Welcome to the current state of meeting planning in the new COVID world.

Corporate retreats canceled due to unexpected and unprecedented financial hardships. Industry conferences called off for safety concerns. Large gatherings banned by law in many states. With every single company in every single industry feeling the pressures and strains caused by the recent pandemic, it should come as no surprise that meeting planners everywhere are scrambling to stay afloat…and more importantly, stay relevant.

The sad fact is, many businesses won’t live to fight another day. Others are watching their spending very carefully, and will be for quite some time. But then there are those companies and organizations that want to have conferences—perhaps even need to have conferences—but have concerns for the logistics involved for the health and safety of employees and attendees.

In this regard, it’s going to be up to meeting planners to adapt to the new landscape to survive. They need to stay on top of recommended health guidelines, which according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), is a responsibility that falls solely on the event planner. Their current general recommendations for in-person events are as follows:

“The CDC…encourages event organizers to focus on ways to limit people’s contact with each other. Each event organizer will need to determine the appropriate number for their setting in collaboration with local health officials. They should also check state, county, and city rules regarding any current restrictions limiting the number of attendees at events.”

Clearly, meeting planners need to understand local guidelines where an event is being considered, and they must be proactive to ensure their potential clients and attendees are safe at all times. This means maintaining social distancing recommendations of six feet or more, requiring adequate masks, having hand sanitizer stations readily available, frequently testing the temperature of attendees, posting reminders of safe handwashing practices, and encouraging those who feel ill to bow out.

Aside from just making sure attendees are safe, the first hurdle for meeting planners in our new normal may simply be making sure clients feel safe. Explicitly stating the protocol and safety practices a meeting planner has adopted will go a long way in assuring potential attendees that they can focus on the message of the conference, not their health. And constant communication with attendees about the priority of their health further reinforces that they are in good, albeit well-washed, hands. Wise meeting planners may also consider alternatives to in-person events such as virtual conferences, or even a hybrid of the two.

In whatever format, meeting planners can rest assured that conferences and meetings will remain a necessity to businesses. The key is to see things through the customer’s eyes, find ways to adapt and reassure, and just as before, deliver excellence in every event.

Maybe the prospective franchisee chose to join the EventPrep family because they enjoyed the hotel setting. Maybe they went to college to get a degree in hospitality management, or received an event planning certificate, or simply relished planning events for friends and family as a hobby. Maybe they have a deep desire to help customers enjoy an incredible experience. Whatever the case with their personal or professional backstory, we’ve found that the most successful franchisees all have one thing in common: they prepare for success. Stated simply, that means being ready for both the expected and the unexpected.

The fact is, not everything in life goes as planned. In some instances, a single unplanned event could change the trajectory your life in an instant—for better or worse. Steve and I didn’t plan to capture the number one spot in a $25 billion dollar industry. We didn’t plan to eventually go on to have hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts. Nor did we plan to experience nearly 25,000 percent growth over the first three years and make the Inc 500 twice, ranked number 23 and number 2—becoming the second fastest growing privately held company in the United States.

We may not have planned for this level of success, but Steve and I were certainly prepared. Why? Because we understood that success doesn’t happen as a result of planning. Success is a result of being prepared. As the saying goes, trophies are earned on the practice field and picked up at tournaments. Success in anything is a result of grueling preparation, whether you’re a Super Bowl quarterback, a concert musician who performs at Carnegie Hall, or an EventPrep franchisee. It’s in the daily grind, the routine practicing, the endless drills that eventually transform learning into experience and experience into success.

A successful franchisee has preparation ingrained in their day-to-day lives. They prepare for the expected everyday by being motivated, positive, and open to learn. They prepare for the unexpected everyday by having a Plan B, C, and D. They are able to adapt at a moment’s notice. And they remain vigilant and proactive, even when things are going smoothly.

