• Check with the front desk if you forgot anything such as a toothbrush before going out to purchase. Chances are they may keep some on hand without you having to go to the sundry store to purchase
• If you have an arrival time prior to published check-in times, be sure to stop by the front desk to see if they have a room ready. If not, give them your cell phone number so the hotel can contact you when the room is ready. This will allow you the ability to not have to constantly check back in with the hotel.
• Tipping the staff is always a question that we ask ourselves. With our luggage on wheels, we tend to handle our luggage when arriving and departing hotels. But did you forget about the housekeepers that are cleaning your room and bringing you fresh towels? Always nice to leave something on the pillow for the room attendant!
• You know when you go to the store and make a purchase, the cashier provides you with an email address to rate his/her service? The same holds true with hotels. You may receive a survey after you check out. Be sure to complete the survey as most hotels will use these as a benchmark for improvements or possibly recognize an employee for outstanding service.
• Gluten free, low sodium and other dietary requests can usually be accommodated whether you are dining in a restaurant or group event. Ask your server upon being seated so they can speak with the Chef direct to ensure they have met your request.

How times change! It is exciting to see new trends develop and old ones drop off. As industry experts, it is our job to recognize “smart” trends and educate our clients and colleagues so that collectively we can create successful events.

Some of the “smart” trends I have noticed are:

Reducing Waste. As the public in general becomes more aware of the environment, it is more important than ever to have a venue that offers recycling. Additionally, the amount of paper that is used has been reduced dramatically, due in no small part to technology. We have seen clients hand out memory sticks with the information that their guests need, rather than printouts, or have a link to a website in which the guests can follow a presentation or seminar on iPads or laptops.

Healthy Choices. Instead of donuts, candy bars and soft drinks, we are now seeing juice bars, fresh fruit, natural teas and lots of lots of water (for which, pitchers are more popular than bottled water). The meals, in general, are healthier as well, with smaller portions and much less fat and cholesterol on the menu. Additionally, better choices for activities are the norm now. Instead of sitting on a bus for hours, guests would rather be active and participate in a physical challenge.

Giving Back. When possible, we ask hotels and venues to donate leftover food to a shelter or food bank. Extra supplies that cannot be reused are given to schools or day care centers. Team building often consists of doing something to improve the community or the people that live in it.

Clients, employees, and potential customers don’t like to see waste, or wasteful spending. While we feel that there is no replacement for the value of meeting face to face, we feel that there are ways to be smarter about it, and we are constantly watching for smart ways to do the same things we used to do, only better. Contact MYE today to start planning your “smart” event!

For the most part, I could easily pick out why people were traveling: those who were traveling for family vacation (sunburns, kids, and souvenir t-shirts), those who were headed to/from a cruise ship (large groups, tour guides directing them, and ship luggage tags) and those who were traveling for business (laptop, BlackBerrys and usually traveling alone).

My conclusion was that while the airport had its share of tourist, headed somewhere fun and relaxing, the airport seemed to be a lot more a buzz with business travelers. In my mind this could only equate to one thing, an improved economy where people are once again meeting face to face.

To support my claim, I’m also seeing that the availability of hotel meeting space is in short supply this summer. That too is a good indication that the economy is rebounding and once again people are meeting face to face. Long gone are the days of being able to book very short term meetings, over premium dates, into premier hotel and venues. We are once again back to assisting clients with booking space at a minimum of 2 years in advance.

So ask yourself the question: Where should our company be meeting in 2013 and beyond? Now is the time to make that decision in order to keep your company on the cutting edge. Map Your Events knows of several great meeting destinations (both international and domestic) that could be possibilities for your next big meeting.
Contact Map Your Events today. Your event is special. We understand.

New York City – Busy

Mexico City – Great Food

Las Vegas – Never Sleeps

Buenos Aires – Tango
San Francisco – Beautiful

Rio de Janeiro – Beautiful
Napa Valley – Elegant

Nevis – Paradise
Nashville – Country Music

Bermuda – Blue Water
Phoenix – Golfers Paradise

Vancouver – Fresh Air
New Orleans – Let the Good Times Roll

Moscow – Expensive
Chicago – Magnificent Mile

Berlin – Historic
Miami – Sexy!

