Conducting successful hotel business meetings: master the details through the fine art of juggling.

• Author: Maloney, Lisa
• Position: VISITOR INDUSTRY

It's happened again and again--a presenter is standing at the front of a packed ballroom and every head in the audience is craned forward anticipating a carefully prepared presentation. The presenter smiles, lifts the remote for the digital projector, cues the first slide, and ... ... nothing happens.

That's the hard way of learning to always--always--test any audio/visual equipment before the meeting starts and to have a backup plan in case something suddenly doesn't work. Extra batteries for the microphone? Better have them. Duct tape and gaffer tape to patch breaks or hold cords down? Both are musts.

The good news is that hotels that specialize in conducting business meetings usually have a box of "just in case" items to help any meeting run smoothly. "You're going to have some bumps along the road, so you want to have a plan B and even sometimes a plan C if something doesn't work," explains Tammy Griffin, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Anchorage-Midtown hotel and thirty-five-year veteran of the hotel meeting industry in Anchorage.

However, no matter how professional a hotel's meeting staff may be, the event is only as good as the pre-planning and the communication between all involved parties. The following tips from hotel managers, event planners, and visitors bureaus cover not just how to prevent the biggest mishaps that can derail a meeting, but how to get the best out of the event space and catering staff, even when Alaska-size obstacles try to interfere.

Conquering Technology and Food

"Technical and food disappointments are the most challenging," says Griffin. "It's incredibly embarrassing for a meeting planner to have something go wrong." The technology pitfall is easily defused by doing a dry run beforehand: convene any presenters at least a day before the meeting. Take the time to make sure the venue's equipment works with everyone's personal technology and that everyone has the right cables to connect with the audio/visual equipment and knows how to operate both their personal devices and the venue's.

One of the biggest hurdles to watch for in terms of tech, Griffin warns, is that many mobile devices don't have the necessary jacks to connect to a digital projector--and very few projector systems are wireless. If a presenter keeps presentations on a tablet, make sure a backup laptop is provided at the event, and have the presenter bring a backup of the presentation on a thumb drive that can run off that laptop. Test the backup beforehand, too--just in case.

When it comes to food, Griffin says, "Always ask for a tasting, because one chef's idea of a sandwich may be a very different idea from what you're anticipating." And what shows up on the hotel's restaurant menu may not be the same thing that's available during a meeting. Ask to speak to the chef personally if possible, and then ask what their favorite foods or specialties are and which dishes tend to be the biggest hits at banquets.

Instead of going simply by price, Griffin recommends thinking in terms of the biggest bang for the buck. "Just because you can get something for...