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Have You Lost Respect for Your RSVP?

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Missy JohnsonPost written by Missy Johnson, Principal, MJMeetings, LLC | Meetings Consultant | Gourmet Food & Wine Enthusiast | Sports Fan

I’m bothered by a current and growing trend in our society. It seems that the public is numb to the meaning of the RSVP for parties, events or invitations to just about any occasion.

RSVP is a widely known acronym for Répondez s’il vous plait, which is a French language phrase for “Reply if you please”.

Any event organizer knows the frustrations that come with not knowing an exact count of invited guests. The event venue fee is sometimes tied to your total guest count and food and beverage guarantees are traditionally paid per person. If party favors or gifts are included in the event, having an accurate RSVP count is very important.

Of course it’s reasonable to expect that any party or event will have some expected guests that no-show or provide last minute cancellations in the final days before the event.

Depending on your event’s size, a typical amount is 10-20% of your expected guest list and any rational event planner understands that some guests become ill, have family emergencies or have unexpected work demands that come up after an RSVP is given. So for the sake of argument, let’s take this small group out of the equation.

RSVPIn recent years, I’ve observed people across all industries and professions have less and less respect for what an RSVP means and, more importantly, how it reflects on them personally and professionally.

In my experience, no-show’s and day-of-event cancellations have risen sharply to 20-35% of total guest count across all different types of events/parties.

I’m just going to put this out there…I think it’s rude to no-show and I think it reflects poorly on your character, especially if you’re a repeat offender. (Those who no-show often make a habit of it.)

Far too many people have become LAZY and if they just don’t feel like going to an event that they themselves have paid nothing for and spent no time planning, they just don’t go without giving any thought at all about the ramifications of their failed RSVP.

Event organizers and host sponsors of events plan and pay for events based on your attendance at the event. If you don’t attend, the costs are great…and the overall event ROI (return on investment) is diminished.

To me, this seems like common sense as an event organizer…but also as a human being.

I have too much respect for my RSVP to no-show. What about you?

What do you think? What’s your experience been? Leave a comment below or email me at missy@mjmeetings.com to share your thoughts on the state of the RSVP in our culture.

3 Communication Strategies I Live By

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Missy Johnson, CMPPost written by Missy Johnson, Principal, MJMeetings, LLC | Meetings Consultant | Gourmet Food & Wine Enthusiast | Sports Fan

Have you ever observed a supervisor or manager communicate poorly with a key vendor or top sponsor? Have you noticed when your coworker can’t quite manage to convey an important message to an internal partner? Or maybe you’ve seen a colleague talk down to a line worker at your annual meeting hotel.

And then you think to yourself…”That could have been handled differently with better results for all involved.”

Superior communication skills are the #1 critical skill a meeting professional can posses.

In this profession we must be communication chameleons – able to quickly adapt and change our communication style and message to fit others in varying settings. We communicate with CEO’s, managers, peers, hotel conference staff and A-V technicians, and more…sometimes all in the same day.

So how do you achieve this? Just like anything else, it takes practice. Here are 3 communication strategies I live by:

3 Communication Tips1. Assume Good Intent

If you enter every interaction assuming that both you and the other party have good intent, and that your actions as a result of your communication will result in a positive outcome, you’ve started in the right place. This is sometimes hard to do, but try it and I think you’ll find that your communications overall will be more positive.

2. Simplify the Message

Working with CXO’s taught me an important lesson…simple messages are more effective. Don’t give more detail or background unless you’re asked or required to provide it. Distilling your message to the most important and strategic points more quickly gets you where you need to go.

3. Follow-up is Critical

After messages have been delivered, I take the responsibility to follow-up on items that were communicated. This is a step of communication that is often missed, yet is so very important. A simple follow-up can be extremely effective and is another way of saying, “I care so much about our conversation that I’m double-checking to ensure we got it right.”

What other communication strategies do you live by? Share it here with me and my readers.

Oh, and if you want to receive my free weekly blog post right in your inbox…subscribe here in just two seconds!

ROI! ROI! ROI! (Yes, Let’s Talk About ROI.)

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Missy Johnson, CMP

Every C-level executive is always looking for more ROI from everyone in their organizations and on every project they undertake.

The good news is that your organization’s meetings and events are ripe for demonstrating smart ROI.

