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VENDORS: JOIN NOW and upload a PORTFOLIO: |
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PLANNERS: JOIN NOW and list an EVENT: |
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Joyce Faulkner- Vice President of Marketing for Bank of The West.
Q: What is your background in the event planning industry and how long have you been with Bank of the West?
JF: I have been with Bank of the West for 12 years and in my current position for 10 of those years. In the beginning I worked as an assistant to one of our executives and that is when I started to plan the events. After a period of time combined with the growth of our company we realized we needed a full time event department. Over the years we were asked to more and more and we became a hybrid of Marketing and Planning which is what attracted me to Get It Planet. With our small staff we are looking for ways to be more productive. And with your online planning tools we can do just that. Doing more with the same size staff is a real plus for our bottom line.
Q: How have you seen the role of planning events change at your company over the years?
JF: Over the last 6 to 10 years we have had to do more. Not only do we have to plan meetings and events but we also need to support the sales and marketing efforts. With that we have been stretched to our limit with having the time to make sure our marketing message is a good fix with the meeting and incentives we are doing. I’m losing good people because they feel over worked and can’t do the best job because of limited time and money.
Q: About how many people are on your staff and how many meetings a year do you do?
JF: I have four people on my staff that needs to plan up to 50 meetings a year, along with doing there other jobs.
Q: Do you set your budgets once a year or per meeting?
JF: Well, we are still developing this process as we grow. Many of the senior level meetings and incentive travel are planned a year in advance and the budgets are housed within each division, which are my customers. Many of our other events are budgeted by Marketing and set year by year. Many of our departments will come to me throughout the year and ask me to plan an event for them in 3 weeks.
Q: How do you feel our open biding process will help Bank of the West plan their events?
JF: Ultimately, this process will be very effective for us. In the beginning it will be a challenge to get my divisions to work with me this way. However, in the long run it will help us to get the best services at the best prices. So many people think they can plan a meeting or event; however, there is so much that can go into just a small meeting or event. I work really hard getting my departments to understand this. Teaching our company that if they use your product effectively they will get a much better meeting in the end. This will be my challenge. Using Get It Planet will help me give my company a better ROI report at the end of each event.
Q: What features do you like most when planning with Get It Planet?
JF: I love that I can work with all my vendor/sellers. I’ve have made many relationships over the years and was glad to see that Get It Planet is helping me keep them in place. Many other products don’t let me work with my service providers in this way. Because Get It Planet has an open marketplace this will keep my vendors on their toes and working for my business. This is great to know and will help me to leverage the best prices.
Q: How important is communicating event decisions inside your company?
JF: Your application helps me approve decisions more quickly by allowing me to see what my planners are doing. This will free me up to do more with my time. What attracted me to Get It Planet was the management features. I think that all planners should look at this product and see just how, with a small amount of time, Get It Planet can make your life so much easier.
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