Questions for Meeting Planners and Investors, Printable Version

MarketLeadersGroup LLC

Questions for Meeting Planners and Investors
(Budget Owners)

How do you maximize the return on your investment in a speaker or conference leader? Following are a list of questions we have found helpful. Some of these questions can be addressed by the meeting planner. Others require input from the investor or budget owner. The highest ROI is achieved by a close collaboration between the investor, meeting planner and speaker.

Event Related Questions

What is the date of the meeting?
What is the purpose of the meeting?
What is the theme of the meeting?
What are the top 2 or 3 outcomes you are seeking from the event?
What major challenge faces members of this group today?
What is special about this group or organization?
How will you measure ROI from this investment?
What speakers/workshop leaders have you had who were successful and why?
What speakers/workshop leaders have you had who were flops and why?
What subjects are particularly sensitive with this group and should be avoided?
Who are 3 members of the group I can speak with to prepare for the event?
What materials can you send me to acquaint me with your group?
Describe the audience: age, sex, education, job titles, anything else relevant?
What does the agenda look like?
What is your budget?

Stakeholder Questions

Whose budget is supporting this investment?
To whom do the participants generally report?
Which executive will open/close/be featured at the meeting?
Who is most affected by the success or failure of the event?
Whose objectives are at stake? Who approves the final agenda?
Who will evaluate the final result?

Relationship Questions

What do you look for in a business relationship?
How do you measure value in a relationship with a person like me?

What services do you envision needing?

Keynote speech
½ Day Workshop
Full Day Workshop
Training in use of software, tools or simulations?
Interviews with potential audience members to incorporate their concerns/issues
Interviews with senior management to incorporate strategic messages
Reproduce printed materials for internal distribution
Audiotape session for internal distribution
Videotape session for internal distribution
Provide a 30 day follow up mailing to reinforce key messages
Write an article for a newsletter or website publication
Survey the audience
Other

What guidelines do you have for me as a speaker?

Gathering information
Speaker promotion
Selling material
Other

What information do you need from me?

Short bio for publication
Bio for review prior to meeting
Speaker intro paragraph
Other

What are the elements of compensation?

Professional fee
Letter of recommendation
Mailing list
Publication
Other

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