Interview with Ann
Boehme,
author of Planning Successful Meetings and
Events
author of Planning Successful Meetings and Events
sl What are the most important steps people need to take to prepare for a business meeting?
AB You have to be aligned with the program chairperson and his or her goals and objectives for the meeting. The best way to do this is this through communication and being part of the meeting. If you miss the boat here, nothing else will matter.
sl In your opinion, what are the three most important things that go into planning a successful meeting?
AB I think the energy level of the person who's planning it and the level of confidence. You have to be very organized, yet you can't lose sight of the bigger, broader picture. Also, you have to be creative and caring.
sl What are the usual problems or mistakes people make with planning?
AB Anything can happen. The trick is to defuse the bombs. What do you do when a speaker doesn't arrive? So, tactics must be used to plan ahead.
sl Do you think it's a mistake for planners to wing it? Any examples and what happened?
AB Yes. We (Meetings & Management Techniques) were doing a program in Acapulco. The meeting center was on the hotel grounds, yet away from the rooms. The night before the meeting, the program chairman went there, and I had the room set up. We looked at it, and he approved. We went to our rooms. He was happy. I couldn't sleep. About midnight, I woke up, got dressed and walked around the center. The entire hotel staff were taking all the tables, chairs and equipment on the lawn, thinking they were for a cocktail party.
sl Do you have a story on the do's and don'ts of business meetings?)
AB They're never humorous when they're happening. People have been fired for mistakes. Then again, it could be humorous. National flags set up wrong at an international meeting, for example.
sl Can you tell us about your experience that led up to writing this book?
AB When the American Management Association called me to ask me if I would write this book, my first thought was "It's not what I do. I'm a teacher. I lecture and have been lecturing since 1981 about industry topics. I'm a direct mail marketer, and I've produced seminars and conferences, yet I'm neither a corporate planner nor pretend to be." So, I said no. They called me again, and I thought about it and said "You know, somebody is going to write the book. It may as well be me." I decided to overcome the inclination of not writing. I did have 20 somewhat years of experience to bring to it.
sl What are the different types of meetings people plan?
AB People plan medical meetings, and
I mentioned that first because my experience is primarily in
medical meetings. Corporate meetings deal with training, sales,
promotion, product launching, etc. Then, there are associate
meetings that are more comprehensive since it usually involves
exhibits at trade shows, continuing education shows at colleges,
and private providers. And, there's domestic and world
meetings.
sl Any common liabilities people need to be aware of? What
should they do about them?
AB There's a lot of liabilities. Many corporations and associations have policies that protect themselves. You could be sued for you're thoughtlessness, or worse. I knew a friend who was working with a guy in the NY Infirmary. They were working on human eyes as a project, and they sent a resident to the morgue to get a dozen, frozen human heads. Body part are used in medical meetings. So, the guy had them in a van, and he stopped it so he could get some coffee. When he came back, the van was missing. The resident went to the police. They locked him up.
sl Did you have a personal philosophy about planning successful meetings?
AB Yes. You have to keep fresh. Think about the actors in a play who work day after day, week after week, month after month. They need theatrical support to keep their energy level up.
sl How do you suggest people measure the success of a meeting?
AB Number of bodies, times number of dollars, minus expenses.
For more information about Ann's book or to place an order with Amazon.com, click here Planning Successful Meetings and Events
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