Instant Feedback = Improvement

I recently learned about an exciting new online tool designed to help staff and managers improve their performance. It’s called Rypple. The online tool is designed to allow users to solicit and collect feedback on their performance, one question at a time. It’s quick and easy, both for the user and for the people from whom they are seeking feedback. Everything is done by email, and it’s completely anonymous so that responders can be candid. Rypple is not designed to replace the annual performance review, but rather to supplement it at regular intervals and allow employees to act on the feedback immediately.

Beyond the obvious implications for employees and managers, it seems to me that Rypple could also be used to engage conference attendees, both before and during a conference. It’s a fast and painless way to gauge attendee satisfaction, without making them complete a lengthy survey form. Just a few conference uses might be:

• Did you have any problems with the registration process?
• What’s one thing we could do to make your conference experience better?
• What did you think of this morning’s plenary session?
• How’s the food at the coffee breaks?

Rypple provides quick results so you can identify and resolve problems on the fly. Best of all, attendees feel the personal touch, and know that you value their input.

Hard times can bring great joy

Today, I went to an industry event for meeting professionals. During the event, one committee member reported on a charity event that took place during the Christmas holidays. She read a letter from one of the recipients of an in-kind gift, which eloquently expressed their gratitude. Everyone in the room was touched and let out a great sigh of joy, which got me to thinking. Despite the difficult economic times we face as a nation, it still means so much to so many when we take the time to help someone in (real) need.

During their annual conference or corporate events, it would be wonderful to see groups participate in giving back to the community or some national charitable organization. I know some associations already implement this into their meeting, and for those who do, I encourage you to continue to do so even though funds might be a little tight this year. For those who haven't considered this, I encourage you to give it some thought. Your participation doesn't have to be something grand or expensive -- just helpful to someone who needs a little support. Whether it's donating school supplies to the local school district where your meeting is being held or giving a monetary contribution to a worthy cause, it would be great to contribute in some way to the empowerment of people who want a hand up and not a hand out!

Not to seem preachy, but I couldn't help but notice at my industry event how great everyone in the room felt who contributed to this individuals holiday needs. I don't know about you, but when we constantly hear so much about the doom and gloom of the economy and job market, for me it was just nice to see people with a smile on their face about something that had to do with GIVING and not focusing on what's been taken away (or downsized).

Hotel Negotiating on Both Sides of the Fence

I recently finished a first-time Healthcare Conference in Philadelphia. Our client put together an excellent plan for the Conference but like many first time events, they over estimated the attendance and sleeping room block. The result was that the Conference was assessed a $20,000 attrition charge.

During our debriefing, I worked closely with the client to review the goals they accomplished this year and to evaluate the viability of their second Conference next year. Everyone agreed that the Conference was marketable, worthwhile and should be held again.

I put together a revised plan for the subsequent Conference and used the new plan to discuss rebooking with the hotel for next year. I worked hard to reconfigure the meeting for 2009 with a better agenda and a more efficient use of meeting space. I was able to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal for both the client and the hotel.

The new plan met both the needs of the client and the needs of the hotel. We designed a more efficient use of meeting space to help the hotel, to improve the flow of the program, to better support the needs of the Conference Sponsors and to meet the needs of the Conference attendees. The modified Conference plan worked well for the hotel and allowed the hotel to sell another group concurrently with our client’s conference to maximized the hotel’s revenues.

The new plan helped me to negotiate the following items for the client:

• A waiver on 80% of the 2008 Conference attrition charges
• A 10% discount on all F&B for next year, which is valued at $4,500
• Maximum cap increase of F&B menu pricing
• Reduction of exhibit hall cleaning fee in half
• Reduction of total room block for next year
• One staff room at 20% off the group rate
• Attrition if incurred, will be charged at the Group Rate and not at the Average Daily Hotel Rate
• Room rental savings
• Inclusion of non-competing group verbiage
• Improved Force Majeure clause

Negotiations are always more effective when you take the time to carefully learn what the most important issues are for both groups. Knowing this information to work ‘both sides of the fence’ makes it easy to negotiate the deal to make everyone happy.

Taking (Social) Networking to the Next Level

Many of us are familiar with social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace. Savvy planners who want to connect people beyond time and physical space are increasingly looking to social networking tools like these to build communities and forge relationships. Although I have been part of these online communities for several years, I had never really considered that they could also increase the effectiveness of my conferences.

Last spring, however, I planned a convention in Florence, Italy that introduced some social networking tools to engage their army of student volunteers. As technology association this client is often ahead of the curve, but they struggled to connect with 150+ students traveling from all over world.

A social networking tool seemed like the perfect fit, so we established a Facebook group approximately nine months before the conference began. Although it was intended primarily as an information tool, the students also utilized the discussion board to make travel arrangements and rent apartments together. Within just a few weeks, the group had taken on a life of its own – totally driven by the students. By the time they arrived onsite, the students were excited to meet the virtual friends they had already made.

Onsite, we utilized a Twitter stream to inform the students of breaking news, changes in schedules or tasks, and even what was being served at the coffee break. Last year’s experience was so successful that we’re rolling out the Twitter stream to all attendees this April. We are also considering beta testing an emerging technology called SWIFT (www.imswift.com), designed to connect attendees in real-time onsite though the use of their mobile devices.

In the coming years, I anticipate that social networking will become an integral part of managing any conference. With just a little extra advance planning, these easy – and often free! – tools can be used to generate excitement and connect people who are spread far apart geographically.

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