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How To Lower Your Audio and Visual Costs

Do your audio and visual costs seem too expensive? Consider these suggestions when planning your next event.

• IDENTIFY MATCHING SETS
  Put sessions or breakouts that require the same type of seating in the same rooms so you don’t have to pay for reset costs. 
• LESS SIGNAGE
  Prepare meeting room signs listing all meetings in the room throughout the conference to cut down on the number of signs needed.
• TEAR DOWN THOSE COSTS
  Often Audio Visual (A/V) companies will charge the same labor fees for tear down as they do for setup. Strike or tear down takes less time, so tear down fees should be about half or three-quarters of what setup charges are.
• WORK WITH OUTGOING GROUPS
  Find out what organizations are meeting in the hotel or venue before you and see if you can piggyback off of any of their sets or services. For example, if they are using the same A/V provider or decorator, you might be able to work out a situation where they leave certain room sets, staging and black drape for your event and you foot the bill for dismantle and move-out.
• BID OUT A/V AND OTHER SERVICES
  Consider putting A/V services out to bid. Not always, but in many cases, you can find better deals by hiring an outside A/V provider instead of using in-house A/V.
• WORK WITH ONE COMPANY
  If you book multiple meetings you should work with one preferred A/V company so that you receive volume discounts (I can assist with this also).
• BRING YOUR OWN
  It may be cheaper to bring your own LCD projector, flip charts, markers, etc. with you.
• NEGOTIATE A DISCOUNT
  Make sure that an A/V discount or complimentary microphones or flip charts are on your concession list.  If you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it.

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Mark Dallman “A Meeting Planner’s Best Friend” is the Regional Vice President of Sales for HPN Global (www.hpnglobal.com) is a native Minnesotan and works out of his home in Plymouth, MN.  He was in the hotel business for over 20 years and worked in 14 hotels and moved nine times.  His recent positions were the Associate Director of Sales at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Director of Sales at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.  He is also the owner of the Linkedin Group “Helpful “Tips” for Meeting Planners” and sends out a Meeting Planner “Tip of the Month” newsletter to over 25,000 Meeting Planners.  For more information and to check out his client recommendations and archived “Tips” of the Month, feel free to check out his personal website at www.ameetingplannersbestfriend.com. 

With no obligation, no cost and no contracts to sign, send him your next meeting or group RFP and find out why having a former hotelier on your side will make all the difference!  Contact him directly at 612-432-1397 or at mdallman@hpnglobal.com.

HPN Global is the nation’s fastest growing site selection and consulting firm and acts as a resource for meeting planners. We will assist with every step of the meeting planning process, from confidential site searches to contract review and more.  HPN Global places over 400 meetings per month throughout the country and we pass this buying power to our clients. HPN Global guarantees no out of pocket cost to you and there are no contracts to sign.  We are paid a placement fee by the hotels chosen.  Unlike the competition, HPN Global offers a more consultative approach to doing business, with service, value and client relationships being our top priorities.