Event Planning FAQs

To ensure the effectiveness of your next meeting or event, you need a trained, experienced corporate event coordinator on your team. You need Cypress Media Group! We employ a network of Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) and experienced corporate events planning personnel to ensure that your event or meeting is a success. Our corporate events planning team is made up of seasoned conference planners, meeting consultants, and registration staff who are all committed to delivering friendly, professional service and the special attention to detail that your organization expects.

Q. Where are you located? In what markets do you work?

A. Our home office is Atlanta, GA so we are very active in the Atlanta metropolitan area. However, we also work in the other major U.S. meeting and convention cities including: Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Las Vegas, NV; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Orlando, FL; San Diego, CA. In short, we are capable of working anywhere for the right client and project.

Q. Who are your clients?

A. Our meeting and event professionals have provided services to many corporations, trade groups, and associations. We will be happy to provide reference letters and contacts upon request.

Q. What does CMP stand for, and what significance does it have?

A. CMP stands for Certified Meeting Professional and is a recognized industry designation bestowed by the Convention Industry Council. It signifies those individuals who have achieved the industry's highest standard of professionalism, demonstrated through both academic examination and an advanced level of professional experience. Several of the principal meeting planners at associated with Cypress Media Group have earned their CMP designations.

Q. When does it make sense to outsource corporate events planning services rather than to hire a full-time employee?

A. If you just hold meetings or events occasionally, it’s probably not cost effective to keep an experienced corporate event coordinator on your full-time staff. On the other hand, if your organization produces many events and meetings, perhaps your current staff is overloaded with projects. Either of these scenarios is a reason to speak to a corporate event organizer at Cypress Media Group to see if we can help your organization.

Q. What are some of the benefits of hiring a third-party corporate event coordinator?

A. As an objective third-party, our independent event professionals can offer a fresh perspective and new ideas for your events. They can help you reevaluate your event goals and objectives to make sure they are realistic. Professional meeting and event consultants also offer industry contacts and negotiating skills that can keep your events on budget and often save you money. But perhaps the most important benefit of using a professional meeting planner to assist with your event is he/she will understand all the planning and logistics that must come together to make your event happen on schedule. Unlike many other projects, a meeting or event usually cannot “slip by.” Once you announce a date, you have to be ready.

Q. What questions should I ask before hiring a third-party corporate event organizer?

A. There are many things you need to know before you begin a relationship with a third-party meeting planner. You want to make sure the planner is experienced.

You also need to make sure that your work styles are compatible. Listed below are some of the questions you might want to ask in the interviews:

• Do you have references we can contact, including past customers, vendors, etc.?
• Do you carry professional and general liability (E&O) insurance?
• How do you handle hotel (or other) commissions?
• Can you describe some challenges you’ve faced with various events and how you handled them?
• What is the first thing you do when beginning to work on a project with a new client?