By being prepared, success is always in the crosshairs for our franchisees. By being prepared. they embody the power of prowess, preparation, and process. By being prepared, they are able to capitalize on unique opportunities to reach their ultimate potential…and achieve their dreams!

For more, check out Prep For Success: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Achieving Your Dreams!

By establishing the right culture and putting a laser focus on employee appreciation.

Paul and I know very well that it takes great effort and dedication to build a beautiful, healthy culture…and next to nothing to rip it apart. One small incident that takes place in a corporation that the leadership turns a blind eye to, doesn’t address and doesn’t fix, and that culture can turn sour overnight.

Employee appreciation is a key element for maintaining culture. Paul and I have created various internal awards to acknowledge exceptional work. But we do much more than just say, “Hey, thanks, here’s a certificate.” Instead, we give the employee some type of monetary gift, $250 or $500 depending on the context of the award, a nice bonus to take the family out to dinner and maybe go buy a little something special they might not have spent their own money on.

In fact, we believe so strongly in the concept of employee appreciation and recognition that the bottom of our policy manual has written in big, black, bold letters: “If we get it right with you, you’ll get it right with the customer.”

Don’t believe me? A recent article entitled “10 Powerful Employee Recognition Stats” showed that as much as 40 percent of employed Americans say they’d put more energy into their work if they were recognized more often. And how about this: “If organizations double the number of employees who receive recognition for their work on a weekly basis, they will experience a 24 percent improvement in quality, a 27 percent reduction in absenteeism, and a 10 percent reduction in shrinkage.”

As a business owner, hiring people is very much like investing. But putting employees first means investing in them beyond just a paycheck. Paul and I both have attended dozens wedding showers, baby showers, first houses, and even U.S. citizenship ceremonies because we consider our employees family.

Paul and I may have put this culture in motion, but the employees have embraced it and owned it, and now it’s taken on a life of its own. For the employees, it’s their culture, it’s their company. We don’t organize Halloween events, or the chili cookoffs, or the Thanksgiving Day potlucks, or the ongoing fundraisers. The employees do. Because they feel that they are a part of something meaningful, and they know we put them first.

John Mackey, the CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market said it best: “If you are lucky enough to be someone’s employer, then you have a moral obligation to make sure people do look forward to coming to work in the morning.”

To deal with Murphy and the endless possible ways he may show up at any given event, Steve and I created an internal system similar to the mobilization books we used in the military, called In-Process Reviews (IPRs). So in the weeks leading up to an event, our boots on the ground can review every possible detail, meet with the client, scope out the venue; basically run through a checklist of every scenario, both likely and unlikely, in an effort to be prepared when Murphy shows up.

Back in the early 1990s when my wife, Kimberly, worked as a 911 dispatcher, technology was still in its infancy. On her desk was a state-of-the art office filing aid known as a Rolodex, which contained note cards bound on a rotating wheel, with quick instructions to common emergencies listed alphabetically. When a distressed person would call to report a person choking on food, or a mother going into labor, or an intruder breaking into a house in the middle of the night, Kimberly could flip through the Rolodex, find the corresponding card, and offer advice on what to do. Because Murphy is going to show up in any number of forms, when preparing to do anything, there has to be a list of solutions in place before a problem ever happens.

That means that part of our preparation during the In-Process Review for any given event is to brainstorm all the possible scenarios that could go wrong. What if power is lost to the site? Is there a back-up generator? Who is in charge if the primary contact at the hotel has a medical emergency? What happens if one of the registration computers goes down? What if we run out of coffee during the break?

If the client requires a general session with three break outs sessions in various conference rooms, that means every room needs to have a projector. So how many projectors do Steve and I bring? Five. We know better than to bring just four, because we need to have a back-up projector in case Murphy shows up and breaks one at the exact moment when the client is sharing critical data with the audience.

Even the best event planner in the entire world can never—will never—be able to predict a fluke thing that goes wrong. But you’re not necessarily planning for what could go right. You’re planning for what could go wrong.

