by Linda Nelson, CMP

The Chinese reportedly have a curse, “May you live in interesting times”. Being English and living in North Carolina watching the news is a minefield. The Brexit vote , the presidential race, and the news about HB2 in North Carolina. I certainly feel like I am living in way too many interesting times.
The North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill2 in March 2016. The law was passed quickly, in response to an ordinance passed by the Charlotte City Council. The bill states that persons must use the bathroom that correlates with the gender listed on their birth certificate. The bill only affects public institutions, to my knowledge no business has come out in support of the bathroom provision in HB2.
Most people oppose HB2 with over 50% wanting to see it repealed, even Republicans are opposed to it. Every major city in North Carolina has come out against it, five lawsuits were filed within two days of it being passed, the police have stated they will not enforce it and the Attorney General, refuses to defend it.
How will HB2 actually be implemented and enforced? The whole bathroom bill seems completely preposterous. Many political pundits believe it will never be, nor was it ever intended to be actually implemented.
When asked about HB2 I thought about what advice I would give a fellow meeting planner. North Carolina has a lot to offer big cities, beautiful beaches and my beloved mountains in Asheville.
Is North Carolina a great place to hold a meeting? Most definitely.
Does taking your business elsewhere, hurt the state of NC? Most definitely.
Will taking your business elsewhere help see this law struck down? If you are the NBA moving your All­Star Game , publicly and vocally stating that HB2 is the reason for making the move. That has an undeniable impact. It affects the economy in Charlotte and the entire state.
Many entertainers like Bruce Springsteen , Maroon 5, Nick Jonas have cancelled concerts in North Carolina, this has an irrefutable impact on individuals and businesses all over the state. Chris Sgro, of the North Carolina General Assembly estimated the state had lost $500million in lost revenues as of May 2016.
As a meeting planner the most important thing you can do is know your audience. Listen to your client, and consider who is attending the meetings, will they feel uncomfortable, be safe, or feel like they are breaking the law?
Not all performers are choosing to skip North Carolina, some feel as the Lumineers do that they can highlight the issues by playing in NC and contributing to the conversation. Cyndi Lauper plans to stand with North Carolina’s gay population, she will perform, as a gesture of solidarity. “I think that people will need us there,” she said. “Wherever there’s a shutout, the other people need you.”
If you choose to host an event in NC, you should address the issue upfront with clients and participants. Companies f rom American Airlines to Lowe’s have made statements condemning HB2. You should get in front of the issue, address it from the beginning. You may also consider showing support at the event for the LGBT community and or North Carolina’s transgender community. There are many groups that support the transgender community in NC.
If you decide to host an event here in NC we hope you find the kind, welcoming people that North Carolina is famous for. If not I hope you consider NC when these interesting times are far behind us. 

​Linda Nelson, CMP is the Founder and CEO of To PLAN Ahead LLC and has more than 20 years of experience in event planning conferences and special events. She began her career in the meeting planning industry in England with the Plymouth Visitor and Convention Bureau where she worked as a Tourist and Conference Destination Manager. Since moving to the U.S. 25 years ago, she has continued her meeting planning career and in 1997 earned the designation as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). Linda feels very fortunate to have worked with clients such as Hewlett Packard, Agilent, Intuit, Applied Materials and many more. Previously, she worked as a Meeting Planner for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and since forming To Plan Ahead, EPRI has continued to be a loyal client. Linda travels extensively, both nationally and internationally, and has excellent knowledge of the benefits that her international clientele provides. As a member of the Founding Board for the Northeastern Chapter of MPI (Meeting Professionals International), she served as the Vice President of Communications. In 2008, she was awarded Professional Excellence in the Meeting Industry by the chapter. She is a member of SPIN.
Fun Tidbit: Did you know Linda won first prize for her stamp collection at the age of 10? She also loves the theatre and has performed in numerous plays over the years - her favorite one being The Crucible.

Any views or opinions represented in this blog belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect the view or opinion of SPIN. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information and will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of this information.
 
This blog may not be copied and published without the written permission of the writer and SPIN.


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Corporate meeting planners, wedding planners, contracted third-party planner “suppliers,” and other planners alike all have varying ideas and thoughts as to whether that service charge (++) is really going to the serving banquet staff or if it’s going straight to the facility hosting the event.
 
The true answer lies somewhere in the middle: depending on the facility, the banquet staff is either being tipped from that service charge (++), or the service charge is going directly to the facility’s bottom line. So, what difference would that make when it comes to adding in extra gratuity when planning an event? A ton!  
 
On one hand, if you have a facility that only takes a small cut of that service charge (++)—let’s say 1-2% off the top of a typical service charge of around 24%-- and the rest goes to the banquet staff (everyone from banquet setup, banquet bussers, banquet servers, banquet captains, bartenders, and even banquet managers), your staff might make $3 or $4-something an hour base pay, but if you divide that $50 per plate + service charge among all banquet staff, they could end up making anywhere from $14-$25 or more an hour, depending on the hours worked and the number of staff involved. That is a VERY happy staff! Additional gratuity is usually not needed at these events, and you will often notice that staff is more attentive, more eager to do little “extras” (get dressings not ordered by the client, refill your drink 6-7 times, get a “to-go” box—which is frowned upon, etc.) You will also generally see more long-term staff, more trained staff, and smaller turnaround.
 
On the other hand, if you have a facility that takes the entire service charge (++) and does not give any of it to the banquet staff, you will see different results. Your staff will make a higher flat rate (maybe between $8-$11 per hour, but they will receive no additional gratuities on top. They are generally not motivated to go above and beyond their typical job duties: setting up the function as requested, serving the meals (usually as fast as possible), and when everyone is gone, tearing down the banquet as quickly as possible. Many of the banquet servers who work for these facilities often work at two or more properties to supplement income, and are quite reluctant to go above and beyond for guests, client contacts, or even the event planner. You will also notice that the staff average is often newer, less experienced and less trained, and the turnaround is incredibly high. Because more staff wants to work at a gratuity (service charge) facility, the non-gratuity facilities have a hard time hiring on a large staff and usually supplement with temp agencies, which also leads to the same issues: less experience, less training, and more turnaround. You may even notice that the functions do not go as smoothly as they should.
 
Your best bet as an event planner or event contractor is to ask when considering signing the contract if the facility keeps the service charge (++) or if it (even a portion of it) goes to the banquet staff working the function. A reputable hotel will be able to tell you the honest truth, and from there, you will be able to inform your client if a) you wish to work with this facility or b) if the client has money in the budget for additional gratuity. After all, the staff working your event can make your event a complete success…or a total failure.
 
Jennifer Tangney has worked as an event planner in Saint Louis, MO for about a decade. Only recently has she experienced the Food and Beverage management operations side of things, gaining the back of the house knowledge regarding banquet setup, space planning, and proper banquet execution insight. She is new to the SPIN network, and has a deep passion for all things event-related.
 
Any views or opinions represented in this blog belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect the view or opinion of SPIN. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information and will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of this information.
This blog may not be copied and published without the written permission of the writer and SPIN.
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