S0 how do you provide ROI without sacrificing the experience you want for your attendees? Work with an experienced meeting professional to help you take advantage of ROI opportunities such as:

Volume = Savings

Think about how buying in bulk helps you save money at Costco and other warehouse retailers. Bundling your purchasing of meeting and event space works exactly the same way.

Meeting and event venues will give you more of a discount on room rental, guest room rates, food and beverage and audio-visual services when you purchase in volume. Think about booking multiple years at a time or, for a repeat event, book multiple hotels within the same chain to leverage savings.

Timing is Key to Deeper Discounts

Experienced meeting professionals know that sometimes it pays to procrastinate. Waiting until the end of a quarter and especially the end of a calendar year can yield significant savings when booking meetings and events.

ROISales professionals are motivated to close business during these times and will almost always give you greater discounts on the things that matter the most to you.

Make your “Hot Buttons” Known

Meeting professionals know that in negotiations you must make it known early on to vendors that you have a certain budget to meet or must gain a complimentary concession in order for them to have an opportunity to win the business. We call them “Hot Buttons.”

Every sales professional in our industry knows to expect a few Hot Buttons. It might be that you want to have free WIFI in all guest rooms, you must have a discount on food & beverage, or that you need to have three complimentary suite upgrades for your VIPs.

Whatever your “Hot Buttons” are, make them known early and don’t back down on their importance to your overall meeting’s success.

Measure and Track Savings for ROI Reporting

After all the negotiations are complete, it’s important to measure and track all of the savings. Every executive responds to statistics and percentages. Accurate reporting of negotiated savings is an excellent way to measure the success of a meeting professional and understand the value they bring to your organization.

Say it with me…ROI! ROI! ROI!

Smart Business: Hire A Meeting Professional With A CMP

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Missy Johnson, CMPPost written by Missy Johnson, Principal, MJMeetings, LLC | Meetings Consultant | Gourmet Food & Wine Enthusiast | Sports Fan

When looking for a contractor to handle your kitchen remodel, you’ll look for one that’s licensed and bonded, right?

If you need tax advice, doesn’t a CPA always stand out among other professionals?

Of course. But why?

Because people, in business and in life, place value on the education and standards that come along with a credential, license or designation.

We know that the person who pursues such a designation values what they do as much as how they do it. And we appreciate the efforts they put forth in obtaining that extra education.

Many industries provide it’s professionals with certified designations. The meeting, convention, exhibition and events industry is no different.

One of the most prestigious and globally recognized designations in this industry is the CMP – Certified Meeting Professional, as awarded by the Convention Industry Council (CIC).

What is a CMP?

According to the CIC website, the CMP designation was formed in 1985 to:

-Enhance the knowledge and performance of meeting professionals,

-Promote the status and credibility of the meeting profession, and

-Advance uniform standards of practice.

CMP Certificate - Missy JohnsonFirst, a meeting professional must meet very specific criteria to qualify to sit for a rigorous examination – professional work experience, education and membership/volunteerism within a professional industry related organization.

Second, a meeting professional must study for the exam using several recommended tools – the CMP International Standards (written and updated by current CMP’s), the Convention Industry Council Manual, the Professional Meetings Management Book and the APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange) Glossary.

Finally, after application approval and a study period for the exam is complete, a meeting professional is ready to take the CMP examination. Once passed and awarded the designation, a CMP is required to maintain and update their credentialing every 5 years.

Why is it important to work with a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)?

When you work with a CMP, you’re working with someone who has a comprehensive knowledge of the meetings management industry, understands and honors industry standards, practices and ethics, and values continuing education in their field.

With over 10,000 CMP’s in over 55 countries, it’s not hard to see why so many meeting professionals have made this designation a priority in their professional development.

A Certified Meeting Professional is someone who holds a specific recognition among their peers for knowledge, skill and experience while also adding credibility and commitment to their profession.

The bottom line? It’s just smart business to have a CMP on your side when planning your most important face-to-face meetings and events.

Meeting Planning 101: Focus On These 5 Fundamentals

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Missy Johnson, CMPPost written by Missy Johnson, Principal, MJMeetings, LLC | Meetings Consultant | Gourmet Food & Wine Enthusiast | Sports Fan

Have you ever observed a co-worker or colleague who seems to always be stretching into territory they don’t need to be in?

Maybe you’ve even seen this in yourself…that desire to always do more than what’s required even when it’s not your area of expertise.

As meeting and event professionals, we often make things harder on ourselves by trying to be everything, to everyone, all the time.

