In a previous blog post, I defined an Overall Meeting Action Plan (sometimes referred to in its shorter version by me as an Overall Plan) as the working document that identifies and/or defines the key components or elements of a meeting or special event from which all things flow throughout the Planning Process.

Key elements to be identified and/or defined within an Overall Plan and critical to the success of a meeting include the following components:

• Meeting Purpose

• Meeting Goals and Objectives

• Target Audience

• Theme/Message/Tag Line

• Program Sponsor or Host(s)

• Design/ Planning Team Members

• Levels of Authority

• Budget

• Action items

The Overall Meeting Action Plan comes into play when a program sponsor or host determines a need to inform, modify, resolve, update or implement some sort of change in delivery, process or procedure. It may be that the CEO wants to gather senior leadership together to lay out a new strategic plan, introduce a new product or service, work through the details of the merging of a key business function, or a means of recognizing individuals or groups for a job well done and/or exceeding financial goals.

It is at this point in the planning process that the Design/Planning Team is created.

What is the definition of a Design/Planning Team and who should be on it?

When I first heard the term “Design Team,” I was new to the meeting industry, but the phrase stayed with me throughout my career.

The Design Team by my definition is charged with defining the goals and objectives, key messaging, information flow, tone of delivery, and the communication plan that best helps convey the meeting purpose – and detailed out in the Overall Meeting Action Plan. Team members acting at the request of a CEO, might include the division head, key direct reports, meeting content specialists, communications, marketing and/or HR staff.

TIP Depending on the nature of a meeting, a meeting survey could serve as a useful tool to determine issues or concerns within an organization or business unit going through change and could help meeting hosts determine how to structure the agenda to make sure these key issues and concerns are addressed, how best to present the information, and ensure you have the right people identified to convey the appropriate messaging.

The Design Team may or may not all be on-site during the meeting. If they are, they are not there in an administrative role; rather, they are there to present, host, provide checks and balances as to how things are going and/or to make adjustments in the programming as needed.

What is the definition of a Planning Team and how does it differ from that of a Design Team?

The Planning Team by my definition is responsible for the planning and executing of the Overall Plan. Team members might include some or all of the Design Team, plus the meeting planner, the host's administrative assistant, graphic designer, audio-visual and IT support and corporate security. External support might also include Destination Management Company (DMC) personnel and audio-visual production support.

The Planning Team in most cases would be/should be on-site for the duration of the meeting – but this may hinge on budget and meeting significance.

Depending on a company’s organizational structure, the functions of the Design and Planning Teams may be one and the same or divided as noted above. As planner’s roles have become more strategic, and especially if they are dedicated to a single business unit, they may be more often than not included in the design phase. If your organization does not have a dedicated meeting planning group, the planning function may rest with an administrative professional.

Throughout my career, I was not assigned to a single business unit; therefore, was not always included in the design phase. When writing my book, The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings, I combined the tasks of the two teams into one when laying out the Overall Meeting Action Plan and the Meeting Timeline. Templates for both documents are included in my book, and can be modified as needed by the user to fit the perameters of each individual meeting.

An important TIP for novice planners or administrative assistants:

I believe it is important to the professional growth of novice planners and/or administrative professionals to: 1) take the initiative to pen accurate and specific notes throughout this phase of the planning process; and 2) create and present the team leader with draft copies of the Overall Meeting Action Plan for review throughout the developmental phase onto final approval – especially if the Design Team on its own typically does not do this.

By asserting yourself in this role, you will LEARN to LISTEN to what is being said, better understand what needs to be accomplished, and be in a better position to recommend meeting venues, meeting space, room and equipment sets, speakers and entertainment that best fit program objectives. As a meeting planner who may not be assigned to a particular business unit, you will also LEARN more about the function of the business unit hosting the meeting and hopefully gain the trust of the team and perhaps be invited to take on a more prominent role in the future.

To LEARN more about me or the meeting planning process, follow me at https://www.maryjowiseman.net.

To receive complimentary pdf copies of either the Overall Meeting Action Plan or Meeting Timeline templates simply go to my website's Contact page and request your copies today.

If you would like to learn more about creating an Overall Meeting Action Plan and the role it plays in the meeing planning process, click this link: https://www.maryjowiseman.net/post/what-is-an-overall-plan-and-what-role-does-it-play-in-the-meeting-planning-process

Mary Jo Wiseman, CMP | Author | The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings