Meeting Planner Bootcamp: How AGDC Trains Executive Assistants to Organize Events

A poorly worded contract could mean thousands in cancellation fees. Uncomfortable chairs,
headache-inducing lighting, and bad food are more than just annoying — they can turn
attendees off to the point where they’re no longer listening.

For those reasons and more, Carrie Davenport, lead event manager, at Altria Group Distribution
Association, decided to start an annual Meeting Planner Bootcamp three years ago for her
company’s executive assistants.

“Anyone that acts in a meeting planner role should have access to training,” Davenport said.
“Occasional planners are still planners. They still face the same risks and processes as skilled
planners. We’d be foolish not to offer them tools from our toolbox.”

Each year, Davenport chooses the group, which ranges in size from eight to 12 EAs. She runs
the program with her colleague Willette Ellis, event planner, who started as an EA and is now a
full-time meeting planner.

Hundreds of Meetings a Year

The industry engagement events team at AGDC is a small group that works to plan events for
external clients. EAs also often end up as planners.

“With dozens of meetings taking place each year, we all try to help each other. EAs know they
can reach out to us whenever they need a contract reviewed, an RFP vetted, or for any other
resources. They can also reach out to the greater meeting planning team at Altria who acts as
an extension of their teams.”

Contract clauses such as force majeure are the first lesson for the EAs who attend bootcamp.
“Executives using EAs over meeting planners usually don’t realize that most aren’t trained in
contract negotiation or the legal language of events,” she said. “EAs need to understand the risk
of negotiation event, venue, and vendor contracts.”

Palm Beach-Bound

The Meeting Planner Bootcamp is usually combined with a site visit to a hotel or venue, so for
this year’s bootcamp in late July, Davenport chose Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. “We did a
site visit at Tomorrow’s Golf League (owned by Tiger Woods), which is close by, so that the EAs
could see a different style of special event venue that could be utilized for meetings,” she said.

“Along with the site visit, we also had conversations around contracting, challenges the group
faced over the prior year, and upcoming ideas that needed to be workshopped as a group.”
There was also a keynote speaker, Event Executive Jeanne Dubosse, who shared her career
journey with the group.

So far, the response to Meeting Planner Bootcamp from attendees and company executives
has been positive. “I’ve watched these very competent women go from hesitant around event
delivery to confident,” Davenport said. “Many are owning their own more logistically complex projects.

"I’m very proud of them and the internal network we created, where we all help one another and
can reach out to each other to workshop ideas and issues that arise.”