Core Competency: Facilities & Services

The domain of Facilities & Services includes content in the areas of BEOs, Food and Beverage, Sustainable Facilities, Green Meetings, International Meetings, Event Impact, RFPs, Site Inspection, Site Selection, Speakers and Press, Working with CSMs, Working with CVBs, Working with DMCs, and Exhibits. View each subdomain below; the bold text shows each subdomain's alignment with EIC domains.

• Selecting the appropriate location for your government meeting is a multifaceted decision, which may require utilization of government owned facilities as a first option.  Planning a meeting at a hotel or other non-government owned venues begins with the Request for Proposal (RFP), and through these courses, you will learn about the government RFP  process and requirements, working with hotels, conference centers and convention and visitors bureaus, citywide events, and international meetings. 

Domain H: Site Management

• Banquet Event Orders:  A BEO is a type of contract between the planner and facility that lists the details of the events, expectations of what the facility will provide and agreed pricing; identify what information should be included on BEO's, understand the importance and accuracy of the BEO's.

Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

• Food and Beverage:  Identify any food & beverage needs; learn the various requirements that encompass MI&E per diems, manage dietary restrictions and understand ADA requirements as it relates to food & beverage. 

Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

• Sustainable Facilities and LEED Certified:  Understand sustainable operations in facilities and learn the qualifications required for a facility to achieve LEED certification. 

Domain H: Site Management, Domain A: Strategic Planning

• Green Meetings:  Understand the impact of the meetings industry on the environment and how our decisions as meeting planners can alter the impact; learn how to incorporate green practices that will not only be better for the planet but can offer your attendees a better experience and possibly save money.

Domain A: Strategic Planning

• International Meetings:  A meeting that includes a contingency of delegates traveling from outside of the U.S. 

Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

• Impact of City-Wide Events:  Identifying when there is a citywide convention in the same city of your meeting and how that impacts availability and budget.

Domain C: Risk Management

• RFPs: A request for proposal is a the first step in selecting a conference facility; learn how to write a RFP to receive the information you need to make the best site selection.

Domain A: Strategic Planning, Skill 1, Sub Skill 1.3

• Site Inspection:  An investigative visit to a property, facility or area to determine if it is a good fit for the event.

Domain H: Site Management

• Site Selection:  Evaluating information received through proposals and site inspections in order to select the best venue for the conference.

Domain H: Site Management

• Speakers and the Press:  Understand the protocols of speaking to the press and identifying a designated spokesperson who can speak to the Press on behalf of the organization. 

Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

• Universities, Conference Centers and Federal Facilities:  Understand alternate venue options and determine the benefits and/or challenges of using a university, conference center or federal facility and what the impacts would be to the meeting objective. 

Domain H: Site Management

• Working with Convention Services Managers:  Understand the role of a CSM and establishing a relationship to ensure a successful event.

Domain H: Site Management

• Working with Convention and Visitors Bureaus:  Understand how CVB's operate, what the mission of a CVB is and the resources that are available to meeting planners and attendees.

Domain H: Site Management

• Working with Destination Management Companies:  Learn what a DMC offers and the benefit of using a DMC when your meeting is located in a different area.

Domain H: Site Management

• Exhibits:  Identify if an exhibit component is right for your meeting and how it can benefit the conference financially; learn the logistics of working with exhibitors and establishing a vendor contract. 

Domain D: Financial Management