Here are three strategies you can employ to boost your own event and meeting planning skills.

1.      READ Magazines / Websites / Blogs

Reading as many industry publications and websites as you can is a great – and very low cost way – to keep yourself current on the latest and greatest in the event planning industry.  I receive the following magazines absolutely free in print format and they are also available online in web format.

• Meetings and Conventions:  www.meetings-conventions.com
• Successful Meetings: www.successfulmeetings.com
• Smart Meetings: www.smartmeetings.com
• Incentive Magazine: www.IncentiveMag.com

Bonus Tip: When you see a great article in one of these print publications, find it on the respective website and SHARE the link on your social media sites so others can benefit from it, too. You’ll find lots of other friends and followers you may want to follow on social media as a result. Maximize your social media experience and build your career at the same time.

2.     ATTEND Conferences / Professional Association Events / Meetings

Attending industry conferences is another fantastic way to educate yourself as well as build and develop a strong network of resources to help you plan your next event.  While some conferences may have travel fees associated with them, others offer free registration for meeting and event planners (even if it’s not your full time role).  So investigate what’s available and see if you can incorporate an event planning conference into your annual performance plan when review time rolls around.  One of my favorite free conferences is the HSMAI event at the Navy Pier in Chicago. They have other locations across the country, too, so be sure to check them out!

• Hospitality Sales and Marketing      Association International (HSMAI) www.hsmai.org
• HSMAI’s MEET Events: www.hsmaimeet.com

You may also benefit from joining a professional association specifically for meeting planners such as MPI. Monthly or quarterly events held by regional chapters is another great way to learn more while developing your network of professional meeting planning resources.

• Meeting Professionals International      (MPI): www.mpiweb.org

When you attend meetings, take note of what you liked about the room configuration, handout assembly, presentation equipment, etc.  This is another GREAT way to improve your own meetings by observing how others are doing it and implement those strategies or modify them and make them even better.

BONUS TIP:  If you belong to ANY professional association, you can learn more about event and meeting planning by joining their program committee or special events committees.  There’s nothing like hands-on experience to fast track your meeting planning skills!

3.    CERTIFY

Certification programs are another excellent way to immerse yourself more fully into the meeting and event planning profession. There are several online courses and programs you can investigate, but two of the industry standards are the CMP and the CMM.  They both require preparation and training in order to take the accompanying exams for certification, but the things you’ll learn as you prepare will serve you for years to come.

• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP):      http://www.conventionindustry.org/CMP/CMPProgram.aspx
• Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM):      http://www.mpiweb.org/education/cmm

BONUS TIP:  Find a friend to pursue certification with you so you have a study buddy and accountability partner throughout the journey.  It can make the entire process more fun and productive for both of you!

If you’re new to event and meeting planning, don’t let all of the details and options associated with event planning scare you off or overwhelm you.  Commit to advancing  your skills and exposing yourself to as many resources and educational opportunities as you possibly can.  Find places such as professional associations or community organizations where you can volunteer your time to assist with event planning as you gain more competence in this area. When you do this, event and meeting planning will become something you not only enjoy but look forward to doing.

If you’re a seasoned event and meeting planner already, challenge yourself to find new ideas and best practices to incorporate into each event you do to keep them fresh and inviting.  Sometimes the littlest details make the biggest difference and can set the tone for an entire room of people.  If you’re continually looking for new ways to “wow ‘em”…I guarantee you will!

© 2012 Julie Perrine International, LLC

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER, EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Julie Perrine, CAP-OM, is a personality strategist, personal brand analyst, and administrative mentor who teaches administrative professionals and entrepreneurs how to increase their professional opportunities and achieve more productive and meaningful relationships by utilizing innovative technology, ideas, and people. Learn more and request your FREE copy of our special report “Creating Your Strategic Administrative Career Plan” at www.AllThingsAdmin.com

Do you complain that you don’t have enough time? Do you seem to always get behind on your organizational work, but aren’t sure why? If you don’t identify it, you can’t fix it. Come to our session to out where you are guilty and more importantly, where you can manage your time better to get the things done that you need to get done!