That means being prepared for literally anything with In-Process Reviews.

Paul and I didn’t plan to capture the number one spot in the $25 billion dollar event planning industry. We didn’t plan to eventually go on to have hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts. Nor did we plan to experience nearly 25,000% growth over the first three years and make the Inc 500 twice, ranked number 23 and number 2—becoming the second fastest growing privately held company in the United States.

We may not have planned for it, but we were prepared. Little did we realize we had been preparing for success our entire lives. And whether you know it or not, you’ve been preparing your entire life for this very moment. Every job, every set back, every time you’ve fallen and gotten back up, every experience has led to you reading these very words at this moment in your life. And, just maybe, owning your own business and becoming a franchisee.

You are the reason Paul and I went on to launch EventPrep®, a home-based, life-style franchise opportunity—a forward-thinking, full-service event planning and management company, headquartered in Central Florida. It leverages our parent company’s globally recognized brand name, Federal Conference, while capitalizing on our in-depth industry experience and relationships. Our reach is global, and our primary focus is to save clients time, money, and anxiety while planning unforgettable events.

One of our most successful franchisees said goodbye to his old life and hello to a new one. A new life where he makes over three times his old salary as a hotel manager. In his own words:

“It’s a completely different world. I wake up and get to take my son to school almost every day now (never once before). I missed out on so much when he was a baby. I go to work in my pajamas while I sip on my coffee and no one disturbs me, except my dog. I make my own schedule, vacation when I want to and answer to no one. I am valued by Paul and Steve and love being a part of building the business and helping new franchisees. I get to travel to so many places now for conferences and sites, and I get spoiled along the way (never a bad thing), where I used to be the one spoiling my clients.  In short, my life has done a 180 degree turn and I could not be happier.”

And if you think you are too old, or too young, or too broke, or not smart enough, or not organized enough to succeed, you are wrong. It’s never the wrong time to take control of your destiny, become a franchisee, and transform your entire life!

If you’ve seen the movie The Sixth Sense starring Bruce Willis, you’re familiar with the line by young Haley Joel Osment in reference to his unique psychic ability to spot ghosts: “I see dead people.” My version of that unique ability while serving as a recruiter can be summed up with an equally compelling, though less creepy line: “I see enlistments.”

Recognizing talent and opportunity in potential candidates was almost like a sixth sense to me. Why? Because I’m passionate about people, about helping them find their purpose, and I only sell what I believe in. As Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

My secret was to never directly try to recruit potential enlistments. Instead, I enabled them to learn more about themselves and their passions. Major General Ronald O. Harrison, a two star general and mentor in my life once said, “Paul, go find young people of promise and enable them to become.” Those words helped me be one of the most successful recruiters in the National Guard, and it also helped me retain the very same talent Steve and I hired for our business over a decade ago.

“Enabling them to become” means finding people who have dreams and helping them fulfill those dreams. It’s about connecting people with their passion, with their purpose. The funny thing is that sometimes we are aware of our purpose, but sometimes it takes a little outside help. When an employer can guide and mentor a talented employee toward their purpose, a whole new level of dedication and commitment arises, which in turn helps the company. Because remember, a business’ success is not just based on attracting and recruiting the right talent. It’s also about retaining the talent.

If recruiting is about empowering, retaining is about celebrating—showing gratitude and appreciation. Keeping people happy and encouraging them to want to stay isn’t magic. Business owners should celebrate the new people coming on, and include their families. You want people to want to come to work. You want people who want to work in the environment that you’re creating. But how do you create that kind of environment? You build a culture of appreciation, of respect, of working hard and playing hard. You give people a purpose and support that purpose consistently.

That’s what employing others is really about. To help people Prep for Success…so they can achieve their dreams.

So they can become.

