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Meetings
Summit Management Meetings
Summit Management Services makes meeting planning easy. With just one call, you'll get comprehensive information on hotels, conference facilities, and group airfares. You'll also get help with the thousands of details which go into planning a successful meeting. Our "One Stop Shopping" concept means Summit Management is your most efficient meeting planning resource.
Summit Management Services has a variety of meeting management styles to meet your planning needs.
Summit management has provided the following services to its clients: Product Launches, Regional and National Sales Meetings, Managers Meetings, Incentives (Inclusive of both Domestic and International), Sales Training Meetings, Special Events, VIP and/or Customer Retreats, Trade Show's and Exhibits.
Summit: The Travel Consultant's Professional Edge
Site Selection
Hotel Contract Negotiation
Budget Preparation / Accounting Services
Transportation Coordination
Database & Room Block Management
Food, Beverage, Social Event Coordination/Support
On-Site Conference Management
Group & "Meet & Greet" Services for VIP Arrivals
Miscellaneous Services
Post-Conference Wrap Up
A Word about Service Fees
The Outside Travel Consultant's Professional Edge
Planning a successful meeting involves extensive preparation. In today's fast paced business environment, finding the time and the staff to handle the details can be difficult. Summit Management's expert staff is here to give you the backup you need to get the job done right!
From initial site selection through final accounting, our seasoned professionals assist every step of the way. We'll help with budget preparation, contract negotiations, guest communications, and any of the countless tasks which must be attended to before, during and after every meeting. We want to be your partner! Mix and match the services you need for your client.
Budget Preparation and Accounting Services
Our staff will prepare a comprehensive budget for your meeting, tailored to match your client's standard expense classifications. We can provide accurate estimates for air travel, hotel, meal, special event, ground transportation, and other expenses even before you've decided on a final location.
For multinational companies hosting meetings with foreign participants, our accounting department can even arrange to compute "back charge" contributions, based in local currency or US Dollar amounts.
Site Selection
Selecting the right destination and hotel can "make or break" a conference. Our extensive knowledge of domestic and international hotel options will facilitate your selection of the perfect meeting site. Do you want to dazzle your attendees with the hottest "in" spot in the Caribbean? Does your budget require five-star ambiance at a bargain rate? We know where to look. Our staff has circled the globe, hosting meetings in major cities around the world. One phone call can save you hundreds of hours of work. In some cases, we can even have a firm offer on your desk the same day!
Hotel Contract Negotiations
Summit Management Services maintains an extensive network of hotel industry contacts. The experience gained in working with leading hotels throughout the world serves our clients well.
Our hotel rate negotiations usually result in lower "effective" rates than the "net" rates our clients obtain by going directly to a property. That's because we know what the "going rate" should be for accommodations, F & B, and ancillary meeting expenses, at any given time of the year. And you can be sure that we keep looking until we find the perfect choice for your meeting. Because of our excellent relationships with the sales staff at leading hotels, we often obtain rates substantially lower than other groups at the same hotel. You can be confident your group will receive excellent value for each dollar spent.
Transportation Coordination
As part of our "One-Stop Shopping" service, Summit Management's staff of reservations experts will negotiate contracts for air transportation to your meeting site. Typically, discounts of 40-45% off regular coach fares are available, even without a Saturday night stay. While every situation is unique, we carefully analyze traffic patterns to determine which airlines best serve the routes you need. A comprehensive air travel budget can be prepared to help you determine which cities offer lower overall airfare.
Ground transportation coordination is one of the most vexing and thankless tasks faced by meeting planners. We'll handle airport and local transportation needs with a competent ground handler, so you can attend to the important details of your meeting.
Database and Room Block Management
Summit Management offers custom-designed database management services, to facilitate keeping track of attendee expenses at larger meetings. We'll design a database to give you the flexibility to receive up-to-the-second reports on meeting status. These customized reports can sort data to your specifications -- alphabetically, chronologically, by region, etc.
