In an ideal world, meeting planners would simply submit an RFP for their program, then sit back as everything fell neatly into line: price points, entertainment, transportation, food and beverage, technology, and of course, someone to manage every detail--large or small, from start to finish. While reality has a quick way of deflating that fantasy, planners can still take comfort knowing a savvy conference services manager is on their side.

No doubt, the conference services manager (CSM) plays a crucial role in every meeting. Their assistance can prove vital to a planner in any type of program, be it aiding seasoned professionals or smoothing the way for those whose jobs range from sales coordination to whipping up a last-minute meeting.

“They’re very, very valuable to me,” says Seri Bennefeld, a training manager at Nexstar, Inc., in White Bear Lake, MN. Bennefeld speaks from experience–she organizes about 30 meetings annually, one third of them at conference centers. “The conference services managers I work with are usually with repeat-business properties,” she says. “They know their property’s capabilities, and in many cases, they know my program better than I do. I remember one instance where the conference manager brought a serious situation to my attention and had already fixed it before I had even had a chance to worry about it.”

Determining Meeting Objectives
Indeed, what makes a good conference services manager (and they can go by alternative titles, such as conference sales manager or conference sales planner, just to name a few) is a combination of traits. It’s their experience, diplomacy, coordination, attention to detail, a dash of street smarts, the ability to make snap, smart decisions, and the ability to envision a meeting’s big picture that make them an essential point person for a planner.

Often it’s a matter of having the intuition and experience to ask the right questions of every type of client. In her 15 years with Dolce’s Oak Ridge Conference Center in Chaska, MN, Anne Karels-Delaney has assisted planners with all angles of their meetings. About 25 percent of those she works with are meeting professionals; the rest are often administrative personnel.

The pros, like Bennefeld, generally know the ins and outs and are straightforward in what they want and need for a successful meeting. “For things like A/V, front desk issues, food and beverage, the conference services manager puts me in touch with the right people to make sure everything is taken care of, to help me stay organized and manage the whole process on site,” says Bennefeld.

While not downplaying the challenges that Bennefeld and other experienced pros face, the planning process can seem even more grueling for a swamped, multi-tasking administrative assistant. “The big difference we can make is with them,” says Karels-Delaney, Oak Ridge’s conference sales planner. Since they may be involved in several activities at once, Karels-Delaney and her crew can play a crucial role helping them sort out the priorities of the meeting at hand. “We lead the conversation with them, asking the right questions to draw them out and tell us their objectives and needs,” she says.

Lynne Stevison, conference sales manager at Dolce Norwalk, agrees. “Sometimes it’s a matter of just educating people who don’t know the details of planning a meeting,” says Stevison, an industry veteran of more than 20 years, and someone who regularly participates in conference management training programs conducted by Dolce. “We’ve worked a lot on the whole idea of showing the client ROI (return on investment) and of tying in their objectives to the program,” she says. “We show them how Dolce will help meet those objectives, and determine what’s most important to them when they are on site.”

Making the Process Seamless
Planners also appreciate a pro-active approach on the part of the conference service staff. Lynne Stevison always asks her clients just what they hope to accomplish, whether they are first-time participants or well acquainted, repeat business. “It’s especially critical for a new group coming together for the first time, but I’ve had planners doing this for 20 years who say to me that no one has ever asked them that question,” she says. “They may not get back to me right away, but it seems to have impact.” Stevison also has the tools at hand to help guide planners, particularly those newcomers, as they navigate what can prove to be a dizzying array of seminars, menu options, special events, and other scheduling choices. “Our Web site comes in handy because it runs the gamut of what’s possible and helps clients visualize their event,” she says.

As good as Dolce’s Website is, it acts to complement each conference center’s human elements. To that end, Karels-Delaney emphasizes the importance of her department’s coordination with the rest of Oak Ridge. “We have one group with a pre-con coming up, and they’re taking over the entire property for three-and-a-half days, all high-level executives,” she says. “It’s a very important piece of business, so we’ll invite someone from every department in so that they get to know the client and their needs, and we’ll go over those needs piece by piece.”

The bottom line is to prevent any surprises from disrupting the flow of the meeting, from check-in to check-out. “We’ve worked to get all this information together ahead of time and it’s on an event order that’s sent out across the conference center,” she says.” she says.

“It’s important for each department to know who the client decision makers are and who are their VIPs, so they know how to set up and follow up.” The client, in turn, quickly becomes familiarized with Oak Ridge’s department heads, an invaluable asset should emergencies arise, or if they need something special or arranged last-minute. “We want to make sure everything is seamless and that we meet all their expectations,” says Karels-Delaney.

One-Stop Shopping
While conference services managers play similar roles at both hotels and conference centers, there are also some notable variations. Seri Pottebaum has been planning meetings and events for more than 10 years, the last three of which she’s spent as national events manager for United Health Care in Minneapolis. Pottebaum, along with one other planner, does about 50 programs of various sorts for United Health Care annually, using both hotels and conference centers. In terms of conferences, she says, the differences between the two types of properties arise less from the service management than in the property layout itself.

“For training sessions, we’ve been mostly using conference centers,” she says. “They help make things run as smoothly as possible. They know our programs inside and out, all the details, and I feel very comfortable that the programs will run with no hiccups.”

A big reason behind Pottebaum’s vote of confidence is that the CSM usually pays close attention to all aspects of her event. “They pretty much walk us through the entire program, detail by detail, so nothing is missed or overlooked,” she says. “And they pass that on to the other staffers, too, so that they work in unison while we’re on site.”

On the one hand, a hotel, especially a resort, might work well for United Health programs that encompass more social and recreational parts–golf, tennis, a spa and fitness center, for example. But Pottebaum also likes conference centers for their one-stop shopping aspect.

“At a conference center you have the sales person and the staff; and it’s one person overseeing the event: the conference services manager,” she says. “At a hotel there are usually a lot more people you have to deal with. It’s really based on the program and how many people you need to coordinate with to make a program happen. For our big incentives we will also out-source to help out with the logistics and air travel.”

Still, the idea of one person overseeing everything has its charm. “It can be very, very helpful,” she says. “You get to know them very well, you talk with them on an almost daily basis, and build a lasting relationship with that person, which is very important.”