Answer: @There are two terms that sum up meeting planning: communication and details. If you give both those terms your utmost attention over the next six months, you’ll have a successful and productive meeting. Now, for a little more specific advice:

• Start with a vision. Gather all the individuals that you feel could contribute and brainstorm with them what they want to achieve at the upcoming annual meeting. You want to create a unique vision for this specific meeting - is it about productivity, the value of teamwork, new products, rapid growth, etc.?
  
  
• Look back at what was accomplished in the past few years as a guideline to see what your company wants to include and accomplish in the upcoming meeting. Make a list of each event and ask yourself if they think that’s appropriate for next year or if they’d like to alter it in any way. Chances are they’ll have some new products to introduce as well as some new marketing campaigns. Sales meetings usually include an awards banquet and often have training seminars. Likewise, often there are planned outings. You certainly don’t have to follow the previous meetings' itinerary but you also don’t want to change any sacred-cow traditions that both management and employees look forward to each year.
  
  
• You’ll need to decide where the meeting is going to be held as soon as possible. If it’s at your home office every year, you’re in luck. However, if you move to different locations around the country, as many sales meetings do, you should check with your boss to see where he’d prefer it to be. Be sure to tour the facility before making a final decision.
  
  
• Start working on the details with the facility managers - either your internal facilities personnel or the resort’s conferences department. The staff will be able to walk you through the room and food accommodations.
  
  
• Connect with the speakers. Although the agenda probably won’t be confirmed until a few weeks before the meeting, your boss probably has a good idea who should speak at the meeting. Contact the individuals and ask what technology they’ll be using and if they have any other special needs such as flip charts, laptop computers, slide projectors, etc. This information should be sent back to the facilities management as soon as possible.
  
  
• Keep the participants in the loop. If you haven’t informed the reps of the dates for the next meeting, do it now. Then update the field periodically about the location, the meeting’s agenda and the activities that they are available to participate in. Make sure you are aware of who is responsible for their travel arrangements. If you are, then you have another set of details to concern yourself with: type of room, transportation to and from the airport, flight times, etc.

You have your job cut out for you, but meeting planning can be very fun. Just keep track of all the details and, when in doubt, communicate.

Michael Crom is executive vice president, Dale Carnegie Training. For advice on work issues, visit www.dalecarnegie.com or e-mail carnegiecoach@dalecarnegie.com. Copyright 2003, Dale Carnegie & Associates Inc. All Rights Reserved.