A day in the life of a meeting planner
- By Jessica Elmore
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- 17 Feb, 2017
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Staying organized is key to success
A key element to a meeting planner’s life is staying as organized as possible. Their entire workday includes coordinating all aspects of their client’s events. They are responsible for choosing meeting locations, providing transportation, handling event registration, picking menus, organizing the logistics and ensuring everything goes smoothly and the attendees are happy. For individuals that enjoy being meticulous about details and timeliness, you will fit in perfectly with this position.
Many meeting planners keep a physical a digital copy of their daily schedule. This ensures that if either are lost or misplaced that they do not miss a step. The core job of a meeting planner is to be on top of things and handle any issues that arise without anyone realizing something has gone awry.
Consistent communication at all times
Meeting planners bread and butter is all about their communication skills. Interpersonal skills are crucial in this role. A confident composure exudes professionalism and a sense of knowing what is going on. Planners regularly interact with clients, hotel staff, attendees and various vendors so being polite, knowledgeable and efficient is vital.
Planners are also typically required to travel to the events they organize. This can entail exotic locations or downtown hotel convention centers. Being flexible and creative are important aspects of a meeting planners day to day life.
Suggesting ideas to clients
When a client gains trust within a meeting planner, they become more than just an individual that worries about logistics. Business/corporate clients have a tendency to seek fresh ideas/perspectives from their team when necessary. Meeting planners that are an asset to a client ends up becoming a critical business partner as well. Planners that go above and beyond by completing work such as research outside of the basics, planning far ahead of time, and consistency builds a great reputation.
In all, the life of a meeting planner is hectic yet highly rewarding. One day is not like the next, there are so many wide-ranging functions, frequent deadlines and last minute changes that the profession keeps you on your toes. Once the meeting comes to completion, there is nothing like the feeling of knowing you helped the client achieve their vision and provided the attendees with a positive experience. If you are interested in meeting planning, contact elm planning today.
During the pandemic, thousands of pilots were offered early retirement packages in order to cut labor bills due to the lack of travel demand. Now that travel for pleasure and business is rebounding from the pandemic, approximately 14,000 flights in the US were recently cancelled or delayed due to the lack of pilots, carriers, and other staff.
