What to Expect When You’re Expected Onsite
As one of the newest members of the MRA team, I have been encouraged to reflect on my recent onsite conference experiences. I have made several observations and learned valuable tools that can be used when planning future events. With only two under my belt so far this year, I would say I am just beginning to make memories to share with others, but I can give a brief overview of my last trip to the BbWorld Transact event that took place at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.
While recently speaking with a colleague about my last trip, she asked me a few questions that proved to be very insightful and useful as I begin to prepare for upcoming events. Read more
Outsorcerer II –How to compare the costs of internal operations with an outsourcing option
A college president once opined to me that most people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. The first question many executives ask about any contracting approach is… “How much does it cost?” followed immediately by… “It’s not in the budget”.
However, in many cases it is in the budget. In fact it’s in so many different budgets that overall costs are essentially invisible.
Consider conference registration services as an example. A contract provider may quote $25 per registration for 600 attendees. That’s $15,000, WOW! That’s a lot, and… “It’s not in the budget”.
Where can we turn to make an apple and apples comparison? Consider these do-it-yourself cost items: Read more 
Where it all begins…
We’ve had a lot of searches regarding “registration desks” on our site, and although I’m surprised that this is a desirable topic for so many, as Registration Manager for the past four years, I figured I’d better give my perspective on what it takes to run a successful and smooth registration desk!
There are typically two different types of registration desks: a hotel’s built-in desk or one ordered through a service contractor. Whether it’s just an eight foot table or an elaborate multi-counter desk, there are pros and cons to both. Obviously cost is often a factor and the price will be cheaper using a space the hotel already has. I would recommend you invest in signage to brand the registration area for your conference and have some headers sorted alphabetically to queue attendees by their last names. Usually these counters are on the smaller side so I would not recommend using them for a group over 500. If you are going to have a larger group, use a free-standing registration counter.
Using a free-standing desk you’ve ordered is going to cost a bit more unless you can work with the service contractor to include that in your contract. You’ll also have the benefit of having more space to work with to store materials for the attendees, so I would recommend this option whenever possible. Having a free-standing registration desk is also easier for attendees to find as it’s usually in a foyer or outside the main ballroom and should be branded for your conference.
Now that you have your registration desk in place the next step is making sure you have everything at the desk you’ll need to assist your attendees. Here’s a list of some recommended items to have at the desk: Read more
What’s a C.E.M?
In the fall of 2010, after completing the required course work-9 courses and corresponding exams and 3 years of experience to be exact-I earned the ability to add the C.E.M. designation to my signature line and join the ranks of my fellow professional Exhibit Managers . I’m only the second person in my organization to earn this elite title in our 30 year tenure, so it’s something I’m quite proud of.
Let me start by explaining what those three letters stand for – Certified in Exhibition Management. “What’s that,” you ask? A very good question indeed – I want to take a bit of time to not only outline what this program is, but also detail what I learned in the courses I completed. So if you are thinking blog series, you are on the right track! Read on for an outline of the program and stay tuned for subsequent posts on the various coursework and applicable takeaways in the near future. Read more
Looking for an Outsorcerer?
Serious or unexpected challenges are one of the common drivers of the decision to outsource key elements of producing a successful conference. Embarrassing onsite badge printing snafus, 200 attendees show up for the amazing session in the cozy little board room, 20×20 freight arrives from a key partner for the 10×10 spot on the floor plan, a sponsor’s worst competitor shows up at the private sponsored VIP reception, you discover the main hotel tower is closed for renovation when you arrive to set up, the preceding city-wide attendees don’t check out on you main arrival date, and on and on.
Sometimes it’s worse; catastrophic even. The $100,000 AV bill was left out of the budget, the exhibit hall is only 72% sold, or sponsorships are off by 40%; these circumstances demand serious attention. A common management reaction is to consider reaching outside to a professional to make sure this never happens again. Read more
The Year Ahead – A Return to Excellence
Travis Stanton’s Editorial in the November issue of EXHIBITOR magazine hit home with me as I thought about our company this past year and where I want to take it in the year to come. He talked about how the last few years of economic recession and hiring freezes has squelched innovation as organizations have struggled to get things done with fewer resources. Out of necessity, the focus has been on managing costs and making things work, not on considering the new ideas that will that will drive future success. “Good became good enough and excellent became an aspiration, rather than an expectation.”
The New Year offers an opportunity for fresh perspective and new ideas. Like EXHIBITOR magazine, MRA Services has welcomed some new talent to our company. We, too, have attempted to change the conversation within our organization over the last few months to focus on how things could and should be done, even if it’s not how we’re currently doing them. We, too, will challenge ourselves to tap into fresh perspectives, while attempting to manage change initiatives to maintain stability and superior service.
