and many companies are slashing their marketing budgets to save on expenses. But if we all turn into penny pinchers and scale back on relationship building, our customers are likely to, well, forget about us. Tough times give companies a great opportunity to step out and get noticed; those who keep building relationships are the ones that can fly ahead of the competition.

Research shows that recessions rarely have an adverse impact on spending overall. In fact, studies in every recession since 1940 show that income – and possibly expenditures – rarely declined more than 2 percent. People are still spending money and event marketing can get your company in front of clients so they remember you, connect with you, and most importantly, turn to you first with their dollars.

If your marketing budget is still fairly small, a strategy that typically generates a high return on investment is planning an event. There are plenty of ways to work around even the tightest marketing budget, and creating meaningful events is essential to your success. Whether you’re sponsoring an event or hosting your own, a special event generates immediate interest from potential clients and positions you as a leader in your industry. The result? Brand awareness and maintaining a ‘top of mind’ status.

Staging an event also offers networking benefits; your company can work with local vendors and develop some co-marketing or co-branding initiatives in the future. One of the biggest benefits of event marketing is the word-of-mouth effect that ensues; when clients are excited about a sensational event or interesting activity, they are more than likely tell friends, family members and business associates about it – and are promoting your business as a result. Simply put, hosting an event can be a powerful marketing strategy.

As an event and marketing professional, I understand the importance of building relationships with vendors and collaborative marketing efforts to get in front of the clients by planning vendor meet and greets, client socials and industry expos. By developing one-of-a-kind experiences for your clients, you’ll naturally increase your ROI and can measure the success of the event with surveys or tracking purchases. Event technology can easily log client activity to determine if purchases were made after the event, and tally survey results within seconds.

I encourage businesses to get in front of your clients by planning events during these turbulent economic times. Here are some helpful tips to get you started on your event:

1. Plan it out. Set attainable goals and expectations for your event and give yourself plenty of time to plan out what you want to achieve by having the event, putting together a budget, and ways to be creative to wow your guests.

2. Collaborate your efforts. This sets the stage for sponsorships and co-marketing ideas by teaming up with vendors. This is a great way to cut costs, build a relationship and rely on each other for referrals as you both grow your business.

3. Hire an event planner or dedicated team member. The last thing you want to do is execute a bad event; you want people raving about the experience, not complaining! If you’re on a very tight budget, consider hiring an event planner only for the day of your event to make sure everything runs smoothly.

4. Promote your business before the event. Plan ahead to create marketing materials and get the publicity you need to promote the event long enough to generate strong interest. Call campaigning is a great strategy to personalize the invites by calling attendees to confirm attendance and provides them with the ‘ultimate’ experience from beginning to end.

5. Be resourceful and fun. Consider hosting an event at a restaurant instead of a hotel to save on room fees; most restaurants don’t charge a room fee for private rooms. Having your event at sites that provide entertainment such as a private charter, upscale venue or cooking school can also help provide a unique experience for your guests.

6. Host a late-afternoon soiree. If you can’t afford to host a luncheon or dinner banquet, consider hosting the event from 2:00 – 4:30 so you can serve lights snacks and non-alcoholic beverages instead.

As John F. Kennedy once said, “When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters-one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.”

By building lasting relationships with vendors and clients through event marketing, we can truly see the value in keeping our marketing budgets and seeking opportunity during challenging times.