Feb 09
Ashley SpitzerContests, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows economy, environmental-friendly, food and beverage, meeting ideas
If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to save time and money, meeting planners have a lot of suggestions to cut food and beverage costs.
Each of the planners mentioned below shared their advice in the “Stellar Tips” section of ConventionPlanit.com.
Food and beverage charges are always a major cost center. Customizing menus can allow for greater variety, fresher ingredients, and cut costs.
“When working with a limited budget for a full day of meals, I provide my total dollar amount to the chef or catering manager and request that they customize menus for me, keeping in mind any specific requirements I have for each event,” says Kathleen Zwart of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.
“This allows them to use seasonal or local specials, piggyback onto other events being held that day, take advantage of specials offered by their food suppliers, and offer smaller, healthier portions. I stay within my budget, my attendees are offered healthier options, and the chef is able to use some creativity instead of the same old banquet menus. It’s a win-win for all.”
Even simple changes in how food is presented at meal functions can save money.
“If you’re having a reception, pass/butler the more expensive items,” says Debbie DeJacques of GMA Washington.
“You’ll be able to make them last longer and save money. Don’t set plates on the display table – use only napkins (this will ensure your attendees get to sample all the offerings but won’t walk away from the display station with a mound of food) and stick with beer and wine at the bar.”
Laura Johnson of Market*Access International recommends asking the caterer to slice bagels, croissants and muffins in half. Attendees will take smaller portions – leaving more food to go around and wasting less while stretching your breakfast budget.
Stacey Petersen with MHA Ventures, Inc., eliminates canned soda:
“I have found that canned soda costs a lot of money to provide at our conventions. To save on money, and save on the waste of half cans of soda being thrown away and people taking two or three cans ‘for the road,’ two years ago I moved to using a self-service soda fountain station. These stations are conveniently placed near break areas, and are serve-yourself.
All the venue has to worry about is ice, 6-ounce disposable cups, and replacing the canisters once a day (instead of counting and recounting soda cans). It’s a win-win situation – it’s saved me on my budget, members are happy, the hotel staff is happy to not have to count cans anymore, and the waste is significantly decreased!”
Claire Modarelli of Moffitt Cancer Center, replaces bottles of water with water coolers and pitchers. It saved her $1,000 last year!
Stray from a traditional break time – offer variety and cut costs with a voucher program.
“We worked with a hotel to provide vouchers for breaks instead of serving an expensive break time. Each participant was given vouchers to go to the snack shop located in the hotel lobby.
Each voucher was worth $3. For each item the participant chose, they turned in a voucher. The vouchers were then counted and charged to the master account. This wound up costing considerably less than paying for breaks,” shares Kathy Craig of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Closely monitoring a beverage manager can also pay off, as Stacy Wald of Orthopaedic Associates explains,
“When I do my banquet event orders I let the manager know at that time that I would like to be with the beverage manager when they tally the bars and empties. Liquor is counted by tenths of a bottle and then billed accordingly.
If I disagree with a count and the measurement is changed it could be the equivalent to 10-12 drinks. It also keeps the beverage manager on his toes! I have saved hundreds of dollars just by checking the bars before the totals are finalized.”
What is your cost saving tip? Share your ideas by commenting on this post!
Jan 13
maureen-pickellTrade Shows economy, environmental-friendly, green meetings, Keep America Meeting, overseas meetings, pcma
Your intrepid blogger had another busy day. The sessions at the PCMA annual conference continue to be varied and interesting, beginning with “Beyond Borders: Advanced Solutions for International Meetings.” Roundtable discussion topics ranged from Risk Management and Attendance Building to Budgets and Cost Containment as well as Working with Partners. The goal was to help eliminate the trial and error of international planning by sharing information among participants. Specific issues were introduced and solutions discussed using the expertise of both planners and suppliers.
For those of you interested in the results, the notes will be posted on the PCMA website after the conference.
Then on to “Top Industry Leaders on the Future of Meetings.” The meetings industry version of “The Magnificent Seven” including Jonathan Tisch, Roger Dow, John Graham, Bruce MacMillan, Michael Gehrisch, Brenda Anderson and Deborah Sexton addressed the outlook for 2010 and beyond. A lively discussion about the power of collaboration revealed that the prognosis is basically optimistic but more work needs to be done to rebuild and renew our industry.
The standing room only audience seemed more than anxious to take on the challenge by furthering the grass roots movements begun this past year.
