Capabilities

What we do.
Since PCM began managing conferences and other events more than 35 years ago, we have continually transformed our practices to reflect changes in society and technology. The current pandemic environment, while highly challenging, is no exception. We now offer a wide range of virtual conferencing options for our clients—including live and pre-recorded events, virtual exhibit halls, networking, Q&A sessions, and much more. As face-to-face conferences become feasible once more, we will offer state-of-the-art best practices in terms of safety and hygiene, including the option of hybrid events that combine the best of both face-to-face and virtual engagement. Our capabilities are listed below with regard to how they would best apply to different event scenarios.

Exhibits and Sponsorships Sales and Management

• Coordinate pre-show planning
• Develop sales strategies that deliver measurable growth year-on-year and assist with tactical planning
• Secure exhibit, meeting room, and hotel space
• Handle exhibit floor design, layout, and management
• Develop booth pricing and sponsorship packages
• Sell exhibitor booth space, meeting rooms, sponsorships, and other promotional opportunities
• Provide floor plan maintenance
• Prepare and execute exhibitor contracts; contract with decorating/drayage firms
• Provide high levels of customer service, exhibitor assistance, and onsite exhibition management
• Create targeted and effective sales campaigns to maximize revenue
• Manage database development, list research, and maintenance
• Manage overall relationships with exhibitors and sponsors
• Prepare and manage the onsite space selection process for your next event
• Implement a proactive collections process
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • Optimize online exhibits, sponsorships, and product showcases to include videos, presentations, networking opportunities, and one-on-one meetings on demand or by appointment, with in-depth lead tracking

Registration Management

• Implement an on-line conference-management information system for registration and fee accounting
• Accept advance registrations via mail, fax, e- mail, and web, processing them within 24 hours of receipt
• Mail or email specialized registration confirmations
• Provide a full-service customer toll-free number and an e-mail address
• Provide registration/demographic reports
• Prepare badges with bar and QR codes for exhibitor/attendee lead retrieval
• Prepare special-event invitations, passes, and tickets
• Supervise on-site registration and preparation of registration materials
• Create and send out post show attendee survey’s
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • Coordinate any existing registration programs with online tools
  • Develop new optimized price structures for online event, including fee reductions that are proven to increase attendance

Site Selection

• Use our extensive knowledge of properties and strong contact network to book the best possible location and venue to meet your special needs at the lowest price and within your budget
• Conduct prospective site research, site inspections, present recommendations, and serve as the primary contact with the hotel and/or convention center to insure a smooth-running event
• Negotiate a special sleeping-room rate and reserve meeting space and sleeping-room blocks
• Review facility contracts for accuracy and completeness
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • Our expertise in the relative skill sets of the many online event platforms allows us to select the best program or combination of programs for your needs

Meeting Logistics and Onsite Management

• Review facility contracts for accuracy and completeness
• Handle special events, including venue, transportation, and food and beverage
• Inspect prospective conference sites and present recommendations
• Plan and oversee menus, meal functions, banquets, and parties
• Negotiate a special hotel rate and reserve meeting space and sleeping-room blocks
• Provide pre-show and on-site service and support for both exhibitors and attendees
• Coordinate activities of the general service Contractor and all vendors
• Execute timeline development and tracking
• Provide RFP development, distribution, and evaluation
• Develop rules and regulations
• Execute complete floor plan management
• Provide weekly/monthly reporting
• Produce post-show reports, including suggestions for possible improvements
• Manage conference safety procedures and on-site security
• Manage insurance requirements
• Provide pre-show and on- site service and support for exhibitors
• Coordinate, schedule, and manage education-sessions
• Handle hotel negotiations and interface with housing management
• Grow and maintain speaker database
• Execute special-events
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • Select best online platform for customer’s virtual events
  • Develop a program including a mix of the following online components:
    • Real-time, simulated real-time, and pre-recorded events
    • Virtual helpdesk for attendees
    • Networking sessions, panel discussions, and Q&As
    • Virtual exhibit halls
  • Provide management of the online event for its duration

Abstract Submission (Call for Papers) Program for Technical, Academic, and Educational Conferences

