In today’s economy, many meeting planners feel that they have their hands tied. They want to create a memorable event for their attendees, but they know they have to be more mindful than ever of expenses. They also have to watch perception. So even if they stay under budget for their meeting, if attendees perceive the event to be filled with wasteful spending, then all their hard work will be criticized.

Unfortunately, the “entertainment” is often the area that people cut corners on during their planning. They perceive entertainment as a luxury item that they can eliminate or get for very cheap. In reality, your entertainment is the one thing you should never cut, no matter how meager your budget.

Why? Because the entertainment is what attendees will remember. It’s what evokes emotions and memories in people. It’s what brings people together and what ultimately strengthens your brand.

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No matter where you work these days, chances are your company is facing one or more various challenges: a shrinking customer base, increasing competition, lower profits, high turnover, etc. In today’s economy, no one is immune from setbacks and obstacles. So what makes one company able to rebound and recover in the midst of adversity while other companies throw in the towel and give up? It all depends on the company’s ability to work through the challenge as a team.

Despite the proliferation of team building advice available, the fact is that most people don’t work together to accomplish something good for the company. Even though many workers give lip service to the idea of teamwork, they really still want to be seen as the hero – as the Lone Ranger who tackles the problem, figures out a unique solution, and gets all the credit. Compounding the problem is the economic meltdown. Since many companies are cutting costs and laying people off, no one wants to be seen as useless or dispensable. As a result, they take every opportunity they get to stand out and appear more knowledgeable or more skilled than anyone else.

While such an approach may enable someone to stay on board for another pay cycle, it does little to solve the company’s challenges. In order for true problem solving to take place, everyone needs to put pride and ego aside and truly work together to come up with viable solutions. In order to do so without feeling threatened or vulnerable, instill the following guidelines in your organization.

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