Volume 3 Issue 2

1. Charisma Productions Gazette
Volume 3, Issue 2 Feburary 2011
Proper Business Etiquette
When Holding an Offsite
Meeting
Offsite Meeting Etiquette
Business Etiquette
Charisma Productions Network
Offsite business meetings are great ways for people to
interact in a relaxed environment and still get workers
and bosses focused on work related business. These
types of conferences should always be held in a
business casual manner to promote an easy going
flow. Business etiquette demands that bosses maintain Happy Valentine’s Day
the dignity of their position while connecting with
employees or clients on a personal basis.
Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to
One tip to get the ball rolling for an offsite meeting is to Valentine's Day) this is an annual commemoration held
know who having a prearranged location with all of on February 14 celebrating love and affection between
guests accounted for. By knowing how many people intimate companions. The day is named after one or more
are going to attend, a project leader can plan the early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established
activities for the best locations. The size of the group by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman
definitely plays into the etiquette of a meeting. Smaller calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious
meetings can be held on a golf course, while larger observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which
ones should be geared towards retreats. The etiquette lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers,
continued on page 2 offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as
"valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic
love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
1 Proper Business Etiquette-Offsite Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped
outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the
1 Happy Valentine’s Day 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way
to mass-produced greeting cards.
2 How to Organize Corporate Retreats
3 Events
4 How a Professional Can Help With
Informative, Inspiring and
Corporate Meetings and Events Empowering
5 From Our Executive Chef
6 From Our IT Department
Charisma Productions Network
7 Thank You For Your Support
Newsletter 1

2. continued from page 1
tasks clearly defined. In addition, all individuals on the
of a bosses and employees alike should be casual but planning committee should touch base, either in meetings
professional while on a retreat. It is okay to have fun but or by conference call, on a regular basis to keep each
remember that these people must work together. If other updated and to mitigate any problems that might
alcoholic beverages are served, monitor intake to avoid arise.
any embarrassing situations that arise from being
The planning committee should be formed as soon as
inebriated. No one wants to be fired for having a little too possible, so that the meeting can be planned well in
much fun at the business retreat. advance. This will help to find vendors and keep the
planning running smoothly, as well as to take advantage
of any early booking discounts that may be available.If the
Group leaders and bosses should also have a well thought
meeting will take place over two or more days, schedule
out agenda for the offsite meeting so that everyone is some down time for employees to see the sights or other
heading in the same direction. While on a retreat, different attractions in the area, especially if the retreat takes place
classes, games, and activities to promote better boss, out of town.
employee, and customer relations is paramount.
Be sure to also set a dress code for attendees so that
Remember to include fun in most of the activities to
they know how to pack and what to plan for; include
reinvigorate employees during one of these get-togethers. specific items, such as swimwear, if necessary.
It is also important for those who will be doing the hosting Meals and Catering at Off-Site Meetings
of the conference to take a tour of the facilities before the
For any meeting, meals and snacks are important. Will a
group arrives. This allows them to plan the activities best
caterer be needed, or does the venue offer food services?
suited for any location to promote the easy flow of people How will special dietary restrictions, such as allergies or
attending. Know the costs and grounds so that employees' vegetarians, be handled? Plan for three meals a day, plus
fun is maximized. This is all a part of being prepared for snacks and drinks throughout the day. In addition, have
the offsite meeting and will pay off in case of trouble. bottles or pitchers of water handy, as well as coffee and
tea.
Business etiquette during an offsite meeting should remain Planning a corporate retreat can be complicated; by
business casual. Keep employees and bosses happy alike staying organized and focused, planners can ensure that
by being friendly and personable but maintain dignity at all employees get the most of the meeting.
times. Bosses, especially, should preplan activities and
have a good working knowledge of the agenda and area
Set a Budget for the Company Meeting
where the meeting is to be held. These types of Before any planning can take place, a budget must be
conferences go a long way in bring a company closer created. Include any expenses that may be incurred, such
together. as transportation, lodging, food and beverage, speaker
fees, and taxes and tips.
. Choosing a Venue for a Corporate Retreat
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS
Consider the purpose and mood of the meeting; is it a
How to Organize Corporate Team
focused meeting to discuss crucial information, or a
reward for a job well done? Will team building activities or
Building Retreats workshops be included? How far should employees travel
to the venue? If air travel is involved, will they need
Off-site corporate meetings can have many purposes – overnight accommodations and transportation to and from
sales meetings, leadership retreats, management the airport?
meetings, or training seminars. For any retreat,
organization is key. Here's how to organize a corporate Setting the Meeting Agenda for an Off Site
meeting. Meeting
Form a Corporate Retreat Planning Decide on the purpose of the meeting and set the agenda
Committee accordingly. Guest speakers, workshop facilitators and
other guests can help to meet the goals of the meeting
Many organizations form planning committees to help and keep employees engaged and focused.
divide the many tasks involved in planning an event. Two
or more people should be involved in the planning, with
on the Insert menu. Click and drag in your document
Newsletter 2
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3. Events
Newsletter 3