But within all of the negativity, there is hope. Maybe you are like Paul and me, who sat around a barbecue with a couple of beers dreaming of more—of earning big money for ourselves, not just our bosses. Maybe you’ve been furloughed or laid off after years of dedication at a company, now waiting by the phone or computer with bated breath for news of when your life can start again. Or maybe you are among the millions of people who have been a part of the corporate rat-race for years and have finally had a chance to experience what it’s like to work from home. Of course, it isn’t the same as owning your own business, but just having the taste of not having to report to an office, not having to sit in traffic, having your family nearby, and to wearing pajama bottoms during Zoom meetings is, well, freeing.

If any of these descriptions apply to you, an EventPrep® franchise just might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for—especially considering these uncertain economic times. EventPrep is a home-based, life-style franchise opportunity—a forward-thinking, full-service event planning and management company, headquartered in Central Florida. It leverages Federal Conference, our flagship company’s globally-recognized brand name, while capitalizing on our in-depth industry experience and relationships. Our reach is global, and our primary focus is to save clients time, money, and anxiety while planning unforgettable events.

You might be wondering: what do Paul and I know about event planning? Well, we captured the number one spot in a $25 billion dollar industry. We went on to win hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts. We experienced nearly 25,000% growth over the first three years and made the Inc 500 twice, ranked number 23 and number 2 – becoming the second fastest growing privately held company in the United States.

And then we launched EventPrep because we wanted to share that kind of success. We want our event planners to take pride in owning their own business. The clients and relationships they make, they get to keep. And they reap the majority of the reward for their hard work, not us. In fact, we offer the highest commission split in the industry and provide a full business model, ongoing support, and client leads as well.

But the best part is the time, peace of mind, and freedom our franchisees experience. Just the fact that you are reading this means you have goals yet to be realized, potential yet to be tapped, and dreams yet to be achieved. And because of the global pandemic, businesses will be sailing in uncharted territory for years to come.

The question is: would you prefer to hold the wheel yourself and chart your course, or are you content with someone else navigating your fate?

Social distancing. Face masks. Routine hand-washing. Zoom fatigue. Temperature checks. Contract tracing. Toilet paper shortages. These are our current realities. But as the spread of the virus slows and the curve begins to flatten, the world is working to figure out how to restart again. What will the new norm look like? And more importantly for those of us who make a living planning events, what will corporate event planning look like in the post-COVID era? After all, we’re talking about an industry that relies on packing crowds of people into closed spaces for hours…sometimes even days!

Will more events be virtual moving forward? Are people afraid to gather at large events? What safety and health measures can event planners take for social distancing? What can event planners do to plan for the post-COVID era now?

While virtual conferences are likely to gain popularity and support as a viable option, a recent article in Event Marketer offered some insight into what we can expect when we finally resume doing things the old-fashioned way, and how we can mitigate the fear while ensuring the health and safety of event-goers.

Among the simplest strategies that event planners can employ is adequate signage with healthy reminders: washing hands for twenty seconds, covering your mouth with your elbow when you cough, and excusing yourself from the conference if you’re not feeling well. Daily temperature checks and an ample supply of hand-sanitizer stations will also help maintain a safe environment for attendees.

And contrary to what you might think, face masks aren’t necessarily going to be required for everyone. Cloth masks are only useful to keep the sick person wearing it from infecting others. And if sick people are discouraged from attending in the first place, no masks are needed. Although it will be wise for event planners to have them on hand should attendees request them.

Which leads to a final point: the greatest obstacle we’ll all be facing in the months and years ahead is fear. That’s why constant communication with your attendees before and during the event— sharing your company’s health and safety policies and guidelines—will go a long way in building that sense of security we’re all looking for right now.

Life will go on. In-person events will resume. By utilizing a few simple strategies now, you are sure to be prepped for success when the time comes! 

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are suffering from and have lost loved ones due to COVID-19.

But working from home doesn’t mean not putting in your all, slacking on responsibilities, or taking your career any less seriously. In an era of a global pandemic, when more people than ever find themselves practicing work from home, those of us who have been doing it successfully for years have a few tips to help you strike that balance of productivity at the pad.