We're especially efficient when managing room blocks for companies which send large numbers of delegates to conventions. Our staff can keep you from wasting time and money on expensive last minute changes, substitutions and cancellations.
Food, Beverage, Social Event Coordination and Support Services
At your request, Summit Management Services will coordinate all food & beverage functions with the hotel staff. We'll also help coordinate a social program consistent with the objectives of the conference. We'll produce and distribute mailings geared toward conference registration, hospitality, or meetings. (Name badges, binders, printed meeting materials, tent cards, signage, etc.). A speaker referral service is also available.
On-Site Conference Management
We know how hectic on-site meeting coordination becomes. Your staff is already overburdened, without worrying about making sure that all the details have been handled. And a hotel's local hospitality & logistics staff simply cannot match the proficiency and competence of a professional meeting planner.
With Summit Management Services on-site at your meeting, you'll be sure reservations are honored, meeting rooms are ready, the AV is in place and functioning, and that your catered events will come off without a hitch. Our staff knows all the details of your meeting, and we also know the full history from start to finish. How can you insure the success of a meeting? The simple answer: Use Summit Management Services.
Group and "Meet & Greet" Service for VIP Arrivals
Staffing and management of private registration for the group. We will supervise hotel front desk personnel to ensure smooth check-in and registration. We also contact all hotel department heads and attend pre-conference meetings, to review your entire program and plan for all contingencies.
Summit's staff is well-trained in handling group movements of any size. From VIPs on down the line, each attendee is handled courteously and efficiently. And all guests receive a computerized departure notice, specifying transportation arrangements to the local airports. We can provide assistance with coordination and collation of on-site materials (i.e. welcome packages, badges, meeting materials).
Miscellaneous Services
Hospitality Desk and Suite Operations will be manned as specified. We will also operate a conference office to assist company VIPs and attendees. Summit can arrange for an onsite airline ticket reservation office, as well as light word-processing capabilities.
We'll provide assistance with rehearsals, slide reviews, and general preparation for conference sessions and seminars. We check and double-check A/V equipment, refreshments, speaker communications, etc. and will arrange last minute, on-site changes to the program.
Naturally, we will also assist with supervision of hotel meal and beverage functions. Summit Management will monitor the setup of all scheduled functions to ensure they meet your expectations.
Post-Conference Wrap-Up
After the conference comes the hardest part of a meeting -- the reconciliation. Let the experts at Summit make it easy for you ~ and for the accounting department. Consolidated billing with complete backup eliminates hours of tedious effort. You'll always know exactly what you spent on your meeting when Summit coordinates your functions.
Your complete "Final Accounting" will be submitted with a breakdown of all charges, clear and concisely listed. All hotel, food, beverage, and entertainment expenses are carefully reviewed to ensure accurate billing.
Summit Management Services supplies complete documentation and backup of all expenses, based on a "pass-through" basis, including:
- Hotel bill: Rooms, tax, gratuities, meeting room rental fees, food & beverage, hospitality/office expenses, VIP amenities, etc.
- All and all transportation expenses
- Supplementary materials obtained or produced by Summit Management Services
- All on-site expenses incurred: Hotel, meals, porterage, special events, etc.
- All items ordered or purchased through authorized staff members will be categorized as pass-through expenses and included in the final billing.
A Word About Service Fees
Summit Management Services charges a fee for meeting planning and conference management, based on the specific requirements of your meeting. The fee for each meeting, or series of meetings, is individually negotiated, and depends upon the tasks our staff will be asked to coordinate.
We are prepared to provide as much (or as little) assistance as you require. On-site staff charges are based on the seniority of our personnel, as well as the duration, location, and requirements of each program. Generally, billing is handled on either a "cost-plus," pass-through basis, or on a per-person meeting management fee.
We will be pleased to provide you with a complimentary analysis of any upcoming meeting requirements upon request.
