October 2009

Social networking and face-to-face marketing are essential tools for planners

BY BARRY SISKIND

n a recent issue of Trade Show Executive, I read an interesting article about Magic Stick, the winner of the TSE 2009 Innovation Award. Magic Stick is a small gadget, about the size of a computer memory stick that you carry with you. When you see someone also carrying a Magic Stick you can electronically exchange contact information. You each aim, push a button and voila you are networked.

Welcome to the age of hi-tech social networking whose first victims may very well be the handshake and a business card.

Twitter, Facebook, Web 2.0, SecondLife, LinkedIn, Flickr, LibraryThing, Ning, Jaiku, and EventPeeps are here to stay. There is nothing we can do about it nor should we for fear of being labeled Luddites. We should embrace social networking as a positive technology to help us build our personal networks.

This discussion is reminiscent of a time – a decade ago – when the world was a twitter (oops) about something called a virtual trade show and how this heralded the death of face-to-face marketing as we knew it. What happened to virtual exhibitions was that they became an integral part of larger face-to-face events providing year round exposure to products, services and education. What was feared to be an enemy became a powerful ally.

The same, I am guessing, will happen to social networking sites.

Face-to-face marketing needs all the help it can get to maximize its potential and if technology can help, then all the better.

But technology cannot replace the power of meeting a vendor or customer and talking about issues eyeball to eyeball. Meeting face to face is how we form opinions of people and the institutions that employ them. When we can integrate the technology to enhance our interpersonal contacts then we become winners in this brand new, very old game of networking.

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• Don’t abuse your network – this is so easy when you simply use your network for commercial purposes. The people in your network are folks with whom you have made a personal contact. They have families, worries and dreams. When you can treat your network as an extension of yourself and treat these people as individuals you cannot lose.

• Stay in touch – there’s not much point meeting someone at a trade fair, exchanging information and not staying in touch.

Treat your network as a living breathing thing that needs attention or it will simply wilt and die.

• Make it a 24/7 habit – don’t just build your network in times of need. You should be constantly looking for opportunities to expand your sphere of influence.

• Give something back – If your network is a living entity then it needs food to survive. The food you provide is in your willingness to give back. This means being constantly on the lookout to offer advice, contacts or a friendly word to your 200 people.

Social networking is quickly finding its place in the face-toface marketing world. When you combine the power of your interpersonal skills to build your network and then integrate technology to record the experience and maintain contact you have a winning combination.

Barry Siskind is North America’ foremost trade and consumer show expert. Visit his Web site: www.siskindtraining.com or e-mail him at: barry@siskindtraining.com.

BUILDING A NETWORK Here are a few thoughts as you go about building a productive and profitable network.

• Networks are not mailing lists – Social scientists tell us that each of us has approximately 200 people in our network.

When you misuse the technology and build lists that include thousands of contacts you are clearly misusing the tool.

• Find your six degrees of separation – Each of your 200 people also has a network of 200, each of their 200 has 200 as well. If you take 200 to the sixth power the number is slightly more than six billion which coincidentally includes everyone on the planet. Learning how to tap into these sub-networks opens you to unlimited potential. If you look carefully you can find anyone you want to contact through your six degrees of separation.

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In this Issue THE CANADIAN EDITION

10 Feeding your brain >

Our goal and why we do it

We all know food sustains our bodies, but how many planners contemplate what their brain needs to operate effectively? Dr. Pierre Geoffroy weighs in on brain foods that can help you work and think better.

17 Edmonton asserts itself >

ore than one subscriber has asked us why we publish The Planner and what our goal is, so I wanted to take this opportunity to inform you of our core business: Information. We are not a lifestyle magazine, we are an information magazine. That is, we provide useful, reliable information that you can use. No fancy pictures trying to sell perception, just black and white information which planners can use in their daily activities.

Why do we do it? Because there is a huge need for useful, pertinent information. We are all swamped – The Planner is a sort of information triage for our industry, keeping you informed of what is happening in our industry.

So we would like to thank you, our faithful readers, who every month inspire us through your comments to bring something new to The Planner. In September, we organized our first business speed dating event which proved to be extremely successful and filled a definite need. This month, we will be holding two more speed dating events, and are already planning some in the new year. One of the needs planners said they had was for quick face-to-face meetings with potential suppliers. That’s how the Speed Dating Event for Business was born. And it confirms a recent study by the Harvard Business Review which claims that 79 percent of the respondents interviewed find that in-person meetings are the most effective way of meeting new clients to sell business. (See page 6 for more on this study).

Another suggestion we received was to provide tips on various subjects. So beginning this month, you will find a Tip Sheet on specific subjects. They will be printed on an 8.5 x 11 sheet with three holes so you can keep all of your Tip Sheets in a binder and build your own Planner Resource Guide for quick reference.

Thanks for all of your comments, and please keep passing them on.

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Many of us think of Calgary when someone mentions Alberta, but Edmonton has plenty of things worth making it a big part of any Western conversation. Check out this month’s interview with the local CVB.

19 Delegating = productivity >

The art of delegation can dramatically increase productivity at the most critical level. Leo Gervais looks at five ways to delegate so you can focus on the bigger picture of your business without sweating the small stuff.

24 Holiday party tips >

The office holiday party has been around as long as offices and businesspeople, but there are certainly many ways to improve upon this tried and true tradition. Lyne Branchaud offers 30 tips to get it right.

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The Planner is distributed to professional meeting and event planners across Canada.

M ANAGING E DITOR

A SSOCIATE E DITOR G RAPHIC A RTIST S ALES S ALES C IRCULATION C ONTRIBUTERS

LEO GERVAIS

Leo Gervais lgervais@theplanner.ca Camille Lay clay@theplanner.ca Matt Riopel Don Murray, CMP dmurray@theplanner.ca Amel Idiri amel@theplanner.ca Patricia Lemus circulation@theplanner.ca Lyne Branchaud, Tara Chapman, Guylaine Dallaire, Pierre Geoffroy, Stacey Hanke, Manon Harvey, Barry Siskind

2105, de la Montagne, suite 100 Montréal, Quebec H3G 1Z8 Telephone : (514) 849-6841 ext. 315 Fax : (514) 284-2282 Your comments are appreciated: info@theplanner.ca Poste-publication No. 40934013 The Planner is published nine times a year.

The Planner uses 30% recycled post-consumer paper.

Colour Printer: Litho Express, (514) 816-3865, www.lithoexpress.ca PAP – Registration No. 111100 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage toward our mailing costs.

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October ’09

There’s value in face-to-face meetings

Tourism spending keeps dropping

There are fewer tourists taking pictures of the Rockies and Old Montréal, less money being spent in Toronto and Vancouver restaurants by foreign visitors and employment in the Canadian tourism biz is declining. Tourism spending fell 0.8 per cent in the second quarter (including international and domestic spending), its fourth straight decline according to a recent report by Statistics Canada.

Two factors figured in the drop – the cancellation of Canadian flights to Mexico after the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus and the implementation June 1 of more stringent document requirements at the U.S. border, says StatsCan. The federal agency reports spending by international visitors to Canada fell 1.6 per cent in the second quarter, the sixth straight quarterly decrease and the fifteenth decline in 18 quarters. Domestic spending on tourism fell 0.6 per cent in real terms in the second quarter after more modest declines in the previous three quarters.

