If you received US$1 million to travel anywhere in the world and make a difference, where would you go?

If you received US$1 million to travel anywhere in the world and make a difference, where would you go? What would you do with that opportunity? Let’s add an element: As a meeting professional, you can also bring your entire group of conventioneers with their expertise and experience to learn, network and give back in that community. Now, where would you go and what would you do? Meeting professionals have the opportunity to re-imagine our work as “secret millionaires” and can create volunteer victories for delegates.

A secret millionaire is a person who goes undercover to learn more about the unique aspects of a community and then uses their resources to teach and make a difference. The concept has gained popular attention as a TV series that is moving around the globe featuring entrepreneurs and business owners. These secret millionaires spend a week in a location doing undercover research on non-profit organizations that need support. At the end of the week they have the opportunity to give time, money and support to those worthwhile causes. 

We have this same opportunity and responsibility. We do this every time we plan meetings; we build dynamic communities that make a difference. Planners set learning objectives, manage budgets and make a difference. Suppliers operate hotels, community centers, restaurants, theaters, arenas and more for those individuals looking for an authentic experience. When we bring people together for meetings and events, we are already secret millionaires (scaled to budget and number of delegates, of course). 

Planners: On your next site visit begin inquiring about organizations that could use the expertise and experience of the delegates you’re bringing in.

Questions to Add to the Site Visit Checklist

• “What is of greatest need in your community?”
• “What charities can I partner with in your community?”
• “My delegates are passionate about _____. Do you have an organization that works in this area?”
• “Have other meeting professionals done community service events in this community? If so, with whom?”
• “We have a few hours to give back to this community—what organizations do you suggest?”

Suppliers: Develop practices and partnerships in your community now to be prepared when the delegates come to your city or facility. Prepare to answer the secret millionaire call to action. Go into your communities now and learn the answers to the questions above. Identify the top executives in local non-profits. There are 12 main areas to which groups prefer to donate: animals, environment, civil rights, education, health, politics, poverty, youth, arts, justice, religion and food. Become a resource in your communities. Know the need and find small ways we, as an industry, can be of service when groups visit, no matter the size. To be truly cutting-edge don’t wait for planners to ask for giving-back options. Offer up these community opportunities as a competitive advantage in the bid process.

Why become a secret millionaire meeting professional and add a volunteer element to meetings and events? Our more socially aware consumer base desires doing business with those organizations that do good work in the world. Look at top brands like TOMS Shoes, Coca-Cola, Seventh Generation, Timberland and the Walt Disney Co. As secret millionaires, we can do good, tell our stories and build brand loyalty, recognition and revenues just as these businesses do. According to the Points of Light Foundation, more than 85 percent of organizations are asking employees to be more involved—the result is greater profits. 

Now is the time to start requiring, during site visits, research into how our groups can help while visiting a community. Our delegates are looking for ways to get more engaged with one another and give back. In 2010, people in the U.S. gave more than 8.1 million volunteer hours to organizations, providing an economic impact of more than $1 trillion. Expand our positive impact around the globe by volunteering. Our delegates want to find a way to have hands-on learning and not just watch PowerPoint slides.

Consider these suggestions for finding a suitable charity partner.

With half a day, maybe paint a house with Habitat for Humanity or serve meals at a shelter, partner with SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) or read books in a local school. Set up a rally for a cause worthy of receiving the attention our groups can bring.

If the schedule only permits an hour or two, consider ideas to bring on site, such as socializing assistance dogs, creating art to donate to a hospital or assembling care packages for military personnel. 

Don’t have time in the schedule? Consider hosting an early morning run or walk. If delegates are feeling motivated, add a garbage pickup element. Add things to the day before or the day after events. Perhaps add a charity element to an awards banquet or closing night party. It’s important to remember that no volunteer program is too large or too small to the person receiving the gift on the other end.

It’s true that busy meeting professionals don’t have much free time. But to that end, embrace the challenge of considering online or micro volunteering—there are many platforms by which our delegates can invest time or money online. 

Micro volunteering is the process of doing a small task in a virtual way. Check out www.sparked.com, where delegates can be matched with a charity that suits their expertise and needs help. Pull technology into the mix—maybe a tweetup where every participant donates to a charity. Approaching giving back in this way allows delegates to volunteer on site, on their terms. Consider encouraging delegates to use www.goodsearch.org, an easy way to donate beyond the days of the conference.

As secret millionaire meeting professionals, we can create events that literally change the world—such as with these actionable examples.

• A medical sales conference could connect a doctor to the latest technology in life-saving care. Add a community service event at which delegates could join a community health fair to share their expertise before heading home.
• For a conference educating construction and property management professionals on new green building practices, delegates could come together and build a home with green elements that will benefit the community for years to come.
• An accountant teaches innovative solutions for financial practice at an event—on the last day, this educator could teach in a local high school classroom.

The opportunities are endless if both sides come together to make a difference.

It is clear that nowadays we have more to do than ever before, from measuring economic impact, designing learning objectives and making meetings more environmentally conscious. As a part of this effort, now is the time to begin adding volunteer victories to events. The need is greater than ever, with more of our delegates out of work, changing industries or struggling to hold on. We can truly be an industry of secret millionaires. Just remember, we don’t have to give millions—a few hours of time and a few dollars can make a volunteer victory. One+

TAGS: volunteering , csr , One+ November 2011 , meetings mean results