FREQUENTLY USED 

 

Your Role as an Event Coordinator

Event Coordinators have a multi-faceted role requiring the ability to manage multiple demands at once.

Event Coordinators are responsible for:

  • overseeing the content of a program’s website and the registration process for participants
  • creating and maintaining organizational documents consistent with MMI guidelines to be shared with fellow MMI team members
  • managing registrant data to ensure accuracy and provide suppliers with all the information they need
  • maintaining and regularly balancing a financial statement outlining the overall budget for the program to ensure it meets the expected profit margin
  • fostering good client and vendor relationships by communicating frequently and clearly on all aspects of the program

Proficiency with Word, Excel, and Aventri are essential. Event Coordinators committed to learning as much as they can about these platforms and using them to their highest advantage will shine in this role.
 

Receiving a Program

A kick-off meeting with you and your other team members for a project once it’s been assigned to you.

In that kick-off meeting, the sales manager will tell you about the client, discuss your contacts, give you some background on the program, point out who the VIP’s and decision-makers are, and highlight any important points you should be aware of. 

Then they will review the client agreement and outline what we’ve sold to the client. 

The Event Technology team will go over the website and registration plan and ask any questions they might have regarding when registration is expected to launch.

If we are doing the air ticketing, the Flight Coordinator assigned to the project will be present to ask any questions that pertain to air. 

After the kick-off, the sales manager will email the client “e” introducing you. From that point forward, you are responsible for the program’s development.
 

Building your Planning Documents 

After the kick-off, you will need to build your planning documents. 
 
1. Build a Financial Statement for the project, using the vendor contracts and our accountant’s financial statement as a guide. The template for a financial statement is located on the M drive:

M Drive / Data / Forms and Templates / __Financial Statement & MPD Templates

Building the financial statement will familiarize you with our contracts – both the agreement with the client, and our vendor contracts. By the time you finish the financial statement, you should have a good grasp of the program. 

Your manager/supervisor will show you how to create a financial statement in a training session. 
 
2. Build the Event Support Reference Document. This is an excel document where we fill out a program grid and a “babysitting” tab with answers to FAQ’s and important information about the program for our Event Support team. This template is found in the same folder as the financial statement template, listed above.

Your manager/supervisor will show you how to create a Master Planning Document in a training session.
 
3. Draft your Working Document (Word) – this will be your primary planning document including a detailed folio on the client and VIP’s, the hotel or cruise line and all vendors, detailed contact information for all critical parties, an agenda grid (taken from your MPD) and the program’s day-to-day details. Any important information about the program should be dropped into this document. Rather than needing to go back to emails to find information, all important quotes or information should be copied/pasted into this document for easy reference, and then updated regularly. 
Your manager/supervisor will show you how to create a Working Document in a one-on-one training session.  

4. Once your planning documents are completed, please reach out to your vendor contacts and introduce yourself (hotel, DMC, etc) to clarify any cloudy areas, reconfirm deadlines and processes, etc.  

