The focus on meetings will generate hundreds of areas where specific knowledge is needed. Take speaker timing – this is not really necessary for parties, but a good automatic countdown system for speakers can be crucial in conferences. When installed on a PC, the natural reflex of a Meeting Support Manager is to wire that same PC up as a back-up for the PowerPoint PC.
Meeting Support Knowledge Technical and practical knowledge is the next crucial factor. A Meeting Support Manager does not need to know how to equalise an AKG 4000 wireless head-worn microphone with a Yamaha O1V, but it helps. He has to know that a good sound technician is able to do that and makes sure it is done before the meeting starts. A Meeting Support Manager needs to know the different types of microphones and maybe even growing complexity the brands of these. Besides his comprehensive AV knowledge, a good Meeting Support Manager also knows a great deal about production, staging, presentation technology and specialty services like voting, collaboration technology, networking technology, ICT, etc. This package of knowledge is massive and requires continuous updating. At Abbit Meeting Support a regular Techno Demo is organised to share the latest innovations. Many specialised technical workshops are also organised. Being on the mailing list of the Meeting Support Institute (see p. 99) and going to trade shows can help in the quest to stay up-to-date.
Long-term collaboration Working with a different team every year, a conference organiser will have to put in a lot of effort in order to get the basics right. The quality will rise and fall and there is no chance of introducing valuable new tools or services. Long-term collaboration with a Meeting Support Manager and preferably his or her team makes the process of executing the operational side of meetings consistent, easy, predictable and financially stable. If a conference or meeting starts to test and use innovative tools and services it becomes crucial to have a trusting relationship with the meeting support manager. The growing complexity and increased use of technology
96