Your boss has just assigned you the task of planning the company’s next big event or meeting. There’s a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. Before you have a panic attack, calm down and start planning. Here are some tips to make your next meeting or event professional, within budget, and the talk of the company.

Set Goals. Make sure you have the company’s goals for the meeting finalized. What is the style of the meeting? Is it an annual awards dinner, training class or corporate meeting? Is it professional, relaxed or motivational?

Choose a Date. Check the calendar to make sure there are no conflicting events and other situations that can affect your meeting, including transportation, hotel accommodations and attendance. Have at least three dates in mind, a preferred date and two alternatives. Consider the hotel’s slow season to negotiate better prices.

Establish the Budget. Site selection, catering options and meeting style all depend on the resources available. Items to consider are transportation, facility rental, audio-visual equipment rental, accommodations, catering, entertainment, materials/handouts, decorations, Invitations, giveaways, speakers, and event planning/staffing. Put a miscellaneous category in your budget for those inevitable expenses that will come up along the way…and always negotiate to see what you can get included or reduced. Don’t forget gratuities and other incidentals.

Select A Location. Holding meetings off-site often encourages more focus and attention. The facility cost can often be negotiated based on the food and beverage expense and the overall meeting expense can be recouped by increased employee productivity. Since the number of off-site location choices can be overwhelming, start by deciding the area in which you want the meeting and what your size requirements are. I suggest visiting the facility as a guest to experience the service, atmosphere, and employee attitude before you meet with the sales manager…and ask for references of organizations that recently held events there. This will help narrow your choices.

Create a Punch List and Time Line. Make a list of every detail to be executed, the date it needs to be completed by and who’s responsible for it.

Get the Help You Need to Be Successful. It may be worth it to hire an event planner or site selection professional to save you money, time and worry. They have relationships with the vendors you’ll be working with so they can negotiate reduced rates and added amenities. They’re also excellent for generating ideas and knowing what’s going on in the city to help with your planning.

Get Input for the Next Meeting. Always have a questionnaire or way to get feedback from the meeting attendees. This will be very helpful in planning your next meeting.

Helna C. Correll is the president and co-founder of San Diego Site Pros, a hospitality company specializing in event and meeting planning, site selection and hotel reservation services. To learn more, please visit www.sandiegositepros.com or email Helna at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it