Archive for the ‘General Meeting Ideas’ Category

That huge sigh of relief you just heard? It came from our catalog development team. Twice a year we pile all the additional responsibility of designing, writing and photographing more than a hundred pages of our products on top of their usual duties. It’s a big job – one they pull off with aplomb each and every time. All so that you can find the best solutions to your meeting registration needs in one handy reference book.

Inside you’ll find New innovations to make your job faster, easier and all-around better. With new items in every category, even quicker production times on dozens of our current products, and new thoughtful details that make your pc/nametag® favorites even better! Plus FREE samples so you can see the difference for yourself. View all of our new products for 2010 HERE.

So now you know the back-story to our latest catalog production—Let me know what you think of it.

What's the question Jeanne gets asked most? Find out now.

One of the many benefits of having seasoned staff is the amount of knowledge they can share with our customers. It’s especially valuable when the customer is new to meeting planning – or when an experienced planner bumps into a last-minute problem and needs to shoot from the hip.

One of our most experienced Customer Service Reps. is Jeanne. Before joining us all the way back in 1997 she had spent the previous decade as a meeting planner.

With that much time “in the business” folks are constantly asking her for advice. That’s why we were so happy she agreed to sit down with us on camera and walk us through one of the most common questions she gets over the phone. To see what it is – and what the answers are, watch here.

International events call for a welcoming feel all their own.

Ever since we were confronted with stories of the ugly Americans travelling the world, I think we as a nation have gotten better at being respectful of other cultures and their languages.  Sure, we could always do better, but in my travels to Europe and Asia, I think other nations may have even  taken our place at the top of the list of Ugly Travelers. 

One thing that really stands out in my mind is that the Europeans and Asians who want our business really work at learning English.  Granted it is becoming the language of business but what is interesting is that most Europeans don’t just learn English, they learn two and three languages beyond their own.  In a sense they are blessed with the proximity to different tongues.  But they also see it as a way to advance.   Walk in to a restaurant and it’s relatively easy to find and English-speaking member of the staff to service you.  And most places have a menu in English as well as the native language.  Many even have French, Italian, German, and other translations all available. 

So what does this have to do with meeting planning? I always try and learn some of the language in the land I am visiting so that they see I at least am making an effort to understand, but you have to admit we all feel instantly more welcome and comfortable when  that person caters to me in my native tongue – or finds someone who can.

And I think there’s a lesson for all of us meeting planners in this. We all feel more welcome when others reach out to understand us.

For years, I’ve thought US stores and restaurants should put up the little flag decals on the windows of their stores when they had someone who can speak a foreign tongue. The same could go for your even staff. Many cities are blessed with thousands of students who are required to have taken a language ­- that’s an outstanding opportunity to take advantage of when you’re looking for event staff and translation resources. And when you’re hosting an international crowd wouldn’t it be great if we could reciprocate and offer menus in their languages and staff that could help them.  Little pins on uniforms with German or Spanish or Mexican or French flags would bring smiles to the folks who come for your event but would love to speak to someone in their own tongue.  Oui?

Lights, camera, assembly! We’ve got the helpful “how to” videos you need.

Even after 30 years in the meeting planning business I find there’s still plenty to learn.

That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce pc/nametag® Nametag U – a series of E-mails dedicated to the ins and outs of name tag design and assembly.

Over the next few months we’ll be covering topics like speeding assembly, different techniques for segmenting and identifying guests, hassle-free onsite printing and more. In print and video so you can get the knowledge the way you learn best.

We’re also giving you a chance to win the praise of your fellow planners by posting your best name tag tips on our Facebook Wall – we can all learn from each other, get the job done faster and easier.

Look for the e-mails in your in-box or, if you don’t currently receive our pc/nametag e-mails, sign up here.

No more tracking worries with trackthis

As meeting planners it’s a given that the volume of packages increase and the margin for error decrease as the big day approaches. With different vendors shipping with different carriers tracking packages can get incredibly confusing. Did you check them all? Can you find their site? Did you remember the tracking number or is it back at the office? And don’t you wish everyone e-mailed you the tracking numbers like pc/nametag does?

But Way Cool Tools guru and Meeting U founder Jim Spellos has tracked down a tool guaranteed to solve your shipping anxieties. It’s called trackthis and it automatically sends tracking progress reports for UPS, Fedex, USPS, DHL and other packages to your e-mail, SMS, Twitter or Facebook accounts. There’s even an iPhone app! Once you enter the tracking number on the trackthis site the updates are automatically sent to you – no worries, no tracking numbers to remember. So, can you feel your blood pressure coming down?

