What do Avatar, TV, Summit Management Services and our partner Radisson Blu Hotels have in common? 3D.

When you partner with Summit Management Services and Radisson Blu Hotels, you’ll find that our business meetings are more than just a group of people listening to speeches in a hotel conference room. Far more.

We amplify the physical event by bringing the message to remote participants via webcasts, social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and secure archives. Think of it as one meeting in three dimensions.

Our team is expert at “setting the stage” on location, online and on demand at any time, so that the key message comes through in a compelling manner and resonates well beyond the primary venue.

To find out more about Summit Management Services and Radisson Blu Hotel’s unique approach to meeting management, visit us online at ImpactfulMeetings.com or call us at 973/239-4005 ext 120.

Last week, we examined the likely effect of the proposed Continental-United merger on corporate travelers, meeting managers and the economy as a whole. The Highlights:

1. Frequent flier miles are secure – the programs will be merged into a single entity as quickly as possible if the merger is approved. Read the rest of this entry »

What does the Continental/United Merger mean to you?
Everyone seems to be thinking the same thing: “What next?” Imagine how the pilots, flight attendants, employees, managers, pensioners, frequent fliers, and assorted hangers-on at Continental and United Airlines must feel. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, an event that literally “rocked the world” stranded millions of travelers, brought the European Air Transportation system to a standstill and caused billions in losses to businesses around the globe. The final cost of this “Act of God” will never be known, but the repercussions of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano’s eruptions spread far beyond Iceland and Europe.

What if you’d had a meeting scheduled this week in Europe? When the volcano erupted last week, closing British airspace, would you have been prepared to cancel the meeting? Would you have been inclined to “wait it out” and see what happened? Who, in your company, would make the final decision? Read the rest of this entry »

As entrepreneurs, you know how important it is to “read the fine print” when making arrangements for a function.   But honestly, has this concept become so ridiculous that you can’t even trust what you see with your own eyes?

It is no secret that when in the meeting planning industry, there can be hidden charges everywhere— from the venue right down to the Coffee Breaks. Read the rest of this entry »

As the economy changes, businesses, big and small, feel the pressure to revolutionize their products and services. As the corporate ladder becomes more crowded, companies seem to be creating their own rungs to get a leg up. In any industry, this means finding new angles. In the meeting planning industry, it means simplifying the process.

Many companies are capable of planning a successful face-to-face meeting. However, capable is no longer sufficient. More often than not, consumers come across situations where they could be getting more for their money without even knowing it. It’s like walking into an ice-cream shop and ordering a scoop of vanilla without the person at the counter informing you that all toppings are free of charge. Sure, you will still enjoy each bite of the treat but how much better could it have been? Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, we discussed putting all the presentations for your meeting on a dedicated show computer to avoid “Death by PowerPoint.” If you’re responsible for the meeting content, a blank screen is the devil’s workshop. Now that you’ve ensured all the presentations are present and accounted for on the show computer, are you ready to go? Not quite.

Unless you’re doing the entire program yourself, the next most important thing you need to do is review the slides before the start of the meeting, and wherever possible to get your presenters together for a comprehensive Slide Review and Dress Rehearsal. These elements are your chance to ensure uniformity in both the visual style and intellectual integrity of your presentation.
Read the rest of this entry »

Setting up the Show Computer

You’re in the meeting room for your important presentation and everything looks perfect. There’s a projector with enough lumens, a correctly sized screen so that everyone can see – maybe even a sound system – and the meeting is about to begin. You even remembered the auto-advance slide presenter and the laser pointer. The coffee break is set and lunch is scheduled for 12:30. Did you forget anything?

One sure way to invite “Death by PowerPoint,” is to let more than one person try to hook up their computer to your show projector or to change computers in the middle of your meeting. Read the rest of this entry »

Choose Your Technical Team Wisely

For all but the smallest meeting, using a hotel’s in-house audio-visual department can be a risky endeavor. It stands to reason that while the hotel’s technical team will do their best to follow your instructions, ultimately, they owe their allegiance to a company with conflicting loyalties. After all, you are only in their hotel for a few days; they will have another client next week, and the week after that.

Traveling a technical team which owes its allegiance to you is as important as finding the right speakers for your presentations. Read the rest of this entry »

Effective today, Continental will offer an opportunity to upgrade to seats featuring extra legroom for a “nominal” amount, which will vary by length of flight and market competition. Elite fliers can get these seats in advance – another benefit of earning status on Continental.

According to the Airline’s website: Read the rest of this entry »