by Cheryl Grostic, Office of Research & Graduate Studies

Rarely does Murphy's Law--"Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong"--have the opportunity to take center stage as visibly as at a major event. Keeping Murphy at bay becomes the challenge in planning seminars. Working with two very active graduate student organizations, The Association of Multicultural Scientists (AMS) and the Graduate Student Council (GSC), in hosting over 80 speakers in the past two years has given us the opportunity to address some unusual challenges and has encouraged the development of some new systems for the planning and production of seminars, student gatherings, and career fairs.

START EARLY -- DEVELOP A CRITICAL PATH

From almost the minute the decision is made to host an event, start the critical planning:

• check the calendars of the key people,
• see what space is available,
• check for possible conflicts with other events on campus and elsewhere,
• start building the team that will work on the event,
• Remember to keep in mind special needs:
  • wheelchair access,
  • signers for the hearing impaired,
  • dietary restrictions,
  • handicapped parking, etc.

Working backwards from the date of the event, chart the steps that must be taken and set their completion dates in a critical path.

START EARLY -- DEVELOP A BUDGET

From almost the second the decision is made to host an event, start checking into the costs.

--Negotiate for Quality--

When calling contractors and vendors for bids, there are usually some surprises. For the Career Fair, we needed 400 bag lunches. We contacted several places for bids and much to our surprise (and delight), Zingerman's bid was within range. We were able to deal with an organization who had built their reputation on quality food and outstanding service. They met our expectations and our price and yet we almost didn't contact them assuming that their costs would be outside of our budget.

--Implement Cost-Cutting Techniques--

Try to get the best airfare--a Saturday night stay-over will usually reduce the cost of a flight and even with the extra night(s) in a hotel, may be cheaper than a ticket without a Saturday night stay-over.

€ The day before our Career Fair, we learned (through E-mail) that a key speaker had misread his airline ticket as to the date he was supposed to be in Ann Arbor. A call to directory assistance in Los Alamos was followed immediately by a 6:00 a.m. wake-up phone call to his home. He was somewhat startled to learn that he was supposed to be on a plane at that very moment. We were able to make new travel arrangements for him (with no penalty) and he arrived in time for the pre-career-fair social event!

Most airlines have a little-known (and not widely broadcast) policy called the "flat-tire rule," which is exercised at the agent's discretion. This policy recognizes that, on occasion, even passengers with special-fare tickets have unforseen situations that may cause them to miss a flight. If the passenger phones the airline, in all probability, the $50 change of ticket fee will be enforced and the increased cost of a new ticket will be considerable. However, if the passenger appears at the airport ticket desk looking confused, the agent will usually assist the passenger in boarding the next available flight and waive penalties and additional charges. As it was explained to me, the trick is to look stupid and be polite. (I'm looking forward to meeting those requisites just once --intentionally!) My biggest challenge, however, with the flat-tire rule was to try to explain to a distinguished scientist who had just missed his plane that he had to drive from Los Alamos to Albuquerque airport without an airline reservation to personally appear before the airport ticket agent looking "confused."

--Plan to have extra cash on hand for the event--

Whether you arrange for a hosting advance, or you pay out of pocket for later reimbursement, plan to have extra cash on hand for the unexpected circumstances that arise.

€ At one event that we held, our keynote speaker missed his shuttle back to the airport. Since we were unable to arrange transportation on such short notice, we were able to arrange a taxi and give him the cash to pay it. He sent us the receipt (and the change) when he got home. It left a much better impression with him than if we had asked him to pay out of pocket for later reimbursement.

Speakers will occasionally need the unexpected -- whether it's an antacid to calm a queasy stomach or a quick snack in the cafeteria--; it's nice to have cash on hand to cover those expenses.

I also like to have enough cash on hand to order pizzas if it appears that we are running out of food. Fortunately, I haven't needed it yet.

SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS

Unless you are a full-time events planner, the non-event-related responsibilities of your office still demand your immediate attention. Careful planning can reduce the number of steps necessary to coordinate your seminar.

At a recent Graduate Student Council sponsored event we were faced with coordinating the arrangements for 32 speakers, 27 information booths, and an audience of nearly 500 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Fortunately, preparing for a previous event prompted us to develop a four-page Speaker's Form which proved invaluable. Using the form, with one phone call to the guest presenter, we obtained most of the information we needed:

• preferred airline,
• frequent flyer number,
• window or aisle seating,
• social security number,
• home address,
• audio visual equipment required,
• honorarium amount,
• hotel accommodations, etc.

Our form also serves as a checklist of completed and pending steps.

WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS

Perhaps the most important element in event planning is to rely on professionals with whom you have developed (or could develop) a good working relationship. We especially enjoy scheduling events at Towsley Center as Pat Adams takes the work and worry out of event planning. She has always been quick to point out anything that may have been overlooked and works with us to ensure the success of our efforts. For travel arrangements, we use Conlin Travel as we have found them to be most helpful in the slightly more complicated situations that arise. Bonnie Brown and David Quinn in Facilities have been invaluable in our events planning. Both Bonnie and Dave have not only provided assistance from their office, but have been great sources of information on resources and personnel to contact. For our computer network hook-ups, Sue Boucher, Evan Nau, and Doug Smith have been stellar. Joann Vargo most ably assisted us in the proper procedures to validate parking for our speakers and guests.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DETAIL

What seems like an endless sea of administrivia -- G forms (for payment of honoraria), Travel and Hosting forms, hotel confirmations, airline tickets, Federal Express forms, Cash Receipt forms, Purchase Order Requisitions, commuter travel tickets, and more -- becomes much more manageable when careful attention is paid to detail. Using our Speaker's Form also simplifies this process considerably. We check and double check the forms, the invitations, the addresses, the flyers, the confirmation of hotel, airline, and meeting spaces. An error caught at this point can save hours of work and will dramatically increase the chance of hosting a successful event.

ANTICIPATE THE UNEXPECTED-- BE PREPARED AND BE FLEXIBLE

It's been said that Life is 60% what you make it and 40% how you take it. In events planning, those percentages are in constant flux.

€ The day before our career fair we received a call from one of our key speakers. He was required to stay in Cincinnati for a corporate merger. A quick call to the travel agent canceled his airline ticket and a quick call to a contact at Parke-Davis arranged for a speaker to fill the vacancy.

€ At another event, one of our key speakers (from the University campus) arrived a few minutes late and was more casually dressed than we had anticipated. It seems his car and his sport coat inside it had been towed! Relaying the unexpected turn of events struck an immediate chord of empathy with his audience of fellow Ann Arborites.

On a personal note, if you have dependant care at home, arrange for back-up. If your child-care worker has never had a sick day before, don't be surprised if the day of the event is the first. Cover all the bases -- a full tank of gas in the car and taxi fare available if necessary.

WORK AS A TEAM

At one of our events last fall, Murphy's Law was in full force. Despite careful planning, it seemed that a new problem appeared at every turn. A few minutes before the keynote speech, we realized that, through a glitch somewhere, the room we were scheduled to use had been double-booked. There we were with well over a hundred students, five deans, a visiting speaker, and no room!

Soon, however, the two speakers were able to locate another room. Students from the Graduate Student Council directed traffic to the new location and--with the exception of running a little behind schedule -- the event appeared nearly seamless. At the end of the day, the students, the staff, our Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, and, yes, even our other visiting speaker worked side-by-side moving tables, emptying and returning the soda coolers, and hauling equipment into storage. Our team had added a new member, Dr. Rick McGee. And, our students thoroughly enjoyed (and still comment about) getting to know the Associate Dean at Mayo Clinic in this most unusual way.

MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND A SENSE OF HUMOR

Throughout the planning and coordination of a major event, there are many moments of frustration. Speakers will cancel, airline reservations will need to be changed, new ideas will replace the plans that were firmly laid. Above all, be flexible, maintain a positive attitude and keep your sense of humor. Expect success.

Everyone occasionally feels the panic of doubt that all will get done in time. Mounting stacks of routine work need attention; the panic

deepens. In an attempt to regain control, I phoned the secretary to one of the key speakers to inquire if he had any dietary restrictions that I should consider when planning the menu.

"No turnips," she replied.

"Damn!" I thought, "there goes the main course."

Those two words, "no turnips," released me from panic mode and brought laughter back into the office. The laugher lighted the tension and we worked more effectively and efficiently. It was fun again and it was exciting. We looked forward to the event and to meeting the people attending it.

The fostering of goodwill is one of the key objectives for any seminar, celebration, student event, or career fair. Our visitors, and all the participants, should feel welcome. The weeks and months of planning and preparation are over. If something goes wrong, we fix it. If it can't be fixed, we apologize and improvise. Keeping our sense of humor is the key.

In summary, the essentials to hosting a successful meeting are:

• Start early and develop a critical path
• Organize and simplify the process
• Work with professionals
• Pay close attention to detail
• Anticipate the unexpected.
• Be prepared. Be flexible.
• Work as a team
• Maintain a positive attitude and a sense of humor

And remember: no turnips.

Copies of the four-page Speaker's Form are available from Cheryl Grostic in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies by calling 936-1508.