We’ve all seen them at events and conferences: Corporate logos that seem to consume the entire bag they’re printed on. The sponsor polo that looks like it belongs on the NASCAR circuit and the ball cap that’s being swallowed whole by the logo printed on it.

But do you notice you rarely see those sponsor items after the event is over? That’s because, frankly, they’re ugly and nobody wants to be seen in them. And that does no good for the sponsor when your attendees get back to the office.

To achieve a truly professional appearance with your giveaway items – and guarantee they see plenty of use after the event – we recommend the following steps:

Does your logo fit its destination?

Ask yourself, “Where will this logo go home to?”
What setting is your logo going to be in after the event ends and will the logo treatment you’re considering look natural there?

Attendees at your paralegal conference will go back to law offices so a briefcase or padfolio with a smaller, understated logo looks right for a refined setting. And that means it’s more likely to get used – and more likely to get seen.

This advice is also an invaluable, albeit subtle, sponsorship selling tool. Asking a potential sponsor where they want the product used AFTER the meeting helps them recognize this sponsorship as the long-term investment it is.

Negative space for positive exposure.

Use negative space to draw attention to your logo. Strange as it seems a smaller logo can sometimes draw more attention due to a graphic design concept known as negative space. In this case, the solid space around the logo on our Eco Deluxe Messenger Bag (shown at right) actually pulls your eye in to focus on the logo.

Refined Logo = Higher Perceived Value

Smaller logos can increase perceived value. That’s right, a properly proportion, tastefully-placed logo actually increases the perceived value of a giveaway. Case in point, the Wavelength Jr Padfolio shown at left. It’s priced as low as $3.99 each and, with a smaller better-proportioned logo that maximizes the use of negative space, looks like a very expensive accessory.

A commanding logo demands big space.

Sometimes a logo really should be larger than life. Consider this commanding logo shown at right. It demands to be on a big, broad surface like our Large Imprinted Tradeshow Tote.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. If it all these logo rules seem bewildering just pick up the phone and give our representatives a call. Our production artists are pros at making your sponsorships look great.

Your turn. Got any sponsor items you’re especially proud of? Feel free to share them with us here.

What's in a name? Better manners according to behavioral psychologists

There’s a fascinating effect in social psychology known as deindividuation. Without getting too technical, the idea is that when individuals perceive they are anonymous their behavior becomes less socially acceptable – which is to say they get more aggressive, and lose their ability to empathize with the people around them.

So what does this have to do with meeting planning? Read on.

One of the classic studies on this subject was performed by Philip Zimbardo in 1969. In it participants were told to “shock” an actor posing as another participant each time the actor answered a question incorrectly.

The participant was told the voltage increased with each incorrect answer and the actor showed more and more discomfort as the experiment progressed.

The interesting part of the study for me? Participants who were wearing a nametag were more likely to refuse to shock the actor.

So wearing a nametag holds attendees more accountable to accepted social norms. That means guests are friendlier, more open to being approached. And that means productive networking experience all around.

Sure these are thing all of us have learned anecdotally over the years in the meeting planning business, but it’s nice to have science on your side.

What other strategies do you use to keep attendees friendly and social?

If you have several hundred people attending your event, getting everyone seated and served on time is often a challenge, particularly at breakfast and lunch.  One trick that I have learned is to “reserve” a bunch of tables in the back of the room, those that are closest to the entrance. 

By putting double sided “RESERVED” nametents on your back tables, it forces early attendees to the front of the room, closest to the speaker and the stage.  I always enlist the help of the waiters and captains to move people to the tables that are not “RESERVED.” 

The result is the front of the room’s tables get filled quickly and the wait staff can start service – and have an easier time serving since they are catering full tables instead of 2’s and 3’s.  Also, by serving the front tables early, their plates are cleared and they are less disruptive if you are tight on time and the speaker must start.  The late arrivers and stragglers sit in the back of the room and can be served while the program has begun. 

Use this tip just once and your wait staff will love you for it.  It makes their jobs easier. 

Remember to take the “RESERVED” nametents down one at a time so that the server can take care of a full table.  Try it.  Most hotels have reserved signs, but I find they are generally too small so I print my own on Large Nametent Stock and use their stands to elevate them.