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

  • Registration logic designed and given to client for review - based on launching 4 months out
  • Registration logic due back to MMI with comments / feedback from client - based on launching 4 months out
  • Registration FINAL and ready to go LIVE (standard 120 days out) 
  • Registration Deadline to Participants (standard 60 days out) 
  • Build Deviation View into your program. If you don't remember how askyour manager in your 1 on 1
  • Build Financial Statement, using Carlos' as a model to know if you're on target
  • Book trip director flights (as soon as you know what dates you need them)
  • Draft Travel Summary and proof with Event Tech Lead and your manager on content - 60 days prior
  • MMI to forward Travel Summary for client review (give them 2 weeks)
  • MMI to order name badge stock / lanyards / wristbands (if applicable) - 60 days prior
  • Contact hotel or cruise line to determine shipping policies and procedures  - 60 days prior
  • Rooming list due to hotel or cruise line (consult your contract)
  • Request preliminary air manifest from air department (if we are doing air). Forward to DMC. Determine how updates are to be sent from this point forward. - 45 days prior
  • Balance your Financial Statement to QuickBooks 45 days out and invoice the client for any program additions. Give them 2 weeks to pay.
  • Client to have Travel Summary reviewed and back to MMI (deadline should be 1 week prior to when Travel Summaries are scheduled to be sent out) 
  • Travel Summaries sent out to attendees - 30 days prior
  • Check to see if your program has insurance, and if so, purchase policies for all attendees - 30 days prior
  • Print and Assembly of Onsite Signage, Banners, etc if required (items may include list of attendees, name badges, cocktail party invitations) - at least 20 days prior
  • Final counts, menu choices, décor, set up and AV requirements due for functions - 20 days prior
  • Request BEO's from resort or cruiseline verifying all arrangements for functions have been accurately booked, as well as a final rooming list/berthing list to verify all reservations or cabin assignments. - 20 days prior
  • Request Trip Director binders, per diem/salary checks, do Staff Schedules - 20 days prior
  • Lead internal pre-con to go over program details - scheduled 2 weeks prior
  • Conference Call or in person Pre-Con to Review Program with Client - at least one week prior, after internal pre-con is conducted
  • Create departure emails and push notifications in Aventri - 2 weeks prior
  • Ship any supplies/gifts/boxes of welcome packets to the hotel or cruise lin - at least 2 weeks prior
  • Print Day by Day posters if needed (many will opt to use the mobile app exclusively) - one week prior
  • Mail out Trip Director packages, to include working document, salary/per diem check, uniform if any, signage, desk log book, departure notices, etc. Use Pre-Con checklist to ensure everything is in the books. - one week prior
  • Book pre-cons with DMC and Hotel or Cruiseline - one week prior
  • Schedule Post-Con with client - 1 week after return
  • Post-Program: send final billing to client (reviewed by Jo and Sales Exec) - put this on your calendar for 30 days post    
  • Post-Program: request commission from vendors - put this on your calendar for 30 days post    
     

Requesting Payments

Each program has an account # assigned to it with four numbers and three letters. This account # will be listed on the customer folder for your project on the M drive. You’ll need to put that account # on the payment request form along with the amount due and currency it is to be sent in.

Please use the payment request template under the same folder listed above for any payment requests:

M Drive / Data / Forms and Templates / __Financial Statement & MPD Templates

Before requesting a vendor payment:
1.    be sure your client is up to date with any payments they owe MMI
2.    be sure to attach the corresponding invoice from the vendor

If a vendor or sales manager contacts you requesting a payment be made to a vendor, but does not provide an invoice, you will need to insist on getting an invoice before accounting will process the payment request.

Once your request is filled out and you have the invoice, email both to Carlos Cancel and Scott Christensen (ccancel@morrisincentives.com and schristensen@morriscolumbus.com) who will review and fulfill your payment requests. 
 

Updating the Financial Statement

Once your financial statement is created, it is your responsibility to maintain the program’s budget and profitability. You must continually update it throughout the life of your program, entering in all quotes, expenses and payments. 

You will need to periodically balance your statement with your internal accounting system, QuickBooks. To do this, you must request a report from accounting. Your supervisor or manager will show you how to do this and help you as needed. 

Any time you receive a payment, make a payment, receive a quote for services, or quote a service to a client, note it on your financial statement. Being fastidious about this will make it much easier to close out your program’s financials after travel. 
 

Creating Custom Fields (Questions) in Aventri

The way to add questions/custom fields in Aventri is to go to: REGISTRATION SETTINGS. Then, depending on where you want your custom fields to appear, choose either ATTENDEE INFO or HOTEL & TRAVEL

It actually doesn’t matter what section you put the questions under, but I think what makes the most sense is to put them in the section they pertain to, like so:

  • Any air or transportation-related custom fields under TRAVEL SETTINGS
  • Any hotel custom fields under HOTEL SETTINGS
  • Anything to do with the individual (jacket size, age, etc) under ATTENDEE INFO/ACTIVE QUESTIONS

The fields you create for your internal purposes should not be visible to the participants, so for any custom fields you add that you’re using for internal purposes you’ll need to uncheck the “public” box – so that only we here at MMI can see and edit them.  
 

Setting up Deviation Fields and a Deviation Registrant List View in Aventri

We use Aventri to manage deviation requests. Therefore, each program needs to have the following questions/custom fields added to it (if it doesn’t already). 
REGISTRATION SETTINGS/HOTEL & TRAVEL/HOTEL SETTINGS:

We should have:
INTERNAL: Hotel Deviation Request (with drop down options of:)

  • NEW REQUEST
  • REQUEST SENT TO HOTEL
  • REQUEST CONFIRMED
  • REQUEST DENIED
  • GUEST NO LONGER WANTS TO EXTEND

You are welcome to have as many dropdown options you like, but these are the standard ones. Make sure these questions are clicked, but not visible to the public.