Tourism’s gross domestic product shrank 1.1 per cent in the second quarter, its fourth straight quarterly decrease.

Tourism employment fell 0.9 per cent.

Formula One returns to Montreal

Montréal, start your economic engine.

Grand Prix F1 du Canada recently announced a settlement in its financial dispute with the Formula One Administration and F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. Last year marked the first time in more than 20 years that the race in Montreal was dropped from the F1 calendar.

The Canadian Grand Prix celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2008, and was the only Formula One Championship race in North America.

Next year’s tentative date is June 6 but the schedule won’t be finalized until November, sources said. A group led by politicians from the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government, including Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay, has spent the past year negotiating the return of the race with Ecclestone. In his initial dealings with city and government officials, Ecclestone demanded a five-year guaranteed contract worth $175 million.

He’s since agreed to reduce his fees to a reported $100 million, due in part from pressure from teams and car manufacturers wanting to return to North America.

The settlement was confidential, but it is apparently “…an “inprinciple” agreement that states we are going to have a Canadian Grand Prix for the next seven years… in Montréal, of course,” Ecclestone said on August 4.

The Canadian Grand Prix has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario as a sports car event before it alternated between Mosport and Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec after Formula One took over the event. After 1971, safety concerns led to the Grand Prix moving permanently to Mosport.

In 1978 the Canadian Grand Prix moved to its current home on Île Notre-Dame in Montreal.

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A Harvard Business Review study of 2,300 business leaders in the United States, Europe and Asia released in September confirmed that face-to-face meetings remain essential to doing business and are preferred by executives over remote alternatives for many business interactions.

The study found that 79 percent of respondents claim that “inperson meetings are the most effective way to meet new clients to sell business” and 89 percent said such face-to-face interaction is “essential for ‘sealing the deal’.”

The research shows that “face-to-face wins in every category” but one: managing suppliers, a task business leaders said could be conducted by phone, e-mail and other remote options. For interacting with clients, negotiating deals and understanding customers, most respondents agreed that in-person meetings were the preferred method.

“Our survey revealed that what most businesspeople really want is solid human connections,” Harvard Business Review research editor Angela Herrin said. “Technology serves as an effective supplement, but face-to face communication is the broadest bandwidth communication you can have in professional life, helping to cement long-term relationships and drive business growth.”

Google flu trends goes Canuck

You may know it as the world’s most used Internet Search Engine, but Google also tracks viruses... and not just the digital kind which you might expect.

Google recently unveiled a Canadian version of Google Flu Trends, a sophisticated flu-tracking web tool that gathers data from the company’s search engine and crunches it down to create a near real-time picture of the level of influenza infection in a given area.

Google developed Flu Trends to provide public health agencies with a new means of tracking trends during flu season as a way of preventing outbreaks. Because web users often turn to the Internet as a first source of information about the flu, the ubiquitous company decided to offer the service.

Google Flu Trends is a product of the company’s philanthropic wing, Google.org. It first launched in the United States last November, with subsequent versions appearing in Mexico in April and in Australia and New Zealand in June.

Canada is one of 16 countries into which Google has expanded the service. The free service was conceived as a means of complementing more traditional flu-surveillance systems used by public health officials, which often include methods such as surveying doctors and asking them to report influenza cases, said a spokesperson for Google, which is based in Mountain View, Calif.

By tracking how many users in one location searched for terms such as “fever” or “flu symptoms” for example, the company was able to gauge the level of infection in that region.

On the Web: www.google.org/flutrends/

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October ’09

Collaborative technology for engagement and ROI is an idea whose time has come

BY TARA CHAPMAN

echnology in its many forms is an integral part of our everyday lives and has now become a viable solution to the meeting planner’s greatest challenge – finding new and creative ways to enhance meeting engagement and demonstrate return on investment.

We use computers, both desktop and mobile, to create documents, send e-mail, research on the World Wide Web and much more. Every facet of our lives has been altered and made more efficient through technological advancement. Why then has the structure of meetings remained virtually unchanged?

With business moving towards collaborative cultures and the desire to leverage their human capital, the need to incorporate collaborative strategies into meetings has grown exponentially.

The accepted definition of a collaborative meeting is one where every attendee’s intellect and creativity are stimulated and harnessed to produce better ideas, solutions and results. What better way to accomplish this lofty goal than with collaborative technology?

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AN ELEMENT OF EFFICIENCY AND INTERACTIVITY Meetings can and should be an integral part of an organization’s culture and collaborative technology has the ability to add an element of efficiency and interactivity. As a technological society, we are conditioned to operate at a faster pace, to expect interactivity and get immediate results – all things almost entirely absent in traditional meetings. There exists today a multitude of collaborative technologies designed to collect, aggregate and measure data from meeting delegates. This technology not only allows for ease of data collection, metric evaluation, greater efficiency and enhanced feedback, it also gives every participant a voice to enhance engagement and productivity – not to mention that it allows them to have a little fun!

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ARS: A TOOL FOR IMMEDIATE AND ANONYMOUS RESPONSE One of the most cost effective and utilized technologies is the Audience Response System (ARS). A polling technology, it allows the meeting organizer to pose multiple choice questions to the meeting attendees and receive anonymous and instantaneous responses. In our experience, this technology has traditionally been used almost exclusively for trivia and final evaluation purposes. However, we have discovered that a greater return on investment can be achieved with a pre-meeting question design based on desired meeting outcomes. A perfect application for this technology is in Learning and Development meetings. By strategically using the system during key points of the meeting, you are able to gauge the groups understanding of the presented material as well as gather feedback on the material itself. The true value of the technology lies in the ability it gives the presenter to react based on the responses from the group. For example; if the delegates were polled for their understanding of the new sales strategy just presented to them and the results indicated that more than half the attendees didn’t understand how to implement it, the presenter is now able to expand on this notion and pinpoint the area of least understanding and clarify. The scenarios for use of this system are varied and wrought with possibility.

Yet another key advantage to the ARS is the ability to generate reports from the session data that can then be used to catalogue meeting outcomes and create action plans with follow up activities.

DST TAKES COLLABORATION ONE STEP FARTHER Decision Support Technology (DST) is another more advanced collaborative application available for meetings. Similar to Audience Response in its anonymity and interactivity, it goes one step further allowing participants to respond with rich narrative therefore, expanding the potential uses of this technology to brainstorming, strategic planning, product development, etc.

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Planners can use cellphones for an ARS effect Some of the core functions of the system are idea generation, categorization, prioritization, and analysis. Operating as a network this system allows participants to simultaneously generate ideas, vote on and analyze data creating a highly efficient and engaging alternative to a mound of flip chart paper and domination of the meeting by the loudest member of the group. Once again this technology has full reporting capabilities and generates results based on numerical averages which equal measurable outcomes and indisputable value.

suggestions and more through SMS on their cell phone or Blackberry that can be projected in real time. If your group has web-enabled cellular devices they can also log onto many of these applications and engage very similarly as they would with Audience Response Technology.

