Meeting Planning For You

Social Media Updates

2011-02-13T13:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I attended the Florida Drupal Camp http://fldrupalcamp.org/ at Rollins College in Orlando. In addition to learning Drupal there were Social Networking track offered by the Social Media Club of Orlando http://socialmediaclub.org/chapter/orlando. I realized how many different types of social networking platforms their really were and how functional they are! Not only the popular ones such as Facebook, Twitter and You Tube but also FourSquare, Gowalla, Bizzy, Yelp, Heat Tracker, etc. I learned the importance of these "Location based Marketing" tools! Not only important for businesses to utilize them but also important for people that are using them! The future of advertising & marketing will be changed simply by using these growing popular networking platforms. And the good news is that they will all be able to be linked in together!

Hearing presentations from the several different presenters representing WESH 2, Orlando Sentinel, Enzian Theater & Florida Film Festival, and Orange County Commissioner Jennifer Thompson energized & excited me! All the possibilities! One of the main points I took away was how important a good marketing plan is. If a good marketing plan is created and set into play, not only can you save time daily but also have an opportunity to creatively target your audience with specific points. This help create brand consistency and raise visability.

Since Meeting Planning For You offers to help small businesses get started in social networking this updated information will only help us keep everyone updated and at the forefront of the networking community. A special thanks to the Social Networking Club of Orlando!! I hope to become more active with this group!

Website Registration Advantages

2010-11-21T18:52:00.001-05:00

Many companies try to find the most economical way to host meetings & events. Countless hours are spent sending out email's, manually collecting information and organizing that information so it can be sent to the appropriate person. But is handling all this information manually really the best way? Although you may think website registration is expensive, it doesn't have to be. In fact by having a company handle your registration needs, it could save you money in the end.

Website registration serves many functions. Having a registration website will definitely help your event look professional, organized and inviting. You can even have your website registration match your own website or gear it towards a certain theme for the event. On the website registration site you will be able to provide & collect information from attendees such as meeting registration information, attending dates, hotel information, airline information, dine-around suggestions, program evaluations, recreation options, workshop sign ups, payment information and much more! These website have so much functionality that it is almost a necessity to use one for all your programs.

In addition, through the registration website you will be able to communicate with all the attendees at any time. You can send out multiple e-mails to the whole group, customize them for specific groups or send them to an individual. There is no limit to how many e-mails can go out. Once you have people registering everything is able to be tracked such as; number of attendees that will attend and not attend, room nights needed, payments made, etc. You will also be able to see who has opened the e-mails, who has not yet responded and who needs reminders. The system allows you to target e-mail based on these guidelines.

When creating an event that you will be collecting money, simply incorporate the processing fees into the registration amount. In addition, allow for registration costs and include them in the registration fee as well. Then all your fees are covered and you will have money needed to have your event look professional and organized.

Not only can information be collected, but there is also an opportunity for you to get out as much information on the event as you can. Once the site is live, you are still able to update information so your attendees will see things in real time. You can put deadline dates for people to sign up as well as maximum capacities on recreational activities, workshop sign ups or even attendee registration.

How can this save you money? Once the website registration site is set up, it pretty much runs itself. It collects the information for you and can generate and reports you need to get your information over to others. It will tell you how many people are registered without you having to manually count them. It will let you know who hasn't registered so you can re-send those people an invite. If you put a limit on something and it has reached capacity, the system won't let people sign up over the amount. What this does is saves you time that you would normally be paying staff member(s) to do. All the manual labor to collect for the meeting or event is being done for you, all you have to do is pull a report and the information is there!

The next time you are planning a meetings, event, dine-around, reunion, trip or anything that requires organizing a group, consider hiring a company to do your website registration. Your attendees will be impressed with how great it looks and you will be impressed with how little it cost you!

Let Meeting Planning For You help: www.meetingplanningforyou.com

BENEFITS OF IN-KIND SPONSORING EVENTS

2010-07-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

As VP, Marketing & Communications for the Greater Orlando MPI (GOAMPI) chapter I definitely see the benefit of event in-kind sponsorships. GOAMPI doesn't have to pay out companies (from our very limited budget) for providing us products and services and they allow us to create an outstanding event! But from a business owner's perspective it is a bit more difficult to justify being able to provide these products & services in-kind a.k.a. FREE, without knowing ahead of time if we will get ROI (Return on Investment). Being on both sides, I can tell you the advantages of having your company become involved in sponsoring an event.