• Create a call for papers
• Create an abstract/summary submission link
• Create user IDs and passwords for all committee members (import and/or manual creation). Each member can have different access/security per the committee
• As submissions are received, each abstract consists of title, author list, keywords, abstract (includes options for special characters), summary file and unlimited additional questions per the committee’s requests
• Confirmations are emailed to all authors and sent back for suggested revisions. Special invited abstracts are pre-populated and then emailed for further detail
• PCM validates and checks all submissions to try to eliminate duplicate submissions
• Abstracts are given a unique ID number (auto-assigned and/or committee-assigned) and uploaded onto the committee’s review site, both as individual files and zipped files based on any search parameters needed
• A program chair can divide the abstracts into topics/subcommittees for rating purposes. This chair (or chairs) can also assign specific abstracts or groups of abstracts to specific committee members
• Committee is notified that abstracts are on the website and can begin rating abstracts
• After rating process is complete, rating statistics are accessed on-line. Ratings can be sorted and/or exported by any fields Committee requires
• Committee then can make decisions on abstracts (either remotely or in-person)
• All abstract decisions are logged into system (either by Committee or PCM)
• Sessions (poster or oral) are created based on the ratings and the committee’s decisions. Session information includes: session title, chair, topic, etc.
• The conference schedule is created by the committee using the sessions that have been created. A grid of the rooms and time slots is created and sessions are graphically entered into the grid
• Accept/Reject letters are emailed to all authors with detailed and complete session information including date, time, and location
• On-line program is then made live on the conference website
• Changes to program can be made real-time before and during the conference
• At a pre-determined time an export of the program is created to become the printed or downloadable program
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • We are able to leverage our extensive experience in abstract and paper management for optimal results on any virtual platform

Attendee Marketing

• Review industry trends, and assess event's strengths/weaknesses against competitors
• Develop marketing strategies that turn any weaknesses into strengths
• Design an SEO-optimized event website that attracts more targeted traffic and leads
• Create, produce, and distribute multi-channel marketing materials (digital and print)
• Target audience list development and segmentation
• Develop marketing plans and schedules based on proven performance and industry best practices
• Launch and run e-mail campaign -- scheduling, deployment, and performance tracking
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • Virtual events are proven to attract larger numbers of attendees, so your online event is an excellent way to grow your membership; PCM can guide you through this process

Technical and Educational Program Management

• Prepare and distribute calls for papers
• Design, prepare, and distribute programs
• Manage the abstract submission and review process
• Record author contact information
• Coordinate, schedule, and manage sessions
• Notify authors on the results of the program selection process
• Arrange for speakers' audiovisual requirements
• Publish conference proceedings in hard copy and in electronic formats as needed
• Maintain and update existing mailing lists
• Distribute post-conference reports
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • Suggest best presentation platforms (live or prerecorded, etc.) for speakers
  • Provide specific instructions for uploading of online content
  • As needed, provide training for presenters
  • Oversee quality control of online presentation

Financial Management

• Create and maintain conference trade show budgets
• Establish a bank account, receive and deposit income, and pay event bills
• Maintain a complete and accountable record for all transactions
• Provide audited post conference/trade show financial reports
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • PCM will help you maximize revenues and expenditures in the virtual event environment

Post-Show Follow-Up

• Compile informative, post-show reports
  • Provide demographics
  • Complete, audited final financials no later than 3 months after the event
• Ensure records and databases are completed and updated in preparation for the next year’s event
• Conduct a post-event meeting to discuss possible improvements.
• Virtual-specific capabilities:
  • We will help review whether your event could be best served in future with a face-to-face, virtual, or hybrid format

Outsourcing the management of your event, or a portion of it, is a proven and viable solution for organizations looking to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, decrease cycle times, and support strategic initiatives.

Consider a partnership with Palisades Convention Management. We will suggest a wide range of options and initiatives to support your objectives. We’ll leverage our experience, expertise and industry knowledge on your behalf to deliver a customized, high-quality and cost-effective solution that produces results.

If we can help with any questions you may have about our company, please feel free to contact us at any time, William Klein, President, Palisades Convention Management, [email protected], or call (212) 460-8090 x204.