We have worked with meeting planners to integrate several of these tools into their meetings with great success. The attendees feel included in the process so they are more engaged, and the meeting planner feels successful in ensuring desired meeting outcomes are not only met but exceeded.

Interactive collaborative technologies represent the future of meetings. Through our work collaborating with meeting planners on meeting design, we have witnessed the thrill experienced by both the client and the planner when the design and use of technology has allowed for collective engagement, candid conversation and achievement of desired outcomes.

••• Tara Chapman is a Meeting Design Advisor at the Kingbridge Conference Centre & Institute in King City, Ontario.

She can be reached at: www.kingbridgecentre.com.

Attendees feel included in the process so they are more engaged...

OPEN SOURCE TOOLS ARE ABUNDANT ON THE NET Web 2.O is a phrase we have all become familiar with recently.

The advent of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn have changed the way our society interacts. These applications are but a few of the open source Net tools in existence today. There are numerous resources available on the Web today for use in meetings that in our experience are little known and rarely taken advantage of. One such application – available from several providers – allows the meeting delegates to pose questions, make

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Use the power of nutrition to gain optimal brain power for planning

BY PIERRE GEOFFROY, MD, CM, MSC, FCFP he next time you are traveling to a meeting or conference, consider what you might do to perform at peak mental capacity.

Travel can adversely affect brain function. Sleep deprivation, time zone changes, lack of exercise, poor nutrition and dehydration can sabotage your mental abilities.

While some of these may be inevitable, they may in part be offset by wisely choosing what you eat. While proper sleep, hydration, nutrition and exercise are the cornerstones of optimizing business travel, evidence indicates that certain foods may modulate mental performance. Nutrition for the brain can be considered with three perspectives in mind. The first is supplying the brain with energy, the second is supplying the brain with nutrients it needs for structural maintenance and repair and third, providing nutrients which, in the short-term, may influence brain function.

source of protein in order to provide for our needs. Eating toast or croissant with coffee in the morning does not provide necessary essential amino acids: add dairy products. Meat and fish provide complete protein.

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THE BRAIN NEEDS THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS Consider this: The brain represents 2.5 percent of total body weight yet accounts for a quarter of resting metabolic energy consumption. It is exquisitely sensitive to blood flow and blood glucose and oxygen content. Witness, when blood pressure drops – as it does upon fainting – the brain shuts off. When our blood sugar levels fall as in hypoglycemia, confusion, lethargy and loss of consciousness can rapidly ensue. So, first and foremost is to drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated, and non-sweetened drinks to avoid dehydration and prevent decreased blood pressure. Secondly, ensure a steady supply of food for the brain.

That means eating regularly, or, if you are the grazing type, ensuring you always have plenty of nutritious low glycemic foods available. Nuts, whole wheat products, fruit, vegetables and low fat dairy products fit the bill.

The adult brain continues to renew its neural cells. To do this, it needs basic building blocks: protein and fats. Protein needs to come from sources of complete protein. Protein is made up of amino acids and while our bodies can synthesize some, there are eight amino acids we must obtain from the diet. Hence, while bread or rice each provide protein, they are lacking in some essential amino acids and as such must be eaten along with other 10

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FISH IS EXCELLENT BRAIN FOOD One of the healthiest sources of protein is also the best source of fat for the brain: Fish. Fat is essential for proper brain chemistry. In particular, the omega-3 fatty acids, which we hear so much about these days, are crucial for brain structure. For good reason: The brain is approximately 60 percent fat and omega-3s are a large proportion of this and a diet deficient in omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with a number of mental disorders. On a daily basis, brain function is dependent on a steady supply of omega-3s as demonstrated in experiments with children showing increased dietary omega 3s helped students perform better at school. When snacking, keep in mind that nuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, keeping your mind healthy warrants consideration of anti-oxidants, those molecules that help prevent negative cellular changes due to oxidation.

Oxidation is a chemical process which ‘burns the cells out’.

Important oxidative stresses include meals containing lots of saturated fats (the big steak and desserts). Berries, particularly strawberries, contains lots of antioxidants and are an ideal desert.

THE EFFECTS OF FOOD ON THE BRAIN Having covered the fundamental needs of the brain, now we can consider more specific effects of foods on brain function.

Brain function is dependent on communication between cells which in turn is dependent on the availability of neurotransmitters, a variety of small molecules which carry messages from cell to cell. Interestingly, levels of neurotransmitters can be influenced by diet. In particular, the precursors to some of the more important neurotransmitters involved in cognition and mood come from our diet. Perhaps the best studied example is the amino acid tryptophan. It is used in the production of serotonin. When it is abundant in the diet, it can preferentially get beyond the blood brain barrier, which maintains a distinct environment for the brain, and increase production of serotonin.

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Being focused The effect is familiar to us: when we have cookies in milk at night, we cause increased levels of tryptophan to entire the brain, alter serotonin production, and induce a relaxed sleepy feeling.

While this may be wanted at night, it may not be in the early afternoon when you sit after a large lunch to listen to a lecture. The lesson here is, while at a meeting, keep lunch light: it is better to nibble and graze until dinner if you don’t wish to dose off. In particular, avoid high sugar foods.

Another vital neurotransmitter is acetylcholine. Low brain levels of this neurotransmitter are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. Choline, found in high quantities in eggs, is used for making acetylcholine. While eating eggs may not prevent Alzheimer’s disease, there is some evidence to suggest that increased choline intake may slow age-related memory loss.

SEVERAL FACTORS AFFECT OUR ALERTNESS LEVEL Being focused, alert, and at cognitive best at a meeting is related to numerous factors. Exercise, which provides oxygen to the brain; sleep, which allows neurons to repair and replenish; hydration, which encourages a strong blood supply to the brain, all work in concert with proper nutrition to ensure you are at your best.

From the nutritional point-of-view, an excellent axiom to live by is: Breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper! This regimen will keep you from getting hungry, eating too much, and at the wrong time: it will keep you at high levels of concentration and alertness.

••• Dr. Geoffroy is a family physician and nutritionist. In addition to research and teaching activities, he also runs a family weight management clinic. He is available to give conferences on nutrition, lifestyle and weight loss issues and can be contacted via e-mail at: pierre.geoffroy@ontariomd.ca.

October ’09

Dnt txt, u cd crsh!

Texting while driving far surpasses the dangers of other driving distractions, according to a new American study.

The research, which entailed outfitting the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras over 18 months, found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. It was the first study of its kind conducted outside a controlled environment.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which compiled the research, also measured the time drivers took their eyes from the road to send or receive texts.

In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices — enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.

Even though trucks take longer to stop and are less maneuverable than cars, the findings generally applied to all drivers, who tend to exhibit the same behaviors as the more than 100 truckers studied, the researchers said. Truckers, they said, do not appear to text more or less than typical car drivers.

The Obama administration recently reported that distracted drivers caused almost 6,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries in the U.S. last year. The greatest proportion of distracted drivers were those age 20 and under.

Compared with other sources of driver distraction, “texting is in its own universe of risk,” said Rich Hanowski, who oversaw the study at the institute.

Hanowski said the texting analysis was financed by $300,000 from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which has the mission of improving safety in trucks and buses. The overall cost was $6 million to equip the trucks with video cameras and track them for three million miles as they hauled furniture, frozen foods and other goods across the U.S. The final analysis of the data is undergoing peer review before formal publication.