GOAMPI being a non-profit means not having the budget that allows us to bring over-the-top, outstanding events to our members and guests without being creative. When I say creative I mean coming up with ways to get businesses involved with us and making sure everyone benefits. It has been one of our priorities to figure out ways to show ROI to businesses interested in partnering with GOAMPI. We want businesses to get business from helping out one of our event! It is a priority for us!

There are many advantages for businesses to choose to donate their product or services for an event. The number one reason is the exposure for their business. The event gives businesses an opportunity to get up in front of all the attendees and let them know they are out there! Sometimes product samples are involved so people actually get to "experience" your business. With GOAMPI, our promotions don't end with just the event... prior to the event we put the business logo and website on our marketing flyer's. Once that is created we post the flyer on the GOAMPI website, which received around 650 hits a day. After that we utilize our social networking tools to post the event and market it out there; Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and You Tube. Between the four social networking sites we have over to 2,000 followers. So with the GOAMPI website e-blasts and the social networking sites, businesses have the potential of reaching well over 3,000 people! Not to mention they have the support of an internationally recognized Industry Association supporting and promoting them.

Once at the event, the sponsors have an opportunity to network with everyone at the event. Most attendees are sales people from hotels, DMC's, venue's (such as Disney & Universal), as well as meeting planners and event suppliers. We have anywhere from 80 - 150 at each of our events. At the event networking becomes extremely important. Once in front of the attendee's that is your time to talk up your business and make sure everyone knows your the face behind the sponsorship. Exchanging business cards become extremely powerful and making connections proves to be very important. Make sure to seat yourself at a table where you could have potential clients as well.

Once the event is over, the marketing of the sponsors continues. We put the business logo (with web link) on the GOAMPI website as advertisements, as well as on a GOAMPI page specifically created for sponsorship information. We also mention the business it in our monthly newsletter as well as our quarterly publication Florida Connects which we share with the rest of the Florida chapters. In addition, we now keep a list of who the in-kind sponsors are and circulate that amongst the Board of Directors and soon to the entire membership. Our in-kind sponsors are extremely important to us and we will go above and beyond to get their businesses out to our members any opportunity we can!

The potential for future business is extraordinary! Your business name is put out there and people can see what your business is all about. If you're willing to donate your time and possibly your product, the benefits are there. I gave examples of what GOAMPI does for their in-kind sponsor's, but check with other organizations you are contemplating sponsoring and make sure you are getting a ROI on your donation. Your in-kind sponsorship is just as important as the organization having a great event!

Using Video to Promote Events

2010-07-17T09:35:00.000-04:00

As the VP, Marketing & Communications for the Greater Orlando MPI (GOAMPI) chapter, one of the biggest challenges is promoting events. We are always trying to come up with new, fresh and innovative ways to make our events stand out amongst the other organizations here in Orlando. One of the ways we have been able to make our chapter stand out is through video promotion.

Video promotions gives us an opportunity to creatively show our industry not only what upcoming events we have but also provides an opportunity for other companies to be a part of the event through video sponsorships. One of the elements that held us back from using video was we wanted it to look professional and we just didn't have the funds in the budget for that. However, we realized that by getting the right members involved we were able to come up with a solution that fit the GOAMPI budget. One of the key factor's was having a talented UCF Rosen College Student, Renea Anderson, that not only had the resources we needed, but also the creative knowledge and experience necessary to put these video's together.

When starting this process the one thing our team depended on was we wanted the video's to be fun to watch. if they are fun to watch people will send other to watch them. It also needs to get across the message of the event. We look at each event as a separate event and we come up with new and exciting ideas each and every time. Sometimes we use talent and sometimes only pictures are necessary. Either way it is a creative process.