What tips do you use to ease traffic congestion during seating?

Your hard work does get noticed!

As meeting planners we work hard. And it’s always gratifying to know our partners on the hospitality side know and appreciate that fact. Josh baker National Sales Manager for the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel recently wrote about the subject of “Meeting Planner Pet Peeves” on officearrow.com.

Thanks, Josh – from the bottom of our stressed out, harried and detail-oriented hearts.

In an interview of industry leaders not long ago, Steven Hacker, President of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, made an interesting point.  Hacker was quoted in Incentive, as saying “Travel has been obliterated.  There is no elegance left, no sophistication left in getting on an airplane. I can’t tell you how many people at the airport and on the plane commented to me about how nice it is to see somebody wearing a suit.” 

That statement got me thinking, are we also de-glamorizing meetings by our business casual and casual dress codes?  Are we making it like another day in the office?  Should we be making the meeting something “special?”  Something that you dress in your Sunday best for? 

And from a meeting value point of view, if you make dressing up a little bit more important, does it make the content at the meeting seem more important and valuable as well? Does being in a suit make you feel like one of “The Suits?” And, if so, is that really such a bad thing?  Do we treat people with a more business like attitude if they are in a suit?  Sure that’s a lot of questions to throw at you but your comments are well appreciated.

From our complete selection of Nametag Organizers to our Rolling Office and On Site File Drawers, we love to keep life orderly. And we resolve to bring you even more innovative organizational products to make your job easier in 2010.

So what steps are you taking to be even more organized and efficient this year?

Chair Back Cover reserves space for wheelchairs

Years ago, I was invited to bid on running a meeting where a large portion of the people were in wheelchairs.  This was right about the time that the first President Bush had signed the American Disabilities Act which provided new rights to those with limitations.  It was a great piece of legislation and put every meeting planner on a learning mission as to how we could open up our meeting to those with limitations.  At the meeting I attended, I saw how people who do meetings for people with disabilities met those needs. 

First, you need to make sure you work closely with your convention services staff and your setup people.  What you must do is take out two rows of two chairs – four chairs – along the aisle.  Now you have adequate space for a person to easily roll in and out.  Second, you need to identify or mark the area so that someone doesn’t take a chair from elsewhere and park it in the space.  I would make a simple paper nametent, use the stock that is scored for your convenience that said “Reserved for Wheelchair” and place it in the center of the space.  You can also use a Chair Back Handicapped Cover to clearly designate the space.  You also need to make sure that the convention services setup people remember to leave the sign and the space when they refresh the room. 

Lastly, don’t do this just in the back of the room.  If you are treating people equally, you will give them a choice of where they want to sit.  The spaces need to be carved out next to an aisle, but you should allocate space in the back, middle, and front of the room.  If I only have one wheel chair guest, I would tactfully ask the person if they had a preference as to where they liked sitting and I would be able to just allocate one space. 

I would do the same for my food functions and I would always remove two seats for every wheelchair.  Always close to the aisles for easier mobility.  And if possible, I would open the doors early for people with wheelchairs so they could move in to their seats easier.

If you have been following the news, you know that bedbugs are infesting hotels – and then homes – from one coast to another.  I am not trying to blame hotels for this widening crisis – it often starts with people bringing bedbugs into hotels.  Getting rid of bedbugs is a costly and time consuming task.  Cures range from spraying your entire house, putting mattresses in refrigerated trucks, and bringing in special dogs.  Obviously the best way to avoid bringing bedbugs home with you is to not stay in a hotel where there is a problem.  Nor do you want to  have your attendees stay in a hotel where there is a problem.  Now, as a professional, there is a way to help minimize the risk of selecting a hotel with bedbugs for your meetings or staying in one while you travel.  Click here and visit the bedbug registry.  You can look up to see if your hotel is listed as one which has a bedbug problem.  It even lists homes and apartments.  Check out your next stay in advance. 

Meetings and Conventions magazine talks about a great offer made by those holding meetings at Gaylord Hotels.  For a mere $500, they will have someone write a song just for your meeting and then have a professional singer perform it for your group.  The lyrics are written to an existing song.  Actually, quite a great idea and a cute one as well.  The price seems reasonable, too.  Think about how much fun you could have poking fun at your CEO – “They took away my jet, and  my wife can’t shop at Bergdorf’s on the weekends.”