How to Create a Program for a Business Meeting

Use a meeting agenda to plan breaks, AV presentations and food and beverages.

A successful business meeting accomplishes more than just getting through an agenda. Depending on the purpose of the meeting, the type of people who attend and budgetary concerns, planning the program for a meeting requires attention to detail. Understanding the basics of meetings planning will help increase the chances that you meet all of your goals successfully.

Instructions

1. Meet with the person who has called the meeting or person responsible for running the meeting. This may be a department head, committee chair or salesperson making a pitch to a potential client. Review the meeting agenda, if there is one. If you are in charge of planning the agenda, meet with the persons involved with the meeting and develop the agenda. Determine if there is a budget for the meeting.

2. Develop an agenda starting with the content of the meeting. Arrange the items to be covered in chronological order from start to finish, estimating time for each segment of the meeting. Many business meetings begin with a call to order, roll call, treasurer's report, president's report, committee reports, old business, new business and adjournment. Less formal meetings may start with introductions, then proceed directly to the agenda items.

3. Secure audio-visual items needed for the meeting. This might include items for a PowerPoint presentation, a podium and microphone, wireless mic, flip chart or erasable board and markers, phone with conference capabilities and Internet connection. Arrange to have pens and notepads in the room for meeting attendees.

4. Create a program schedule for the meeting if it is more than an hour or two. If the meeting will last a half or full day, include breaks. Start with a full or Continental breakfast, schedule a mid-morning refreshment break, include lunch and a mid-afternoon break. Arrange for food items to be set up outside the meeting room. Arrange for an additional water, soda and juice station inside the meeting room for use during the duration of the meeting.

5. Contact meeting attendees before the meeting to let them know the day, time and place of the meeting. Disseminate the meeting program, if necessary. Ask for responses to your meeting invitations to determine attendance. Follow-up with phone calls if you do not hear from attendees by a date you set that gives you time to order enough food, beverages and materials, based on the number of expected attendees.

6. Print the program and place on the conference table or at attendee tables with the notepads and pens. Have extra copies in the event you have more attendees than expected.

References

• Meeting Wizard: Creating a Meeting Agenda