This one hour webinar will introduce you to practical techniques in helping you achieve better results though better time and workload management. You will learn how to organize your time more effectively and will be introduced to tools and perspectives to better manage your workload.

We will discuss:

• Identifying time management challenges
• Discussing common time management mistakes
• Prioritizing a constantly changing workload
• Evaluating current time use (and misuse)
• Realistic solutions to help you stay ON THE RIGHT TRACK of Time and Workload Management

Learn powerful strategies and techniques for dealing with the volume of work you deal with every day!

As an administrative professional, how do you demonstrate you can do what you say you know how to do? One way is with a Professional Portfolio of your work and experience. Whether you are actively searching for a new position, demonstrating your value to the team, or simply documenting your career accomplishments, a professional portfolio will set you apart.

During this audio course, you will discover:

• What a Professional portfolio is
• Why administrative professionals need a portfolio
• How to develop your portfolio in hard copy and electronic formats
• How to use a portfolio successfully once you have developed it

How to Create a Blueprint for Your Job Search

Being on a job search can sometimes seem like an endurance contest.  For many people it seems too hard right from the beginning and they stop taking actions necessary to forge ahead on their search.  Others last a little longer and they too mentally give up. Frustrated and doubting that they’ll ever get another job.

Donna knows a lot about overcoming obstacles, breaking through uncertainty, accelerating performance and claiming your own success.  One thing is sure; life will not go according to plan if you do not have a plan.

Overcoming indecision, fear and obstacles means you must have a plan and a solid foundation. Within your plan will be a series of goals which absolutely must be met.  And only by meeting your goals will your plan succeed.  But when life doesn’t go as planned, it’s difficult to work up the motivation needed to follow through. You feel uncertain, scared, overwhelmed, and unmotivated.  It doesn’t have to be that way.

Re-THINK & Seize Control of Your Job Search!

This presentation will focus on the path to success starting with changing your mindset. Then will cover everything you need to do to ensure you have a solid plan and foundation. It is smart to prepare your mind so that you can go the distance and take advantage of every opportunity to have that competitive edge.

You will learn:

• How to “improve the way you think” resulting in less frustration and more action on your search
• Powerful strategies for building your plan and strong foundation
• How you can feel the best every single day
• What relationships are absolutely necessary to drive you forward

Are you ready to create your blueprint and get back to work?

If you’re responsible for coordinating the countless details involved in travel planning and you’re called on to handle last-minute travel emergencies, register for this Webinar now!  You’ll get the tips and resources you need to make your travel planning responsibilities less stressful, more enjoyable, and sometimes downright fun.  Learn what the best practices are to systematize the process and how to keep information organized for you and the traveler. Julie’s techniques will make you look like a star.

This podcast takes a look at the workplace and what’s happening (or not) when you mix colleagues aged 18-80!  Jim Finklestein wrote a new book on the subject and I must say, left me with lots of hope for the future and the positive changes that can and will result.  And to think…it all began when his just-graduated-college-aged son asked to work alongside of Jim in his business.  Although, “alongside” meant cities apart and “his business” took on a new meaning through the eyes of a 20-something.

You’ll leave this podcast with a good feeling that everyone and everything benefits – customer, employer, employees, products, services, delivery systems, etc. – when we can share ideas and experiences and take the best of every age and use it to create something new and exciting!

Jim Finklestein, author of Fuse: Making Sense Of The New Cogenerational Workplace, talks about changes employers and employees are making to accommodate changing values and expectations of workers from 18 to 80. You’ll leave with new insights and optimism for the future.

Use PowerPoint more effectively to create presentations for others!

Chances are that you don’t deliver presentations, but you get asked to create PowerPoint presentations for others.

You’ve probably learned PowerPoint on your own or taken a basic course.  You’d like to get those slides created quickly and have them be accepted with fewer rounds of changes.

