Meeting News - July 21, 2008 - (Page 74)

Live from the Forum @ MeetingNews.com TOPIC: How much should temps working at events cost? I am wondering how much you pay for temps to assist with meetings and conferences. Is there a range? Just wondering what the average rates are, especially in the DC Metro area. Everett Shupe, Learning Events Manager Goodwill Industries International, Rockville, MD Do you have a burning question to ask your peers? Log on to the MeetingNews Forum to get answers fast. meetingnews.com/forum There are several of us here who are independent contractors, ranging from travel directors to Certiﬁed Meeting Professionals. Temps are generally hired through temp agencies. In addition, several of us teach the profession and have marvelous students anxious to practice their craft and are very reasonable in scale. We, as teachers or advisors, often accompany our charges on site and make sure certain concerns are addressed and that the students clearly understand the needs and responsibilities. Many of us travel a ways to get to the jobs we accept and we appreciate compensation for parking—at the very least. Rates that I have accepted vary anywhere from $25/hr to $45/hr (minimum four hours), depending on what the job entails. If I am managing the meeting in lieu of planners who cannot be on site, then my professional skills are called into action and I expect to be compensated thusly. Many of us offer half-day and daily rates, which will revert to an hourly rate if a speciﬁc number of hours is exceeded. For eight-hour or longer shifts, meals are covered. Many companies offer a ﬂat per diem to cover meals and parking expenses. Temps are compensated according to the charges levied by the temp agency they represent. Students are delighted to be offered something for their assistance. Marianne McNulty, Chief Ofﬁcer, Clever Concierge LLC, Sugar Grove, IL Please investigate what the convention and visitors bureau in your host city offers. Chances are good that it has temp staff that work conference registrations all the time—so you’re getting specialized workers at a very competitive price when compared with temp agencies. Denise Suttle, Assistant Director of Convention Services Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau There are three types of non-volunteer temps. The traditional temp agency worker may or may not have meetings and events experience. The local DMC staff will usually have meetings and events background or experience. The trip or travel director will usually be a professional with many years of experience. Temp agency workers and DMC staff will be covered by their employers, and all of the TDs I know have incorporated as their own companies. If you are involved in a one-time event and just need bodies, then go to a temp agency. There are a few that specialize in meetings/events staff. If your goal is to have multiple meetings/events over the course of few years, then you want a team that knows the ins and outs of the meeting/event. If you need someone who can develop relationships with attendees, then you need to ﬁnd a number of professional TDs. Like Marianne said, hourly rates range from $25/hr to $45/hr. Most TDs travel to the site and stay at the venue or in a hotel close by. They are usually paid between $275/day and $400/day with a per diem. Their travel expenses and hotel room are also paid by the client. Daily rates are determined by skill level and level of responsiblity. Jeff Cochran, OnSite Managers LLC, Denver TOPIC: U.S. planner collecting registration fees for Canadian event have an opportunity to work on a Canadian program. However, I will need to collect registration fees (95-percent online registrants, with the balance on site). We’re just beginning the conversations, but I’m wondering how to handle the currency exchange? I’m a U.S.-based business, but the conference and attendees are Canadian. How do you plan for exchange rates, etc? I would appreciate any advice or insight from those who have dealt with this. Jennifer Johnson, President, Johnson Meetings Group, Raleigh, NC I Every time you change money from one currency to another, there is a fee. If you can collect the money in Canadian dollars and pay in Canadian dollars, you do not have to worry about multiple conversion fees. More importantly, you do not have to worry about currency ﬂuctuation. Steven Ledewitz, President Cajun Group & Convention Travel, Boynton Beach, FL Jennifer, if most of your registration is online and Canadian, you should set up with a Canadian bank for the money to go into. This will also make paying your vendors in Canada easier. You also need to factor in GST (5-percent Goods & Services Tax) for registration and PST (Provincial Sales Tax, which varies from province to province and also within a province depending on service), as well as GST, for vendors. Is your client American- or Canadian-based? This makes tax structure differences, as well. You should talk to an accountant. The exchange rate is a pretty basic 1:1 today, but it does fluctuate and depends on if you are buying or selling. Sandy Biback, President, Imagination+ Meeting Planners Inc., Toronto Keep in mind that you will also need a visa if you are going on site. Meeting planners from the U.S. who bring their mostly U.S. meeting to Canada don’t need a visa, but meeting planners from the U.S. who are being hired by a Canadian company need to get a work visa. LeAnne Grillo, Partner, Generon Reos LLC, Cambridge, MA MEETING NEWS (ISSN 0145-630X, USPS No.356-010, July 21 2008, Vol. 32, No. 13 is published semi-monthly except for June, August, November and December, which is monthly, by Nielsen Business Media, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-9595, tel. 646-654-5000. Subscriptions are offered free of charge to individuals actively engaged in planning meetings or conventions in the U.S. and Canada. The cost of a subscription to non-qualiﬁed subscribers is $79 in the U.S. and $95 in Canada (Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40031729). The cost of a foreign subscription, payable in U.S. dollars, is $195. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing ofﬁces. MeetingNews is a trademark owned exclusively by Nielsen Business Media. Copyright © 2008 by Nielsen Business Media Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this magazine, in whole or in part, is prohibited unless authorized by the publisher. 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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - July 21, 2008

Meeting News - July 21, 2008
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Meeting News - July 21, 2008