Planning a Meeting?

We spend a large part of our work life interacting with others. It takes no effort to pick up a phone, but a face to face meeting with clients needs at least some preparation. Cut to a larger scenario - a high powered, company wide, annual meeting, and whoa, the hackles start to rise already! Planning a meeting contributes nearly as much to its success as the actual goings-on itself. If you've got a big meeting ahead of you, don't put off thinking about it till the previous weekend. There's a lot more to planning a meeting than planning to meet (and no, we're not sounding corny on purpose). Here are some of the most important things to do:

Set your eyes on the goal - oh no, not that wretched "g" word again. It's an annual company review; what other goal is there to think about, you ask. But scratch the surface a bit, and you'll see the finer points - is it just an annual performance roundup, or do you wish to lay the groundwork for future initiatives? If the past year has been rough, are we talking tough decisions? What is the intended outcome of the meeting? Get the objectives straight, and you've got step one of the agenda out of the way. If you don't believe us, see what the folks at The Walk The Talk Company have to say about the importance of goal setting.

Make the invite list - it's a great idea to invite an outsider for at least part of a company meeting - the novelty usually provides a welcome relief, and could also infuse a fresh perspective. When you're planning a meeting, pay attention to the roles people are expected to play - try to make sure everyone feels involved. Taking help from your staff and assigning them specific responsibilities during the meeting will take a load off your back.

Balance the agenda - An annual conference is something to look forward to, but it won't be that unless the agenda includes some entertainment or non-work activities. In the hurly burly of planning a meting, don't forget to design the after-hours events. While most people are happy to simply party, it might be a better idea to include a team based activity, something that people don't usually get to do during their normal routine.

Of course, planning a meeting that's high on style is of no use, if you don't have the resources to fund it. The budget never goes away, and meetings are no exception! Apart from the larger costs of travel and stay, factor in entertainment, equipment hire and incidental expenses. A meeting within the company premises might save costs, but is likely to be low on impact. There's also a very real possibility of routine work coming in the way, leading to frequent disruption. All things considered, a big meeting is best conducted off-site.

Once you have the above sorted out, its time to proceed with action. If you're not familiar with the venue of the meeting, it's important that someone takes a look at it beforehand. Plan the layout of the meeting rooms, make a checklist of equipment and electrical needs and hand it over to the person in charge at the venue. Also survey the rooms where your guests will stay, as well as the other facilities, which might have a bearing on the entertainment plans. Most hotels have activity managers who are quite resourceful; it's a good idea to consult with them while planning a meeting on their premises.