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Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Institute, one of the world’s largest vehicle safety research organizations, said the study’s message was clear.

“You should never do this,” he said of texting while driving. “It should be illegal.”

Thirty-six states do not ban texting while driving; 14 do, including Alaska, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.

Socialism explained

This one is making the rounds on the Internet…

A college economics professor said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, “Okay, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.”

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. The first test was completed and the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the third test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail for the following reason: When the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

It cannot be explained any simpler than that...

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Making great floral arrangements on a budget is as easy as 1,2,3...

BY THE PLANNER STAFF GO THE ACRYLIC ROUTE Are you planning an event and don’t have the budget for table arrangements? Create your own inexpensive and simple flower arrangements by following these simple steps.

The trick is to use acrylic water and good quality silk flowers.

They look so lifelike, that time and time again people bend to smell them and touch them. Silk flowers in crystal-clear acrylic “water” are showing up in restaurants, offices and at various events. Instead of constantly replacing fresh-cut flowers, save money and time by by giving the illusion that they are fresh-cut flowers.

The acrylic “water” (actually a type of resin) may look like the real thing, but if the flowers are obviously silk, no one is going to be fooled. The ultimate goal with these arrangements is to fool people into thinking that they are real, fresh-cut flowers.

IT’S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3 1. Choose your artificial flowers, according to the season and the type of event (e.g.. A summer wedding might entail only white flowers).

2. Choose your container or vase. Naturally, this would have to

be a clear, glass container for the illusion to work. Decide what materials you would like to include in the arrangement.

A tall vase and long stem flowers enhance the illusion.

3. Buy the acrylic water, and mix the amount you need. If there are a lot of flowers involved, tie them off with string that you can later cut once the acrylic has hardened.

And voila! Your have a fabulous flower arrangement at a fraction of the cost of real flowers. Best of all, they last forever and only require dusting on occasion.

USING REAL FLOWERS Some would argue there is just no substitute for real flowers.

If you know just a few tricks, it's easy to create much more felicitous and original displays. Here are a few: • Before arranging flowers, gather your container and tools -floral shears, floral tape, flower frogs, and flower food. Start by preparing the flowers so they’ll last their longest. Then select a container that will show them off best, whether you want to highlight their colors, graceful silhouettes, or ebullient blossoms.

Look beyond the standard vase; consider bowls, pitchers, and even tumblers.

• Try snipping stems shorter, combining different colors and textures, and incorporating elements such as foliage, buds, seed and even houseplants.

• If cutting garden flowers, do so in the cool of early morning or after sunset. Immerse stems in cool water, and let the flowers drink for about an hour before arranging them. (Add ice cubes to the water if it’s a very hot day.)

Whether you buy flowers or snip your own, cut stems on an angle before arranging, and remove any foliage that would fall below the waterline.

Fill the vase with fresh, room temperature water, and add a commercial cut-flower food. (Adding a teaspoon of liquid bleach to the water will prevent bacterial bloom.) Cluster the flowers in a bunch in your hand, keeping stems straight, and place the bunch in the vase.

Every two days or so, change the water, add a sprinkling of flower food, and recut the stems if they’ve browned.

On the Web: www.marthastewart.com

QUESTION: Would you like to save hundreds of dollars on your annual gasoline bill?

IF SO, YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWER IS ON PAGE 19.

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Alberta’s capital stakes a claim dmonton, Alberta is probably best known for the sprawling West Edmonton Mall and the NHL Oilers hockey team. But did you know it is the second most populous provincial capital after Toronto? Or that it’s metropolitan area has more than one million residents? It is also a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories. The city is fast gaining a reputation as a place where venues and activities abound and The Planner recently spoke with the Edmonton CVB about this great Western city as a meeting destination.

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Q: If you were a planner, why would you want to take your group to Edmonton?

A: Annual Edmonton events offer unique attractions for conference/meeting delegates to attend while in the city. There are more than 30 annual festivals celebrated throughout the year and the award-winning program Edmonton Festival City in a Box is tailored to meeting, association and executive planners to help them build festival theming into their events.

The city is also home to West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping/entertainment complex in North America, plus professional hockey (NHL) and football (CFL). Combine this with North America’s largest green space (22 times larger than NYC’s Central Park) and the result is something for everyone in Edmonton.

Q: How do you view your geographic location as an advantage?

A: Edmonton is an easy access city with direct flights from most major North American hubs. Four seasons’ beauty provides unlimited options and activities for any group.

Edmonton is the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. It is a pleasant 3.5 hour drive to Jasper National Park and Gateway to the North with the spectacular Northern Lights.

AIR SERVICE Edmonton International Airport, the fifth busiest airport in Canada, is located 29 kms (18 miles) south of the city centre.

The AIF (Airport Improvement Fee) is included in the ticket cost.

For more information about air services visit: www.flyeia.com.

HIGHWAYS Located near the geographic centre of Alberta, Edmonton is 514 kms (320 miles) north of the Montana, USA/Canada border.

Edmonton is located 294 kms (184 miles) north of Calgary.

Q: What are the traditionally low and high seasons and what are the advantages of each season?

A: High season is summer (April-September). Many of our festivals occur during this time and with 20 hours of sunlight it means you can have a wonderful dinner and still have time for 18 holes of golf.

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The Alberta Legislature Building was built between 1907 and 1913.

• Winter (November to March) is the slower period. To offset those inclement days, there is a wonderful array of underground pedways that will allow your guests to get to all of Edmonton’s key downtown hotels and the convention centre.

The city’s newest festival, Winter Light, celebrates the season and offers a variety of programming.

Q: What are some of the seasonal activities and attractions?

A: Year Round: Fort Edmonton Park, Muttart Conservatory, TELUS World of Science, Old Strathcona Historic Area, Valley Zoo, West Edmonton Mall.

Summer: River City Shakespeare Festival, Edmonton International Jazz Festival, REXALL Edmonton Indy.

Winter: Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival, International Children’s Festival, Global Visions Film Festival.

Q: What are some of the activities a group could participate in, Team building or otherwise?

A: Some suggestions for group activities: • Canoe trip along the N. Saskatchewan River with Edmonton Canoe • Team Building/Orienteering programs at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre • Wagon Ride through Fort Edmonton Park (up to 15 pax) • Group Segway Tour at West Edmonton Mall/River Valley • Gallery Walk with the 124street Gallery Walk Association – by appointment • Guided tour of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (free tours, every hour) • Dinner/afternoon cruise on the Edmonton Queen Riverboat (group rates apply) • Ghost tour in Old Strathcona ($5, summer only) Here are other activities that can be adjusted for groups: •Fishing with Get Hooked Fishing •Wildlife Viewing with Watchable Wildlife •Limousine Shopping Tours with Finding Sophie’s Rubies

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Edmonton: Plenty of options CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 • Brewery tours - Amber’s Ale and Alleycat (both offer tours for small groups) Q: Can you provide some facts for planners, number of hotel rooms, number of meeting rooms, conference and or convention centres info?

