[tab name=’Guidelines’]

Guidelines : Announcing

Announcing Meetings

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

• State when you have scheduled the meeting. Other brief details such as where, what time, and why can usually be given in one “message” statement.
• The next and final planning meeting for the Oktoberfest will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 21, in the Post Conference Room.
• Plan to join us for the next monthly Horizons meeting: 12399 Silvan Avenue, Suite 299, 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 22. We’ll be discussing how ….
• You are asked to attend the next monthly managers’ meeting (Tuesday, August 9, 9:00 a.m., conference room C) to give your input on the ….
• Be clear about whether meeting attendance is required or optional.
• Ask for confirmation of attendance so if key people will be unable to attend or if necessary information is unavailable, you can reschedule. Better to cancel than conduct meaningless meetings.
• Please call to confirm you will attend.
• Please phone if you will not be attending.
• Attendance is required.
• If you cannot attend, let me know as soon as possible so we may reschedule the meeting, if necessary, to have a majority present.
• Let me know if you will be attending personally or if you plan to send a colleague in your place.
• If you cannot attend, please designate someone from your staff to attend.
• All interested parties are invited to attend.
• We do not need a confirmation of your attendance, but we hope to see you there.
• We need a completed registration form in order for you to attend the meeting.
• Include the meeting agenda in question form so attendees know specifically which direction their thought, planning, and comments should take. Generally stated topics such as “technical problems” give few clues for attendees to come prepared with data, questions, or comments. Also, include time allocations for agenda items. Although these cannot always be adhered to, stated guidelines help attendees to know the depth of discussion expected and later to keep the meeting from getting bogged down in insignificant detail. Also, time limits and the order of agenda will allow those whose presence is not required for the entire meeting to come late or leave early.
• Tell attendees what preparation they should make or what they should bring to the meeting.
• Please come to the meeting prepared to brief us on ….
• Please have the July sales figure with you at the meeting.
• We ask that you review the enclosed report before the meeting.
• You’ll need to have read the operator manual before you report to the class.
• Please make every effort to talk with several sales managers from your district to gather their opinions about this issue.
• Please review the enclosed packet of materials.
• Please bring a list of your accounts with service problems.
• We ask you read the first two chapters in the enclosed booklet before attending the meeting.
• Will you please return the enclosed presidential ballot before the meeting date?

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[tab name=’Example 1′]

Example 1: Agenda of meeting

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT: New Format for Quality-Control Meetings

The next quality-control meeting will be held Friday, March 5, at 1:00 p.m. in the conference room off the atrium. The “news” is that the quality-control meeting will be heading in a new direction. Instead of an open forum, the meeting will concentrate on one quality-control issue/problem.

For this month, the topic is out-of-season inventory. Those supervisors and managers whose departments are responsible for ordering and processing should attend.

The agenda will follow this basic structure:

• issues and trends
• identifying tracking tools
• brainstorming of solutions
• developing an action plan

For future meetings, you will receive notification of the topic on the Tuesday before the next session so you will know if representation from your area is appropriate. Please call by March 4 to let us know who from your area will attend.
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[tab name=’Example 2′]

Example 2: Sample of meeting agenda

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Bob:

I have scheduled a meeting of the auditors for 1:00-5:00 p.m., June 6, in conference room 286. The purpose of the meeting is to allow you and Max Applebaum time to discuss the audits conducted last month and to make suggestions for improvements in our procedures. Our focus will be how to help Al’s department.

Come ready to present your views–this is your opportunity to elaborate on specific weaknesses you want to see corrected in the next quarter.

Please let me know by Friday if you can attend.

Thanks,
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[tab name=’Example 3′]

Example 3: Sample of meeting announcement

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT: Contracts Staff Meeting

Who: Everyone on the Contracts staff
What: A meeting
When: Monday, April 3, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Room 2929
Why: 1) To correct contract terminology
2) To review legal issues
3) To resolve all identified open issues not addressed in the standard contract

Please call Debbie Winter by April 1 at 806-444-3396 to confirm your attendance. As a meeting without all managers present would be counterproductive, we will reschedule the contract review should anyone be unable to attend. (In that event, we would let you know the new meeting date, place, and time no later than the close of business April 1.)

We would also like you to review the attached contract prior to our meeting. At the conclusion of our meeting, I will seek agreement to submit the contract for approval by our General Counsel.