This is extremely beneficial to potential sponsors. The more people enjoy the video's and the more hits we get on them, the better opportunity the sponsors have for getting their name out there. When putting the sponsor names & logos at the beginning and end of the video (and sometimes during), it gives ample opportunity to others to not only connect the sponsors to MPI but to visually see their company and know they are participating in a cutting edge form of advertising. This keeps their company not only in the public eye, but also shows their audience that they are willing to take a risk and try new forms of advertising.

GOAMPI plans to continue finding ways to creatively market our events. We will also figure out other ways it can help benefit the chapter as well as the members. Stay tuned for more great ideas and keep watching our creative and fun video's!!

Check out our GOAMPI You Tube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/GOAMPI

Association Memberships

2010-05-16T10:10:00.000-04:00

In these industry times when professional individuals and organizations are looking to get the most for their money, one of the most expendable items are association memberships. Maybe the value of one isn't clear or it seems too expensive for what they get out of it. No matter what the reason, belonging to an association could be one of the most valuable items to hold onto! As long is the individual or group is selective in which association to belong to, the benefits could be phenomenal!

Let's face it, association memberships are expensive. Not only is there a yearly membership fee, but there are luncheon's and other monthly events that cost money to attend. So if you're going to make the investment then you might as well get something out of it. Instead of joining every association that MAY fit your need, focus on one that could bring you the most benefit. Once you chosen that one association, get involved! By getting involved I mean join a committee. Help make the organization be what you want it to be! By getting involved, it not only gives you an opportunity to help shape it but also give you an opportunity to learn some new things you may never have had a chance to learn!

As an independent meeting professional, I chose to join the Greater Orlando MPI (Meeting Professional International). The reason I joined was so I could network with other professionals that may be able to help me in future business opportunities, to gain valuable education and for accreditation. As an independent business owner of a meeting planning company I wanted to belong to an association that prided itself on having very high standards for its membership as well as being the the industry leader in giving back to the membership important tools to encourage members to be the best meeting professional they can. But the most important thing I did was GET INVOLVED. I immediately joined Marketing & Communications Committee. That committee alone has taught me how to understand and handle social networking, how to create and implement a marketing plan, the importance of the website and trade publications and most importantly what our members are looking for so they can do their job better!

The skills I have developed and the knowledge I have learned from being a part of this committee is irreplaceable. I have served on the board for 1 1/2 now and I now help shape what the chapter is today. As a leader I have a very talented committee that every month we meet teaches me something new. They are what has helped move our chapter forward! All of us learn together and we pass this information on to the membership.

This is why it is important to pick one association. If I had been trying to focus on more than one organization, I wouldn't have learned the skills I know today. I look at MPI as a smart investment in my future. What I have learned from being a part of the MPI organizations you can not put a price on it. The information and contacts are invaluable!

So the next time you are contemplating giving up your membership, remember, you don't necessarily have to give all of them up. Just pick one and become involved and get something out of it! You definitely will get out of it what you put into it!!

Orlando Associations Join Forces to Build Event Attendance

2010-03-26T14:37:00.012-04:00

The Greater Orlando Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (GOAMPI) http://www.goampi.org/ has an ever growing membership of well over 450. However high their membership numbers seem to be, GOAMPI strives to reach and educate more people! GOAMPI continues to hold Focus Groups to receive feedback from their members as to what they would like to see as educational benefits to the membership. The topics selected vary and there are more than likely members of other organizations that would benefit from the educational experience. The other industry organizations are covering other various educational topics that GOAMPI members may benefit from as well.

GOAMPI's solution... reach out to the other two large industry organizations: International Special Events Society (ISES) http://www.isesorlando.com/ and National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) h tt p://www.orlandonace.com/ and see if they wanted to participate in cross-promoting each other events. All organizations agreed that it would be beneficial for everyone.

For the past month all three have been actively promoting each others events on their individual organizations websites, Facebook, Twitter and Linked In with much success! Not only has it brought the organizations closer together but has also given each of their members opportunities to network with an entire new group of people. Which in turn expands the networking opportunities for everyone! It also keeps the Orlando meetings industry updated on what is going on with all three chapters so no one has to miss an opportunity of interest.

