Useful Tips for Evaluating Your Meeting Venue OptionsWritten by Susan Friedmann
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3. Boutique lodgings service business travelers in search of a home away from home. They are small luxury hotels & resorts with individual personalities – eclectic, quaint hotels housed in historic urban buildings or romantic resorts with flowering gardens and beachside villas (http://www.boutiquelodging.com). However, nice these sound, you definitely need to check what meeting space facilities, if any, they offer. Conference centers. Conference centers encompass a broad gamit of venues which are often purpose-built specifically for meetings and events and offer state-of-the-art facilities, many including videoconferencing. They comprise corporate training centers, universities, resorts, airport, urban and downtown facilities. Your best bet to find a suitable facility is to start your research with International Association of Conference Centers (http://www.iacconline.com/). You can do a worldwide search based on your specific meeting criteria. Convention centers. When you’re looking for a combination of an urban location, plenty of meeting space, and substantial exhibition space, then a convention center is a practical solution. They’re geared up large numbers and generally situated close to airports or in a convenient downtown location. The one drawback is that you would need to use a nearby hotel for accommodation. Resorts. You’ll probably only consider a resort property if relaxation and leisure activities rank high on your priority list. This environment works well for both formal and informal meetings. Resorts Online (http://www.resortsonline.com/) allows you to choose activity you’re most interested in to find an appropriat selection of choices. Retreat centers. These generally work best for smaller more focused groups who are looking for a quiet, serene meeting environment. They encourage “an away from it all” type mentality where people can engage in personal exploration, strategic decision-making, communicaton, and self improvement. Cruise ships. These make an interesting and very different venue option. There are a few companies who specialize in cruise meetings offering facilities worldwide for a wide variety of groups (www.cruisemeetings.com). Many of them will work within your budget constraints to offer complete packages that include airfare, transfers, meals and entertainment. Unique environments. Unique environment don’t always make best meeting spaces, but it’s worth doing your homework to find out. Some options to consider include museums, stately homes, (including castles in Europe - http://www.grandes-etapes-francaises.com/geehome.htm), sporting venues, and theaters. Many of these venues work well for special functions, but don’t necessarily have adequate meeting space facilities and equipment.
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.
| | At Your Service: The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service!Written by Susan Friedmann
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5. Help customers understand your systems. Your organization may have world's best systems for getting things done, but if customers don't understand them, they can get confused, impatient and angry. Take time to explain how your systems work and how they simplify transactions. Be careful that your systems don't reduce human element of your organization. 6. Appreciate power of "Yes". Always look for ways to help your customers. When they have a request (as long as it is reasonable) tell them that you can do it. Figure out how afterwards. Look for ways to make doing business with you easy. Always do what you say you are going to do. 7. Know how to apologize. When something goes wrong, apologize. It's easy and customers like it. The customer may not always be right, but customer must always win. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done. Make it simple for customers to complain. Value their complaints. As much as we dislike it, it gives us an opportunity to improve. Even if customers are having a bad day, go out of your way to make them feel comfortable. 8. Give more than expected. Since future of all companies lies in keeping customers happy, think of ways to elevate yourself above competition. Consider following: - What can you give customers that they cannot get elsewhere? - What can you do to follow-up and thank people even when they don't buy? - What can you give customers that is totally unexpected? 9. Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve. There are several ways in which you can find out what customers think and feel about your services. - Listen carefully to what they say. - Check back regularly to see how things are going. - Provide a method that invites constructive criticism, comments and suggestions. 10. Treat employees well. Employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. Treat your employees with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for customers. Appreciation stems from top. Treating customers and employees well is equally important.
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.
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