Tips
for Planning a cost-Effective Meeting or Event
With so many aspects of planning an event, staying within the budget can be a challenge. These industry experts shared a few tips on how to host a stellar event without overspending.
Destination Gettysburg vice president, stacey Fox, said to look at all unique meeting venue options offered in Gettysburg. By using a non-traditional space, it can help to spur creativity within the group. “Gettysburg has such beautiful, natural scenery that, in many cases, there’s no need to spend a lot of your budget dollars on decorations,” Fox offered. “Use what Mother nature has provided.”
Convention and international sales manager for Discover Lancaster, Mara sultan encourages meeting planners to reach out to the team at Discover Lancaster right from the start. “We can do all the neces- sary research to connect planners to prop- er venues quickly and help them build rela- tionships in much less time,” she said. “this saves planners energy, resources and, ultimately, money.”
Larry noccolino, executive director of the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland, said planners must know their budget first. “second is to know the palates of your vendors/attendees, and don’t design your menu around what you like,” he said. “talk to the caterer for more advice. third is to plan functions well in advance - at least six months to a year-and-a-half out, depending on the size of the event.”
sales and marketing coordinator for visit Bucks County Jenna Worrell, said to plan a cost-effec- tive meeting or event, have it at a hotel that also offers an activity for attendees during their free time. this will enhance the overall meeting experience by including a place for attendees to stay and play.
Ann Pilcher, tourism sales manager for the Pocono Mountains Convention and visitors Bureau, suggests con- tracting with local vendors to service group needs as a way to ensure a successful meeting. she said they know the venue and will leverage their relationship with industry partners for a smooth delivery of services. Another tip to reducing entertainment and transportation costs is to book a venue with on-site attractions. “to lock in with better rates, book events for consecutive years,” said Pilcher.
An excellent option is the Golden Plough Inn, which is located in the middle of Peddler’s village, a shopping and dining attraction. Corporate guests at the inn don’t have to drive to grab a bite to eat, shop or stroll around the 42-acre site once they end their meetings.
Worrell also suggested substituting electronic handouts for printed ones. For a large conven- tion, there’s most likely a lot of paper for brochures, itineraries, schedules and more. Going paperless and creating a series of PDFs that the guests can download prior to or at the event helps keep costs down. Creating an app for the event, where guests can find everything they need, is ideal.
Each of these destinations provides planners with an array of options for putting together complete
meetings and events in a variety of settings at affordable rates. There are many venues and locations that offer planners great service, amenities and tremendous value all at the same time.
Mid-Atlantic EvEnts Magazine 33
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