Creating realistic Audio Visual solutions for meetings and events is more important than ever. The successful meeting planner must be able to align facility resources with the needs of clients and work closely with suppliers to provide a unique meeting and event experience. This interactive session will provide participants with an equipment overview, tips for working with Audio Visual suppliers and practical solutions to common Audio Visual challenges often presented by all stakeholders.

After participating, you will be able to:
- Identify baseline Audio Visual equipment used for meetings and events
- Discuss Audio Visual challenges as they relate to suppliers and facilities
- Recognize "red flags" regarding budget, space (or lack of it) and presenter's expectations
- Create solutions for the design of professional Audio Visual programming that best serves your clients

Before any crisis and contingency planning can begin for your meeting, a risk assessment must be conducted. Otherwise, how will you know where to allocate your already scarce time and resources? In this session, participants will walk through the steps of risk assessment, using a sample meeting or convention as an illustrative example. Participants will brainstorm risks by meeting features, engage in a probability consequences analysis, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of
their organization's preparedness. Examples from the real world will be used to emphasize the importance of each step. Participants will also be asked to share ideas, experiences, and lessons learned from their own lives and careers.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:
- Identify the steps of risk assessment that must precede the stages of risk planning, mitigation, response, and recovery
- Explain how the general principles of risk assessment and contingency planning apply to meetings
- Apply probability-consequences analysis to a specific meeting
- Award Ceremonies n Gala Dinners n Live Events Education

- Choose risk management strategies to address specific meeting risks

Planners must be strategically involved in meeting design and they must ensure marketing efforts of the planning team are consistent and branded. At the same time, they must remain focused on the objectives of the stakeholders to ensure a Return On Investment. This baseline marketing session will provide participants with an overview of marketing strategies that can be used to increase the visibility of a meeting or event. It will also expose tips and secrets used around the world to reach targeted audiences. The final exercise will culminate in a hands-on and competitive design contest that is entertaining, fun, and applicable to the meeting and event industry.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:
- Define event marketing and describe the effects of event marketing on meetings and events
- Identify the core objectives and messaging needed to successfully design and market an event
- Design a marketing program for an event while
integrating brand consistency