Budgets

At Meeting Services Unlimited budget management is the analysis, organization and oversight of revenue and expenditures for a meeting. We adhere to strict internal protocols on expenditures for a continuously current and accurate budget.A budget is created to allocate specific amounts of money for the various meeting expenditures in addition to keeping track of incoming revenue. Meeting Services Unlimited manages your meeting budget to maintain the budget’s bottom-line. If a budget is out of balance due to lagging revenue or higher than anticipated expenditures, we work to increase revenue and reduce expenses to bring it back into balance.

Meeting Services Unlimited provides:

• Projecting, forecasting and monitoring expenses
• Accounts payable and receivable services
• Invoice review and challenging vendor inaccuracies
• Financial summary

Housing

Whether your housing needs require several hotels or just one, managing the room blocks is essential to maintain a successful meeting and the satisfaction of your participants. For over three decades Meeting Services Unlimited has employed successful techniques to maximize pickup and minimize “outside the block” bookings.

Our registration system seamlessly integrates with the housing system to offer your attendees an easy, hassle-free experience. Behind the scenes at Meeting Services Unlimited we perform the tasks that have rendered countless satisfied customers.

These tasks include:

• Rate monitoring and protection to assure the lowest rate
• Risk prevention with a skillfully negotiated contract
• Hotel pre-and post-audits to assure accuracy and capture each reservation generated by your meeting
• Waitlist option for each hotel and management of waitlist
• Reservation changes and exhibitor room block management
• Strict walk policies to influence hotel walk decisions that protect your attendees
• Historical data tracking

Logistics

Extraordinary meetings are comprised of several interesting and thought-provoking experiences planned and managed exceptionally well. We are known for our attention to detail, creativity and organization skills that have for over three decades, been at the core of our foundation. We listen intently as you outline your needs, then we take the appropriate actions to produce the results expected.

With a detailed management timetable at the center of the organizational spectrum, the step-by-step planning process gets underway. The team approach we employ guarantees you the most knowledgeable individuals are working on each phase of your meeting.

Meeting Services Unlimited offers a beginning-to-end solution that simplifies the planning process.

Highlights of our services include:

• Effectively assign function and meeting space
• Create session and activity room designs that inspire and delight attendees
• Negotiate, special order and monitor food and beverage
• Create detailed event orders for vendor and facility guidelines
• Make adjustments in logistics where needed to mitigate disturbances
• Research, plan and manage offsite events
• Efficiently direct traffic flow to and from events and activities
• Ensure each third-party vendor delivers as contracted

We offer the necessary expertise to launch a new meeting or re-brand an existing one. There is no aspect of the meeting planning process that is beyond our scope of services and skills.

Negotiations

Knowledge of the ever-changing facets in the meeting industry is fundamental for effective contract negotiations. More than 50 contractional clauses exist within our agreement that is widely accepted by the hotel community. Rest easy knowing that experienced professionals represent your interests. With each person negotiating on your behalf enjoying over 35 years in the hospitality industry, our highly experienced and prepared experts anticipate your needs and protect you against costly commitments.

We take into consideration the overall cost of your meeting as well as the many potential liabilities, when negotiating. We understand every detail in our contract and know what to monitor and manage after the contract is signed. The final contract outlines space requirements, rates, concessions, and risk reducing clauses. Benefits include:

• No attrition clauses
• Guaranteed lowest rates protection
• Three-tiered cut-off date structure
• Stringent walk policy that encourages in-the-block reservations

Meeting organizers continually face increasing challenges and responsibilities with constant demands for better results. We annually negotiate thousands of room nights, establishing contracts that contain the best terms, offer the best rates, and eliminate or minimize exposure to potentially costly situations. We confirm room block accuracy, liability protection, and policy consistency as we meticulously negotiate your contract to ensure critical issues are clearly defined.

On-Site

Meeting Services Unlimited’ s on-site management team displays the qualities every good meeting manager needs.

• Leadership skills
• Problem-solving abilities
• Levelheaded analysis
• A calm, reassuring sense of confidence

Providing a smooth, stress-free and successful meeting experience is the reputation Meeting Services Unlimited has built over the last three decades. The tools we use provide a step-by-step outline and timeline detailing all the intricate elements. We are always one-step ahead of the activities to assure what has been planned is delivered.

Promotions

Our top priority in promoting your meeting is to inspire action. Meeting Services Unlimited crafts a marketing plan that is in-line with your brand and designed to work simultaneously with your efforts to meet your objectives. The way your message is delivered is as important as the message itself. We collaborate with you to create a strategy that will authenticate your meeting as a leading source of professional development for your audience.

We provide services to communicate value and benefits:
• Research, collect, coordinate and write copy for print material, email blasts and website pages
• Manage graphic designer, printing and distribution
• Evaluate existing data and available third-party lists for intended audience

Email blasts are written and scheduled to send targeted, branded messages to achieve maximum open rates and accomplish the desired call-to-action. Messages also include ways to increase interaction on social sites, integrate the event branding graphics and call-to-action controls. Meeting Services Unlimited will provide analytics for each blast and adjust to assure a strong message is being delivered and generating the desired results.

