Planning for the World

As I sit here in stunning Vancouver, the place where the world met earlier this year for the largest meeting on the planet, I think about how amazing it would have been to be immersed in so many different cultures at one time. The buzz of different languages, the mosaic of cultural garb, and the rush of camaraderie as everyone joins together for one purpose: the Winter Olympics.

Vancouver, BC

Yes, I do compare the Winter Olympics to a meeting, the destination must be selected, the venues to be inspected, and the logistics need to be planned. As the “meeting planners” for the Olympics coordinated their meeting, they had to worry about every detail, such as housing for all of their attendees, ticketing and credentialing, transportation logistics, and so on. The specifics are endless, similar to our clients; the Olympic planning committee had to be certain that they catered to their global attendees.

I believe the Olympics represent the two different types of meetings: meetings with an international audience and meetings that are planned in international destinations.

The reason I am in Vancouver is for the 2010 Million Dollar Round Table Annual Meeting. Just like the Olympics, MDRT’s audience is a melting pot of cultures. The event’s attendance is 70% international, with attendees visiting from around the globe from countries such as Argentina, Belgium, India, Japan, and Kuwait. Just like the Olympics, MDRT had to coordinate for their international audience. At registration, we utilized barcode scanners for badge retrieval, to help with the language barrier. Additionally, MDRT provides interpretation services, allowing their attendees to fully engage in the content. Though the MDRT attendees are not in Vancouver to cheer on their country’s best athletes, MDRT had to take extra steps to globalize their meeting and accommodate their audience.

Old Montreal, QC

After I leave Vancouver I will be traveling to Montreal for the 2010 Rotary International Convention. Though Rotary also has a global audience, which they cater for, they are also a meeting that is “off shore”. Rotary travels the globe each year for their convention, and each year it is a new challenge as they adapt the destination’s culture and rules. Their logistics department needs to inspect the venues, determine the best shuttle route, and work with their legal department to ensure they are protected with each of their vendor contracts. The challenges of planning meetings and conventions internationally are plentiful, much like the challenges that the Olympic planning committee experiences every two years.

Allison Versman