A: Edmonton hotels give new meaning to the term ‘a room with a view,’ with spectacular vistas from downtown properties overlooking the city’s majestic ribbon of green – its River Valley parks system. For something completely different, choose from 12 different theme-style rooms and stay in one of the world’s most unique hotels. Or book a room in the hotel that is home to Canada’s number one dinner theatre.

These are just a fraction of the possibilities with more than 13,000 guest rooms to pick from. With a wide sampling of major hotel brands, suite hotels, trendy boutique properties and motels, Edmonton puts the fun into being sent to your room.

This city’s growing hotel scene – hotel owners are actively booking new construction – offers enticing urban selections in the heart of downtown, a variety of options on the city’s bustling south side, and a wealth of possibilities in the west end, one of the city’s favourite play, stay and fun zones.

Overview: 13,000 guest rooms city wide with 3,000 in the downtown core.... More than 1 million sq. ft. of useable function space with the majority of that downtown (200,000 sq. ft. at our convention centre and 500,000 sq. ft. of that just seven minutes from downtown at the newly-expanded Northlands).

EVENT SPACE (NORTHLANDS, MAYFIELD, U OF A, ETC.) There are over 50 venues in Greater Edmonton that offer flexible space suitable for events of all sizes. A sampling of traditional and unique event venues: TRADITIONAL EVENT SPACE • Northlands: Northlands offers outstanding facilities to meet all event requirements from trade shows, to catering, to entertainment. They also offer on-site catering, marketing services, acres of parking, and complete show services. Space is found at Northlands’ Spectrum, AgriCom, Sportex, and Rexall Place.

• Shaw Conference Centre: Located in the heart of downtown Edmonton, the Shaw Conference Centre is Alberta’s largest conference facility, and boasts the addition of Hall D - a glassenclosed space offering up to 1,200 guests an incredible 270degree view of Edmonton’s river valley, the largest urban park in North America. There is also an 80,000 sq. ft. hall divisible into three separate spaces, and 23 meeting rooms.

• The University of Alberta Conference Centre and TELUS Centre for Professional Development: The University of Alberta Conference Centre offers numerous meeting facilities to 18

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accommodate intimate gatherings or world-class conferences. The TELUS Centre for Professional Development employs state-of-theart learning and communication technology to offer learners maximum flexibility, efficiency and effective access to learning resources (48,000 sq. ft. or 4,320 sq. metres).

UNIQUE VENUES • Art Gallery of Alberta: Currently undergoing a major renovation and expansion program, a striking new 85,000 sq. ft. facility is scheduled to open in early 2010. Designed by renowned Los Angeles architect Randall Stout, this signature building will become a downtown landmark and promises to be one of the leading influences in visual culture in Western Canada.

• Fort Edmonton Park: Situated in Edmonton’s river valley, and just 15 minutes from downtown, Fort Edmonton Park can service groups from 10 to 450, or more than 1,000 in an outdoor experience. Chose a period building as a meetings or special event venue, or book the entire park for an evening. Complement the event with costumed historical interpreters, horse-drawn wagons or a ride on the 1919 steam train.

• West Edmonton Mall: The scope and scale of West Edmonton Mall allows event organizers to customize event packages to meet specific needs and desires – ranging from an authentic menu for a Hawaiian Luau in the balmy World Waterpark to a Western party with hay bales and barbecued Alberta Beef in Galaxyland Amusement Park, to an intimate candlelit reception onboard the replica of the Santa Maria ship.

Q: If you had to briefly describe what makes Edmonton different, what would you say it is?

A: Edmonton offers a unique blend of small-town friendliness and big-city sophistication, a host of diverse and elite meeting spaces. Canada’s Cultural Capital for 2007 offers festivals of all sizes, 13,000 total guestrooms and over 1,000,000 sq ft of meeting space. From our historic Strathcona shopping area to our south and west end hotel clusters, Edmonton is Live All Year!

• Edmonton consistently raises the bar for service levels and exceeds planners expectations. A fun, friendly and safe city in which to meet, our facilities and overall value ensure excellent attendance and success.

Q: If planners are interested in holding their activities in Edmonton, who should they contact?

A: Eastern Canada and Central USA Brent Beatty Senior Manager, Business Travel Contact: Tel: (780) 917-7625 or e-mail: bbeatty@edmonton.com Central/Western Canada and Western USA Crystal DeCosta Sales Manager Contact: Tel: (780) 969-0480 or e-mail: cdecosta@edmonton.com On the Web: www.edmonton.com

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Delegating diligently produces dividends

BY LEO GERVAIS

Delegate tasks that can be performed by someone other than the managers.

e all have the exact same 24 hours in the day to get all of our tasks accomplished.

The art of delegation can dramatically increase productivity at the most critical level.

While most managers know they need to spend more time in areas that will deliver maximum ROI to their operations, many of the most well-intentioned people wind up focusing on what is urgent – but not what actually improves profits or productivity.

It’s the difference of working “in” your business rather than working “on” your business. We need to be proactive. One way is learning to delegate tasks that can be performed by someone other than the managers.

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FIVE WAYS TO DELEGATE TO ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS These five steps will help you delegate more effectively: 1. Eliminate, then delegate. Before making your list of tasks to delegate, make a list of those you can eliminate entirely. For example, is it necessary make two copies of all invoices? Perhaps make electronic copies and save someone a marginal task.

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2. Plan the work, work the plan. Easy tasks often stay on busy people’s desks because they are easy. Delegate to-do items with your overall schedule and the overall health of your company in mind.

3. Set realistic standards.

Aim for excellence, not perfection. For instance, if you can perform a task in 15 minutes but your assistant can do the same thing in 20 minutes, you should delegate that task to free yourself for something more important.

4. Provide clear expectations. Once you’ve identified a person you trust with task, explain clearly what the desired outcome is. People can fall short of your expectations if they don’t understand them.

5. Invest time to save time. Short-term training should result in a long-term increase in productivity. Delegation means that others will take duties from you to perform, but it doesn’t mean that they assume full responsibility without some type of follow-up.

The ultimate goal of delegation is to free up more time for you to spend on activities that will, ultimately, add to your bottom line. So, what will you delegate today?

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Five surefire ways to avoid communication static

BY STACEY HANKE

• Gain control over your message and how you communicate your message.

ost individuals are unaware of the static they create when they communicate. Not only does their static prevent them from influencing others to take action, they also run the risk of;

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• Minimizing the perceptions others create of them.

• Grabbing and keeping their listeners attention.

• Communicating a message that’s unclear and misunderstood.

What do I mean by static? When what you say is not consistent with how you say it. For example; you’re having a face-toface conversation and your listener says; “I’m so excited to have this opportunity to work with you.” While they communicate this statement they sound boring with a monotone voice. Their facial expressions are lifeless. They never look you in the eye while they’re fidgeting with a pen. Would you believe them? Most likely you’d question their credibility, knowledge and not take action on what they have to say.

The purpose of this article is to increase your awareness of the static you may be creating for your listeners and to give you practical, immediate skills you can apply when you’re communicating face-to-face, over the phone, during meetings or presentations.

PAUSE Um, what perception, like, do you create, you know, when you hear, um, a speaker using, uh, words that clutter, you know, their language? Knowledgeable, credible and confident probably don’t come to mind.