With these three groups working together instead of competing with each other, the benefits will not only be within the membership, but in the Orlando meetings industry market. The hopes are to have additional joint meetings with the other organizations. This will not only increase event attendance but make the networking experience even better! GOAMPI looks forward to the continued support of their membership as well as their fellow organizations ISES & NACE. GOAMPI looks forward to a continued partnership with them both!

GOAMPI Gives Kids the World

2010-01-06T09:31:00.006-05:00

There are so many non-profit organizations out there that it can be overwhelming to choose which one to donate your time to. You definitely want to make sure the one you choose is going to benefit others as well as make you feel good! Being experienced with helping out non-profits, I can tell you one good organization located in Orlando, FL is Give Kids the World.

Give Kids the World fulfills wishes of all children with life-threatening illnesses and their families from around the world to experience a memorable, joyful, cost-free visit to the Central Florida attractions, and to enjoy the magic of Give Kids the World Village for as long as there is a need. Believe me, the village is magic!!

I had the honor of joining GOAMPI www.goampi.org in volunteering one of our morning to help make these families dreams come true! What an experience it was! Our group helped assist with breakfast service, pictures with Mickey & Minnie, meet and greeting the families and anything else they needed us to do. To see the smiles and joy in the children as well as the rest of the family was priceless. These were families that seemed as if they had been blessed with being able to participate in this special experience. What they didn't know was how blessed we felt to be able to participate!

It truly is a special feeling to know you are making someones life special. A simple thing like saying good morning or carrying a food tray not only make the families feel like they are getting the royal treatment, but make you feel special because you are making them feel that way. I have never experienced such appreciation from the families as well as the staff that work there.

When volunteering at Give Kids the World there was only two rules:
1. Always smile - no matter what.
2. Never say NO - If there is something the child wants they make it happen!

How can you work with that philosophy and not have a great time! It really is a very happy environment that is created. The Village is made up of several different buildings that are all themed. There one building the child can go in and put their name on a star to make a wish. An animated fairy talks to them and creates the illusion that their wish is being granted. There is another building that has a super-sized train set that has night & day settings. There was a very nice volunteer that was more than willing to help the families push every button so they could see all the buildings light up, trolley run, logs rolls, circus rides move and anything else you can think of! With this mans enthusiasm you couldn't help but get excited over the trains!

This is definitely a great organization that you can make a difference is these families lives as well as your own. They are always looking for volunteers to work any amount of hours you can donate. If interested in volunteering: www.gktw.org/volunteer.asp?a=2 and make a difference. I can't wait for my next volunteer opportunity with Give Kids the World!

Florida MPI Board Retreat in Cancun, Mexico

2009-11-16T13:19:00.011-05:00

The Florida chapter's of MPI (Meeting Professional's International) held their annual joint retreat in Cancun, Mexico. What a great idea to not only give the MPI Board members a chance to visit a new location but to also give the Cancun Hotels an opportunity to showcase thier venue's.

Although faced with extreme weather conditions, the MPI Board Retreat was a success! We not only had an opportunity to discuss new and fresh ideas to bring to our MPI members but also a chance to talk with our counterparts from the different chapters in Florida. What a great way to exchange ideas and understand new ways to do things.

We were also able to experience different venue's. Our host hotel ME Melia http://www.me-cancun.com/ provided our sleeping rooms as a welcome reception. In leu of the storm, they were also able to offer us breakfast in their Salt Restaurant. Their breakfast buffet was a various selection of breakfast items including action stations for burrito's, omlette's and pancakes. We were also given tours of the suites, including the one used on MTV's "The Real World". The hotel even offers a cyber cafe available complimentary to guest of ME.

On day two the group visited the Cancun Palace Hotel: http://www.palaceresorts.com/Resorts/CancunPalace/Index.asp. The hotel provided us with meeting space, breakfast and lunch as well as tours of thier hotel and sleeping rooms. The food was delicious as was the hospitality. We dined in thier restaurant where we were served a four course meal accompanied by wine flights. In addition, this hotel had great amenities to offer guests as well as an entertainent area where guests could go to for planned activities and fun. One special note was that their pools looked fantastic!! This hotel is an all-inclusive resort.

