How to organize a successful visitor tour

							How to organize a successful visitor tour


Forest Communicators Network, Train the Trainers Session
                   Bilbao 14.5.2008

                      Kai Lintunen
               Communications Manager
               Finnish Forest Association
                       The Finnish recipe:




Put the people in a very hot
room…naked…

                                 …then drown them with vodka
Thank you!
      How to organize a successful visitor tour


• Visit issues:
    content/substance
    timing and location
    invitations
    travel arrangements
    facilities
    equipment
    food and serving
    afterwork
• Rough outline of timing
• To remember: overall points
                     Content

 Substance, themes will be decided according to the
  interests of guests vs. hosts
 Planning the outline of the programme
 Book and brief experts - good speakers - in time
 Remember: interpreting more than doubles the time
 Protocol issues
 Policy on publicity
 Experience program, other program (music etc.)
 Possible optional extra program
               Timing and location




 Coordinating the time: are there other,
  competing events?
 Duration: Busy people, filled schedules
   2 working days and an optional weekend
 Guest/host holidays

 Planning, scouting and studying locations
                    Invitations


 Invite the ”right” people, searching correct contact
  information
 Send invitations out early enough
 Send invitations out only when preliminary reservations
  for accommodation and possible flights have been
  made
 A preliminary programme draft with the invitation is a
  motivating extra
      Travel arrangements and transport


 Who will take care of airline tickets;
  organizers or guests themselves




 Host preferably to meet and greet the guests at the airport: at
  minimum a reliable, tested taxi/transport company and a good
  driver with a sign
 Briefing bus drivers (maps) on the sites and locations in order
  to avoid unneccessary searching with guests
 Planning excursion logistics, estimating travel distances and
  travel times
 Estimate the size of the bus needed
                         Facilities

 Accommodation
   • Does not need to be 5 stars, but clean and providing rest
   • Priority for single rooms, if no specific wish for sharing a
     room




   • Saunas (hey, in Finland!)
       Preferably two saunas (ladies/men) in order to join
        dinner simultaneosuly
       Host for those who will not go to the sauna
           Meeting facilities


• Secure proper professional facilities and rooms
• Equipment from the meeting venue or take own
  equipment with? At least pc with…
• Check equipment and their compatibility in advance
                      Materials

 Prepare a good quality folder for presentations
 Give coordinates: Coloured maps of the country, of the
  region and of the area in question for each guest (vs. ”we
  were somewhere in forest”)
 Information on the sites to be visited: short, essential,
  to the point
               Meals and serving

 Assess the neccessary rhythm and times of eating
  (guests shall never go hungry!)
 Special features of the national cuisine may be
  presented
 Essential to coordinate meals and meeting snacks on a
  several day visit: no ”reindeer at every meal”
 Special dietary requirements need to be checked in
  advance
 Seating order and arrangements
 Refreshments (+ fruits for example) on the bus
          Clothing, equipment, gifts

 Information note, to be sent for guests in advance
  containing description of weather conditions and possibility
  of rain or hot/cold weather, packing tips for appropriate
  clothing
 Provide surprises! In experiences as well as gifts
Rough outline of timing
               8-6 months before:


 Timing and location(s)
 Communication begins: web?
 Choosing the invitees: themes, positions
 Formulating and sending invitation letter, signatures:
  who will sign?
 Content: Booking themes and presenters/experts
 Materials: ideas, planning
 Start on facilities needs and catering
                6-4 months before


 Registration dead-line: registrations received,
  complementing back up invitations
 Preparing equipment (boots, ”certificates”, tailor-made
  accessories and gifts decided and ordered)
 Background materials collected
                3-1 months before



 Further contacts with participants after registration:
  special needs, diets etc.
 Designing and booking optional, experience program
 Logistics and transport
 Contacting media vs. publicity profile
 Materials: Detailed information folders etc. for
  participants
               2 weeks – 0 hours


 Preparing the manuscript: practical host programme
  with check-lists, phone numbers, contacts, timing,
  maps, diets, logistics, accommodation etc.
 Packing and cargo
 Execution, coordination
                        0 + 2 weeks


• Send a thank you -letter, pictures, further cooperation
               IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE




-8   -7   -6     -5    -4    -3     -2    -1     0   +1   +2   +3
               Months before / after the event
To remember:
• One overall responsible host on top of the situation at all
  times
• Briefing the guests in advance: The overall plan of the
  programme plus each session in advance: what to wear,
  programme, should we leave coats in bus or not etc. - big
  issues as well as small issues
• Be ”there”, consistently but not pushily, throughout the
  visit! Even surprising wishes fulfilled if humanly possible.
  Small but significant things remain in the guests’ minds
• The host needs to be contactable at all times: provide
  guests with a telephone number
• Send someone in advance to the next site or otherwise
  make sure they are prepared to receive the guests...
• Live through the programme in advance: go through it step
  by step
• Everything needs to be checked in advance, nothing can be
  ”trusted”
• There is no unneccessary checking,
  you can not check too much

• Prepare and use checklists!
Attitude is everything!!! A consistent, good-natured,
          natural effort throughout the visit



    Time keeping is essential, but never with a
       sense of rushing or ”too little time”
            Expect the unexpected
•   Always have plan B: weather, rush hour, flight cancellations
•   Be prepared to fulfil the most surprising and unconventional
    wishes; Contact lenses, tampons, certain brand of cigarettes,
    rescue pyjamas left behind, banking issues...




•   We aim to please…
•   When You feel good, we feel good
Thank you!