A luxurious retreat conveniently located just minutes from downtown Colorado Springs, THE BROADMOOR is the pinnacle of meeting locations in North America. These lush 3,000 acres host 700 rooms, three championship golf courses, a world-class Spa, 15 restaurants, cafes and lounges and numerous other amenities. The BROADMOOR is easily accessible, with non-stop flights directly to Colorado Springs Airport, or from anywhere in the United States through Denver International Airport, just 90 minutes away.
THE BROADMOOR’s rich history just experienced another enhancement with the addition of the 60,000-square-foot exhibit facility called BROADMOOR Hall. Adjacent to the 20,000-square-foot International Center and the 18,000-square-foot Colorado Hall, these facilities make up THE BROADMOOR Events Center Complex, offering 185,000 total square feet of adaptable and flexible function space throughout the resort.
THE BROADMOOR has been consistently recognized as one of the world’s leading resort properties and is the longest continuous winner of the Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond awards in the country.
Located in SummitCounty in North Central Colorado, Breckenridge is nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. This Victorian town is the largest historic district in Colorado. Known as a mining town of yester years, Breckenridge is now a popular tourist destination. Its premier year-round resorts, spectacular landscape, historical heritage and innumerable entertainment activities attract national and international visitors.
As the town comes alive in winter, tourists throng Breckenridge with world-class skiing and other winter activities like ice-skating, sleigh riding, snowmobiling, snowboarding and snowshoeing. Breckenridge’s vast ski area consists of more than 145 trails passing through four interconnected mountains.
Breckenridge is not just known for its winter. Summers are marked by numerous carnivals and events including activities like camping, hiking, mine tours, golfing, fishing, hot air ballooning and kayaking.
Breckenridge has a variety of rental accommodations to choose from, located both in the vibrant town and on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The town offers the discerning vacationer great deals on vacation rentals to suit all types of budgets. One can choose from basic to luxurious condominiums, hotels, cabins, homes, etc.
A Breckenridge condo rental offers something for everyone. Lodging options are galore with Breckenridge condo rentals ranging from inexpensive to luxurious ones. Breckenridge condo rentals are closely located to most summer and winter fun activities. There are many different types and styles of condo rentals to choose from. Breckenridge condo rentals have great views of the spectacular mountains that you can enjoy from the living rooms and bedrooms. There are even condos at the ground floor located on the ski ways that are of the ski-in and ski-out type. Breckenridge condo rentals located on the first floors and above provide unobstructed breathtaking views of the mountain ranges. Breckenridge condo rentals have all the basic amenities that you can find in any luxury accommodation. A typical Breckenridge condo rental offers spacious furnished rooms, a fully equipped kitchen, fireplace, hot tubs, TV with cable or satellite etc. There are many Breckenridge condo rentals that are conveniently located on the free Breckenridge town shuttle route.
Stephen Mcbride is the webmaster of Breckenridge Condo Rentals - a Breckenridge condo information site.
Denver remains in the race to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention, along with New York City, Minneapolis and New Orleans.
But a poll being taken via Democratic Web sites has Denver at the top of the list with 41 percent of the vote, followed by New Orleans with 33 percent, Minneapolis with 15 percent and New York with 6 percent.
Eleven cities had expressed interest in hosting the convention.
The Democrats, who last met in Boston, are expected to announce a decision this fall. The convention will be held Aug. 25-28, 2008.
Denver also is throwing its hat in the ring to host the Republican convention. Finalists for the GOP event are to be announced by July 1 with a selection made by Feb. 1, 2007, according to the Associated Press.
A myriad of risks threaten the success of events and meetings, including lack of rehearsal time, itinerary changes, equipment failures, and other factors. Here are eight proven tips to make your next event or meeting a great one.
Before the event
1. Conduct several pre-meeting planning sessions. During these planning sessions, take the time to prepare a concise agenda of issues that need to be discussed and an action plan regarding who needs to make what decisions. For example, what is the complete itinerary of the event; how many rooms will be needed for the general session and the workshops; what is the layout of each room; will there be a stage play or entertainment during the opening of the meeting; will there be an awards ceremony; what are the needs for sound, video projection, lighting, Internet access, and so forth. In addition, these planning sessions are the best time to determine the size of the technical staff and production crew needed to properly operate all of the audio and visual equipment for the event. This will help avoid unnecessary labor costs later on in the process.
These planning sessions are also the best time to discuss the need for equipment and backups in the case of equipment failure, which unfortunately seems to happen at the most inopportune times. For equipment backups, companies should require that the bare minimum of a backup computer, data projector, and microphones are available in case of a problem. Determining a precise equipment checklist during the planning sessions helps avoid renting unnecessary equipment and keeps costs down.
Overall, the pre-meeting planning process helps make sure that the meeting accomplishes the company’s vision and expectations, while keeping equipment and labor costs inline with requirements. The process requires discipline and, if done properly, provides the greatest return on investment from reviewing even the minutest details.
2. Negotiate audio/visual equipment rental costs. It is a good idea to use the equipment supplied by in-house audio/visual (A/V) department for the hotel or resort, or another local equipment supplier whenever possible. With that said, however, company meeting planners should carefully negotiate equipment rental costs. At times, in-house A/V departments charge fees that provide hotels with lucrative gross margins on rentals. This does not mean that one should demand price slashing, although it does mean there is likely room to reduce rental costs.
Success depends on asking a lot of questions and referring to the equipment checklist developed during the planning sessions, in order to avoid any unnecessary items, while ensuring to not compromise equipment redundancy. Also, remain cognizant of unnecessary labor charges during the setup of equipment at the event, especially if company personnel will be onsite. There is no need for duplication of effort and this can provide cost savings.