For dinner the group went to The Moon Palace: http://www.palaceresorts.com/Resorts/MoonPalace/Index.asp. Then hotel provided us with a welcome reception and mini trade show (with local Cancun vendors) and dinner. It was great to be able to talk with some local vendors so when bringing a group back we would have some points of contact. We were also able to take a tour of the hotel and some sleeping rooms. This hotel is very large and very spread out. If hosting a meeting here, the size of this facility should be taken into account. Although it would be a great place for an incentive trip as it is all-inclusive!

On day three the group went to the Cancun Center: http://cancuncenter.com/. This convention center is located in the center of downtown Cancun. The facilities are quite substancial and offer easy access for large set ups. They Center provided us with meeting space as well as lunch. To all of our surprise, it was probably one of the best meals we had in Cancun! The food quality was excellent as was the service!

For dinner we went to OMNI Cancun Hotel & Villas: http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/CancunHotelAndVillas.aspx?OVRAW=Omni%20Cancun%20Hotel%20%26%20Villas&OVKEY=omni%20cancun%20hotel%20villas&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=30761740521&OVKWID=3584456021&ysmwa=OtNAcfY2UDPzAmbbCxQMZzn9YieyU6QDlfihP-JvkTQg2WEg2zU-7ZKQeEzPmdxz. The hotel provided us with a tour of thier meeting facilities and sleeping rooms as well they provided us dinner. This, by far, was the best dinner we had on our trip! The food was wonderful, the service was outstanding and the decor in the room was fabulous! This hotel really went above and beyond in thier hospitality! We all truly enjoyed our experience here!!

This was the official conclusion of our MPI Board Retreat. It really was a great experience and the host venues were great!! We all feel very thankful that we were able to visit these place and recommend them to anyone looking for a great destination.

Some of us were able to spend a few extra days taking in the sights. While there we checked out Senor Frogs, Carlos & Charlies, Hard Rock and Coco Bongo's. I highly recommend going to Coco Bongo Show and Disco: http://www.cocobongo.com.mx/home.php?Lenguaje=en. This is a once in a lifetime experience. It is not just a night club bar, there are on-going shows. You will see impersonation shows from Elvis, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Beyonce, Gun's & Roses ect. All the acts have background dancer and sings that perform to the songs. There are also ariel acts as well as Cirque-type acts happening. You never know what act you're going to see. It is high energy and truly captivating. We all left the venue in true amazement!! We still can't stop talking out that place!

I highly recommend Cancun for a meeting or incentive trip. The venues were hospitable, the food was great, service outstanding and there was minimal if no language barrior. The people there are very service oriented and friendly. There are also several off-site venue opportunities for small as well as large groups. If you need more information, feel free to contact me.

Benefits of Joining a Committee in a Professional Organization

2009-10-16T11:44:00.009-04:00

It's a fact that the meetings industry has been affected by the economy. This is a time when a lot of corporate and independent company owners are trying to justify memberships to such groups as MPI, ISES, NACE and ABC. It is hard to see a benefit of belonging to these organizations when the return on investment (ROI) may not be there. But there is a way to guarantee not only a ROI but an opportunity to learn skills that can take you company to the next level. Get involved in your chosen organization.

Professional organization will only benefit you if you get involved. You get out of it what you put into it. Even if you only have a few hours a month, I'm sure there is something you can do to get involved. Organizations break down their committee's so you can see what they handle and make a decision on whether or not that group interests you. Choose one you are interested in and passionate about and you'll be surprised at how quickly you will see the benefit.

To demonstrate the value and benefit I will use GOAMPI chapter as I am the VP, Marketing & Communications.

Meet New People
The Marketing & Communications committee interacts with all other committee's within the organization. That means committee members have multiple opportunities to interact with others within the organization. It increases their chances of getting their company information out there to other members. It also give your company visibility within the organization. You never know if one of these other members could be a potential client!

Learn New Skills
Within my committee there is constant learning as we are trying to stay cutting edge in these very competitive times! We have gotten involved with Social Networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook. Linked In and You Tube. These are all constantly changing and evolving and we try to keep up with these changes. Working together with a committee that shares ideas and best practices to help each other catapult MPI to the next level is a HUGE benefit to anybody and any company!!! The information shared about these social networking outlets and the best ways to use them not only benefits the GOAMPI chapter, but also all of our personal and company businesses. This is the way of the new economy and what better place to learn about these tools than at a professional organization that you already have a membership with! Most people pay to learn these skills, but within my committee we have so many different experiences that we are able to work together and learn from each other.

