Obsessive Meeting Planners Thrive.

I have a confession to make. I am obsessive compulsive particularly when it comes to tech-related issues. Let me explain. Regardless of how tech-savvy I think I am, I still require an "expert" from my company's IT team standing over my shoulder when I install or master any new software program. I don't have time for things to go wrong. Sometimes I even find myself clicking the "Save" icon in Word multiple times within a matter of minutes (even though I know there's an auto-save). No detail is too small to be checked and rechecked. I've shared my secret with a few of the many meeting planners I have met, and I now understand that we are cut from the same cloth. As my grandmother used to say, and meeting planners know all too well, "The devil is in the details." Her dutiful statement is at the core of my neurosis.

As the head of an enterprise software company, I strive to apply my "techno-compulsive with a dash of obsession for detail" behavior to help empower meeting planners to plan smarter with Web-based enterprise software. In an industry where every detail counts and one miscue can derail a meeting or convention, a planner is constantly under tire to get it right. To succeed in this highly pressurized environment ifs almost a pre-requisite for meeting planners to be obsessive compulsive, just to make each day a little more anxiety-free. And this is precisely why Web-based software solutions with point and click simplicity, access anytime, anywhere, unified 24x7 customer support, reliability, and powerful meeting registration and housing management can become a valuable friend.

Over the years I have come across various definitions for being obsessive-compulsive, but the one that I think sums it up is by Dr. Patricia Connor-Greene of Clemson University. She says that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is defined as obsessions that are intrusive thoughts, and compulsions, which are repetitive behaviors used in an attempt to reduce anxiety.

Now, to the degree that I associate my "OCD-like" symptoms with those who truly sufferer from the illness may be a bit exaggerated, but I can empathize with the need to reconfirm and reassess every detail. My professional goal has been to provide superior products that assist meeting planners in all facets of the meeting process while eliminating the need to check, re-check, cross-check and check-off every detail.

We believe our PremierPlanner 2.5 package does these things while providing the toots to manage both the total planning process and enhance the attendee experience. Basically, the best meeting planner software should put the planner in the control seat Flexibility to make choices and the ability to manage the event from one centralized spot are also important.

Steven Koltai is Founder, Chairman and CEO, of Event411 and a self-proclaimed tech-obsessive compulsive sufferer.