Introduction 1 Part 1: Been to Any Good Meetings or Events Lately? 5 Chapter 1: Gearing Up for Meetings and Events 7 Chapter 2: Strictly Business: Defining Meetings 17 Chapter 3: The ABCs of Meeting Preparation 25 Chapter 4: Mixing Business with Pleasure: Events 45 Chapter 5: Bringing an Event to Life 57 Part 2: It's All Show Business 79 Chapter 6: Get Me to the Meeting on Time 81 Chapter 7: Food for Thought 93 Chapter 8: Selecting Great Speakers 109 Chapter 9: It's the Extras That Count 123 Chapter 10: Lights, Camera, Action! 129 Part 3: No Guts, No Story 145 Chapter 11: Nuts and Bolts: Negotiating, Contracting, and Ensuring Safety 147 Chapter 12: Working with Vendors 161 Chapter 13: Drinking Champagne on a Beer Budget 171 Part 4: Building Bridges with Technology 185 Chapter 14: Making Meeting Technology Work for You 187 Chapter 15: This Phone's for You: Conference Calling 197 Chapter 16: Holding Meetings Online 207 Chapter 17: Expanding Your Reach with Virtual Events 223 Part 5: Exhibiting at Trade Shows 231 Chapter 18: Planning for Gold: Exhibiting 101 233 Chapter 19: Strutting Your Stuff: Exhibiting 201 251 Chapter 20: Presenting the Floor Show: Exhibiting 301 263 Part 6: The Part of Tens 271 Chapter 21: Ten Creative Ways to Meet 273 Chapter 22: Ten Common Meeting Mistakes to Avoid 277 Chapter 23: Ten Top Negotiating Tactics 281 Chapter 24: Ten Strategies For Exhibiting Overseas 285 Appendix: Checklist Heaven 291 Index 307.