We refer to these words as non-words or filler words. As I travel the country, the number one challenge individuals need to overcome if they want to communicate with influence, is the ability to replace their non-words with a pause. We use non-words to buy ourselves time to think about what we want to say. These words become distracting and your listener misses what you’re communicating. Instead, give your listeners time to hear, understand and absorb your message.

Benefits for You • Think on your feet.

• Get to the point and avoid rambling.

• Take a relaxing breathe.

• Hold your listener’s attention.

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Benefits for Listener • Hear and understand your message.

• Act on what you say.

EYE CONNECTION Last week when I met a new client to help him enhance his ability to influence others, I asked him; “What do you feel are your communication strengths?” He responded, “Eye contact.” As he responded his eyes were darting everywhere! Most individuals don’t lock their eyes with an individual long enough to create a relationship.

The only way to build a relationship is through trust. When you forget what to say, you will look at the ceiling, floor, PowerPoint slides or anywhere away from your listeners. When you disconnect you’ll say: “uh” “um” “so” “and”, etc. You communicate to your listeners you don’t know what to say.

When speaking to more than two individuals, connect with one individual for a complete sentence or thought. Take a moment to pause as you transition your eyes from one individual to another.

Changing your behavior to eye connection takes practice and concentration. During meetings or group conversations practice connecting with the eyes of a friend or a co-worker to convey one complete sentence or thought at a time and ask for constructive feedback.

VOCAL PROJECTION Our voice conveys confidence IF we speak to be heard. If you want to influence others to take action they have to hear you. In all of my years working with thousands of individuals, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had to ask someone to turn down their volume level.

On a scale from one to ten with one being inaudible and ten too loud; when speaking to a group of fifteen or more your voice needs to be at a seven to eight. When speaking over the phone or to a small group project at a four to five level.

Vocal projection has nothing to do with yelling. It’s the realization you need to use different volume levels so your voice reaches everyone in the room. No one should have to strain to hear you. If they do, they’ll stop listening and you.

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Use gestures to add emphasis Benefits • Hold your listener’s attention.

• Bring out the importance of your message.

• Convey confidence.

GESTURES The majority of individuals I work with fidget with their fingers, rings, hair, pen and the list goes on. If they don’t fidget then they unconsciously talk with their hands. Their elbows get locked at their sides and every gesture looks the same. Or there is the individual who goes to the extreme. They’ve been told they talk with their hands so they hold their hands and do nothing.

Confident speakers use their gestures to add emphasis to their words. To gesture with purpose, avoid locking your elbows at your sides or creating the same repetitious gestures. Instead, expand your gestures from your sides and let your hands emphasize and describe your message.

Add variety to your gestures by relaxing your arms back to your sides after you complete a gesture. If you’re constantly using gestures you’re not able to think on your feet and you’re creating static.

What can help you get to the point?

• Stay focused. When you find yourself going down the path of saying too much and you begin to feel like a train about to derail, put the brakes on and get yourself back on track…PAUSE! • Keep your objective in mind. Think in terms of what your audience needs to know about what you want them to do, not what you want to tell them.

• Put thought to your words.

• Use the Rule of Three. Focus your message on no more than the three most significant points. It’s easier for you to get to the point and for your listeners to remember your message.

• Pay attention to your listener. Are they hanging on your every word or are they dazed? Are they attentive or fidgeting?

FIVE SUREFIRE WAYS TO ELIMINATE STATIC AND COMMUNICATE WITH INFLUENCE 1. Pause! Give yourself permission to think on your feet by replacing your nonwords with pauses. Speak in shorter thoughts or sentences.

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Benefits for You and Your Listener • Because you’re the message you’re also the visual. When your gestures create a visual for your listeners, they’ll remember more information and will remember your message longer.

• Add emphasis to your message.

• Grab your listener’s attention.

• Add energy and inflection to your voice and channel your adrenaline and nervous energy.

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GET TO THE POINT The more you say that’s unnecessary, the greater the risk your listeners will either miss or misinterpret your point.

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2. Eye Connection - only speak when you see your listener’s eyes and pause when you look away. Ask your listener you’re to immediately give you feedback when you look away from them while you’re speaking. When you’re speaking on the phone, use objects in front of you to complete a sentence or thought 3. Speak to be heard! Ask for feedback on the volume level you project in meetings, face-to-face situations and over the phone.

4. Gestures- Throughout the day, notice how you and others use gestures. Do you talk with your hands or gesture too often?

Do your gestures have purpose? Ask for constructive feedback from friends, family and co-workers; “When I gesture do I look like I’m talking with my hands?” “Do I use gestures too often or not enough?” When you’re not gesturing, relax your arms and hands without clasping your hands or fidgeting.

5. Get to the Point – prepare, practice and focus.

••• Stacey Hanke is an executive consultant, author, coach and speaker with 1st Impression Consulting, Inc. in Chicago, Ill. E-mail her at: stacey.hanke@1stimpressionconsulting.com or call (773) 209-5970.

(867) 633-5269

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Planners, GST and sponsorships: How to make them all work together

BY GUYLAINE DALLAIRE AND MANON HARVEY

Ed. Note: A special thanks to loyal reader Martin H. Strauss of Strauss event & association management in Winnipeg, Manitoba who suggested the subject of this article. or this edition of The Planner, we have decided to discuss the GST application to sponsorships. This matter generally raises many questions from our clients.

A sponsorship is an amount of money paid by a person – the sponsor – to provide financial support to another person for the organization of an event, such as a convention, a reunion, an assembly or a festival. In return, the sponsor will generally obtain advertising or visibility during the event, and can sometimes receive goods or services… this is where GST issues will typically arise.

At the outset, we would like to outline to our readers that many concepts must be analyzed to establish the proper GST application to sponsorships, such as “single supply,” “multiple supply” or “ancillary supply.” We will not examine in detail these concepts, since it would not serve the purpose of this article. However, it is important to keep in mind that these concepts will impact the characterization of the sponsorship pursuant to the Excise Tax Act.

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SEVERAL FACTORS WILL DETERMINE IF GST APPLIES Specific rules apply to sponsorships in order to determine if GST applies. Many factors must be taken into consideration. The first factor is the status of the sponsored person. For instance, GST will apply to the sponsorship of a Canadian private for profit entity. However, pursuant to the Excise Tax Act, an advertising service provided to an unregistered non-resident is zero-rated (no tax applies). Therefore, if the sponsored person only offers visibility or publicity to its non-resident non-registered sponsor, the sponsorship will not be taxable for GST purposes. If the non-resident sponsor receives other goods and services, GST could apply.

We will examine this scenario further below.

Sponsorships are more frequently paid to non-profit organizations, which is why the Excise Tax Act contains a specific section in this regard, which raises many questions as to its interpretation.

The rule is as follows: If an amount of money is paid to a person (resident or non resident of Canada) that is non-profit organization to finance an event such as a convention or a festival, but also to obtain visibility during the event, GST will not be applicable pursuant to the Excise Tax Act. “Visibility” generally means: announce the name of the sponsor on a banner, in the event’s official program, or on the sponsored person’s internet site. However, a more in-depth analysis will be required if other goods or services are also supplied to the sponsor in return for its sponsorship.

