Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1: Been to Any Good Meetings or Events Lately? 5

Chapter 1: Gearing Up for Meetings and Events 7

Chapter 2: Strictly Business: Defining Meetings 17

Chapter 3: The ABCs of Meeting Preparation 25

Chapter 4: Mixing Business with Pleasure: Events 45

Chapter 5: Bringing an Event to Life 57

Part 2: It’s All Show Business 79

Chapter 6: Get Me to the Meeting on Time 81

Chapter 7: Food for Thought 93

Chapter 8: Selecting Great Speakers 109

Chapter 9: It’s the Extras That Count 123

Chapter 10: Lights, Camera, Action! 129

Part 3: No Guts, No Story 145

Chapter 11: Nuts and Bolts: Negotiating, Contracting, and Ensuring Safety 147

Chapter 12: Working with Vendors 161

Chapter 13: Drinking Champagne on a Beer Budget 171

Part 4: Building Bridges with Technology 185

Chapter 14: Making Meeting Technology Work for You 187

Chapter 15: This Phone’s for You: Conference Calling 197

Chapter 16: Holding Meetings Online 207

Chapter 17: Expanding Your Reach with Virtual Events 223

Part 5: Exhibiting at Trade Shows 231

Chapter 18: Planning for Gold: Exhibiting 101 233

Chapter 19: Strutting Your Stuff: Exhibiting 201 251

Chapter 20: Presenting the Floor Show: Exhibiting 301 263

Part 6: The Part of Tens 271

Chapter 21: Ten Creative Ways to Meet 273

Chapter 22: Ten Common Meeting Mistakes to Avoid 277

Chapter 23: Ten Top Negotiating Tactics 281

Chapter 24: Ten Strategies For Exhibiting Overseas 285

Appendix: Checklist Heaven 291

Index 307

About the Author

Susan Friedmann, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), is a well-respected niche marketer on a mission to wipe out sameness and add vitality and differentiation to entrepreneurial marketing and meetings. Well-executed events, in person and online, is her top tool for captivating a market. She’s an international bestselling author of 18 books, and has trained and coached over 10,000 people on 4 continents.