Athens – Roman
Boston – Red Sox’s Baseball

Brussels – Chocolate
London – Royal

Milan – Designer Shopping
Paris – Magnificent Architecture

Amsterdam – Boat Rides
Barcelona – Passionate

Cape Town – Table Mountain
Sydney – Friendly

Dominican Republic – Upcoming
New Zealand – Beautiful

Cancun – Beautiful Beaches
Singapore – Strict

Riviera Maya – Exclusive
Tokyo – Busy

Monte Carlo – Wealthy
Hong Kong – Crowded

Panama – Friendly
Costa Rica – Adventure

Be sure to contact MYE today so we can help create your first thought about an exciting destination. Your event is special. We understand.

As the hot topic in our industry continues to be how to get more for less, MYE thought we would share some quick tips and can help you out.  During your next event, try implementing some of these suggestions and you will be sure to see your meeting dollars stretch a little further.

Tip 1:  Avoid providing your attendees with costly bottled waters.  Since it is recommended that you still provide water to your thirsty attendees, try an alternative of providing reusable water bottles for everyone.  These inexpensive bottles can be sponsored by one of your vendors or even sport your own company logo.  Either way, the savings is incredible.  Consider that an average hotel will charge you $3.00++ per bottle and that your average attendee will consume an average of 5 bottles of water per event.  A reusable water bottle only cost about $3 to $5 dollars.

Tip 2:  Creative centerpieces.  Try selecting floral that will work throughout your event and be reused during all your meal functions.  Many floral arrangements will last days.  Ask your hotel if they can store your centerpieces in a walk-in cooler.  Most will cooperate.  Another option is to ask the Chef at your event to incorporate their menu into the centerpieces.  This is a clever way to pre-set breads or deserts.

Tip 3:  Use generic signage during your event.  Often money is wasted on signage that can’t be reused from one event to another.  Even with the cost of shipping, this can be a better money saving option.

Tip 4:  Create an airport shuttle schedule.  Instead of providing attendees with immediate private transfers which can often be costly, prepare a predetermined shuttle schedule.  Make the schedule available to attendees during the registration process.  Most attendees don’t mind waiting 10-15 minutes for the next shuttle.  Especially if it means the savings can be directed towards staying at a better hotel/resort.

Tip 5:  During the registration process, remind your attendees of airline baggage fees.  Encourage attendees to use carry-on luggage and to consolidate.  Also ask them to compare airline pricing and frequent flyer status when determining their flights.  Often, those with status avoid baggage fees.

These are just a few quick tips that can help save money during your next event.  And remember, at MYE we are all about saving our clients’ money!   Please contact us today so we may show you how it can be done.  Your event is special.  We understand.

 At MYE we pride ourselves on being prepared for everything.  During a recent MYE event in Canada we had an uninvited guest, Mother Nature.  During the planning of the event we anticipated typical Canadian fall-like weather.  Much to our surprise, Mother Nature delivered us a heat-wave unlike one that had been seen in this part of the country for years.  While it may seem a simple solution, The MYE staff was quick to lower the temperature by supplying state of the art fans that cooled the event and saved our client on the unexpected expensive rental of portable air conditioning units.  The event was a chilling success!

 Recently while the MYE event team was preparing for a New York City cocktail reception for one of our luxury goods clients, Mother Nature showed up uninvited once again.  Severe thunderstorms and tornados hit New York City just as our reception was to begin.  The MYE staff quickly went into action deploying our inclement weather plan.  MYE was prepared with umbrellas for the guests, coat racks and even rugs for the entry way.  The MYE Event Team also went into action to adjust the run-of-show in anticipation of our delayed guests. Thinking ahead and being prepared with these small things helps set MYE apart from our competition.  It may have been gloomy outside in New York City but inside MYE made our client’s event shine.

 While we always anticipate what Mother Nature will bring us, you can rest assured that whatever she delivers, MYE is prepared.  MYE could be supplying fans, providing umbrellas to the guest or adjusting a run-of-show, it doesn’t really matter.  Our job at MYE is to make every event perfect!

 Please contact us today so we can plan a perfect event for your organization!

Look for new blog postings over the coming months- we hope to update this regularly. We plan to give you event planning tips, share articles on newsworthy events, and update you on MYE’s growing team.

Most of our business comes from referrals, so please share this with any friends you feel may benefit from our event planning expertise.