When I find myself feeling stressed or anxious about a project, I make a list of to-do’s and then prioritize them. The simple act of writing things down and getting them out of my head always helps relieve the pressure.

Once my list is complete, I almost always realize that the stress is really coming from tasks that I put on myself that have little-to-no urgency. Or even worse, the tasks aren’t things that are relevant to my job or critical to the overall project goals.

Skip the anxiety and stress by focusing on these five fundamentals of meeting and event planning:

1. Get Comfortable With Contracts.

I read and/or negotiate at least one contract every day. The amount of time meeting professionals spend touching contracts for venues, hotels, caterers, production partners, etc. makes it imperative to have comfort negotiating and understanding these legal documents.

Brush up on your knowledge by asking your in-house counsel to explain what you don’t understand or ask a colleague who is savvy to educate you.

To Do List2. Know Your Audience.

If you don’t know your audience inside and out, then how do you expect your meeting and event partners to react and adapt to their needs during the event?

It’s our job to understand that a room full of male-dominated-affluent-Baby-Boomers is going to expect an entirely different experience than a mostly-female-multilingual-Millennial audience.

Meeting professionals need to champion their audience and communicate their wants, needs and expectations to all partners involved.

3. Partner With Vendors Who Share Your Passion.

A meeting vendor who understands your passion (and shares a similar passion relative to their product or service) will take your meeting or event to another level.

Sometimes its hard to identify as you work with prospective vendors. I’ve learned that I just know it when I see it. You can’t fake passion.

4. Work On Adaptive Communication Styles.

As meeting professionals we must wear many hats. We need to be able to effectively communicate with our CEO’s as well as we do with hotel banquet or bell staff.

Understanding that the way you deliver your messages to different groups will help you (and them) be much more effective.

5. Trust Your Gut.

When it comes down to saving a few bucks to work with a less experienced vendor or spending a little more to get a trusted pro on your side, money shouldn’t always be the driver.

Learning to trust your instincts with any tough decision will also help you consistently take the ethical high road.

In the end, focusing on fundamental meeting and event planning strategies will drive you and your projects in the right direction while also relieving stress and anxiety where you don’t need it…in the middle of your meeting planning projects!

Meeting Planning 101: Stop Asking Plumbers For Life Insurance

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Missy Johnson, CMPPost written by Missy Johnson, Principal, MJMeetings, LLC | Meetings Consultant | Gourmet Food & Wine Enthusiast | Sports Fan

Would you ask a plumber for help with your life insurance?

What about a financial advisor with your auto repairs?

How about a race car driver with your child’s education?

Unless you’re just a really bad decision maker, of course you wouldn’t!

This is exactly why you shouldn’t make the same mistake that companies all across the world do every single day. What is that mistake? Let me explain…

Putting the mission, vision and execution of their meetings in the hands of people (administrative assistants, managers, sales professionals, etc.) who often aren’t qualified (not to mention they have full-time jobs that they were hired to do in the first place) instead of utilizing an experienced meeting and event professional.

A company’s mission and vision is what a meeting professional really focuses on…creating an environment where your organizational goals align with deliverable objectives for a specific set of attendees – all in a face-to-face environment. It’s our job to bring the big picture perspective while at the same time having the vision to tie all the details back together in alignment with that big picture.

plumbingIt’s our job to understand WHAT you want to achieve, WHY you need to achieve it, and then make decisions about HOW each and every detail of a meeting can deliver on those objectives.

Some people wrongly view meeting and event professionals as “party planners” and are both shortsighted and uneducated about the skills that experienced meeting professionals have. Of course we know how to order floral arrangements, event decor and bar packages, but we also bring a very specific skillset that “employee planners” typically don’t possess.

This includes things like knowing how to have powerful negotiations with every single meeting vendor (hotels, audio/visual companies, etc.), strategic decision making about budget spending, and a deep understanding of how our industry operates and how organizations can more effectively operate within it.

Most professionals in any industry have honed their skills through education, training and years of practical experience. A professional meeting and event planner is no different.

Working with a meeting professional who has specialized education, a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation, and years of experience planning all different types of meetings and events will give your company a better understanding of what effective, mission-driven, face-to-face meeting and events can do to improve your bottom line.

It not only makes sense….it’s smart business.

To learn more about how your business can start having smarter meetings, contact me today at 913-645-6649 or missy@mjmeetings.com.