Kissimmee, FL
May 8-10, 2023
Easy access to and from Orlando International Airport and minutes from world-famous attractions make Kissimmee ideal for any group whether it be a professional meeting, family reunion, military reunion, or faith-based meeting.
This sunny Central Florida location is home to more than one million square feet of meeting space, over 70,000 guestrooms and vacation rentals, and nearly 300 unique meeting venues. Located just minutes from world-famous theme parks, exhilarating outdoor adventures, and incredible dining and shopping, creating buzz-worthy event itineraries here is easy.
Registration Costs
$429 (includes all classes and materials, tours, group receptions, meals and activities)
Host Hotel:
Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando
Lake Buena Vista South
A discounted rate of $139 single/double per night (includes daily breakfast and nightly manager's reception). Make reservations by clicking here no later than Saturday, April 8, 2023.
future
dates
training agenda
Monday, May 8, 2023: Arrival Day
• 5:30pm: Hosted Reception by Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South.• 6:30pm: Dinner hosted by Experience Kissimmee. Welcome to the Meeting Planning MasterMind! Meet the General Manager, Director of Sales and Key Staffers for a relaxing get-acquainted evening -- dress is business casual.
Tuesday, May 9, 2023: Hotel Operations, Finances and MasterMind Negotiation Session
• 8:00am: Complimentary Breakfast on own• 8:30am: Hotels Operations, “From the Hotel Side”
The key to great event planning is knowing how a hotel operates. From operations, to staffing and the P&L, every part of a hotel is examined in terms of its effect on negotiations. If you know how a hotel operates, you'll learn inside techniques on group negotiations.
Hotel Essentials: Learn hotel profit centers, organizational chart
Hotel Accounting: Hotels "Live and Die" by the Annual Budget -- learn how your business impacts the hotel budget and you increase your leverage in any negotiation.
• 10:00am: Coffee Break
• 10:20am: Presentation from Experience Kissimmee
• 10:30am: Behind the Scenes: Embassy Suites. Followed by a behind the scenes tour of the hotel; kitchens, laundry, etc.
• 12:00pm: Lunch Buffet
• 1:00pm: Negotiations, from the Hotel Side. Once the planners know how a hotel operates and how a P&L dictates its success, here are 5 immediate areas they can negotiate to reduce costs and increase the value of your meeting.
• 3:00pm: Using all your Negotiating Tools. With the Insider’s Knowledge of Hotel Operations and Finances, attendees will discover how they can negotiate specific clauses of a contract. Space usage, catering, AV, parking and other fees are all negotiable, if you know how.
• 4:00pm: Break
• 4:30pm: Evening Dinner at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. Evening activity and dinner provided by Experience Kissimmee at one of Kissimmee’s premier meeting properties.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023: Professional Contracting Techniques and Catering
• 8:00am: Complimentary Breakfast on own• 8:30am: Advanced Hotel Contracts. Essentials in contract negotiations, including Catering, Audio-visual, Damages, Penalties and Performance Clauses. It’s an extremely popular session, when planners examine actual contracts, receive sample clauses and contracting techniques that will make them more effective immediately.
• 12:00pm: Interactive Lunch with Embassy Suites
• 1:00pm: Catering Confidential. Hotel Insider’s approach to catering: BEO’s, menu choices; liquor control and other areas to maximize ROI and budget.
• 3:30pm: Wrap up. Experience Kissimmee to provide fun ending to completing the course!
• 5:00pm: Closing Reception at Margaritaville. Celebrate with Experience Kissimmee and the team at Margaritaville Resort Orlando immediately after for a closing reception. Transportation and light food and beverages will be provided.
Thursday, May 11, 2023: Site Visits
Plan to stay in Kissimmee an extra night to discover perfectly balanced meetings! Kissimmee is home to more than one million square feet of meeting space, 70,000 guestrooms and vacation rentals, and nearly 300 unique meeting venues. On this tour, we’ll visit a variety of meeting spaces, from boutique-style hotels to big- brand resorts, and resorts with vacation homes. At the conclusion of the site visits, enjoy a hosted lunch on us before departing back to the Orlando International Airport. Transportation and lunch will be provided.meet our
presenter
Tom Pasha
President
CONTACT Planning, Inc.
Tom Pasha began his hotel career in operational departments in hotels in Orlando, as a Bartender, Bellman, Limousine Driver and other positions. He worked for Hyatt Hotels for over 20 years, from Management Trainee to Director of Sales assignments at major hotels and National Sales Offices nationwide.
He developed the Meeting Planning MasterMind session as an enhanced program for planners to learn how hotels operate and to take that knowledge to design and deliver exceptional results when they return to their jobs.
Tom has presented the MasterMind in a variety of formats, including seminars, webinars, conference calls and private label sessions to top association and corporate clients nationwide.
People
say
"Thank you so much for this great experience! Contracting and catering were particularly interesting to me and Tom did an excellent job showing how hotels really work.Insurance Incentive Planner, Chicago, IL
"Tom - you are a wealth of information! Great speaker, excellent pace and presentation! Made some new friends and business contacts and will recommend The MasterMind training to my Director and co-workers.Health Industry Meeting Planner, St. Louis, MO
"Negotiating segment was, by far, the best I've seen. I've missed some saving opportunities in this area. Great course that gave me lots to use when I return to my office.Government Meeting Planner, Washington, DC
"Tom has a passion for the subject -- he really wants to pay his knowledge and experience forward. I cannot wait to apply all the great things I learned in such a short time.Corporate Convention Planner, Houston, TX
"Excellent for the beginner through the most experienced planner. Our class had planners from 1 year to 39 years of experience, and everyone learned a great deal about hotels operations and negotiations. Thank you!Medical Meeting Planner, Philadelphia, PA
meet our
sponsors
Experience Kissimmee
Plan your next meeting in Kissimmee and it is sure to be a shining success. Aside from beautiful weather all year round, Kissimmee also boasts an impressive inventory of meeting facilities and unique venues. When you begin planning your next meeting, reunion, or getaway, look no further than Kissimmee, Florida.
A wide variety of spacious and flexible accommodations make planning a gathering stress-free no matter how large or small your group may be. First-class convention hotels and conference centers include the impressive Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, Omni Resort at ChampionsGate, Reunion Resort, and the Embassy Suites Orlando-Lake Buena Vista South.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South
Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South is located 3.5 miles from the entrance to the Walt Disney World® Resort and a 20-minute drive to Orlando International Airport. Expect modern amenities and services for meeting and convention travelers and recreation for leisure guests.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South in Kissimmee, FL provides catering and event services for its 40,000 sq. ft. of pillar-free meeting space. Consider the 15,000 sq. ft. Palms Ballroom or the 5,000 sq. ft. Magnolia Ballroom. Plan training seminars in our 15 breakout rooms or meet colleagues in one of our 10 boardrooms with A/V services and a business center.
EproDirect
EproDirect is a marketing agency that focuses exclusively on the meetings & convention segments of the hospitality industry. Since 2002 we’ve worked with over 900 clients, launched thousands of email marketing campaigns targeting our database of over 80,000 qualified meeting planner subscribers, and generated mind-blowing results with thousands of new group business opportunities for hotels, resorts, destinations and other meeting suppliers. In addition, we help conference organizers market their events to help grow their event attendance. From concept to execution, we’re 100% dedicated to growing your email marketing ROI.