In a perfect world, your event would be flawless — the food mouthwatering, the venue breathtaking, the accommodations amazing. But this isn’t a perfect world, is it? As any meeting and event planner can attest, there will always be something that doesn’t go exactly as planned and someone who is unhappy. The key to success is in how you handle it. Carolyn Browning, CMP, CMM of MEETing Needs knows how it goes. She shares her insights and experience so that your minor mishap doesn’t evolve into an unmitigated disaster.
A. I’m independent planner and owner/operator of MEETing Needs. In addition to meeting and event planning, I am a speaker and trainer on a variety of meeting-related topics. I am also a meeting facilitator and I offer CMP prep classes.
A. Most common have to do with transportation. Quite often, attendees will book their own transportation. If they’re not savvy travelers, issues escalate when there are problems, such as weather interfering with their flight. They’re not sure what to do if their flight is canceled, so they’ll ask me to solve the problem for them. I can’t necessarily fix a canceled flight, but I can help the attendee navigate possible resolutions. Those who have problems with lodging -- for example, they didn’t get the room they requested — often feel frustrated. We do all we can to help them arrive at a solution. Most of all, it’s important to remember that our job is to smile and see what we can do to resolve their concerns.
A. A lot has to do with a planner’s level of experience. For example, we know that when attendees are registering, it’s important to ask a lot of questions. So, instead of leaving things open-ended such as, “Do you have food preferences?” we ask very specific questions and even provide them with a checklist of possible food issues, so we’re leaving nothing to chance.
As planners, we make sure we have a tool kit with us at all times in anticipation of something people might need. Everything from Tylenol, to glue for a broken heel, to a phone charger or anything else that an attendee may need.
It also helps to have a good relationship with your hotel so you can easily nip issues in the bud or deal with unexpected requests.
Finally, it’s important to be flexible and have a good relationship with all your vendors.
A. Keep your cool. Again, you need to try to put on that smile and appear calm even though inside you might be in turmoil. It’s important to remember that the guest is out of their element, most likely frustrated, and probably taking it out on you. We don’t promise what we can’t deliver, but we do tell them we’ll do our best to resolve the situation. Then we make sure to keep the client in the loop so that they understand what’s going on and can make any decisions on major concerns.
A. If we as planners do our job right, nobody else in attendance will know there are issues. It’s our job to put on that smiling face if we can do it, and make sure we communicate that we’ll take care of the problem, whatever it may be.
Carolyn Browning began her corporate meeting planning career with Sprint and GE Capital. MEETing Needs combines her passion for teaching and planning into a business where she can help clients maximize the value of their meetings. Carolyn has been a Certified Meeting Professional since 1996 and earned her Certificate in Meetings Management in 2013. She was named a CMP Influencer as part of the 30th Anniversary of the CMP Certification and is affiliated with MPI, SPIN and IAF.
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