1. Find a Quiet Place to Work

No matter your profession or industry, nothing is going to throw off your productive mojo more than distractions. Questions from kids, Judge Judy’s ruling, a spouse chatting with a neighbor, or any other background noise you normally wouldn’t be subjected to in the office are all the ingredients to breaking your concentration and falling behind on your deliverables. The key is to find yourself a designated, secluded spot for the time you need to focus on work, and get the family on the same page of respecting that space. They may love having you at home, but if you can’t get your work done, you’ll eventually have the wrong kind of free time. 

2. Give Yourself a Break

It’s easy to get caught up working when you are in a more comfortable environment, and sometimes you may even have the urge to overcompensate for working at home by actually working more. So make sure you take regular breaks and only work the amount of time you would have if you were at the office.

3. Eat and Exercise Regularly

Just because you are working near (or maybe in) your kitchen doesn’t mean you should be munching all day. Try to maintain the same eating regimen at home that you did at work. And make sure to get up often and exercise! Most people who unexpectedly find themselves working from home don’t have a “real” office, with a chair that supports your body properly. If you are working from the couch, get up, stretch, and go for a short walk every few hours.

4. Get into a Work from Home Routine and Set Goals

As fun as it is to work from home in your pajamas, eventually most people find it more productive to set a routine of success—showering, getting dressed, and setting goals for the day, just as you would if you were headed to the office. Routines help separate “work time” from “home time,” and make those all-day pajama days with the family more enjoyable.

If you are wondering if these tips really work, remember this: working mostly from home, Paul and I captured the number one spot in a $25 billion dollar industry, landed hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, experienced a nearly 25,000% growth over the first three years of our business, and made the Inc 500 twice, ranked number 23 and number 2—becoming the second fastest growing privately held company in the United States.

Now that we’ve set the bar, go after it!

This principle is no truer or more important than right now during these extremely unpredictable economic times. While many business owners who have been forced to temporarily shut down are concerned for the survival of their company—and rightfully so—making sure they are doing everything in their power to keep their employees paid, at the very least through the federal government’s recently passed SBA relief options, is critical. 

By design, Steve and I have worked very hard to maintain our culture. We reflect on it daily and are constantly taking the temperature of it. If for any reason we ever see, think, or feel like something just isn’t quite right, we address it immediately. Our primary focus is making sure our employees are happy, safe, respected, and are paid fairly—even during difficult times. Why? Because we know that a strong culture of “employees first” translates to success for us all.

To illustrate, consider this statement from a 2017 Gallup Poll: “[Employees who feel appreciated] are more present and productive; they are more attuned to the needs of customers; and they are more observant of processes, standards, and systems. When taken together, the behaviors of [appreciated employees] results in 21 percent greater profitability.”

In our headquarters to this day are many of our original employees. For example, Tina Marie started as an event planner, ended up being a manager, then went over to registration, and finally became the senior registration manager. She’s been on the employee recognition board for just about every category, more than anyone else, because she’s a rock star in everything that she does. But why that kind of over-achieving? Because Steve and I invest in our employees and think beyond the bottom line.

 And Tina Marie saw that true compassion and heart when she needed it most.

When her sister passed away, I put on a suit and took the day off of work to make the four hour drive to attend the funeral. I didn’t know her sister or anyone else there for that matter, but I came so I could walk up to Tina Marie, hug her, offer her words of comfort, and pay my respects. Steve and I have attended dozens wedding showers, baby showers, first houses, and even U.S. citizenship ceremonies because we consider our employees more than just worker bees—to us, they are family.

This too shall pass, as the saying goes, even something as disrupting as a global pandemic. But the fact is, if you own a business, you can’t afford not to put your employees first, especially during a time like this. Because when the clouds part and you are ready to serve your customers once again, if you’ve had the backs of your employees, they will be sure to have yours.