It’s not easy to ensure the success of corporate meetings and executive retreats. You want to create a memorable event -- a worthy investment of both the time and money expended -- not a lackluster meeting that fails to meet key participants’ goals. Unfortunately, it’s easy to pay too much for your event, or to select a location that may not be the best choice for your needs… especially if you’re not a professional event planner.

Perfect Escapes group travel specialists offer unparalleled expertise working with luxury hotels and resorts. Our team understands how to find the best venue for your high-end retreat, and how to find the best rates. Best of all, Perfect Escapes will help you select a location and negotiate competitive prices at no cost to your organization.

When you use Perfect Escapes group travel services, you can rest assured that your organization will enjoy luxury accommodations and high-quality event services that will exceed expectations. Consult our travel specialists any business day between 8am and 8pm Eastern time, or by e-mail at meetings@perfectescapes.com.

Before you dive into detailed event planning, or even start thinking about your meeting location, consider the following variables:

Define the event’s goals
Be sure you have a clear vision of the event’s intended purpose and audience. Who will be attending? How long will the event last? These questions will have the strongest influence on your selection criteria.

What benefits do you want the attendees to take away from the meeting? If your primary goal is strengthening interpersonal or interdepartmental relationships, your choice of locations and activities will be different than those you would evaluate for a hands-on strategy session or an incentive trip.

Make sure, too, that you understand how pre-meeting decisions will be made. Will approvals come from an individual, a steering committee, or some other authority? Understanding the sign-off process in advance will give you a leg up on moving forward with your recommendations in a timely fashion.

Find the perfect location
Once you’ve defined your audience and objectives, it’s time to embark on the most challenging aspect of planning a successful off-site meeting: Matching your needs and budget to the right location. Your meeting’s venue – the hotel or resort, as well as the surrounding environment – will be a key element of its success.

Perfect Escapes travel specialists’ strength is helping meeting planners winnow a list of hundreds of possible locations to a few of the best candidates.

To help you choose a great location, our travel specialists will discuss key considerations with you, including:

• The anticipated length of your event
• The importance of your guests having access to entertainment and activities
• The locations from which participants will be traveling.

With the preliminaries understood, our team will discuss the type of location that best fits your goals. The character of the hotel or resort can greatly affect the “feel” of your event, and participants’ perception of its success. If executive bonding is a priority, an activity-oriented resort or urban boutique hotel may be a good selection. If front-line employee education is your top priority, then a business hotel convenient to a major airport may be the best fit.

Our travel specialists consult with you to determine other important criteria, such as:

• How many rooms will you need for overnight guests, meetings, receptions, etc.?
• What kind of services will you require -- meals, activities, etc.?
• How much time will you want participants to spend away from the meeting location?
• How flexible is your timeframe?
• How flexible is your location? How important is proximity to a major airport?

Using your answers as a guide, our travel specialists will help you find the perfect location to satisfy your needs... and meet your budget.

Leverage expert advice
Many of our first-time clients wonder why they need outside assistance to plan their group travel event -- a fair question. Of course, you could handle everything yourself, but why not take advantage of expert assistance and consider the fullest range of properties? Perfect Escapes travel specialists can help you plan successful meetings in a way that saves your organization money.

Unless you’re a professional event planner who evaluates hotel facilities and negotiates meeting contracts for a living, you’re likely to spend too much time and money organizing your event. Many non-professional meeting organizers simply contact a handful of hotels in their preferred destination and ask for quotes, then sign with the lowest bidder. Although this approach seems logical, you will likely end up paying significantly more than you would by having Perfect Escapes support your negotiations and solicit quotes on your behalf. Hotels know that travel professionals consider a number of hotels before making a recommendation. They understand that, in order to win your business, they need to offer a competitive response.

Perfect Escapes group travel specialists can also expand your search to hotels and locations that you may not have previously considered, taking advantage of special rates. Our travel specialists keep abreast of industry news that can help you find hidden bargains on luxury group travel. We know which properties are experiencing seasonal lulls in their meeting business, where new luxury hotels are building their group travel business, and other strategic details that people outside the travel industry simply can’t uncover on their own.