Sometimes, sponsors will receive media advertisement (radio, newspaper, magazine, etc.) in addition to on-site visibility. In this scenario, if the market value of the advertisement exceeds 50% of the sponsorship’s total market value, the entire sponsorship will be taxable. However, if the sponsor is a non-resident of Canada, the sponsorship could be zero-rated if the non-resident is non-registered for GST pursuant to the zero-rated rules applicable to advertising services provided to non-residents of Canada, mentioned previously.

We also encounter sponsorships where goods and services are provided to the sponsor, in addition to on-site visibility during the event. We must examine the status and the value of each good and service provided in order to determine if the GST applies or not.

A PROPER ANALYSIS NEEDS TO BE DONE As you will notice, it is important to properly analyze what the sponsor receives in return for his financial support to determine if the non-profit organization must collect and remit any taxes in regards to the sponsorship. To sum up, if the value of the media advertisement exceeds 50% of the sponsorship’s total value, the sponsorship is entirely taxable….but if the sponsor is a non-resident of Canada, the advertising services will be zero-rated. If other goods or services are also supplied to the sponsor, GST could be applicable, unless a specific exception applies.

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Characterization counts!

Specific rules apply if the non-profit organization is also a registered charity. One of these rules is the following: the majority of services rendered to charities are exempt from GST (tax is not applicable), even if the advertising service has a market value that exceeds 50% of the sponsorship’s total value. However, if goods are received by the sponsor, we must analyze the value of these goods since they could be taxable…

As you will notice, to determine if GST applies to sponsorship, we have to determine : • The status of the sponsor (non-profit organization, charity, private for profit entity, etc.)

• The status of the sponsored person (resident, non resident of Canada, government) • What is supplied in return for the financial support and its corresponding value (on-site visibility, media advertisement, goods, services, etc.)

Yet again, it remains after all a question of characterization!

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The sponsored person must keep a proof that the sponsor is a non-resident of Canada and a non-registrant for GST purposes

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Section 135 of the Excise Tax Act

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The Excise Tax Act mentions that the consideration for the supply must be primarily for a service of advertising by means of radio or television or in a newspaper, magazine or other publication published periodically. The fiscal authorities interpret “primarily” as meaning 50%. This is an administrative threshold.

Charity entity that is registered for GST or have the obligation to be registered.

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••• Guylaine Dallaire, CA, M.Tax, is a Partner with the Tax group at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP. Guylaine has been a guest speaker on numerous occasions with specialized associations.

In addition, she also teaches at the Université de Sherbrooke (Master in Taxation). She is the author of two books, one in the municipal sector and one in the health sector (available on the internet site of the Government of Quebec). She is actively involved with clients in a variety of areas as well as major clients in the, real estate, public and para-public utility, government sectors and event organizers.

Manon Harvey, Manager, LL.B., LL.M. has been a member of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP for more than 10 years. She is specialized in Canadian commodity taxes and has played a key-role in several complex transactions involving US and European Taxes.

On the Web: www.rcgt.com October ’09

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Could ‘cleantech’ be the next boom?

When you look around at the sputtering economy, it’s hard to imagine the Next Big Thing that might save our economic souls. Breakthroughs like the railroad and the Internet provided major stimulus and jobs to economies all over the world.

Some Silicon Valley investors are pointing to something called cleantech – alternative energy, more efficient power distribution and new ways to store electricity, all with minimal impact to the environment – as a candidate for the next boom.

Despite last fall’s financial meltdown, public and private investments are pouring in, fueling startups and reinvigorating established companies. The political and social climates are favorable. If it takes off, cleantech could seep into every part of the economy and our lives.

Some of the biggest booms first blossomed during recessions. The telephone and phonograph were developed during the depression of the 1870s. The integrated circuit, a milestone in electronics, was invented in the recessionary year of 1958.

Personal computers went mainstream, spawning a huge industry, in the slumping early 1980s.

Better batteries, more efficient solar cells, smarter appliances and electric cars, not to mention all the infrastructure needed to support the new ways energy will be generated and the new ways we’ll be using it is either being considered or on the table already.

The Obama administration is pledging to invest US$150 billion over the next decade on energy technology and says that could create 5 million jobs. This recession has wiped out 7.2 million.

And cleantech is on track to be the dominant force in venture capital investments over the next few years, supplanting biotechnology and software.

Venture capitalists have poured US$8.7 billion into energyrelated startups in the U.S. since 2006. That pales in comparison with the dot-com boom, when venture cash sometimes topped $10 billion in a single quarter. But the momentum surrounding clean energy is reminiscent of the Internet’s early days in the 1970s.

“Ultimately IBM and AT&T didn’t build the Internet. It was built by Silicon Valley startups,” Bob Metcalfe, an Internet pioneer who now invests in energy projects with Polaris Venture Partners said recently. “And energy is going to be solved by entrepreneurial activity.”

Clean energy projects could simply replace old jobs and functions, like meter-readers. And there's no guarantee new jobs won't shift to countries with cheaper labor.

Some innovations take longer to reveal their economic effects. There are big booms based on specific innovations -along the lines of railroads, automobiles and the Internet – and then there are technologies that grow slowly, spawning offshoot industries for entrepreneurs to exploit over decades.

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Hosting a great holiday party in 30 easy steps alloween may be just around the corner, but you should be well on your way in planning your Holiday party.

The 30 steps I am about to describe make this an easy task.

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According to my calendar, you should have already carried out steps 1 through 10. If not, it's high time to get started!

JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 1. Define the goals of your Holiday party. Is it intended to thank employees, convey a corporate message, demonstrate your social commitment, reward the efforts of certain employees or departments, present a rundown of the year's achievements or simply give your people a chance to celebrate? Setting your objectives will shape the event accordingly.

2. Decide on the number of guests. Are you only inviting employees or their husbands, wives and perhaps children as well? Will you also ask some of your customers, partners, vendors and retirees to join in? Guesstimate how many people will be attending.

3. Outline and schedule the event. Will the party be held in the morning, afternoon or evening? Over one or two days? During the workweek or weekend? Will you serve cocktails, meals, alcoholic beverages and provide accommodation? Will there be speeches, audio and video presentations, an orchestra or a DJ and dancing? Will you organize activities, kids' games, a competition, door prizes or hand-out gifts? All of these choices will have an impact on how the festivities unfold.

4. Select one or two possible dates and draw up a list of prospective venues that meet your needs (the number and size of rooms, according to the number of guests, locations that provide food and lodging, etc.), as well as the standard of quality you are seeking. Do you prefer a reception hall near your workplace or a resort? Remember to factor in questions of transportation and parking.

5. Check on room availability for your desired dates at the prospective sites and make an appointment to see them.

6. Visit the establishments and reception halls under consideration to make sure they are suitable (cleanliness, size, ceiling height and suggested layout, décor and atmosphere, accessibility and number of restrooms, other gatherings being held at the same time as yours and any spaces the different events will share, availability of parking, room categories, cloakroom, etc.). Assess the quality of service, request a proposed menu and rates and check on any items that you may obtain at no charge (tablecloths, centrepieces, chair covers, decorations, etc.).

