Meetings that Zing - Just Look Easy 

• Set clear goals and objectives for each year’s workshops and annual meeting
• Be specific about what the chapter would like to accomplish
• Develop ground rules and agreements under which the committee/team operates.

Anatomy of a Great Meeting

Why Meet? Answer that question and all of the others will be answered.  Is it education, technology transfer, social, ceu’s, introduce new speakers, research, etc.

• Great meetings don’t just happen – they’re designed.  Producing a great meeting is like a well pruned tree – you have to have a picture in mind of what the well pruned tree will look like.
• Anticipate all the equipment you will need to get the job done.
• Anticipate the manpower needed for a successful event.
• Understand the hours it will take for a successful event – a general guide is – for every hour of the actual meeting anticipate 10 to 20 hours of planning.  (Based on sophistication and complexity of the meeting.)
• The collaboration of ideas, the attention to details, and a well thought out budget that covers all anticipated costs and has a cushion for unanticipated costs.  Each component contributes to the whole.

Begin with -

• Setting the standards for the meeting – the purpose, goals, objectives and most importantly the budget.

• Identify the key players – board, committee, speakers, vendors and sponsors.

• Identify the expected bottom line profit from the meeting.

• Involve the members in the process.  Ask where they would like to meet.  Ask why they attend meeting.  What speakers would they like to hear?

• Have the board identify the role the annual meeting plays in the overall chapter strategic plan – as a source of income, social gathering, exchange of ideas?

• Prepare the expected budget.  Determine the minimum net profit acceptable, build the costs, etc into budget, determine amount of sponsor support, registration and vendor fees.

• Review conference fees – registration and vendor fees as well as speaker compensation package.  Generally the vendors provide significant support to the overall budget. 

• Ask the board how this income source stands up to other chapter sources - certification, membership and regional conference. 

• What does the chapter stand financially today, next year, three years from now and five years out with or without the necessary conference planning vision?

A well planned meeting doesn’t happen by magic.

You need to work at it, have the right equipment, the right people, a well thought out budget, and checks and balances to keep the meeting on track.