Planning high-level executive meetings can be some of the most challenging events planners produce. While board meetings or executive retreats aren’t necessarily the largest or most complex meetings you may ever plan, they are loaded with opportunities and challenges you have to anticipate and accommodate. Follow these guidelines to ensure a successful event for all in attendance:
· The first thing you need to do is evaluate who your attendees are and make sure you have a thorough understanding of their needs and desires. You’ll want a clear understanding not only of who is attending, but what is important to those in attendance. Know what the demographics of your group are: age, gender, origin, special health or dietary needs, backgrounds, hobbies, interests, etc. The more you know about who is in attendance, the better you can tailor the meeting to best fit them. For instance, I recently planned a board retreat at a resort where we integrated the environment into the meeting to break up multi-day sessions and allow attendees, who are the sort who love being outside, to experience the various aspects of the resort. I purposely placed every meal or break event in an unusual venue such as the opening night dinner at the golf clubhouse overlooking the 18th hole at sunset, after dinner drinks around a fire pit complete with rocking chairs, blankets and S’mores, continental breakfast one day in the butterfly and herb garden with an instructor leading gentle stretches and yoga poses, breaks on decks overlooking gardens, etc. It doesn’t make much sense to take a group to active people to a resort to then keep them closed up inside meeting rooms all day long. Using these changes of venues required no extra expense, only a little extra time to allow for group movement and some creativity when conducting my site visit to allow me to spot places where I could take my group.
For a board meeting for a medical association whose incoming chair was an avid fly fisherman, I surprised the group with some private lessons one afternoon from a local fly fishing company. We scheduled a 45 minute afternoon break, told everyone to dress casually that day (it was two full eight-hour days of meetings) and then escorted everyone out of the hotel, along the banks of the river to a grove where we had instructors with rods and lines, as well as refreshments and hammocks for those who just wanted to stretch out and relax for awhile. The doctors loved it, especially the chair who was able to share something he loved with his counterparts.
· Know what the purpose of the meeting is, what the desired outcomes are and how the purpose of the meeting will influence the format of the meeting. For instance, is this a regularly scheduled meeting of the board, or a meeting scheduled to address an urgent issue that is affecting their industry. Will the group remain as a whole, or will there be a need for breakouts and group meetings? Knowing these things can help you select the best facility for conducting your meeting and ensure you are providing enough space and the right type of space for your group’s needs. For a full-day planning meeting to brainstorm a way to completely restructure an organization’s 5000 person annual meeting, I selected an offsite conference center that specialized in brainstorming meetings. In addition to the general session rooms, there were breakout rooms such as the rocking chair room where a circle of rocking chairs and white boards lined the walls, a deck with patio and picnic style seating, a library complete with living room style seating, books, games, toys, etc.; even a room with large bean bag type of seating.
· Consider how you set up the room to inspire creativity, promote productivity and create a feeling of warmth and openness. If you are seating everyone around a conference table, consider using blotters with colored placemat inserts to create a theme. If you are trying to spark creativity or alleviate stress, consider placing individual toys such as small Etch a Sketches, doodle art pads, play do, slinkies, candies, and specialty waters at each place setting. If you are going for a more formal, executive look, you can still introduce color in the form of colored linens, blotters, pads, etc. to create a themed look. Many hotels have now added these items into their standard meeting packages and you can upgrade the look of your meeting for free or at a relatively low cost. For an example, check out the Omni Hotels Sensational Meetings http://www.omnihotels.com/MeetingsAndEvents/SensationalMeetings.aspx.
· Work closely with your caterer to present food that is attractive, distinctive, energizing and delicious. Make sure you allow plenty of options in your food selections and accommodate special menu needs. If your group is health conscious, you’ll want to make this matter known to your caterer so they can prepare and label food accordingly. Get creative with your selections and surprise your guests with a different way of presenting the standard coffee break. Perhaps a barista creating coffee drinks to order or a smoothie bar for the morning and an ice cream bar for an afternoon break might be something your attendees will appreciate. Make sure you know what your attendees want and challenge your caterer or chef to find the most interesting and creative way to present it.
· If your attendees are from out of town, make sure you VIP their reservations with the hotel and personally check to make sure they are taken care of by the hotel. Prior to the meeting, if the hotel doesn’t have a VIP manager, ask to speak with the concierge or guest service manager and discuss the importance of your group and any special needs they might have. I always make a point to handwrite welcome notes to my VIPs and include my business card with my cell number in case they have any issues or concerns on site. There is nothing worse than finding out after the fact that one of your VIPs has been haggling with the hotel over some issue throughout their entire stay, especially if it is something that you could have resolved quickly and easily. In addition, should they have a special need that arises, they can notify you immediately so that you can resolve the situation. I once had a chair elect who traveled with his wife and special needs child who required access to the outdoors, in the form of a balcony or patio. The conference headquarter hotel where I placed all my VIPs didn’t have balconies and I received a call on my cell phone from him on the first night explaining the situation. I was able to move them immediately to one of the secondary hotels that had balconies overlooking the river and he was delighted.
Knowing your group’s needs, purpose, goals, and what makes them special and unique is the first step to planning a successful board meeting and ensuring a positive outcome for all involved. Take time to ask some questions, reach a deeper understanding of the group and you’ll guarantee board meetings that mean business!
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