INTERNAL: Deviation Request Notes
Once the fields are added, the Event Coordinator needs to create a DEVIATION VIEW in the Registrant List section. It should include the participant’s name, email, whether or not they wish to extend, the deviation questions above, their requested hotel check in and out dates, their requested flight arrival and departure dates, and anything else that makes sense to have in the view.
Creating views is an essential part of your Aventri training and will help you manage data efficiently. Please refer to the training video for CREATING VIEWS for more information on how to do this.

MDRIVE / DATA / FORMS AND TEMPLATES / AVENTRI TRAINING VIDEOS / OPERATIONS PROCESS FOR DEVIATIONS

Entering a Deviation Request

Whoever receives the deviation request first needs to go into the registrant’s record and fill out the deviation questions accordingly. If the request comes to Event Support first, they put it in. If it comes to Air first, the FC puts it in – that means the following:

1.    Change hotel deviation request to: NEW REQUEST
2.    Add the appropriate notes to INTERNAL: Deviation Request Notes.

For example, Ms. Smith wants to deviate. I go in and change the deviation request to NEW REQUEST and then add “Ms. Smith wants to come in early, February 14 and 15 – and add my initials.  

Now that all requests are being logged in Aventri, it is the EC’s responsibility (or someone in ES, if the EC has delegated it to Event Support) to monitor these requests daily and communicate them to the hotel. Once confirmed, go in and change the hotel check in / check out dates as well as the Hotel Deviation Request status appropriately.
 

Participant Communication

Prior to the program, in the registration phase, we will have a few key pieces of communication that go out to all of our participants in a program. 
These include, but are not limited to:

  • Initial Confirmation
  • Travel Summary

During the program, while onsite, we communicate with our participants mainly through push notifications via the program’s Mobile App (see the Mobile App section for more in-depth information about this important program component).

We also communicate Departure Information via email. This email should go out 2-3 days prior to the program's return date. 
 

Traveling on Your Programs

You may, from time to time, be asked to travel with your programs. Should you be approached by a sales manager about possibly traveling with a program, you must first clear it with your manager/supervisor. 

COMPENSATION
Full-time salaried employees receive an additional $100 per weekday/$200 per weekend or holiday that they are actively traveling or trip-directing on. This extra pay shall be paid out on your regularly-scheduled paycheck after the program travels. It is your responsibility to remind your manager/supervisor of your onsite dates prior to departing to ensure you receive your extra pay as designated above. 

AIR TRAVEL
Your air ticket will be booked by MMI’s air team. Any special requests must be submitted in writing. Requests for extending your stay, flying on a preferred airline, etc can only be honored if program requirements allow. If approved, you would be responsible for any additional costs incurred by any special requests you may have.
 

Onsite Responsibilities/Policies

While onsite with a program, please note we have protocol as follows:

DRESS CODE
MMI may designate a uniform to wear during the Program. If there is no uniform designated, please wear slacks or a skirt in one of the following solid colors: black, blue, grey, or khaki. Clothing should be understated and professional with minimal accessories.

RULES OF CONDUCT

  1. Observe dress code at all times when on duty, including air travel and meet and greet services that may be scheduled; be professionally dressed at all times.
  2. No consumption of alcoholic beverages while on duty and in dress code, when expected to return to duty, or while in the presence of a client or participant. You may consume alcoholic beverages when out of dress code, away from client and participants, and when off duty. (For example, no drinking in the public areas of the Program hotel / ship).
  3. No smoking in front of client or any participant.
  4. Possession or use of any illegal drugs under United States or local law will be grounds for immediate dismissal.
  5. Act with due regard to public morals.  Any act which is offensive involving moral turpitude under federal state or local laws that reflect unfavorably on MMI or Client will be grounds for immediate dismissal.
  6. Do not eat or drink at the hospitality desk or chew gum while on duty.
  7. No personal involvement with client or any participants; personal conduct must always be professional and businesslike.
  8. Adhere to the established work schedule. Promptness and reliability are extremely important as many activities occur simultaneously.
  9. Do not accept tips/gratuities from client or any participant.
  10. If there is a lead Program director, they have ultimate responsibility for the Program and authority in all decisions. Always support the lead Program director and other MMI staff, privately resolving any disagreements.
  11. Full attention must be devoted to assigned duties and responsibilities. Socializing and congregating with other staff while working appears as a lack of interest and concern for the participant welfare.
  12. Any time off must be approved by Program director, spent out of uniform, and away from the client and any participant. 
  13. Handle all requests, complaints, or problems with enthusiasm, diplomacy, and tact even when they seem unimportant.
  14. Do not participate in client-sponsored meals unless either first approved by the program director, or if you’re on a tour or at a function and have no other meal choice.            
  15. You may not take along or be joined by a personal guest, relative, unauthorized companion, etc., for the dates of the program.

REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES
Expenses must be submitted within 60 days of the program's return date. A receipt is required to support every expense claimed.

REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES
The following are examples of expenses eligible for reimbursement:

  • Bellman gratuities for Program materials only
  • Miscellaneous Program gratuities
  • Phone calls for Program business
  • Expenses related to advancing a Program function
  • Business center charges for Program expenses           
  • Additional billing items requested by the client
  • Mileage to/from the airport
  • Checked baggage fees
     

Ordering Signage / Office Supplies 

Pricing is subject to change and prices listed below are meant to give you an idea of an estimated cost. For a specific quote on your group, reach out to your Event Tech lead. 

What is the cost of a hospitality desk sign?
Costs fluctuate but usually average to around $15-$25 per sign. This includes an easel on the back and corner protectors. Orders handled through your Event Tech lead.

What is the cost of a mobile app sign?
This is a sign that recaps how to download and use the app, displayed at the Hospitality Desk for the convenience of the participants. Costs fluctuate but usually average to around $15 per sign. This includes an easel on the back and corner protectors. Orders handled through your Event Tech Lead.

What is the cost of a popsicle airport sign?
If you wish to use a disposable sticker on one of our signs, the cost averages around $18 per sticker (four sticker minimum). If you do not hit the four sticker minimum, the cost per sticker could be as high as $30 per sticker.

The actual sign will be checked-out from the marketing department. If not returned, you will be charged an additional $7 per sign. Costs for stickers decrease based on the quantity rising. Orders handled through your Event Tech Lead.

What is the cost of a pull-up banner?
The cost for a retractable pull-up banner is $200. If you bring the sign back, we are able to reuse the base for future orders and only pay for a new banner insert. Orders handled through your Event Tech Lead. 

What is the cost of name badges?
Prices are around $2.60 per badge with an $75 variable data fee and a $35 art fee, along with the cost of lanyards, shipping, and tax. The more badges you order, the lesser the per badge cost. If you adjust the badges after the names have already been imported onto the design, there will likely be another processing charge. Be sure your list is accurate prior to placing the order and always order a handful of blank badges. 

Orders are handled by the through Event Tech.

What is the cost for lanyards? 
If ordered through IC group, lanyards start around $3 per lanyard for a quantity of 100. Prices lower for higher quantities. Event Coordinators have also ordered lanyards through other avenues, such as Amazon or PC Name Badge for different pricing. Orders outside of IC Group are handled by the Event Coordinator directly.

Managing the Mobile App

Most all of our programs feature a mobile app that is managed in a separate section of Aventri. You can access this by clicking the three red lines in the upper left-hand corner of your Aventri screen, then going down to the Mobile Apps section.

So, Log into Aventri, click the side menu bar (three red horizontal lines), click Mobile Apps, and find your event and click Edit. 

If you need to access your app after the group has already traveled, click the top filtering bar and mark Past Events. 

How do I find the Event Password?
Log into Aventri, find your event, click edit, click Registration/Registration Settings, click Attendee Info, scroll down and find Event Password, click edit, scroll down to the bottom of the question and the Event Password is listed there. 

How do I find the app Access Code?
You’ll need to go into the mobile app section of Aventri to find this information. Log into Aventri, click the side menu bar, click Mobile Apps, and find your event and click Edit. At the top of the screen you will see the app info. The access code is listed there. Do not confused the Event ID with the Access Code. 

How do I find the attendee’s username to get into the app?
The username is always the email address they registered with. 

An attendee just registered, why can’t they download the app?
It takes about an hour to auto re-sync the registration into the mobile app. You can go into the App section of Aventri and do a force re-sync to make it happen faster. Simply click edit into the event in the app section, click Sync Settings, click the blue button that says Full Resync.

I need to change the time of an event in the mobile app, how do I do it? 
You have to edit the agenda in the Event in Aventri—not in the mobile app section. Simply find the event, click Registrations/Registration Settings, click Agenda & Options, find the agenda item you’d like to update, then click Edit. Adjust the Start/End time at the top then click Save & Exit. 

