All entries tagged with “Forum events”
New Free Report for Customer Service Managers + Trainers
Today’s customer service reps need more knowledge than ever before. However, finding effective ways to train them—especially with their busy schedules—can be challenging. Here are the 5 Creative Ways to Train Your Customer Service Reps on everything from new technology to company policy. 
Boston Spring Events Keynote Speaker Announced
Everyone will be on the edge of their seats and inspired to take action as Boston Keynote Speaker Randy Fox unpacks the principles of winning in your professional and personal life...as a team. Whether you're attending the 2018 April HR & Employee Benefits Summit, Training & Development Summit, Contact Center & Customer Service Summit, or Marketing Summit, you can benefit from putting together a game plan for your team. Get ready as Randy will push you to increase your performance, maximize your potential, and truly be fulfilled in your life. Time to surround yourself, and working effectively with a great team. Time to build your game plan! Attendees to the April 23 & 24 event will:
But don't take our word for it! In the video below, Randy explains why our Spring Boston events are a must to attend:
[Event Recap]: Contact Center & Customer Service Summit | Dallas, TX | April 25-26, 2016
The Contact Center & Customer Service Summit hosted approximately 341 one-on-one meetings at the Sheraton Dallas on April 25th and 26th,2016. Executives from companies including AAA, Delta Dental, Fifth Manhattan, Epsilon, Grainger, Home Care Advantage, Rent A Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ULine connected for informative meetings with solution providers, seminars and networking opportunities. Face-to-face meetings kicked off promptly on Monday morning and ran throughout the next day and a half, separated by meals and seminars. Speakers Lisa Rueth and Tom Dickson led discussions on multi-channel service, agent and management leadership, and real-time customer data. “Lisa Rueth was awesome,” expressed the Director of Client Services Operations from BerylHealth. Prime networking continued into the evening with a gala dinner and casino games overlooking the stunning Dallas skyline. “I had no idea what to expect, this being my first summit, but I found it to be fast paced, energetic, and full of opportunities to have helpful conversations with solution providers without high-pressure sales tactics,” explained one attendee from Arkansas Federal Credit Union of the networking throughout the event. After a fun evening, attendees reconnected on Tuesday morning for more face-to-face meetings and additional seminars, ending with a closing lunch. For more information, or to attend future events, contact Shane Doherty, VP of Business Development, here.
Chance Heads Up New IT Security Sector at Total Security Summit
By adding IP and IT security to the list of areas covered, the Total Security Summit will become a more inclusive event focusing on topics ranging from physical security to IT, including audit security, computer network security, data security and information security management. “It’s important for us to acknowledge a need within our audience and then tailor it to our events,” says Forum Events CEO Steve Parsloe, “We see that IT security plays a massive part in protecting today’s largest companies, and I’m confident that Xavier will make the latest IT technology and solutions his passion in this year’s program.” With a background in communications, Chance has experience in numerous industries including human resources, training and development, contact centers, customer service, and physical security. His interest in new technologies and solutions makes him the perfect candidate to drive the latest addition to the Total Security Summit. “With technology advancing at a fast pace, we need to be prepared for any security threats. By focusing on IT Security, I want to bring in new ideas that can lead to solving the security threats of the present and the future as well,” says Chance of the new expansion. The Total Security Summit is a complimentary appointment-based event for senior-level executives in the security industry. The Summit hosts one-on-one meetings between solution providers and security executives based on their profile, along with a seminar program and numerous peer-to-peer networking opportunities. See upcoming dates below and click the link to register. For more information on how you can attend as a solution provider, click here.
Facilities Management Summit to Take Place in Chicago on November 9 & 10
The Facilities Management Summit will take place on November 9th and 10th at the Westin Chicago Northwest. Facility executives from the Midwest region will meet with solution providers at the appointment-based event to discuss upcoming projects and sourcing needs.
Is Your Organization Celebrating Customer Service Week 2015?
How do you plan to grow your business? With sales? Advertising? You may be missing the one key factor that all thriving businesses are focusing on. Customer experience is becoming the most effective form of modern marketing with benefits including positive reputation, branding, credibility and inevitably, a healthy bottom line. As part of this year's Customer Service Week, we asked our team members to reflect and share their most valuable tips for successful customer service. The Forum Events' Team offered some quality insight. "Always follow the Golden Rule," advises Kester Van Fleet, the Event Manager for the Facilities Management Summit, "treat customers and potential customers as you would like to be treated. Listen intently and respond politely." Event Coordinator Xavier Chance also adds, "The best tip I can give for the best customer service is to be yourself and be open to a myriad of personalities." We're celebrating our organization's achievements this week, here's why you should be recognizing Customer Service Week 2015 too:
A typical company hears from 4% of it's dissatisfied customers. Source: "Understanding Customers" by Ruby Newell-Legner
78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor customer experience.Source: American Express Survey, 2011
On average, loyal customers are worth up to ten times as much as their first purchase.Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs
5-20 % = Probability of selling to a new prospect.60-70 % = Probability of selling to an existing customer.It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience.
