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Meeting
Management & Consultation Services
Accounting
services
Planning a meeting or an event is difficult enough. Now, you have
to take into consideration the accounting side of it. There is more
to accounting than checks and balances. Paying bills, paying suppliers,
sending invoices, tracking payments, accepting registration and
sponsorship money, logging the information...and the list goes on.
Let us help you with payables and receivables. CCi
will send weekly reports to you, your committee and/or your accountant
for review. This service can go hand-in-hand with budgeting so that
you can be assured to stay within your financial boundaries.
Budgeting events
When planning a meeting/event, you must first come up with an objective.
Once this is agreed upon, you can formulate a budget based on those
needs. CCi can work with you to determine the objective,
analyze the fixed and variable costs, then suggest a registration
fee that will ensure at least a break-even budget, if not a pre-determined
profit as your annual budget states.
Contract negotiations
CCi can review your contracts for hotels, conference
centers, convention centers, airlines and any off-site destinations.
With our experience, we can help negotiate better pricing and concessions,
as well as help explain and adjust clauses that might be of concern
to you.
Customized promotion
CCi can customize registration and housing, as
well as conference brochures, that fit the needs of your organization.
Prior to your first conference mailing, CCi will work with you on
the design of your brochures. Suggested possible edits or additions
to improve clarity may be offered. This saves time and effort to
prevent possible costly mistakes. Registration
can also be set up electronically on the organization's website
for easy access. Your customized website will collect the necessary
registrant information required for accurate reporting. Other functions
and features can be integrated based on your needs.
Developing a Request for Proposal
(RFP)
Prior to searching out a hotel and/or venue, it is imperative to
know your group history in order to be sure that the proper sleeping
and meeting rooms are available. You also want to offer full disclosure
to the hotel/venue, so that you do not have to renegotiate your
contract just prior to the event. CCi can help
put together a Request for Proposal (RFP) to submit to these hotel(s)
and/or venue(s) by collecting important meeting history that will
ensure an accurate accounting of the organization's needs, prior
to receiving proposals or signing contracts.
Food & beverage planning/selection
CCi will make sure that your organization receives
the best quality service and be sure there is the correct quantity
of food, all within the scope of the budget by reviewing menus,
making recommendations, negotiating and assisting in contracts,
carefully pre-ordering based on standard meeting industry formulas,
using onsite monitoring and inventory practices, submitting accurate
guarantees based on past history, monitoring expenses and attrition
fees and reviewing the final bill.
Hotel
room block management
Sometimes it is easier to have someone else manage your housing
needs in lieu of your in-house staff having to manage the hotel
room inventory. Taking a direct role in the process allows you to
maximize your room block based on reservation changes, cancellations
and additions without worrying about room attrition. Each attendee
will be sent confirmations and updated conference/meeting information
will be sent periodically.
Online hotel/housing registration
CCi will assist with secure, customized, on-line
housing to be set up on the organization's website, monitored by
CCi and changed at the request of the client. Samples
can be set up for the organization to view ahead of time before
making the site "live". CCi will work with the hotel to
ensure accurate room reservations for your attendees, based on the
housing registration forms submitted.
Online
meeting/convention registration
CCi will assist with secure, customized, on-line
registration to be set up on the organization's website, monitored
by CCi and changed at the request of the client.
Samples can be set up for the organization to view ahead of time
before making the site "live".
Onsite
management
The goal is to make the on-site experience smooth and stress-free
for the organization's Board Members, members, guests and staff.
Our staff can travel onsite with your event. All prior arrangements
will be confirmed, anticipating any potential problems, checking
each event in advance, and staying in constant communication with
facility and service staffs. Additionally, our onsite staff can
help will any and all of the following duties:
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Conduct
or assist with the pre-convention meeting
-
Continue
management of your database (on-site registration)
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Check
the arrival and delivery of shipments
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Assist in the office set-up
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Generate
badges
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Prepare
registration packets
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Offer computer support and coordination of temporary staff
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Conduct
personnel briefings with suppliers (DMC, general service contractor,
audio/visual company, florist, photographer, security, etc.)
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Provide updates on guarantees and attendee counts to hotel and
suppliers
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Monitor staffing levels of the hotel's front desk for maximum
service
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Verify
accurate meeting room sets
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Check
placement and working condition of audio visual equipment Meet
with speakers to ensure their needs are fulfilled
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Supervise
the correct placement of buffets and bars for smooth traffic
flow during events
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Control
costs through monitoring and inventorying food and beverage
events
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Review
banquet checks and supplier invoices for accuracy
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Ensure that the tour company fulfills requirements contracted
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Negotiate better pricing if service levels have not met expectations
Post convention reports
(history tracking)
It is essential to record what was successful and what can be improved
about your meeting. One of the most important benefits is that it
illustrates the value of your meeting. When presented with your
meeting's total value, you have a better idea as to when to book
your meeting, at what room rates, and what concessions are appropriate.
The Post Conference Report includes a breakdown of your guest room
pick up, pattern and revenues generated; the total meeting and catering
expenses on-site and off; and suggestions and recommendations for
the pre-planning and on-site stages of future meetings.
Site development and research
Based on the group's preferences, CCi will assist in researching
various location/hotel options for you to hold your event(s). In
order to meet the needs of your organization and allow for better
help negotiation tools, we recommend that this be done well in advance
of the event(s).
Speaker management and research
Communication with the speakers will be made in advance of the event.
CCi can work with each speaker personally to ensure
accurate audiovisual is set, handouts are prepared and hotel accommodations
are set. If you are looking for a particular type of speaker, CCi
has relationships with several professional speaker bureaus and
can research and recommend speakers for your event based on your
objectives.
Spouse/guest programs
Depending on your venue and free time, we can make suggestions,
plan and organize your offsite tours or special activities.
Supplier management
You can save your time in order to work on more important aspects
of the meeting by allowing us to help select and contract the best
suppliers in the industry to help with your event. We are able to
put together the RFP, offer suggestions, and help with the contract
process when choosing your suppliers in both the pre-planning and
on-site stages. Listed are some examples of suppliers that the planner
can be of assistance with: audiovisual services, convention &
visitors bureaus, destination management companies, entertainment,
ground transportation, general service contractors, off-property
events, office equipment rentals, photographers, registration personnel,
security and sponsor needs and requests.
Trade
show management
Sometimes meetings are to labor intensive, you find you need help
with your trade show. We can help you develop, promote, implement
and manage your trade show. CCi handles pre- and
post- show details, drayage, exhibitor interaction, logistical coordination
and more... |
