The job may seem enviable at first look: throwing glamorous parties with fun entertainment-sometimes even celebrities – and exquisite food on someone else’s tab. Ahhh, to be a meeting or special event planner. What a life...
But it’s only the pros that make it look easy.
Craig Leitner, vice president/creative director, Corporate Entertainment Division of the Contemporary Group, says the foundation of a successful special event starts with listening to the client to determine the message and get a sense of the client’s needs. “We need to find out who the audience is, what experiences they’ve had, and what’s been done before so the upcoming meeting doesn’t pale in comparison or overwhelm them.”
Then comes the organizational skills. Leitner says as event managers for the Papal visit in January, his team coordinated with 31 different committees from the community. By the time the visit came, 65 Contemporary team members were working on the event along with thousands of volunteers.
“It was by far the most logistically complicated, detail-oriented event I’ve ever worked on,” Leitner says. “You have to be very organized, flexible and patient for a job like that.
“Not all events are quite that intense, but they all include details, details, details.
Leitner says the details make the difference to create a successful event. “It’s important to create an ambiance, set the mood, especially with lighting,” he says. “The size and type of the tables and chairs and the centerpiece add to the feel, too. Maybe a floral centerpiece isn’t the answer but rather an interesting piece of artwork suits the event better. Ultimately, we make sure every detail reinforces the theme.
“Timing is also crucial in an event. “The event is in a sense theatrical, so it must come to a climax and a rousing conclusion,” he says. “The mood shifts as the event progresses.”
In Leitner’s 15 years in special events, he has noted events have become much more high-tech. “People are looking for the special effects from the rock world,” he notes. “And with the millennium, futuristic looks are very popular.”
Leitner doesn’t believe in “parties in a box” or canned theme ideas. “Our events are specific to a client’s needs,” he says. “But if a client comes with a particular idea, we’ll try to tailor it to his or her needs or brighten a tired theme.”
He gives the example of a client who wanted a Wild West theme. Contemporary electrified the idea. “Instead of wagon wheels and red checkered table clothes, we introduced neon cowboys and cacti along with silver lamé table clothes for a dramatic yet fun theme,” he says.
“Special events is a tremendous growth industry with new opportunities presenting themselves all the time,” Leitner says. “Companies are trying to reach so many people today and are discovering that events are an effective way to cut through the clutter and communicate in a memorable setting.”
La*De*Da Entertainment & Events is a resource for event planners. Their primary focus is on musical acts – from big band to jazz to alternative–but they also have a stable of celebrity look-alikes.
Laura Kochan, president of the company, says La*De*Da offers clients a proposal with a menu of ideas. But before offering entertainment ideas, they find out the size of the venue, production support available, age range of the audience, theme, the mood the client wants to create, what has been done in the past, and of course, the budget.
Kochan says entertainment is an integral part of any event. “Entertainment can’t take credit for the success of an entire event, but it’s a major part of it,” she says. “It can provide a welcome break in a meeting and helps make it fun and memorable.”
A Meeting of the Minds
Meeting planning is a subset of special events. It used to be added to a secretary’s full work load but has now blossomed into its own industry complete with associations just for meeting planners.
“It’s not a job for the fainthearted,” says Dick Hall, president of Dick Hall Productions (DHP). “Being responsible for every detail can be a hand-wringer, especially when something goes wrong –like the entertainment doesn’t show up.”
Hall is the voice of experience with 45 years in the meeting planning and special events business. His 20-year-old business serves both local and international clients.
When planning a corporate meeting, Hall says he takes into consideration many things: the purpose of the meeting, who will be there, the subject matter, what the client wants attendees to learn, whether it’s interactive or educational, what type of food is appropriate and when will it be served.
Then there are the details that go into choosing the site and set up. “The set up is key to the success of a corporate meeting,” Hall says. According to Hall, site details include accessibility, space and atmosphere, sizes and styles of tables and chairs, transportation, AV equipment, refreshments, timely speakers and a good format. He adds that open staff communications with the meeting planner are also essential.
Tired yet?
In addition to planning meetings, Dick Hall Productions has the largest speakers bureau in Missouri, representing everyone from former presidents to sports figures to network news anchors.
“People come to us for motivational speakers but that’s really a generic term in our business,” Hall says.
He says he works with clients to choose a speaker by first finding out what kind of meeting they’re having and what its purpose is, what type of organization it is, and who the audience is. “Even with a very long list of topics to choose from, some very specialized topics still don’t fit in a particular category,” he says. “But we can find a speaker to present on even those topics.”
He says the hot topics for speakers today focus on the millennium, change, technology, health and teamwork.
“The world is getting smaller all the time,” Hall says. “Today there are plenty of new rules and regulations that go into planning a meeting or event that fall under the heading of diversity. Now we have to ensure a site has wheelchair access, and menus are sensitive to dietary restrictions and protocol due to cultural differences. I’ve been in the business a long time and it’s never dull.”
