My son has been learning a lot of lessons lately about being prepared.  His teachers at school, his coaches at soccer and his leader at scouts all saying the same thing…be prepared. It got me thinking how much being prepared applies to Meeting Planners as well.

Many planners need to be prepared to address last minute needs and emergencies.   These can vary depending on the event so be sure to think ahead about your specific event and what last minute needs and emergencies might arise.  Here is a starter list of items you need to have in your meeting planner survival kit to be prepared at your next event.

• Smartphone – You need to be accessible and be able to access others at a moments notice.
• Phone Charger – No battery can last as long as your meetings can.
• Mints
• Pens – They always disappear and someone will need to borrow one.
• Band-aids
• Flash Drive with all conference documents – Just in case.
• Tide to Go Stick or Shout Wipes – You won’t always have time to change and you just can’t walk around with a stain.
• Hand Sanitizer
• Wet Wipes
• Kleenex
• Granola Bars – You may not get a chance to eat lunch
• Water – You need to stay well hydrated
• Comfortable Shoes – This is something that I know a lot about, shoes are one of my favorite things.  I always keep a pair of heels (comfortable ones like Sofft* or Soft Walk**) for when I am in front of people and a pair of flats (Walking Cradles*** or Taryn Rose****) for walking around.  If you haven’t shopped these brands, Zappos has a great selection and usually you can find them on sale with free shipping and no sales tax.  They really are extremely comfortable when you are on your feet all day.

What about you, is there something I missed in your survival kit?  Please let us know.

*Sofft – Has a great arch support.
**Soft Walk – Has an eggs shell type foot bed for great cushioning
***Walking Cradles – Has an arch support and heel cushioning
****Taryn Rose – Has a temperpedic foot bed for extra support and cushion