3. Promote and communicate with attendees. Aside from increasing event attendance, promoting the event or meeting will help build excitement and interest among attendees. It is easy to overlook the importance of pre-event promotion, especially if attendance is mandatory. Effective promotion helps ensure that the attendees are on the same page regarding the objectives and expectations of the event.
4. Hire a professional to develop the presentation support materials. It is difficult to financially justify an executive of a company investing many hours into the development of PowerPoint® presentation(s) or other support materials. This is, however, often the case. Instead, it is important to recognize that PowerPoint is a presentation support tool, not the presentation. It is much more logical, and fiscally responsible, for executives and/or presenters to define the content of their presentation and then turn it over to a capable designer for implementation. This frees up more rehearsal time for the presenter, and the designer will likely deliver a higher-quality PowerPoint in less time. This process leads to a more effective delivery of the presentation because more rehearsal time was available.
5. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! The importance of presenter rehearsal is impossible to understate. The timing of the rehearsal is also critical. Once presenters are onsite, there is very little time available for rehearsal. Because of this time constraint, rehearsal must take place well in advance of the presenter’s arrival. Aside from the lack of time, on-site rehearsal adds costs to the event. For example, if a presenter decides to make changes to a PowerPoint during equipment setup, this could potentially slow down the process or, even worse, affect room configurations. With that said, time needs to be allocated to test the presentations from a technical standpoint to ensure that all of the video, PowerPoint, Flash™ animations, Web links, and so forth, work properly.
6. Produce an energizing opening. An effective opening video, stage play, or live entertainment engages attendees and separates them from their daily distractions and demands at the office. The opening of the meeting gets them focused on the objectives for the event or meeting. It is also critical to get all of the attendees on the same page so they know what to expect over the next several days. The opening of the meeting is the proper time for this to happen. A well-produced opening is effective at energizing attendees to participate and getting them ready to contribute toward the success of the meeting.
During the event
7. Thoroughly inspect the location and supervise equipment setup. The planning team from the company needs to inspect the meeting rooms and develop a precise understanding of the power and lighting layouts and existing A/V (audio visual) capabilities, and to test the equipment that was selected for the event. This is true for the general session and any workshops, leaving no detail to chance. This inspection is not micro-managing the setup performed by the A/V team. Instead, it is the last opportunity to ensure that the selected equipment will achieve the expectations of the event. After the event
8. Give survivability to the message! This can include producing a closing wrap video and distributing VHS, DVD, or streamed versions of the content to audience members, and to those who could not attend, following the event. This helps the good karma established during the meeting to live on and transfer the message to a broader audience. Survivability of the message adds value to the meeting.
In closing, the more experienced one becomes, the easier it is to overlook the core aspects of what is truly important during event or meeting planning. Incorporating these proven tips into a concise event or meeting planning process can make the difference between a great meeting and mediocrity!
The AVS Group is a marketing, training, and communications company in La Crosse, Wisconsin. AVS helps clients communicate and market effectively. AVS can be found online at http://www.avsgroup.com
Exciting new technologies like interactive computer use, live video enhancement of speakers, and teleconferencing can be utilized but the associated cost of these new technologies can be steep. The type of AV support you will need for your meeting or event may be simple or more complex. Be sure to review all your options and plan ahead:
• Get a list of all speakers’ needs well in advance of your meeting date and schedule a rehearsal.
• Allow for rehearsal and set-up time in your meeting rooms.
• Give speakers a chance to rehearse with equipment they will be using.
• Test equipment immediately prior to the beginning of the event. Check acoustics Clap your hands sharply… talk loudly… listen carefully Check to see if there are any echo’s or dead spots. Do drapes or acoustic panels need to be added? Plug-in and test the audio. Is the public address system working? Is there any feedback at working level? Are the speakers correctly placed? Are there enough microphones, cords, stands?
Have spare bulks and extension cords on hand. If you are taping, is the tape recorder microphone working? Check to see if you have to erect a stand or move a table
Is the audiovisual the right distance from the screen, rigid and level? Know the location of circuit breakers and fuses Have spare fuses and standby circuits ready Test the intercom system. Is the emergency work light ready?
• Having a technician available to attend to your needs throughout the meeting may be your best insurance policy.
• If the facility where you are holding your meeting has AV equipment available check to make sure it is in good working order.
• Remember that poor-quality AV equipment can ruin a meeting.
To maximize your audio visual budget, try the following:
• If using an outside vendor, choose a reputable company and reserve equipment early. If you have never worked with the supplier before, ask for references and check them.
• Negotiate all costs. Package deals are good for you and the rental companies. If they know your needs and have your timelines, it will be more cost effective.
• Make sure all agreements are in writing. If one company is not able to meet your needs, look at other companies until your needs are met.
• Provide clear instructions in writing. Include agendas and room layouts so your vendors know exactly what you expect.
• If you need help, find experienced production managers and technicians to oversee the AV portions of your event. Introduce yourself to the technicians who will be working your event, and find out how to contact them should the need arise.
• Barter goods and services with your rental companies. They may want to advertise in your publications, exhibit at your trade show, or acquire leads from your attendees.
• Guaranteed performance is often a policy of AV companies. They will compensate clients for rental costs in the event of equipment failure. Even better, many will provide on-site back-up.
Check the audio-visual equipment that is available at the meeting facility you are using. Many facilities have their own in-house audio department. Ask if any audio-visual equipment is included in your room charge? Be sure to check out the quality and age of the equipment provided.
Most facilities only provide a podium and microphone, so you will need to rent additional equipment from a qualified local audio-visual rental company. The facility where you are holding your meeting can provide recommendations.