Also, discuss how the event should be organized, your accommodation requirements, the activities you plan to offer, food service, audiovisual needs and so on.

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7. Prepare a preliminary budget and submit it, along with your recommendations as to the time and place of the event, to management.

8. Once the date and site have been selected and approved, confirm this with the site representative and make sure to thank your contacts at other sites that were not chosen.

Next you will want to: â Produce an event schedule setting times for guests to arrive, cocktails, meals, dancing, speeches, presentations, activities, door prizes, and so forth, as well as the party's conclusion. Provide enough time between the end of the work day and the start of the event (2.5 to 3 hours) to let guests go home, get ready and travel to the site location (let them leave early if necessary). â The minimum and maximum number of people for each hall. â The time the hall will be available for set up and if on-site staff will help your people organize equipment (displays, gifts, etc.). â Parking and cloakroom costs and if workers must be hired. â The number of rooms required and dates by which room blocks must be reserved. â How guests will be greeted. â The number of seats per table (from 8 to 10 people, depending on table size), if seats will be assigned and layout of the intended room (including how the stage will be set up). â If a cocktail (alcoholic beverage or fruit punch, etc.) and finger food will be offered prior to the meal and at what location. â Selection of menus and style of service desired (buffet, stations, table service) and the per person price. Check if tips are included or are additional. â If beverages are served during and after the meal and what type of service is provided (at the tables, open or pay bar, etc.).

Find out if wines and beverages are included and if coupons will be distributed. â Your decorative requirements (plants, lighting, centrepieces, tablecloths, holiday accessories, etc.) â If a stage and audiovisual material are needed (projection of the firm's logo, video of the year's highlights, PowerPoint presentation or music). Also check if an audiovisual equipment rental firm is present at this location or if you must use your own suppliers. â Different events or activities (DJ, orchestra, MC, speeches, audio and video presentations, etc.) and where the dance floor is located as well as its size. â Methods of payment.

9. Have management approve everything.

10. Sign a contract with the establishment (making sure it includes all the details you have negotiated) and put down a deposit to reserve the selected date. The best idea is to book a room one year in advance.

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October ’09

Sudoku Sponsored by Magnan’s

Fill each square with a number from 1 to 9 so that every number appears only once in each row, column and cell.

SOME SUDOKU RESOURCES ON THE WEB:

November 9 ISES Toronto Chapter Annual Gala. The Eglington grand. Member tickets $85.

Contact: www.isestoronto.com

• www.websudoku.com •www.sudoweb.com •www.dailysudoku.com •www.sudokupuzz.com

November 10 MPI Winnipeg Chapter Educational Breakfast: “Project Management Tools, Techniques & Best Practices”.

Contact: www.mpimanitoba.ca November 11 - Remembrance Day

November 12-15 2009 CanSPEP Annual Conference, Innovation and Inspiration, The Westin Nova Scotian Halifax Hotel, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Contact : www.canspep.ca, Tel.: (905) 868-8008.

LEVEL: EASY

Solution, page 26

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Solution, page 26

December 3 MPI Toronto Holiday Gala. International Centre.

Contact: www.mpitoronto.org December 25 - Christmas Day January 1 - New Year’s Day

February 20-23 2010 MPI international Meet Different, Cancun, Mexico.

Contact : www.mpiweb.org/events/md2010/home.aspx Do you want to publicize your event? Please send us an e-mail message at: info@theplanner.ca

THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF LUNACY, BUT ONLY ONE KIND OF COMMON SENSE. IBO PROVERB

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Organize well to celebrate well CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 11. Develop your schedule. The schedule outlines the various activities to be accomplished prior to the event and their respective completion dates. Also determine who will be in charge of each activity. This will let you know how many people you need on your operations team.

12. Train the operations team that will help you prepare for the event.

13. Set the admission fee (if any). You can offer different options (meals, transportation, lodging, etc.) and different prices based on guest status (employees, clients, suppliers, spouses and children).

14. Seek sponsors. Do any of your clients want to give gifts to your employees, will your usual audiovisual suppliers sponsor the material for this event and will other suppliers absorb the cost of additional activities?

15. Select audiovisual, lighting, decoration and activity providers (DJ, orchestra, MC, host, etc.), provide them with the necessary information and draw up contracts with each.

16. Print tickets or produce confirmation emails that include all necessary information (date, location, time and logos of your organization and sponsors). Check if you will need numbered tickets or detachable coupons for door prizes and drinks. Provide information on the backs of tickets or by e-mail letting guests know how to find the location and where to park.

17. Send information about the event to your guests (date, schedule, place, cost, directions, etc.) so they can confirm their attendance and mark down the event in their calendars. Also indicate how reservations must be made, the deadline for doing so, how they will receive their tickets or confirmations and accepted payment methods.

18. Prepare for the day of the event by assigning duties and responsibilities to each member of your operations team.

19. Plan contests and door prize awards and buy gifts and prizes (select them based on the guest profile). Decide how gifts and awards will be wrapped and presented. Large gifts can be delivered to the winners’ homes.

20. Hire a photographer\then post selected event photos to an intranet folder that is accessible to all employees.

21. Write copy for speeches, produce photos, PowerPoint or video montages and print necessary display items (menus, directions to the entrance of the site, directions to the room, cloakrooms and restrooms, posters thanking partners/sponsors, displays for activities, parking coupons, drink coupons, etc.).

DECEMBER 22. Let those in charge know the final number of participants (for meals, activities, lodging, etc.). If necessary, assign seats and map out the room’s layout.

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23. Make a list of equipment to bring, including stands (easels, etc.).

24. Plan the transport of equipment to the site (you may need to rent a truck). Deliver it the night before if possible and check that everything has indeed arrived at the proper location.

25. Check each detail one last time with all of the suppliers and other parties concerned. Doing so will help prevent unpleasant last-minute surprises!

26. Cut cheques to be given to certain suppliers on site and prepare the equipment to be brought. Make sure to label your boxes with your company's name and address as well as the name of establishment and the hall in which your event is to take place. That way, someone can contact you if your boxes are lost.

27. Go to the hall with your operations team at least three to four hours before guests arrive to prepare everything: reception, gifts, displays, centrepieces, decorations, etc.

28. Deploy your plan to ensure that your holiday bash is an unforgettable sensation (and set aside half an hour to make sure everything is in place).

29. Create a system for checking alcohol consumption and include taxi coupons in your budget for those who may need them by the end of the evening.

30. Enjoy your party and your Holidays!

Lyne Branchaud is in charge of events and sponsorship for Uniprix and is a professional coach for meetings and events. You can contact her by e-mail at l.branchaud@sympatico.ca or visit her blog at www.lesblogues.com/guideevenement

ANSWER EASY SUDOKU PAGE 25

ANSWER MEDIUM SUDOKU PAGE 25

Erratum In the September issue of The Planner, there was a headline on page 22 that read “Canada’s capital is planner heaven”. The headline was incorrect, as several of our readers pointed out, as the ensuing article was about Toronto and not Ottawa, Canada’s actual capital. Managing Editor Leo Gervais noted the headline should have read “Canada’s business capital is planner heaven”.

The Planner regrets the error.

PLANNER

October ’09