Poorly Planned Meetings Suck

So, you want to have a Big Meeting or have been asked to plan one, huh? You've always wanted to have the opportunity to be that bright, shining star who gets pats on the back and “you-were-the-hero-of-the-event” comments from your boss or CEO. You may be tempted to pass the buck to another committee head or avoid the project altogether, but that tease for your time in the spotlight has great appeal.

Where do you begin?

What questions do you ask before starting?

How do you sell the whole deal to your boss and ask for a substantial budget?

Whom do you work with?

If you're looking for quick SRDs on typical Big Meeting types, don't worry they're coming. But if you want to look like the shining star at your event, then heed the following advice on managing meetings strategically. Or else? Or else your big meeting might just suck even bigger!

One of the greatest meetings-industry challenges is confusion about how to achieve real value with meetings and events, especially in our postrecession economy. This has led to a reduction in certain facets of meetings that don't have a clear set of goals and a path to accomplish them.

Yet meetings are a fact of life, so why not ensure that face-to-face meetings on grand scales continue to take place? They need to thrive with a strategic design that provides a return on investment for all stakeholders and attendees. We not only need to effectively manage big meetings, conferences, and conventions, but make a clear business ...

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