Jack Forman and I will be meeting this week to discuss the financial issues of the compensation to user-designers. This should give us data useful in completing our own contract review.
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[tab name=’Example 4′]

Example 4: Announcement of meeting letter

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear ANNT Alumni:

You are cordially invited to attend a meeting of ANNT alumni in the Dallas area. We will meet from 6:00-8:00 p.m., June 27, at Babbit’s Restaurant, 3300 Delmar.

The purpose of this meeting is to get acquainted with your fellow alumni and to determine interest in organizing on a formal basis. Also, Ms. Marie Wilson, executive director of development, will give us a 30-minute overview of what is now happening in various campus programs and answer your questions about the advisory committees now forming.

As you know, we do not have a formal, local alumni association. However, the University Advancement Office is currently organizing advisory committees in 20 cities across the state. These advisory committees are being organized around seven committees designed to involve alumni with ANNT and to provide research services and other information to our alumni. Attached is a list of the committees with their corresponding functions.

Please return the enclosed card if you can attend this meeting. If you cannot attend but are interested in organizing a local chapter or working on an advisory committee, please phone William Reynolds (214-444-5555).

Come early to the June 27 meeting and get acquainted!

Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 5′]

Example 5: Meeting letters

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT: Accounting and Scheduling Meeting for Arcon Staff

We request your attendance at a special Arcon meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 14, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in Building G, Room 30. William Blackley will be present to discuss the following:

• Procedures and guidelines concerning the new accounting processes (1 hour)
• Overview plan for scheduling (5 minutes)
• Suggested approaches (2 hours)
• Format models for basic departmental reports (1 hour)

For those individuals who will be unable to attend this meeting, please call Sharon Gargden (ext. 223) so she can make arrangements to forward a copy of the review comments and handouts to you.
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[tab name=’Example 6′]

Example 6: Letter for announcement of meeting

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Marketing Representatives:

Mark Stevens, Ellen Crowe, B. D. Taylor, and Darin Poindexter have scheduled a meeting for their staff members for March 1-2 at the Courtyard Marriott in Executive Park, Atlanta. Please arrange your schedules to attend.

Also, I suggest you come prepared to ask questions about the new product lines as they apply to your major customers.

Here is the agenda:

March 1, Monday: 1:30-4:00 p.m. Frank Smith will speak on packaging.

March 2, Tuesday: 7:30-9:00 a.m. Gene Holtz will speak on the MUTE reports. Then we will break into small groups around various CRTs set up for us at the surrounding branch offices.

March 2, Tuesday: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon A question-answer session at the hotel will be moderated by Sarah Bind.

March 2, Tuesday: 1:00-5:00 p.m. The comptroller’s group will make presentations on how the MUTE reports relate to our current projects.

There will be a group dinner at the hotel on March 1 at 7:00 p.m. Lunch both days will be on your own.

See you there,
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[tab name=’Example 7′]

Example 7: Letter for meeting

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Parents:

Please join us on September 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Belview High to begin to make our school drug free.

We are all aware drugs threaten the lives of our children, destroy family ties, and disrupt the educational process. Your concern as parents is shared by educators throughout the state. It is time for us to join forces to address the drug problem.

By uniting parents, community members, educators, and law enforcement officials, we hope to send a strong message to those who use or sell drugs to our students: We will not tolerate illegal drugs on our campus.

Help us help your kids. Please attend this meeting to share your ideas and learn how you can put others’ ideas into action.

Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 8′]

Example 8: Announcing Meeitng

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT: Barbarina Isle Project Meeting

I have scheduled a meeting of the task force for developing the Barbarina Isle Project for September 6 at 10:00 a.m. in my office. Because of the unusual technical problems that have come to light in the past few days, we need to discuss the issues below.

Please note what individual preparation you should make before the meeting. If, for any reason, you cannot attend or gather the required information, let me know immediately (ext. 682) so I can reschedule for later in the week.

Agenda

5 min. What is the cost of the additional technical personnel to solve the problems?

(individual reports on projected costs)

30 min. Can the problems possibly be identified as “projects” for which actual costs can be recaptured?

(open discussion)

1 hour Will the owners resist approval of these new “problem/project” costs? If so, what approach can we take to sell them? Who should do the selling?

(John Davis and Fred Qupo will report on previous “feeler” conversations with the owners; open discussion to follow)

If, for some reason, we have not come to conclusions by noon, we’ll have lunch brought in–that is, if any of you can eat with this bugaboo still hanging over our heads!

Sincerely,
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