• How can you ensure that your meeting goals are met?
• Who or what is the meeting really about? 
Your annual meeting can be a springboard into a successful year or an expensive party that does little to advance your business objectives. Here are some ways to help you make sure your meeting delivers. 
       Set Goals 
Ask yourself: What do you want your business to achieve in the coming year? How can your attendees help? Then design a meeting experience around that.
      Ask Your Audience 
Get a perspective from your attendees. Ask a third party to do a qualitative study with them, so they feel free to speak their minds. And-when they do-make sure you listen. 

     Make it for Them  Put the focus of the meeting on your attendees: Honor their successes. Hear from their top performers. Zero-in on their concerns. 
Be Consistent Make sure everyone-from the CEO on down-is on the same page and understands the focus of the meeting. This helps ensure your attendees will go home with a clear understanding of where the business is going and what they can do to have a big year. 
     Turn “Have To” into “Want To” 
Feelings beget attitudes which beget behaviors. If you successfully engage audience emotions, great things can happen. 
     Redesign Learning 
Focus educational workshops on the topics your attendees need the most help with. Use actual examples from the field. Make sure they leave each session with ideas they can put to work the day they return home. 
     Give ‘Em a Break 
Whether your meeting pulls your attendees away from the office; they still need to stay in touch with what’s going on back home. Build in time during breaks and at meal times so they can keep things running smoothly. Celebrate Their Achievements 
If you don’t have an awards program, start one. Make a big deal out of recognizing top performers. And design your program so different people qualify for awards each year. 
     Choose Wisely 
Your attendees respond to the composite experience of what happens at the meeting. Are the rooms clean and comfortable? Is registration quick and efficient? Does the A/V work like it should? Delivering a professional experience takes professional partners, so choose them wisely. 
     Find Out if it Worked 
When it’s done, find out how you did. That means surveying attendees for more than just operational performance: Did they take home the key messages? Are they positively predisposed to try new techniques? Then use that information to design follow-up communication… and to improve your meeting next year. Reprinted with permission from Flying Colors, Minneapolis, MN, WWW.Flyingcolors.biz