Best of all, Perfect Escapes’ services are provided at no cost to your organization. Perfect Escapes earns 100% of its group travel fees from hotel commissions, and all major hotels pay equivalent levels of commission to agencies like ours. There is no hidden cost in the price you pay to the hotel, and there are no incentives for us to recommend one property over another. Although we maintain strong relationships with leading luxury hotel brands, we understand you are our client; Our travel specialists will always recommend the hotel that best suits your needs.

Avoid costly pitfalls
Once you have identified a small number of hotels that best meet your organization’s needs, it’s time to negotiate directly with the hotel by submitting a request for proposal (RFP). Perfect Escapes greatly simplifies this process: Our travel specialists work closely with you to develop your RFP and submit it to hotels that fit your requirements.

Our broad knowledge of the luxury hotel industry allows us to recommend specific negotiation terms. Upgrades, special amenities, and special services are often more readily negotiable than direct cash discounts, and frequently just as valuable. Knowing what to ask for, and who to ask, can have a dramatic effect on your contract’s bottom line.

Some of the typical advice we provide to our clients:

• Beware of expensive ‘gotchas’ in standard contracts. You may be subject to penalties if you incorrectly estimate attendee numbers or otherwise change your plans.
• Look closely at the contract’s termination section, including the conditions for terminating the contract due to an “Act of God” (any force beyond the control of your organization or the facility).
• Make sure all due-dates are clearly stated.
• Make sure any rentals (A/V equipment, etc.) are spelled out and included in the quote.

Working with Perfect Escapes group travel specialists gives you added negotiation power. We will make sure that the right questions are asked, and that accurate information is received.

Once bids are returned, we will help you evaluate competing offers and determine the best option for your organization’s needs. We will also point out other key concerns along the way to help you plan a successful meeting.

Wrap up key details
After you sign your contract, the hotel typically assigns a staff member to serve as your in-house meeting coordinator. Although Perfect Escapes doesn’t offer site-specific event planning services (such as suggesting menus, scheduling speakers, or coordinating activities), our team carefully evaluates hotels on an ongoing basis to ensure that you will receive quality event services from any property you select through Perfect Escapes.

After reserving your meeting location, you will need to make decisions about other logistical details. We suggest the following best practices to keep your budget and schedule under control:

• Carefully track your budget using a spreadsheet program, accounting for all anticipated transportation, meals, accommodations, entertainment, taxes and gratuities, productions costs, and miscellaneous items.
• Create detailed meal and break plans with the hotel’s in-house event coordinator. Allow 30 to 40 minutes for breakfast, 45 to 60 minutes for lunch, and 20 minutes per course at dinner. Consider buffets when you want more variety and faster service.
• Consider the needs of VIPs. You may want to upgrade their room assignments. Executives may require meal seating apart from the larger group, or dedicated in-meeting amenities (such as a "greenroom" for speakers and panelists). Identify VIPs to the hotel before arrival, and ask for executive-class service for key attendees at check-in, check-out, and mealtimes.
• Provide a welcome packet to each attendee that outlines the event schedule, activities, and amenities. If there are no event-related activities, it’s helpful to list area attractions and nearby meal options.
• Work with your in-house event coordinator to reserve and configure meeting and event rooms as needed. Choose the right table configuration: Round tables for meals and group tasks, a classroom-style setup for individual work or note-taking, theater-style chairs for informal presentations or ceremonies.
• Test all equipment with the hotel’s technical staff prior to any presentations. Make sure speakers are comfortable with the sound system and timing.
• Allow time between events to ensure that participants are not over-scheduled. You want your attendees to return to the office invigorated, not exhausted.

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We hope this guide is helpful to you in planning a great corporate event. Perfect Escapes travel specialists look forward to assisting you and helping make your event a success. Call any business day between 8am and 8pm Eastern time, or contact us by e-mail at meetings@perfectescapes.com.