4. How a Professional Can Help With Corporate Meetings
and Events!
There are just so many great reasons why a business of any size would benefit by hosting some type of business or corporate meeting or
event. For instance, if you're in management and would like to cultivate some type of bond of sorts between yourself, other management
personnel and the company’s general work force, throwing a corporate meeting or event of this type is one of the best proven methods of
accomplishing this.
These types of meetings and events function to make your employees feel like they are actually part of a family oriented business and
hence, are a great motivator. They are also a great time to discuss business or work related matters with them or company policy off the
clock. It's also a great time for you as a manager to get a better feel for who your workers are and talk to their spouses, partners or
significant others.
So the progressive and opportunistic manager or supervisor will take these types of corporate meeting or events very seriously. Yes it's a
great time to eat, drink and be merry but all the same there is much gold to be mined. This is why everything should go off without a hitch
and the person doing the organizing will want to make sure that they get maximum bang out of every dollar budgeted for the meeting or
event.
So this is where the services of a professional Meeting and Event Production Company come in because this is not the time or place to
do any experimenting or to learn by trial and error. A professional corporate meeting and event production company can help you over
the stumbling blocks an show you how to best implement any ideas that you may have. Remember that you do have a budget that you
will want to stick to.
Because they know the best vendors and are familiar with them, they can insure that you get the best value from all of the vendors that
you deal with. They will also have all the connections that you will need for help in setting up, taking down and cleaning up after your
event is over. Also they can help you get in contact with the most able and reputable security service in your area.
Remember that an event of this type is a one shot deal, so what would be a minor problem any other time, can be a major headache for
you here. Fortunately, professional corporate meeting and event Production Company know where and how the most common problems
spout up, so they can prep for or nipped in the bud.
One thing that you never want to do is underestimate the power and potential that a successful event of this type has to get your star
shining in the firm that employs you. If done right, it's a success that you pulled off that will be talked about by your peers as well as those
in a position to influence your position in the firm for weeks, if not months.
If you want to gamble then hop in your car and drive to a casino, but never gamble with something like this. Sure it's stressful but once
you learn the ropes by watching and learning from a professional meeting and event production company, it can end up to be a regular
gig that you can count on each time it comes up that makes you all that more valuable and irreplaceable to your company or firm.
Informative, Inspiring and Empowering
Let Charisma Productions Network become your one-stop
solution for all your corporate meeting, events and conference
needs.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS
Newsletter 4

5. From Our Executive Chef
Beef Tenderloin Asturias
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
4 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup beef broth
4 ounces Spanish blue cheese, such as Cabrales or Valdeon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Season steaks to taste with salt and pepper, then sear
on both sides in hot oil. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until steaks reach desired doneness, about 6
minutes for medium-rare. Remove steaks from skillet and keep warm. Stir in minced onion and cook until softened and
translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with paprika and cook for an additional minute. Increase heat to medium-high, then
pour in wine. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, then add the beef broth, return to a simmer, and cook for 2
minutes. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese until just melted. To serve, pour the sauce over the steaks and sprinkle with
chopped parsley.
Newsletter 5

6. From Our IT Department
Outlook Tip: Synchronize Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Documents with
Outlook 2007
Whether you spend most of your time in the field, or occasionally travel for work, the ability to access files stored on your
SharePoint site at times when you are not connected to the Internet would help you use your time more efficiently and increase
your individual productivity. With Outlook 2007, you can view specific SharePoint lists such as document libraries, discussions,
calendars, tasks and contacts that are stored on your Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 sites.
You can take documents offline and preview, read or perform a search on them within Outlook 2007. Offline support and seamless
synchronization allows you to access and manage information from Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 workspaces within Outlook
even without an Internet connection.
For example, before leaving the office to travel to an offsite meeting, you can save a copy of a necessary document (such as sales
presentation) stored in your team’s workspace, to a special folder in Outlook 2007. While on the road, or even on an airplane
without Internet access, you can continue working on your presentation, whether previewing it within Outlook or editing with
Microsoft Office PowerPoint. When you are back in the office (or another location that has an Internet connection), you will be able
to synchronize your local changes with the shared copy on your SharePoint site. As soon as your Outlook is connected to the
Internet, the synchronization will begin automatically.
To be able to perform this action, you first need to ensure that you (or other users) are using Outlook 2007 with a Microsoft
Exchange account and have been given permission to access SharePoint documents .
Here’s how to do it:
Open the document library or list on your SharePoint site
Click “Actions”
Select “Connect to Outlook” from the actions list.
Newsletter 6

7. Thank You for Your Support
We wish to thank our readers and our clients for their support and feedback helping to continually grow the
Charisma Productions Network. We look forward to another successful year in 2011 as we continue to grow
and provide you with successful stress-free events.
We appreciate hearing from all of you and strive to improve our articles and hope to have something for
everyone at one point or another. Please send us suggestions for topics you would like to read about or if you
have an article that you would like to share we’ll be happy to post it.:
Please send all comments to:
comments@cpnevents.com
Let Charisma Productions Network become your one-stop solution for all your corporate meeting, events and
conference needs.
Charisma Productions Network
A Geoff Andrews Company
805-241-0566
www.charismaproductionsnetwork.com
info@cpnevents.com
© Charisma Productions Network 2010, All Rights Reserved
Newsletter 7