And lastly, how many of you know the difference between Free range poultry and Cage free birds? The session entitled “Green Guide: Sustainable Food and Beverage” presented tips on selecting sustainable food choices and staying within budget while implementing a program to manage food and beverage waste. Again, consult the PCMA website for a glossary of terms relating to this important topic.
Looking forward to Wednesday’s sessions and networking!
Jan 06
Ashley SpitzerTips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows cvbs, environmental-friendly, green meetings, meeting ideas, pcma
Are you attending the PCMA Annual Conference in Dallas later this month? If so, here’s the inside scoop on how the conference is working hard to go green:
Getting Started: Choosing a Green Location
Make a difference from every aspect of your conference by choosing a green city. For example, 40% of the energy used in Dallas is renewable. Dallas was also one of the first cities to implement green building guidelines, and is committed to city-wide green programs including park construction.
Green-friendly destinations are eager to work with you to meet your green requirements and implement your ideas at the convention center. PCMA Vice President of Meetings & Events Kelly Peacy said she worked closely with the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau to infuse green elements into all areas of the conference, including area, including the destination, accommodations, food and beverage, communications, and operations.
Implementation: Make a Difference
This year’s conference supports local organically grown food as much as possible – quite a feat with the thousands of expected attendees! Leftover food will be donated to a local food bank and other unused food will be composted.
PCMA partnered with green hotels for conference housing, like the Hyatt Regency Dallas, who donates leftover soap to a recycling effort to provide people in developing nations with soap.
Words of Encouragement:
“You don’t just go out and suddenly become a green organization,” Peacy said. “You have to build on it. You need to decide how high green ranks on your list of organizational strategic objectives. We asked that question and determined that it was very important, so we put significant resources toward it. At PCMA it is half of one person’s job. Every year we build new objectives. If PCMA can be recognized as an industry leader to educate our members about green that would be a success.”
If you’re attending the conference, be sure to tell us what you think of the green efforts!
Apr 22
Ashley SpitzerMisc Tidbits, News, Tips for Meeting Planners environmental-friendly, green meetings, meeting ideas
Happy Earth Day!
The meeting and events industry has embraced green initiatives in a big way…
…from the countless hotels striving for and achieving LEED certification, to companies offering Green meeting and exhibit supplies, to the Convention Industry Council setting the bar with the current development of the Green Meetings and Events Standards.
Give yourself a big pat on the back today for helping to make our Earth a better place!
Are there any green initiatives you are particularly proud of? Tell us…we’d love to hear about them!
Planners, enter your ideas in the Stellar Tip Contest for a chance to win a great prize.
ConventionPlanit.com Members, share your initiatives with us and we’ll post them to your listing page in the new Green Initiatives section!
Mar 24
Ashley SpitzerMisc Tidbits, News, Places to Stay, RFP, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows economy, environmental-friendly, hotel reviews, hotels, meeting experiences, meeting ideas, unique activities
Would you stay in a hotel like this to save some $$?
Micro hotels have been spreading across Europe, and are beginning to reach U.S. cities like New York…
…to help travelers enjoy luxuries for less.
These Micro Hotels focus on making the rooms feel special instead of mall.
What do you think — will the idea catch on? Would you stay here? Will this become the cheap way for businesses and associations to continue meeting?
Jul 11
Ashley SpitzerMember News, News environmental-friendly, green meetings, hotels, LEED-certification, Starwood Hotels
The nation’s first LEED-certified hotel brand, element by Starwood, has just opened its first hotel!
element Lexington, in Lexington, MA, celebrated its grand opening on July 1. The property is a mix of smart design and eco-chicness. It will be the concept lab for the brand.
How do you think the element brand will impact non-eco friendly hotels? Will the environment impact your property selection for your next meeting? Or is element appealing to a niche market?
Apr 03
Ashley SpitzerNews environmental-friendly, guest-friendly hotel tips, Marriott Orlando Airport
As we discussed in our last posting, environmental conservation is becoming the trend among many of the hotels and facilities across the nation.
Some properties, like the Marriott Orlando Airport, which recently received Green Lodging Certification from the state of Florida, are helping the environment while simultaneously adding convenient features for guests. The hotel implemented user-friendly and environmental-friendly practices such as sensor lighting systems and programmable thermostats.
As hotels and facilities continue to incorporate simple ways to conserve energy into their businesses, it becomes easier for guests to follow suit.
What green practices are part of your daily routine? Do you think twice before printing an email on a piece of paper? What changes would you like to see the facilities you visit implement for your next meeting?
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