Newsletter 1

Charisma Productions Gazette Volume 3, Issue 6 June 2011

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Corporate Meeting Facility to Create an

Impression

2 Corporate Meeting Facility-Continued

1 Essentials of Productive Off-Site Meetings

3 How to maximize the Results of an Off-Site

Meeting

4 IT Tip of The Month

5 From Our Executive Chef

Corporate Meeting Facility to Create an Impression Successful Meeting Facilities

Choosing the Right Facility Charisma Productions Network

Many companies do not have conference rooms or big spaces to hold corporate meetings. They opt for corporate meeting facilities provided by others for this. A corporate meeting facility is generally a luxurious and impressive space which can be rented by any company to hold their corporate meetings.

Renting a Corporate Meeting Facility

Large or small corporations often require having meetings for their staff for orientation or felicitations or educational purposes or for clients. Many of these companies may not have an adequate corporate meeting space to hold such meetings. Renting is the only option in such cases. Before renting out a space a proper idea regarding the requirement is very important. The size of the gathering and the kind of seating arrangements all depends on the purpose of the meeting. Once a clear picture regarding this is arrived at, a

Essentials of Productive Off-Site Meetings Productive Meetings

Off-Site Meetings Charisma Productions Network

Once in a while it’s a good idea to shake things up and get a fresh perspective on where your business is headed, and one of the best ways to get a new outlook is a change of scenery. The everyday work environment, regardless of the safeguards put in place to discourage on-site distractions, comes with visual, auditory and physical associations that affect the focus and emotions of participants. Try as they might to ignore these associations, participants will consciously and subconsciously be reminded of voice mails, e-mails and other unfinished projects. This will only stifle their focus and creativity, dramatically reducing the return on investment from the event.

While it is not necessary to fly your entire staff to the Bahamas, it is necessary to get away from the everyday workplace on occasion. Holding an off-site meeting can be as simple as going to the closest conference center or the local chamber of commerce office. Some reasons for holding a meeting off company property include:

1. To create and/or adjust strategy for the future

2. To evaluate operations, review year-end financial reporting and suggest adjustments/ improvements for the future

3. To provide an opportunity for employees to get to know one another on a more personal level and build camaraderie and a sense of team. Another key reason to have off-site meetings is to enhance the company culture by making them an annual event. By doing so, company personnel can plan effectively for the annual meeting and look forward to it throughout the year. All of these benefits can easily be incorporated into the same event for maximum effect.

Informative, Inspiring, and Empowering

CPN Events

Charisma Productions Network

Continued on page 2

continued on page 3

Newsletter 2

corporate meeting facility can be looked into. In major cities across the United States, there are huge varieties to choose from when it comes to an event space. Many city meeting facilities range from lofts, theaters, screening rooms, auditoriums, convention center and so on. These places could be stand alone or a part of a hotel or a bigger structure.

After identifying a few possible venues, it would be a good idea to visit them along with your chosen corporate meeting production specialist and see for one the space available and also discuss about the facilities provided at the place. Many halls provide digital screens, presentation software and hardware, high speed internet facility, good acoustics and other audio visual facilities which in most cases are far more expensive than having your own corporate meeting production specialist whose expertise can make sure you get the most for your dollar without comprising the quality of your corporate meeting production. In order to receive your best ROI you should always have your corporate meeting production specialist with you on these inspections. This is to make sure that you will not be caught unaware of any back end charges when utilizing there facility. The extent of the facilities required again depends on the type of event being hosted. The location of the conference space is also an important criterion. Easy accessibility and proximity to airports and hotels always helps if people are flying in from outside to participate in the event. Other arrangements that need to be looked into are toilet facilities provided in the space. The cost of the meeting space also needs to be looked into before renting out. Some places are highly expensive while others are relatively cheaper.

Most of the corporate meeting facilities seen these days have well trained staff. They make all the necessary arrangements in consultation with the renters and who also provide valuable assistance during the event. Together with these staff members the event can be made into a grand success. Choosing a place that provides it all from digital media to caterers is always better than going for a place where all the other elements have to be brought in from outside.

Always remember to be sure to consult your corporate meeting production company in order to exceed your corporate meeting expectations and to make sure you get the best ROI for your meeting.

Continued from page 1

Newsletter 3

How to Maximize the Results of an Off-Site Meeting

To maximize the results from off-site meetings and to ensure the ongoing growth, development and success of the company, the following steps must be applied:

1. Define what a successful event would be for the company by creating a clear purpose and objectives for the event. For example: “The purpose of our annual off-site meeting this year is to offer a fun and creative environment from which everyone can leave the event with an energized and enthusiastic focus on clear, specific goals and objectives for the coming year. Each team member will leave the event with a plan of action that will create momentum for the first 60 days with a structured system in place by all department heads for ongoing and consistent follow-up to assigned accountabilities.”