Become a Leader
Opportunities are there for you to become a leader within the organization. By associating yourself with a professional organization appears to other industry folks as if you are investing in your future. Most companies can be selective when choosing a planner of Supplier and the hope is that most companies will tend to go towards people who are involved with professional organizations that hold high standards. As a leader in the organization you also have the opportunity to utilize all your great ideas and make a difference within the organization. This give a great opportunity to stay involved and keep others involved as well!

The benefits of joining a committee within a professional organization are endless. People get involved for many reasons. Most importantly however, is the fact that you feel good about being able to make a difference within your industry. So when you choose which professional organization you are going to be a member of, be sure and get involved and reap all the benefits the membership can offer! You can make a difference!!

Choosing the right bars for the Bus Tour

2009-10-09T14:08:00.007-04:00

It may seem as if we just threw a couple buses, some random bars, beer on the bus, made up some drink specials at the bars and ordered some t-shirts but believe it or not, there is a lot that goes into creating one of our Bus Tours. One of the largest and most important element is what bars to go to!

How to select a bar is so important because it can make or break the fun of the trip. if you get to a bar that is run down, mismanaged or overall not fun, people will be begging to get back on the bus and leave! This will impact them not to go on another Bus Tour!!

Start with a List - When we are in the pre-planning stages of the bus tour the first thing we do is start listing all the possible places we could go to. We take into account past places and feedback we receive. We also ask around and see if anyone has a person experience with a place they think might work for us.

Visit the Bars - Once we have our list of about 10 places we venture to see them personally. You wouldn't believe how many places we went to and decided it just wouldn't fit our group, the place was too small, there wasn't enough bartenders or there just wasn't anything to entertain the group there! Another element taking into consideration is the locations. We don't want to bring a bunch of crazy partiers into an establishment with a bunch of kids or families. Awkward!!

Bar Distance - Once we have about 5 possible options we try and map out a bus route. We are merely making sure people are sitting on the bus longer than 1/2 hour in between stops. If you get more than that, people start getting anxious and wanting to get off.

Bar Negotiations - Another important element to out Bus Tours is making sure that once the tour fee is paid, there isn't a lot of other expenses. This is where we negotiate with the bars to see what they can offer the group. Whether it be food & drink specials, visits by alcohol brand girls, free drinks... whatever. If a bar is unwilling to negotiate with us, we move on to another one as there are a lot that will. Believe it or not, the "specials" or "free drinks" at the bars do make a difference to the group! They do remember the times that they received a free shot or that the manager came out and mingled with them and gave some drinks at the table and so on...

Once all the above elements fall into place, we can choose the bars we feel fit our group the best! In the past we have used several bars that may be fun to hang out at, just not for a group of this size. If we let a bar know we are bringing 55 - 110 people to the bar at a specific time then the bar staff better be ready! If not, we know not to go back there again!

Upcoming Bus Tour
The upcoming "Off The Beatin' Path" bus tour features Wall Street Cantina, Hagan O'Reilly's, Lakeside Bar & Grill (formerly Benchwarmer's) and Trotter's. All of the bars were great to work with and are very excited to have our group come visit! We have created a perfect mix of things to do and great people together to make this bus tour even better than the last two were!! We hope to sell out two buses and give everyone an experience to remember as well as a trip worth the money they spend on it!

If you are interested in going on the Off The Beatin' Path Bus Tour, sign up by Sunday, October 11 to get your official t-shirt ordered: http://bit.ly/yx9Bo The tour is on Saturday, October 24th at 3:00 PM meeting at Wall Street in Orlando, FL.

Reasons To Help Others

2009-10-06T12:35:00.003-04:00

I am asked all the time why I involve myself with other people and organizations. They just can't understand why someone would want to keep so busy helping out others. Especially when I am trying to promote and get my own business. Well the answer is simple... it makes me feel good!