Learn how to hit the mark in creating presentations and use PowerPoint more effectively in this one hour webinar.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Five critical questions to ask your boss that will dramatically cut the number of revisions to the presentation (because you get it almost perfect the first time!)
• The one step that most PowerPoint users miss that causes headaches when re-using slides in another presentation (this will cut the time you spend re-formatting slides)
• How to fix common problems with the Slide Master that cause you frustration
• Quick text formatting tips that save you time
• How to remove the white background in a photo or logo so it looks much better
• A quick way to reduce the size of your PowerPoint file so it can be easily e-mailed without blowing up the e-mail server (and it keeps the IT folks off your back for using too much server space)
• How to access over 150,000 images you can use to add great visuals to your presentations – for free
• How use international standard tests to make sure the text and background colors you choose will be easy to see (no design background needed)
• And so much more!

It’s vital to get the details right, to secure the right reservations on the correct dates and times, and keep our travelers organized and efficient throughout their trips. We must know the options that exist if their plans go awry.  They depend on us to provide tips and resources to help them have as successful a trip as they possibly can. Travel planning responsibilities are not to be taken lightly. As an administrative professional, you must do everything you can to stay up-to-date and in the know when it comes to coordinating travel arrangements for your executives and teams.

I’d like to share 10 online resources I’ve come to rely on for information, tips, resources, and expanding my knowledge in travel planning.  Make a point to visit each site. Explore what they have to offer. Sign up for their free newsletters.  Visit them regularly to become familiar with the ins and outs of travel planning. You’ll become more knowledgeable and gain confidence in your abilities. Your executives will appreciate the value added support.  And travel and travel planning will become more enjoyable for both of you.

1. Frommers: www.frommers.com

Frommers has it all: destinations info, hotels, trip ideas, deals and news, tips and tools, blogs and member forums, guides for purchase, and more!  Sign up for their free newsletter and have the latest in travel news and deals delivered to your inbox. This is a nice, clean site that is easy to navigate and packed with helpful information no matter how much prior travel planning experience you may have.

2. TripIt: www.tripit.com

Talk about slick. With the simple forward of an email, you can turn your flight, hotel, and rental car information into a mobile travel itinerary that organized everything in one convenient location.  It automatically includes  maps, directions, and weather details. You can find restaurants, theatre tickets, and activities to include from inside Tripit. All of the trip details are accessible from mobile devices or can be printed for your traveler to have in hand. It doesn’t get much more streamlined than Tripit.

3. Landlopers: www.landlopers.com

I could spend all day on this site. It’s a beautiful site with lots of amazing graphics and images from around the world.  Explore destinations worldwide, find great restaurants, and research the best means of transportation (planes, trains, ships).  Be sure to look at their “top travel tips” page – specifically the “top travel apps”.  They have an awesome list of the top apps for every type of travel need imaginable.

4. Independent Traveler:      www.independenttraveler.com

This is another great site for travel tips, travel deals, destination information and traveler reviews. Subscribe to their free newsletter “Latest Travel Tips & Resources” while you’re there.

5. Smart Women Travelers:      www.smartwomentravelers.com

If you support female travelers, there are a lot of very good tips and ideas for staying safe, efficient, and productive while on the road.  This site has tips on health and fitness for travelers, packing ideas, key technology tools, and even managing relationships more effectively while in transit. And you guessed it, they also offer a free newsletter…AND a free ebook when you subscribe. Check it out!

6. Christopher Elliott, Consumer Advocate: www.elliott.org

I’m a big fan of Christopher Elliott! Christopher Elliott is a consumer advocate, multimedia journalist and professional speaker known for his practical advice and creative solutions to customer-service problems primarily in the travel industry.  You won’t believe some of the things you read on his site and in his newsletter (also free!)…or maybe you will. But Christopher’s customer advocacy approach to researching, reporting, and resolving challenges your executives are likely facing in some of their own travels will provide relief and support at the same time.

7. SeatGuru: www.seatguru.com

Ever had one of your travelers complain about their airline seat size, location, or legroom?  SeatGuru to the rescue! SeatGuru includes more than 700 airplane seatmaps from nearly 100 different airlines. It includes in depth comments about seats with limited recline, reduced legroom and misaligned windows. It identifies in-seat power port locations, and galley, lavatory, exit rows, and closet locations.  I can’t guarantee you won’t get complaints ever again, but you can avoid a lot of potential mishaps with the database of knowledge SeatGuru arms you with!