Source: "Understanding Customers" by Ruby Newell-Legner
News of bad customer service reaches more than twice as many ears as praise for a good service experience.
Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs
It's 6-7 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current one.
Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs
For every customer who bothers to complain, 26 other customers remain silent.Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs
3 in 5 Americans (59%) would try a new brand or company for a better service experience.
Source: American Express Survey, 2011
This blog is part of Forum Events' recognition of Customer Service Week 2015. We recognize the excellent work of our employees and the importance of their everyday successes and dedication to customer service as part of the Forum Experience. Be sure to thank your customer service peers this week as we celebrate Customer Service Week 2015 from October 5 - 9.
Marketing Your Biggest Asset: YOU!
Every day you are critiqued on your presentation. Your presence on LinkedIn, your Facebook profile picture, the posts that you ‘like’ and the links that you share. While you’re busy marketing to the masses on social media, in email communication and through your website, you could be missing one very key platform: Yourself. A key component of networking is in-person communication, and while the focus is often on online outreach, your face-to-face persona and presentation are often your biggest asset. Simon Sinek explains the importance of this in his TED talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” He suggests that people don’t buy into a product, they buy into the leader. With software for improving your post outreach, ads to boost your followers and engagement analytics, there's no specific tool to help you, as a person, improve – how can you upgrade your most human asset? Here are a few tips to help you market yourself: 1. Become Magnetic. Professionals should aspire to attain magnetic qualities to attract the attention of valuable colleagues, employees and customers. Traits of a magnetic person include authenticity, confidence, eloquence, energy, motivation, an active listener, well-versed, optimism, imagination, and a sense of humor. As a magnetic person, you are a role model and someone that others enjoy being around – people turn to you for assistance and advice because they respect and trust you. 2. Identify your expertise and then project it into the world. Know your value and be willing to express it. Find an area that you excel in and then become an authority on the subject within your circle. For example, if you are an e-marketing guru, let your friends and coworkers know by offering to help or by making suggestions. Before you know it, people will come to you for advice and you will truly build your value among your peers and within your organization. By identifying and expressing your value, you will have more of a presence and will become highly respected and easy to remember. 3. Be the best version of yourself. In-person communication is very reliant on presentation and a first-impression is made in fractions of a second – like many top selling products, your “package” is often your most valuable asset. Have you invested in your professional image? Are you healthy and positive? Are you well-versed on current events? Can you hold a strong conversation? To attract others, you must be the best version of yourself. If you are constantly aspiring to improve, you will inspire and attract others. 4. Know who you are. Not to be confused with knowing your value, knowing who you are helps you build strong talking points and create a stand point on most topics. Self-awareness requires you to understand the factors that positively inspire you to achieve something substantive and relevant every day. Your thoughts, beliefs, work ethic and attitude become your personal brand and are increasingly important as you connect with other professionals.
Seven Tips for Appointment-Based Events
Appointment-based events challenge a traditional trade show in the sense that your presence matters. While sitting across from a potential client or solution provider, your interactions are vital to build a working relationship that will benefit you both. Event organizers work diligently to make meaningful introductions with the potential to build future business relations – we make the connection, the rest is up to you. Here are just a few tips to make your networking at these events a success:
You wouldn't sign up for speed dating, and then stand up your date, so attend your business meetings as though your love life depends on it. Standing up a potential client or solution provider is not only rude, but it’s also a bad representation of your company. At an appointment-based event, you are meeting face-to-face with elite business professionals – a quality meeting like this is rare and deserves attention. 2. Ditch the Sales Pitch Appointment-based events are a ‘no-hard sell’ zone. Networking at these events is primarily about building relationships rather than immediate sales. People do business with people they like – get to know the person you could potentially work with and their company, then pursue a working relationship. 3. Ask Questions Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is key when meeting new people, especially in a business setting where you are learning about their company. The more you ask, the clearer vision you will have, and even more importantly – the better conversation you will have! The more you learn, the better advice and solutions you can give and as Joshua Krane, the CEO at Ciplex says, “If someone likes them [your ideas], chances are they will hire you to execute them.” 4. Listen! “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” Listening on both sides of the table is effective in identifying needs and finding solutions. As Megan Duckett of Sew What, Inc.? said, “Not every communication is an opportunity to blow your own business trumpet. Sometimes you may find yourself sharing information about another company or service that you have heard of.” Listen, learn and find solutions. 5. Relax & Enjoy the Experience An appointment-based event is a less stressful environment. You are not overwhelmed by booths and numerous representatives, it is an intimate and luxurious experience designed so that business executives can have productive and quality meetings. These events are also jam-packed with other networking activities, all of which take place in a beautiful venue. Enjoy it – because a month down the line, when you reconnect with your new contacts, you will have a shared experience to build the foundation of a fruitful business relationship. 6. Smile! The energy at these events is electric – a positive attitude and approachable demeanor is vital! Again, people do business with people they like – so be likable, polite and have meaningful meetings – whether you think there’s a business relationship to be had or not, a positive representation goes a long way! 7. Follow Up If You Say You Will If you tell someone you’re going to email them, email them. If you say you’ll reach out to them via phone, call them. From beginning to end, leave a lasting impression – make your attendance work for you and follow up with your new business connections promptly.
