Anyone who has been thrust into the position of trying to manage international meeting planning services for their company knows that hiring an expert to do this has countless advantages. Meeting planning services are complex without the international component. But meeting in a foreign country can pose a range of issues which can make or break an event’s success.
At Cataline Sales Incentives, we have been handling all aspects of international corporate meeting planning for our corporate clients for over two decades! As one of our happy clients has stated, “They seem to have a contact in every corner of the planet.”
4 Pillars of International Meeting Planning Services
There are some pillars for international meeting planning that you should be aware of, which illustrate why it can be a huge win for your company to hire an expert:
Pillar 1: Hiring an Expert International Meeting Planning Services Means You Don’t Have to Do It Yourself
Whether it be an international meeting planning or national corporate meeting planning, we all know the work is intensive and attention to detail is a must. This is why having an expert take care of the details is so essential.
A top international meeting planning services provider will do the following work so that you don’t have to:
- Contract negotiation with all vendors—hotels, transportation, tours, hospitality services, and more
- Overseeing presenters and meeting participant activities
- Planning food, beverages, entertainment and meeting itineraries
- Managing registration and other on-site activities, including opening, closing and any other events or ceremonies.
- On-site conference administration and keeping of records
- Assisting with site selection, including visiting and researching venues at the request of the client
Pillar 2: Some of the Granular Benefits for International Meeting Planning That Can Be Overlooked
Have you ever really executed—or even considered international meeting planning—in a granular sense? For each topic, a single question can help provide context for the benefits of hiring an expert:
Languages
Have you tried to learn a language well enough to be able to manage a meeting in a foreign country in a few months?
Avoiding the Sharks
Have you ever tried to negotiate a contract by phone or email with a foreign hotel or destination event provider who was looking to max profit at your expense?
Planning an International Meeting in a Global Pandemic
Have you ever had to deal with an on-site event and managing it during a global pandemic like COVID-19?
Money
Have you analyzed the ways in which you can make smart currency conversion work for you when paying for out-of-country costs, like hotels, transportation, renting of meeting venues, and logistics providers?
Other than these hurdles and those associated with language barriers, currency conversion challenges, food variation for your meeting attendees, and details (that may seem minor– like WiFI, voltage adapters, 
access to medical care or other services) the major benefits of hiring a professional for your international meeting planning like Cataline Sales Incentives include:
- we leave no detail unaddressed—we handle all logistics
- what may seem an unpredictable challenge to you is predictable to us—and we take steps to avoid it in advance
- technical meeting details are addressed in advance
- contractors are tightly managed and budgets are tightly controlled as well
- if there is a team for your hotel or meeting venue, we manage them—no drama, no stress for you or your attendees
Pillar 3: On-Site International Meeting Planning and Operations
On-site international meeting planning and operations are thought to be the heaviest lift in the meeting planning service field. To that end, a meeting planning expert should:
- Arrive well before the attendees to prepare for, administer, and oversee meeting set-up
- Ensure on-site supplies, freight and material are in place and in proper condition, and later are set up to your specifications
- Communication is efficient with all on-site personnel, staff, vendors and contractors
- Pre-meeting logistics are worked out for the smoothest experience possible with hotels, transportation providers, meeting contractors, any security or catering services, etc.
Pillar 4: It’s the Money: Saving Money on Company Group Travel in the Context of International Corporate Meeting Planning
Looking at costs related to company group travel when an international meeting or event has been scheduled, and multiple members of the company must attend, can be a very easy metric where an expert can show you savings.
One thing is knowing that an international meeting or conference has to be a success for everyone involved. But another thing is knowing that using someone who understands how to use impactful financial planning, execution, monitoring and more will save you money. Company group travel has quantifiable costs. Thus, it is logical that an expert in international meeting planning should save you money on your company group travel. The results should be quantifiable. Saving 20% on the negotiated hotel cost? Saving 30% on transport, dinners and meals? Identifying efficiencies where money would be lost but for the work of the expert? All measurable and reportable deliverables where you can see that you would be nuts to try to do these things yourself, or in house, and expect the same benefit.
Cataline Sales Incentives has all of the experience of knowing how to plan your company group travel, and is a recognized expert in international meeting planning services. Simply send us an email and we can efficiently let you know how we can help. When you see what we can do for your company, you will wonder why you didn’t reach out sooner.