8. FlightStats: www.flightstats.com

Ever wondered where your travelers while inflight? Now you will know with FlightStats. You can track flights, view airport delay information, find out what the weather is like in the destination city, setup alerts, and much more.  This site can help you troubleshoot potential delays before they ever occur with a few simple clicks of your mouse.

9. US Department of  State Travel Site: http://travel.state.gov/travel

If you have international travelers, this site is a good one to visit as you make plans so you avoid as many potential problems as possible. This site details what to do in emergencies such as a stolen passport or sending money. You’ll also find information on travel warnings, scam advisories, and health information. Know before they go. This site will help.

10. Bed Bug Registry: www.bedbugregistry.com

I saved the best for last…well, sort of.  I don’t mean to creep you out, but you’ve heard the news stories. Bed bugs are real.  And they aren’t just in the economy hotels. Many upscale hotels in some surprising cities around the world have become victims to bed bugs, too. A quick search of this registry may just keep your executive from bringing home a few uninvited travelers when they return.

Be sure to check out the corresponding Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube pages for many of these various websites. And check your smart phone app store. There just might be an “app for that” as well.

© 2012 Julie Perrine International, LLC

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER, EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Julie Perrine, CAP-OM, is a personality strategist, personal brand analyst, and administrative mentor who teaches administrative professionals and entrepreneurs how to increase their professional opportunities and achieve more productive and meaningful relationships by utilizing innovative technology, ideas, and people. Learn more and request your FREE copy of our special report “Creating Your Strategic Administrative Career Plan” at www.AllThingsAdmin.com

Ever get a headache trying to make sense of worksheets that contain hundreds or even thousands of rows of data? One of the coolest features of Microsoft Excel—the PivotTable—is a great way to compare data. It’s powerful, but there’s no need to feel the least bit intimidated. If you can drag a mouse, you can create a PivotTable. Come find out how!

Grab a comfortable seat and we’ll walk you through a one-hour lesson on the basics of creating PivotTables. Find out what PivotTables are, how they work and how to create your own. Wondering how to change your PivotTable field settings? How to use PivotTable Wizard? How to understand the lingo used in PivotTable reports? We’ll cover all that, too, in one mind-expanding hour. The next time you need to see comparisons, reveal patterns or analyze trends, you’ll know exactly what to do. If you want to impress your boss, wow your colleagues and, of course, save tons of time, sign up today.

What you’ll learn:

• The in’s and out’s of Excel PivotTable and PivotChart reports, including the terminology used in PivotTable reports
• How to use the PivotTable Wizard
• The right way to modify an existing PivotTable, including how to insert a chart in your PivotTable report
• How to quickly drill down in your PivotTable without having to go back to your source data to identify specific information
• How to change your PivotTable field settings to a variety of options such as average, minimum, maximum or even custom settings
• How to quickly format your PivotTable report and give it a professional appearance

Are you just scratching the surface of what Adobe Acrobat can do? It’s not just a program to create easy PDFs.

If you’re only using Adobe Acrobat to produce PDFs, you’re just skimming the top of what this software can do. In just 75 minutes, Advanced Adobe Acrobat: Power Tips will take you to the next level and unlock all the powers of Acrobat. Mastering this robust program can improve your productivity AND your marketability.

Let our Acrobat expert show you a few magic tips on how to:

• Streamline your document creation and manipulation
• Navigate effectively
• Create interactive forms (You’ll never again have anyone tell you they can’t find a form or that it’s “in the mail.”)

You’ll also come away knowing how to set up security options and make attractive and exciting interactive pages that include: sound … video … flash … AND even interactive buttons!

If you want to harness some of the most powerful and robust features that Acrobat has to offer, this latest webinar in our Office Technology Series is for you!

When you learn how to use the advanced power tools of Acrobat, you’ll reap the benefits of being able to:

• Be more efficient using Acrobat
• Work with bookmarks and links
• Make forms from scratch
• Create and customize interactive forms
• Add dynamic multimedia elements to your documents
• Know when to use “legacy” multimedia
• Work with Acrobat security tools including: password protection, digital signatures, and encryption security envelopes