The meeting planners are responsible for planning and coordination of conferences, peer reviews, and other administrative meetings including site selection, vendor selection, contract negotiations, database management and manipulation, lodging and travel.
They also supervise meeting functions onsite and act as the primary liaison between organization staff and hotel or venue.
The Meeting Planners must be able to do the following task in their job function:
- The meeting planners perform venue searches for meeting space and/or sleeping rooms.
- They negotiate venue contracts.
- They generate and update rooming lists.
- They work with hotel or venue to prepare room set-up, food and beverage, and other hotel arrangements.
- They set-up audiovisual arrangements as needed.
- They contact all applicable vendors as needed.
- They prepare logistical and confirmation letters for clients, attendees, speakers and VIPs, and vendors.
- They work with clients to develop meeting materials as necessary.
- They prepare reports as required by client.
- They provide onsite support.
- They manage the entry of data into conference database, generate reports, and perform mail merges.
- They create and process forms for registration, reimbursement, honoraria, evaluations, and other forms as needed.
- They create, duplicate, and assemble conference/review materials, including name badges, tent cards, signs, packets, and other materials as requested by the client.
- They correspond with clients and attendees via phone, email, fax, and mail.
- They arrange, facilitate, and otherwise support conference calls.
- They supervise the processing and mailing of grant applications
- They arrange travel for sponsored attendees and speakers and VIPs.
- They provide travel support for non-sponsored attendees as necessary.
- They process invoices from vendors as necessary.
- They track budget as needed.
- They manage supply inventory and order as needed.
- They work with IT staff to develop conference websites for logistical information and/or online registration.
- They should be able to work overtime including weekends.