6 Tips for Meeting Planning

Planning and preparation are extremely vital to the success of a meeting.  Nevertheless, meeting planning can be challenging even for the most seasoned professionals and leaders.  

1. Establish the Purpose of the Meeting. 

Here are pro tips to make your meeting planning quick and easy and to ensure that you’ve covered all your bases. First and foremost, identify the purpose of the meeting to help you determine the other elements of the planning and preparation. 

2. Invite the Right Audience. 

Time is money, and meetings can waste people’s time and disrupt productivity. Choose and invite only the right participants — those who absolutely need to be in the meeting, who can help you achieve your goals, and who will be affected by the meeting’s outcome. 

3.  Develop a Meeting Agenda.

Develop a meeting agenda and send it out to all attendees ahead of time. Ensure to include a short list of topics to be discussed and assign items to appropriate participants. Allowing participants to fill a particular role can promote focus and engagement. 

4. Choose Optional Dates.

Allow for several different dates when to hold your meeting and ensure to check for holidays and other industry events to avoid conflicts — specific dates may not be available for your preferred meeting space.  

5. Find a Venue.

The venue helps to set the quality of your meeting — it will be a determining factor whether your meeting will be productive or futile.  So once you set a date, look for venues which are appropriate for your attendees and the speakers, and ensure that the venue you’ve selected covers all your needs before you enter and sign a contract with the vendor. 

6. Check in With Participants, if needed

Follow up with participants who have not responded to your invitation or need to be absolutely present in the meeting space in order to have a fruitful and successful meeting. If you have delegated certain roles to participants, make sure they fully understand and acknowledge the parts they will be playing.

A well planned and organized meeting can help achieve your goals while saving money, time and energy.