2. Create a forum for input from key participants prior to the event so they feel as if they are part of the process and not just there to serve the company leaders’ agenda. This can be done by identifying someone on the leadership team to be the point person to develop various input sources so that employees feel that their concerns are being addressed. This can be done through an employee survey (online or standard), employee focus groups or an online discussion board or listserv through which ideas and issues for consideration can be shared.

3. Take a strength-based approach by focusing on the assets of the overall organization and its individual participants. Most businesses focus only on fixing problems and what went wrong throughout the year. By identifying the core strengths of the organization, a company can begin leveraging those strengths for creativity and innovation to get to the next level. When done properly this approach improves performance and results, because if you are only trying to “fix” problems you are just barely getting back to “acceptable” levels of performance and results. The reason this is important is shown by a client case study. I recently worked with a team of technicians who were required to be jacks-of-all trades and were sent on service calls regardless of their expertise. After evaluating the strengths of individual team members, we were able to put together teams of technicians with specialties and sent them to the jobs for which they were most qualified. This lowered expenses by reducing “call-backs” and improved the company’s bottom-line results.

4. Create a format whereby priorities identified at the event have specific accountabilities for next steps and follow-up. This will create momentum, ensuring progress toward the program’s objectives. Identify the responsible managers and department heads and have them schedule follow-up accountability sessions with each of their team members before leaving the event (it’s a good idea to have the follow-up meeting dates booked before the event takes place so they are on everyone’s calendars). These follow-up accountability sessions should include both one-on-one and team sessions so that team members are updated on each other’s progress, if deemed appropriate. If so, it can add value, motivation, inspiration and momentum to the effort.

5. Hire an outside facilitator. Internal company meeting facilitators are obstacles in attaining the desired results because:

a. They bring their own prejudices and agendas to the facilitation.

b. They have other, more important professional skills and responsibilities within the company. They should focus attention there and not on trying to facilitate a meeting.

c. The other participants bring their own beliefs and attitudes toward the internal facilitator, which will always get in the way of maximizing the results of the event.

Most qualified business consultants and coaches should be able to provide facilitation for these types of events and can be found through local or regional business referral services such as a chamber of commerce. As with most business resources, the best way to find a qualified facilitator is to ask colleagues and associates if they have had good experiences with any business coaches or consultants and get a referral.

The best facilitators will want to be involved from the earliest stages of planning the event and will have a hand in most of everything I’ve outlined above; they’ll even help craft the objectives and measures for the program. They will also help design the accountabilities and specific follow-up and follow-through procedures so that the output created at the event is implemented, which is the most important part of this process —poor or no follow-through is the number one reason so much money is wasted on events like these.

Charisma Productions Network

Newsletter 4

IT Tip of the Month

Outlook Tip: Work across Time Zones

If you make phone calls and attend meetings with people who are not in your time zone, whether they be across the country or across the world, you know how tedious it can be to calculate what time it is in Sydney when it is 3pm in California, for example. Luckily for global workers, Outlook 2007 makes this easy.

Create a new appointment, click the Time Zone icon on the toolbar and, from the time zone list, choose the other person's time zone. For example, if your meeting is at 10am Sydney time, select 10am for the time and then choose GMT + 10 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney from the list. Your appointment will then be scheduled for the correct time in your calendar which, if you're in California, is 5pm the day before — but you don't have to work that out; Outlook does it for you.

Outlook Tip: Send an Email to a Traditional Mobile Device Although many businesses use smart phones for their business communications, sometimes there is a need to send a message to a partner or customer who uses a regular cell phone. You can do it right from Outlook if the recipient’s phone supports SMS (short message service), which is a common feature for the majority of the phones available in the market. All you need is the recipient’s email address. The major carriers usually assign an email address of user’s 10 digit phone number at carrier domain name dot com, and you can use it to send short text messages to any cell phone. If you are not sure what email domain to use, below are domains for the major US carriers

Charisma Productions Network

Newsletter 5

From Our Executive Chef

Margarita Steak with Orange Salsa

2 pounds boneless beef top round steak, trimmed Marinade: 2/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed ½ cup tequila 1/3 cup fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper Salsa: 2 oranges peeled and sliced into ½ inch pieces 1 small red onion, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Combine marinade ingredients in a large plastic bag and mix well. Add the steak and close. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. While waiting, combine all salsa ingredients together in a bowl. Mix well and set aside. Once steak is ready, remove from bag and discard marinade. Place steak on a heated grill and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Turn once, halfway through cook time. Remove from heat and allow resting for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with orange salsa. Yum!

Charisma Productions Network

Newsletter 6

Charisma Productions Network

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