Originally Published MX March/April 2004

BUSINESS PLANNING & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

When a company's meeting ends, the planner's job is not yet over. A recap is standard protocol to assess what the participants have learned and how they will apply that knowledge in their work. Additionally, meeting planners must look inward and analyze the success of the meeting from their own ends.

Not all recaps are the same. For some companies, the process may be as simple as an electronic survey. For other companies, a recap may mean a roundtable discussion.

"Medical device companies want deliverables in their meetings," says Marnie Miller Tanner of MTA, "so they can show a return on investment that a particular meeting was beneficial. I think it's the meeting planner's job to show a client the value of bringing people together face to face."