Getting the Most Out of the Post-Con Meeting

The main thought to keep in mind when organizing the post-con meeting is, "What can I do to make this meeting run better next time?" The people who will be able to answer that question are the hotel employees, registration staff, and your staff. As with all aspects of meeting planning, by being prepared and listing the items you would like to discuss, you will make the most out of everyone's time.

In a quiet area of the hotel, meet with the key hotel employees who handled your meeting. You can discuss what went right, what did not go as planned, what to change in the future, and try to work through the compensation plan that both parties agreed to before the event.

Here are the key people who should be a part of most post-conference meetings:

Banquet Captains. In addition to conducting a performance assessment, you can also use this as an opportunity to return items such as keys to event rooms.

AV Manager. If there were glitches, be sure to get detailed explanations of what went wrong and how these problems could have been avoided.

Catering/Convention Services Manager. Most don't actually handle the on-site organization of the meeting, but it is their responsibility to make sure that the tasks were fulfilled.

Salesperson. This is the time to bring up any discrepancies between what was promised and what was delivered.

Front Desk Manager. Ask that they bring the final room pickup reports; this will be a helpful negotiating tool when you book this meeting again.

Accounting Manager. Ask that they bring the preliminary hotel bill. This will allow you time to review the invoice while the meeting is fresh in your mind.