Best-Laid Plans Hotels Can Take Pitfalls Out of Organizing Event by Heather Nalbone This month, the Embassy of Austria wants you to come hear some live Bach, the Embassy of Uruguay invites you to gaze at artwork by Latin American natives, and the Embassy of France hosts an orchestral performance accompanied by a buffet of fine foods. With a slew of special international events being offered throughout the area each month, the question begs to be asked: How are so many gatherings and celebrations pulled off so flawlessly? The answer is that thereís a lot going on behind the scenes, long before the doors open and the first glass of wine is poured. In Washingtonís diplomatic circles, cocktail parties, formal galas and social dinners are all an integral part of a weekís work. But anyone whoís been delegated the task of putting together one of these special eventsóbe it a luncheon business meeting, large-scale fundraiser or even a weddingóknows the process of going from concept to creation can be a painstaking one. In the diplomatic community, this job often falls on social secretaries and ambassadorsí spouses. In the business community at large, it might be taken care of by anyone from a hired planner to an i n-house public relations employee. Enter the hotel sector. Washington, D.C., is full of high-end luxury hotels, from the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel to the Madison, that are rich in history and offer excellent backdrops for diplomatic and social exchanges. And when it comes to planning banquets, meetings and receptions, hotels offer yet another element that other places usually cannot: Most have built-in caterers and banquet managers to take the pressure off embassy staff. ìFor many people who are asked [by their employers] to plan events and havenít gone through much training, our job is to ask all those questions they might not think to ask,î said Abul Agha, director of catering at the JW Marriott. Those questions, repeated by catering experts and event planners throughout interviews for this article, involve details such as how transportation and parking will be arranged, the number of bathrooms available, and the experience level of the chef and wait staff. For more elaborate dinners and celebrations, unforeseen particulars might include such details as where table centerpieces will come from and what will happen if a performer becomes sick the day of the event. So exactly how do these details get ironed out? To a degree it depends on the budget and size of the event, although experts claim success is more often the result of experience among those involved than the amount of money available. In her book ìEvent Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events,î Judy Allen writes: ìWhen planning major events, too many people think in terms of dollars and cents, not sense. You need to know when and where to bring in professional assistanceÖ. What you do not know or do not know to ask can have a major impact on the success of your event and on your budget.î For many conventions and meetings managers, the stress of handling such important details can be reduced by developing successful relationships with skilled vendors. For instance, Kainoa Trotter describes hotels as his ìbiggest allyî when he plans the American Frozen Food Instituteís annual convention for some 1,200 guests. In addition to assistance with setup and catering, he is often able to secure complimentary meeting space at hotels in exchange for reserving a certain number of guest rooms for out-of-towners. There are other perks when it comes to using a hotelís catering and sales departments. At the Renaissance Mayflower, for instance, hotel employees often incorporate the work of an on-site florist when organizing events, and they have even been known to help out clients when glitches occur by making trips to FedEx to photocopy program agendas when the printer failed to deliver. The JW Marriott also offers its clients catering for delivery to off-site events such as embassy buildings and company conference rooms, as do a number of other hotels, such as the Willard InterContinental Washington. Of course, elaborate dinners and conferences are not the only events that require meticulous planning. And although hotels are described by many as a great resource when planning for even the smallest of business lunches, many embassies and ambassadorial residences are also set up for hosting various functions. When such venues are chosen and the budget allows for a skilled event organizer, the planning can be a breeze. More often, however, the preparation duties become the responsibility of a diplomat or employee whose expertise falls outside the realm of event planning. Lori Hill, founder of lori hill event productions inc., said those who are new to the planning process commonly fall prey to some of the often-overlooked pitfalls that can make or break an eventóthe biggest of which is failing to first figure out the eventís purpose and who the audience will be. ìDonít spend all your money just to have an event,î Hill said. ìFirst figure out what you need to achieve. Ask yourself what you want your guests to get out of the experience.î Hill and other experts described several common mistakes that full-time professionals have learned to avoid: óPoor directions. ìThereís nothing more frustrating than being late because of bad directions, and you donít want your guests to arrive in a bad mood.î Whenever possible, Hill opts to drive to the venue herself and write out her own directions based on different starting points and traffic levels. That way, guests will have various options from which to choose. óFailing to hire or designate greeters at the entrance. This is especially important for larger hotels and places with a high level of security, where guests can easily become confused. óForgetting to train staff for the evening. All personnelófrom hired wait staff to in-house greetersóneed details on whatís happening (not to mention where the nearest bathroom is) so theyíll be able to easily answer guestsí questions. óInefficient room setup. There needs to be plenty of room for guests to move about. This is especially true for stand-up events, where the wait staff needs room and multiple entrances to circulate hors díoeuvres and drinks. ìThe biggest key is anticipation,î said Trotter of the American Frozen Food Institute. ìBe aware of what people will need and what problems may occur, and figure out how youíll deal with those problems before they happen. ìYour biggest allies are hotels and vendors. If you work with a hotel, youíll probably deal with an entire staff thatís amazing. They are really helpful in making things go smoothly.î Heather Nalbone is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. Making the Event Connection Online It used to be that finding a decent florist or caterer required flipping through the Yellow Pages and calling to ask for menus, price lists and available services. Now all of that can be found online. Web sites have been refined to connect customers with the experts. Here are a few good choices: ówww.alltimefavorites.com: All Time Favorites maintains a searchable database of more than 10,000 company-approved vendors for everything from audio-visual rentals to corporate videography. The Web site is set up for perusal by either category or state, but its most attractive feature is a free referral that allows visitors to request price quotes from local merchants. ówww.dcises.org: The D.C. Chapter of the International Special Events Society provides a great directory of its members, which range from calligraphists and ice sculptors to linen rental companies and beverage services. ówww.weddingchannel.com: Sure, itís set up for brides-to-be, but thereís a wealth of information that can be applied to all sorts of special occasions. The Local Sites and Services Directory connects visitors to a wide array of merchants by region and city. The Devil Is in the Details For important meetings and receptions, hotels offer the tremendous benefit of having an on-site staff to handle all the details that can otherwise cause enormous stress. At some higher-end hotels such as the Madison, customers can rely on in-house banquet planners to recommend and even subcontract vendors for everything from audio-visual equipment to luxury linen rentals. But with the average price per plate often running well over $100, what exactly are clie nts getting for their money? In ìBridal Passport Wedding Planner,î a book based on years of undercover research on the catering and event-planning sector, Denise and Alan Fields praise the hotel sector for its convenience, but also warn customers to be wary of things such as price escalation clauses and waiters who hurriedly clear half-empty glasses at functions where payment is to be made by the drink. Below are some other recommendations based on the book and interviews: óBe willing to negotiate. Many hotels are willing to work with clients to customize an event based on budget parameters. For instance, a hotel may offer complimentary meeting space if a certain number of rooms are blocked, or throw in a coffee station for free if a certain food and beverage expenditure is met. óGet everything in writing. Verbal promises are good, but written ones are safe. Itís important to review every detail of a contract before signing and ask about any items that are unclear. óBe wary of price escalation clauses. The written cost of a five-course meal with wine service may seem like an incredible deal, until the caterer reveals six months later that the menus changed and now a similar package begins at twice the price. Price escalation clauses are often written into contracts, but many catering directors are willing to make alterations for customers upon request (before the paperwork is signed, of course). óSit back and relax. A little research in the early stages will ensure that youíve contracted a hotel whose staff is capable, friendly and able to make an event or business meeting shine. óHeather Nalbone