I have gone through life doing things the hard way! Turns out that it isn't such a bad thing. Because of this, I was forced to learn as much as possible on certain subjects so I could make good, well-thought out decisions. So for others I am able to offer up ideas, suggestions and opinions so they don't have to go through what I did. When I see people successfully moving forward using what I suggested, it makes me feel good!

When I started my Meeting Planning company it was scary and I didn't know what to do. But now that I have been through the process and see what it takes, I can help others adapt more easily. I can reassure them about doubts, show them good websites to check out and maybe even throw in some DO NOT's that should definitely help get them started. I have seen results of those I have helped and I fee good about the fact that I was able to make it less stressful for them!!

The big business tool now is Social Networking using Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and You Tube. Well I have gone through a lot, read a lot, attended educational classes and am constantly learning ways to use these tools better so I can network my business. All this effort will be put to good use for not only myself, but others. Since I understand the ideas behind it as well as how it works, I am able to share this knowledge with others and make them more comfortable with it. I have been able to get countless people on Facebook & Twitter simply by taking time and explaining to people how it can work to their advantage and giving them basic knowledge on what they need to get started. I feel good to see people actually using these applications and feeling good about doing it.

It truly does make me feel good to be able to help others learn. I feel as if they appreciate it and I can see the stress melt away in their eyes when they start understanding something. I wish there were more people like me out there to take the time and help others simply because it gives you a good feeling! I will continue to help others where I can and some day it may come back around to me and someone will do the same for me!

How to meet new people when your shy...

2009-10-03T10:58:00.006-04:00

One of the most common questions I am asked is how do I know so many people! The answer is simple... because I truly enjoy getting to know people and the experiences they have been through. I feel like I can learn from people and that helps me grow as a person. I don't consider myself outgoing, in fact I can be quite shy. But I put myself out to get to know people because it makes them feel good as much as it makes me feel good!

But how is this done when your shy and uncomfortable meeting new people? It truly is a frame of mind. If you are afraid you won't have anything to say or people won't want to talk to you... get rid of that mind set!! Put your mind set in a place that says... I'm a great person and I have a lot of good stuff to say! Remember how "fun" you are to be around and you want to share that with others! If you give off those vibes, people WILL want to be around you. Most people would rather be around someone with a great personality than a bump on a log!

Another thing to remember is that most people LOVE to talk about themselves. If you find yourself with worrying you won't have anything to say to someone, DON'T! Just ask them questions about themselves and figure out something you have in common. If you are at a networking event ask someone to tell you about their business and what they do. Once they start talking about their business you will come up with lots of other questions. If you're out at a bar maybe watching sports, ask questions about the sport. Just take the environment you're in use it to your advantage. If you look around there are a lot of great ideas to talk about. Most important, keep it real. Speak from the heart and take time to actually listen to people. People will go out of their way to respond as it makes them feel like you are looking to them for their opinion.

The most important thing to do is make people feel special! If you can figure out a way to make people feel special you've made a connection. Whether it is make a special point to going over and saying good-bye from an event, acknowledging them out at another event, or simply making them laugh. Find something personal that makes an impact and it will make them feel special.

Remember, meeting people shouldn't be a scary thing! It should be an exciting adventure to expand your horizon's! If you remember to keep it real and speak from the heart, you will be amazed at how comfortable you will feel meeting people. You can never know enough people and someday you never know whether or not you and that new friend can help each other out!

Best Buddies of Central Florida

2009-10-01T11:29:00.006-04:00

One non--profit organization that is near and dear to me is Best Buddies International. http://bit.ly/Best_Buddies

Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

I have volunteered with Best Buddies for 5 years organizing and helping them with several of thier events including thier monthly fundraiser "Business Buddies". Business Buddies is a social and networking opportunity for the Orlando business community. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for professionals to come together, network, socialize, and have fun for a good cause. http://bit.ly/Business_Buddies.

I have also been involved helping organize and support thier annual fundraiser Orlando's Toast & Taste. All proceeds from Orlando's Toast and Taste support programs for Best Buddies Orlando 25 local programs seving our 2,000 + participants in Central Florida. http://bit.ly/Toast_and_Taste. This year's fundraiser is on Friday, October 16th 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM at Stirling Sotheby's Global Gallery in downtown Orlando. The event features an array of fine wines and scrumptious cuisine. For collectors, travelers and wine connoisseurs, this year's event includes silent and live auctions featuring autographed memorabilia, vacation packages and rare bottles of wine.