For a quicker update in the app, you’ll need to force a re-sync. You’ll need to go into the App section of Aventri, click edit into the event in the app section, click Sync Settings, click the blue button that says Full Resync.

I need to change the location of an event, how do I do it? 
You have to edit the agenda in the Event in Aventri—not in the mobile app section. Simply find the event, click Registrations/Registration Settings, click Agenda & Options, then click Locations. Click the Add Location button (if the location isn’t already listed.) Once added, click Agenda/Sessions, find the agenda item you’d like to update, click Edit, scroll down to the field Session Location, then choose the location from the dropdown. Click Save & Exit. 

For a quicker update in the app, you’ll need to force a re-sync. You’ll need to go into the App section of Aventri, click edit into the event in the app section, click Sync Settings, click the blue button that says Full Resync.

How do I send a push notification?
You’ll need to go into the mobile app section of Aventri to find this information. Log into Aventri, click the side menu bar, click Mobile Apps, and find your event and click Edit. Under the Manage Content section, click Notifications. 

Click Add Message to start. You have the option to send to everyone, send to an individual, or send to a specific category. Choose your preference. 

Once in, be sure to hit Scheduled in order for the push to be scheduled rather than go out immediately. You can also click Send message as email in order for the attendee to receive an app push AND an email. Enter your message into the message section and then click Send Message.  

The time zone on my app seems wrong, how do I check it? If it’s wrong, how do I fix it?
Log into Aventri, find your event, click edit, click Registration/Registration Settings, and scroll down the page until you see the Time Zone under the Event Date & Time header. If this time zone seems wrong, choose the correct time zone then click the Save & Stay button. You’ll need to resync your app next. 
You’ll need to go into the App section of Aventri, click edit into the event in the app section, click Sync Settings, click the blue button that says Full Resync.

Attendees are having issues uploading a photo in the My Profile module on the app. What should I tell them?
Photos are mean to be 640 x 640 pixels and in JPEG or PNG format. If they are trying to upload a large photo, it could not upload or simply take longer to upload. We suggest trying to upload a photo that has been downsized via a social media platform or by another photo editor if they are having trouble. 
 

Pre-approved data (security to be able to register)

If you need to add anyone to pre-approved data: 

  • Go to Registrations / Registration Settings
  • Go to Adv. Settings / Pre-approved data
    • Click the “Manage Pre-Approved Data” button next to the achiever/qualifier category type
    • Add the email you wish to give access into the text box and click Upload (if multiple, you can add them by separating them by clicking enter)

If you need to delete someone from pre-approved data:

  • Go to Registrations / Registration Settings
  • Go to Adv. Settings / Pre-approved data
    • Click the “Manage Pre-Approved Data” button next to the achiever/qualifier category type
    • Scroll down to the View/Edit Existing Data section
    • Search for the email(s) you wish to delete and check the box to the right hand side

 

Pre-load data (information uploaded prior to registration that will carry over into reporting later)

 

If you need to add to pre-load:

  • Go to Registrations / Registration Settings
  • Go to Adv. Settings / Pre-load data
    • If you have multiple people to upload, click the Import Data button
      • Use a CSV spreadsheet to upload data and match to the correct registration fields
      • An example of data to import: 
        • INTERNAL Current Main Title
        • INTERNAL Level Earned
        • INTERNAL Invited to Buena Vista?      
        • ID Number
    • If you are only adding one person, click the View Data button
      • Click the Add Record button
      • Add email address
      • For this event we added: 
        • INTERNAL Current Main Title
        • INTERNAL Level Earned
        • INTERNAL Invited to Buena Vista?      
        • ID Number
      • Once the info is added, click Save & Exit

If you need to change existing pre-load information:

  • Go to Registrations / Registration Settings
  • Go to Adv. Settings / Pre-load data
    • Click the View Data button
      • Click the Edit button on the record you want to adjust
        • Adjust necessary fields
        • Click Save & Exit

Updating the agenda

Adjusting a pre-existing agenda item:

  • Click on Registrations/ Registration Settings
  • Agenda & Options / Agenda/sessions
  • Find the agenda item you want to adjust and click the edit button
  • Adjust time/date

Adding a location:

  • Click on Registrations/ Registration Settings
  • Click Locations
  • Add location / save
  • Click Agenda/sessions
  • Find the agenda item you want to adjust and click the edit button
  • Under the session name, choose the location from the drop-down menu