In the year ahead, MRA Services will center our priorities on the following: Read more
The Ideal Exhibit Hall Game – Is There Really Such a Thing?
Over the years, MRA Services has literally managed hundreds of exhibit programs because that’s what we do. And based on our lengthy history, we have a great deal of past experience that we can call upon. Now of course, after all these years we have seen abundant success and maybe a few outcomes that we didn’t quite anticipate.
One theme that continues to remain constant is our focus on driving attendance into the exhibit hall. We all know that a packed hall typically ensures happy exhibitors, so every year we strive to create fresh ideas to get those attendees in the hall talking with our vendors. We do this in several ways, but my main focus here is to share some past experiences that pertain specifically to the exhibit hall games that we have seen that may make you think twice before implementing one in your exhibit hall. Read more
Four Straightforward Principles for Site Selection Success
Creativity and non-traditional expectations are valuable in refining a host site relationship. But thinking out of the box during the selection process can be a risky approach for a major conference scheduled for the foggy distant future.
Stick to these four simple principles and your selection will be right on.
- Financial stewardship and risk avoidance for the association
- Minimization of attendance cost for members
- Suitability of the facility to fit the program
- Overall attendee experience
1. Financial stewardship and risk avoidance for the association recognizes that there are necessary commitments made well into the hazy future by both the association and the property. Room blocks, rates, F&B Minimums, attrition, economic predictions, scheduling of competing organizations, capital projects all present uncertainty that both parties need to accommodate to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
Recently hurricanes and earthquakes have joined into the ‘what-if’ equation bringing another organization to the team with event cancellation insurance. Read more
Holy GOBO’s Moss Man
“What in the name of John Moss and everything holy is a GOBO? Is it something that will attack the audience if it isn’t fed?” – Pat Gibbs, SACUBO
Our SACUBO friend and client, Pat Gibbs, isn’t the only one who has felt that we trade show professionals speak a foreign language composed of strange sounding acronyms. Maybe you’re one that has mastered the “smile and nod” approach, treading through the conversation in hopes of picking up a few contextual clues? Decoding industry jargon can be downright exhausting. Test your knowledge with the following conference and trade show management terms:
GOBO – Say What?!?! A gobo is a template through which light shines to project an image onto a given surface. The word “gobo” is an acronym that stands for “GOes Before Optics.” MRA Services use these primarily to highlight event and sponsor logos on a wall, floor or other large surface during a conference.
I&D - Refers to the Installation and Dismantle of an exhibit, not the Investigation Discovery Channel.
MIMO – This is not the name of the garb that your Aunt living in Boca dons, but rather a reference to the entire schedule of events at your conference, from Move In to Move Out.
CPE or is it CEU? Both! You may earn either Continuing Professional Education credits or Continuing Education Units by attending an event and the qualifying educational sessions offered. Oftentimes, certification is offered through accumulation of a specified amount of CPEs or CEUs.
High Jacker – This refers to the type of equipment used to lift people to a given height to hang items such as banners or aisle signs. You thought you had this one, didn’t you?
Deadman – No, we really don’t employ the deceased in setting up trade shows. The term actually refers to the temporary post used during installation to help support the weight of an overhead structure.
Now, if only someone would have shared this list with me when I entered into this profession 5 years ago. Then again, I would have missed a few smiles…
Conference Management 1.0
Planning a conference is a challenge and sometimes the hardest part is figuring out where to start. Once the location and venue have been determined, the next step is to design your conference website. First, you’ll need to create a conference logo and theme. Avoid promotion of the city and venue, in favor of the value and take-aways attendees will gain by attending your conference.
The next, and probably the biggest piece of your conference planning cycle, is building the online registration form and website content. Collecting all the information can be a daunting task so I’ve created a Website Launch Guide to help planners determine the relevant information to collect for this process. Some of the elements you’ll need to determine in order to create your online registration form include:
- conference fees
- registration types
- policies
- deadlines
- registration codes
Once you’ve established the fields for your registration form, define what potential attendees will need to know about your event – hotel accommodations, conference dress attire, networking opportunities, available technology, program content, etc. Think like an attendee to determine what information to present and make that information easy to find. Some standards I’ve implemented for my events include:
- Creating a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section and a “Know Before You Go” page to help attendee’s quickly find answers to their questions without the need to contact you directly.
- Provide your attendees a conference specific link to the hotel’s group reservation site to simplify the hotel registration process.
Happy Planning!
