Successful Meetings - December 2007 - 26

Planner’s Workshop > On Site 10 Ways to Combine Meetings with Volunteerism By Molly Rothgery The focus on volunteerism and giving back in American culture appears to be here to stay. Taking care of each other and common decency is nothing new, but for generations, ideas of philanthropy were the exclusive province of the very wealthy. Not so much these days. Everyone knows that big companies get big tax write-offs for charitable donations, but, according to Scott Tattar (who runs the Corporate Social Responsibility practice at LevLane Public Relations in Philadelphia), American consumers are increasingly drawn to companies who “Seek to do good in the communities in which they do well.” Maybe it’s time for volunteerism and corporate social responsibility to find their way more permanently into the fabric of our industry. Maybe doing good and including calculated acts of local kindness are an interesting means for increasing the ROI of a meeting. Maybe the way to reach tech’d-out meeting attendees is to help them do good while their employer foots the bill. As Tattar says, “Corporate America is the real driver of social change, and frequently their actions create the positive domino effect to encourage all to take action.” Charitable initiatives such as fundraising walks are a common occurrence in the American workplace. In recent years, teambuilding companies have created such great options as “Build a Bike” programs, which work by having teams of meeting-goers assemble bikes that are immediately donated to community organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America. But this is the tip of the iceberg; plans for giving back to the community in which a meeting is hosted are limited only by imagination. Realistically, using a reputable DMC in the market you’re planning in is essential. Planners are stretched thin, and good DMCs are not only experts in their markets, but are resources for creativity and local flavor. In New Orleans, for example, DMC Bonnie Boyd & Co. actually specializes in “Voluntourism.” While the need for this new specialty was clearly created by Hurricane Katrina, these types of community-based initiatives are inspiring and repeatable in almost any market, but knowing where to look is key. Ideas for new angles to keep meetingsavvy attendees engaged and surprised are increasingly hard to come by. Adding a mimegasite.com component of giving back to the community that hosts a meeting amounts to a guarantee that the planner will hit the mark for their audience, for their client, and for themselves. Here are some practical tips to keep in mind as you plan to give back: Remember that any charitable activity within the context of a meeting needs to be clearly explained. When people arrive at the meeting room, have teams and individual responsibilities clearly delineated and provide plenty of guidance to help people adhere to a time-line. Nothing is worse than a situaDECEMBER 2007 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 1 26

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - December 2007

Successful Meetings - December 2007
Contents
Editor's Note
Special Report
Research
Industry Trends
2008 Meeting Events
Planner Spotlight
Websites of the Month
Mouth for Sale
Technology Talk
Food & Beverage
Pre-Event
On Site
Pre-Event
Tools of the Trade
Goodbye, Booth Babes
Five Tips to Improve Your Golf Events
When Crime Pays
Office for Hire
More Miles for Your Money
Places & Spaces
South Florida
Biloxi / Mississippi Gulf Coast
Fort Worth
Monterey
Beijing
Gurus
Special Supplement: Hawaii Island-by-Island Guide

Successful Meetings - December 2007