For additional information on these great events or how you can help Best Buddies of Central Florida please contact:
Michelle Tano - Area Director
407-898-0787 ext. 107
michelletano@bestbuddies.org

Outward Sign Food Pantry

2009-09-30T11:20:00.004-04:00

We found a new food pantry in Clermont, FL that is in dire need of food donations. The Outward Sign Food Pantry, located in the My Little Thrift Store Building and next to the Progress Energy Building, has just recently opened and is actively looking for food donations. They have a long list of needy families that need your help!

This would be a great opportunity for a group or company project! It is Christmas time and many groups are looking for an organization to donate to. Well this one would be perfect! They accept non-expired canned goods, dry foods and any food that doesn't need to refrigerated. See their information on the United Way website: http://bit.ly/Outward_Sign

If you or anyone you know is able to help, please contact Don Morrissey at 352-250-8449.

Outward Sign Food Pantry
415 Citrus Tower Boulevard
Clermont, FL 34711
Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Locations for Networking

2009-09-29T09:36:00.003-04:00

It seems as if all people are talking about is how slow the meetings industry is today. If that is still the case, then why are so many restaurants and venue's unwilling to make deals with organizations such as Meeting Professionals International (MPI) on hosting a luncheons or networking events, even for a minimal fee? If their business is going to sit empty, wouldn't they prefer to have people in there and at least get some revenue? Not to mention that they would be showcasing their business to an entire industry of people that could possibly bring clientele or at least recommend clientele to go there.

I for one would not send a client to a business or even recommend a business unless I have experienced it myself. It wouldn't be smart for a meeting planner to send a group somewhere if they didn't know what kind of experience their group would have. We wouldn't want unhappy clients as it would make us look bad. So it would be to the advantage of restaurants and venue's to host events so that meeting planners, such as myself, could experience their business.

It would be my hope that restaurants and venues would start seeing the positives in hosting events and keep in mind the following statement: You have to spend a little to make a little. Look at it as a form of investment and advertising. I personally would rather go experience the business than receive constant cold calls from venues begging me for business. Why not bring everyone over at the same time to experience your business! It save the business time and money (think about all the lunches and dinners you have potential planners over to experience your business) by having everyone together and you can sell your business to 80-100 people at one time rather than one or two here and there on the phone.

Here's to everyone working smarter in these tough times!

DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL FLORIDA – BUDDY WALK

2009-09-28T17:50:00.007-04:00

Looking for a great organization to support, we suggest the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida. They have such strong community support and education offered to help create awareness and opportunities. On October 17th they will be hosting their annual fundraiser Buddy Walk. It is open to everyone and we highly recommend getting involved by volunteering and/or attending the Buddy Walk event. What a great uplifting event!!

For more information: http://bit.ly/Buddy_Walk

TOP TEN REASONS TO SUPPORT THE DSA BUDDY WALK
From Pat Webb, Development Director with DSACF http://www.dsacf.org/

1. The funds help us raise awareness about the AWESOME ABILITIES of Individuals with Down syndrome.
2. Lauren and Travis Frosch would tell you it's for the Kids....
3. Tom Warner would tell you to reach deep in your pocket and pull out those greenbacks and give till it hurts (and then he would call you on the phone to make sure you actually did it!).
4. We cosponsor, with Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families, a FREE annual medical clinic for children and adults with Down syndrome
5. As part of the NDSS’ national Buddy Walk campaign, monies collected from around the country will go toward the NDSS Policy Center in Washington DC
6. IDEA reauthorization will start again next year so if your IEP is important, support DSACF and national advocacy efforts
7. We are hosting the 39th Annual National Down Syndrome Congress Convention July 16-18 in Orlando
8. DSACF provides more than 300 hours of FREE IEP/school support each year to families
9. DSACF provides new parent packets to all the central Florida hospitals and ob/gyn offices
10. Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida needs the money (this is our #1 fundraiser to support all of our local programs all year long)