People Are Talking About the Training & Development Summit
NEW ORLEANS, LA - Following the Training & Development Summit in New Orleans, attendees are sharing insight into their Forum Experience. at the most recent event. See their feedback below... "If I was looking for the opportunity to have a serious conversation with vendors and truly understand their products and services, this was the place. Great opportunity, thank you. It was very beneficial for myself and the district. I've already scheduled meetings for next week to review the activities that I participated in and to look at vendors that we may want to bring to the DCCCD." - Dallas County Community College District "Absolutely fantastic event; would attend again. (Staff) was wonderful and full of helpful information and getting things organized and staying on top of things. Vendors were great and workshops were right on target; loved (the) presentation on engagement. Great environment for networking within the field; just the right amount of people for the event, not too big." - Bridgevine, Inc. "This was a wonderful event. Revolutionary from a sales/vendor selection perspective. Love the one-on-one format. Beautifully executed, too... Thanks!" - Burson-Marsteller "Overall, great! I feel like I learned a lot about what's being offered in the training space." - CPXi "Great concept; allows for much more meaningful interaction with solution providers." - H&E Equipment "Great format; Made a lot of great connections." - Hillyard, Inc. "The ability to choose who to meet is an excellent way to allow each attendee to focus on their interests and needs. Great way to network and stay on top of what is current in the learning and development industry." - MGM Resorts International "You all put on a fantastic event! Thanks for allowing us to attend. I really did need to see some of the products that are available, and more so, needed the time with the people showing them. I made some really great connections because of you! An excellent way to expose those with needs to companies that offer solutions. The format that features "appointments" is much better than the traditional "expo." Lots of networking time and social time that was very useful for building relationships beyond simply listening to a sales pitch. The personal relationship and human touch aren't yet obsolete!" - Mississippi State Department of Health "Very well run. Impressive!" - Mutual of America
Training & Development Summit Prize Giveaway
Prizes consisted of a man and woman's watch from Seiko, training tools from Trainers Warehouse, a gift certificate to any Ritz-Carlton, a signed copy of Laura Putnam's Workplace Wellness That Works, and movie tickets for a year from Fandango.
To become a sponsor of the Training & Development Summit in 2016, contact Shane Doherty.
Summit Recap: Training & Development Summit - New OrleansNEW ORLEANS, LA - A vibrant city set the scene for an energetic group of C-level, VPs and Directors at the Training & Development Summit at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans on September 14th and 15th... More »
Forum Events Confirms Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans for the Training & Development Summit and HR & Employee Benefits SummitNEW ORLEANS, LA - The Training & Development Summit and HR & Employee Benefits Summit will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans on September 14th and 15th, 2015. Senior-level HR and training... More »
'Tis the Season: Holiday Season Productivity TipsWe are officially in the midst of the holiday season, which means that the art of balancing the stress of gift giving and entertaining with life at the office is being tested. According to the American... More »
Forum Events Kicks Off the 4th with Team Wars!The Forum Events team took just a few moments out of their office event planning duties to participate in a fun round of team building exercises for a cause. Located in sunny Sarasota, the team paused... More »
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NEW ORLEANS, LA - The Training & Development Summit and HR & Employee Benefits Summit taking place at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans on September 14th and 15th came to a grand end that consisted of many prize giveaways. A big thank you goes out to the sponsors who provided the gifts and prizes at the event. 
