Partnership

Planning an event takes a village; a meeting planner needs to have a trusted group of people around to ensure the event’s success. There’s a variety of vendors that may or may not help out, depending on the type of event. An event manager must rely on the AV company, show and display, catering, florist, presenters, graphic designers….the list goes on. All of these types of vendors are important and can make or break an event.

But perhaps the most important relationship of all is that with the venue. None of the other companies can do their work without the cooperation of the venue whether it’s a hotel, conference center, banquet hall or even an outdoor space. It is imperative that the venue, CSM (Convention Services Manager) and the meeting planner work together in a partnership to make it all come together.

So, what makes a good CSM?  Here are my top 5 qualities that set a good CSM apart from the rest.

1. Knowledgeable – It is good to have someone who knows the venue and good to have someone who knows the industry, but it’s great to have someone who knows both.
2. Honest – Being forthcoming about information and issues is key. No one can solve a problem if they don’t know about it.
3. Responsive – CSMs are often involved in onsite groups and away from their desks, but someone who makes the most of the time they have at their desk makes a meeting planner feel more at ease.
4. Reactive – Things come when planning events and things happen on site. Part of good planning is doing our best to avoid those things, but equally as important is reacting to those things as they come up.
5. Collaborative – No matter what problems or situations arise when planning an event of any kind, it is so important to feel like your CSM is working WITH you, not for you, and has the best interest of the group in mind.

What’s on your list?

~Tina Jackman