Once again, it feels like quicksand under our feet. With new variants of COVID playing out across the country, we all wish for a real crystal ball that could tell us if our planned meeting in October and November were going to be face to face, virtual or a hybrid. So many contingency plans to be made, a tool like a crystal ball would be useful. Instead, my preferred tool is my access to a network of professional meeting planners. Every association membership, every networking meeting, every certification class immediately pays off when we need access to information on current trends and issues. We continue to exchange emails and texts about what we see happening in the Meeting Planning space. Contacts are up and so are the anxiety levels of our clients and potential clients!
At the exact same time, clients are trying to build a planning capability for their organization, which means they are trying to determine how much of that work should be managed by employees, vs. how much should be handled by variable resources – contractor, consultants and temps. Just when they thought we’d have a straight line to “return to normal,” that line has been disrupted, going back into unknown territory. While it may feel like the most responsible thing to do would be to “hit pause” on building the capability – as they say – the show must go on. So how on earth do you meet your goals, make clients happy and make sure your budget is being managed?
The clear and obvious sales pitch is to work with a consulting firm like KOB Solutions. let’s move past that sales pitch and dig in. Here’s an example of how working with a contracted, trusted professional like KOB Solutions. In one of my recent projects, my client’s internal team had spent hours towards creating an online registration system – considering all of the stakeholder needs that were identified. I was able to provide an outside, expert point of view about how to deliver on those expectations even better. The team expressed gratitude, knowing that they were able to deliver a high-quality experience. In other words, while this is not their ‘day job’ in creating a registration system, it was probably the 30th registration system I’ve worked on. That experience can result in a “Soft dollar” savings for the organization. Allow the internal team to deliver their talents and strengths and leverage external experts to accelerate the pace and deliver a better outcome.
Another example is the current situation with the Delta Variant and assessing what kind of contingency plans should be in place. Access to current information is in high demand right now. It can be very effective for companies to pair an internal team, (who know how their stakeholders will respond to risk) with an external resource like KOB Event Solutions, (who is constantly monitoring the landscape for new information, new requirements and mandates and trends in the hospitality industry). We can see patterns and stitch those patterns together to assist clients with making good decisions. It’s part of our focus each and every day.
The combination of these strengths – the blending of internal team members with external experts - can result in a powerful and high performing team. Our experience is that this is a best in class solution when so much is unknown. Variable resources like KOB Event Solutions come on the team when they are needed, but you don’t have to carry the cost when you don’t. It’s a great solution for anyone who is trying to build a meeting planning capability in a world of quicksand!