Registration

The first involvement with your meeting that attendees experience is the registration process and it needs to be easy to navigate, responsive, straightforward and user-friendly. Our robust registration management solution is customized to collect the data you require to deliver valuable attendee insights.

Features of our Registration System Include:

• Customized site branded to reflect your meetings image
• Required data as your needs demand
• Track meal functions and session choices
• Customized fields to capture additional data
• Register multiple participants from the same organization
• Automatic and instant confirmation and payment processing
• CPI compliant
• Offer “Promo codes” for unpublished discounts
• Online access to several reports
• Name badges printed with identifying features

Onsite registration operations must be a smooth process. A design and layout of the registration area proven to produce good traffic flow, is critical. Accuracy, timeliness and attendee satisfaction is our priority.

Post reporting is detailed and tailored to provide the critical information needed to make prudent decisions for the following years’ meeting.

Site Selection

Site selection can be daunting with so many options to consider. With an understanding of logistical needs, budget, demographics, objectives, timeline and history, our experienced professionals narrow down a diverse and comprehensive array of options for you to consider. By streamlining the site selection process, only the most relevant options are presented to you in an easy-to-review format.

Throughout the site selection process, you can expect to receive the luxury of working with a single-point-of-contact who will assist you with the selection of an ideal destination.

Next Steps

We prepare and distribute Request for Proposals to the most suitable destinations. We collect the proposals, consolidate the findings and present a comprehensive report for your review. Upon identifying destinations and venues that align with your needs, we plan the site visit itinerary, prepare budget analysis and accompany you throughout the process.

Visiting the site is the final step in the site selection process. This is your opportunity to see the destinations features first-hand, to ensure you select the best option available. Once the site visits are completed, we will provide guidance until your final selection is determined.

Social Media

Social media is used by nearly every organization to help promote their meeting. Promoting your meeting through social media outlets can boost attendance and sponsorship dollars when managed correctly.

Could your organization stand to dramatically improve your meeting results and exceed its goals? By leveraging more effective social media strategies you can:

• Persuade more people to register for your meeting
• Create more value for sponsors and sell more sponsorship opportunities
• Boost attendance at sessions and gatherings
• Get attendees more engaged onsite
• Obtain positive feedback from your attendees to tell a successful event story

Speakers

Finding the most efficient and accurate approach to requesting, obtaining and managing speakers is a fundamental necessity. Whether you have speakers submit a Request for Presentation (RFP) or enlist volunteers and staff to seek out speakers, Meeting Services Unlimited will ease this undertaking with our robust interactive technology. Turning this labor-intensive phase over to Meeting Services Unlimited allows you to redirect your energy to more critical matters.

Services offered include:

• Online submission and evaluation of speaker proposals
• Confirmation notices and follow-up emails
• Notifications to guide speakers through a list of needs
• Gentle nudging of speakers to meet deadlines
• Data collection to produce abstracts, programs, introductions, etc.
• Schedule session rooms to maximize audio-visual placement and realize savings on equipment rental

Meeting Services Unlimited provides consultation on well-known individuals on the speaker circuit and negotiation of their contracts to assure you have the best person on the platform during your meeting.

Sponsorships

Generating sponsorships is much more than just increasing revenue. Persuading companies to allocate generous sums of money to support your meeting is big business and requires a precise plan of action.

Vital to structuring a successful sponsorship strategy, is value. Demonstrating that you value the sponsor, proving the value they will receive in exchange for their support and positioning your meeting’s value into the future are critical components.

Demonstrating value to the sponsor involves helping them understand marketing basics, such as; cost per lead, cost per acquisition, and lifetime value of a customer. We design a strategy to position your meeting in a way that helps sponsors perceive more value. We believe making a commitment to work closely with your sponsors to ensure their success is crucial.

Our services include:

• Prospect assessment and strategy
• Create sponsorship opportunities
• Develop and distribute sponsorship prospectus
• Initiate sales calls to previous sponsors and prospects
• Sponsor follow-up communication
• Fulfilment of benefits

Trade Shows

There is nothing new about exhibitors’ demand for higher return-on-investment from their trade show participation. To facilitate their needs Meeting Services Unlimited conducts research, phone interviews, and personal observations to understand what they need to justify their involvement in your trade show. We review promotional efforts, examine survey results, and witness attendee and exhibitor onsite interaction.

Meeting Services Unlimited designs a sales strategy based on our findings to capitalize on what is working and provides solutions for what needs improved. We study internal and external factors, identify your show’s strengths and weaknesses, and compare your show against your competitors.

Meeting Services Unlimited serves exhibitor requests from the point-of-sale to floor logistics. We confirm that promises made during the sales process translate to satisfaction during the trade show. The best measurement of success is the return of an exhibitor year after year.

User-friendly online technology allows us to:

• Customize exhibitor registration and manage complimentary badge allotments
• Provide a password protected interface so exhibitor contact can manage their records
• Customize an interactive booth selection module for immediate booth selection

In addition to our online services:

• Handle exhibitor inquiries
• Develops trade show policies, procedures and agreements
• Trade show design
• Manage booth selection process
• Onsite management