Guidelines : Declining Attendance

Declining Attendance at Meetings

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

• State that you will not attend the meeting. Be sure to include all, or at least some, relevant time, place, or purpose details so your reader is not confused about which meeting.
• Give the reason for your absence: Do you not want to attend? Is the scheduling a problem? Others may decide to postpone or cancel the meeting according to your response. To give no reason at all makes your decision sound arbitrary.
• Under doctor’s orders, I must decline to attend the meeting in Atlanta; travel is much too strenuous during my recovery period.
• After careful consideration of your proposal, I feel my attendance at the meeting would be premature.
• I’m afraid with only three weeks’ notice I can’t alter my schedule to attend. If you decide to change the meeting date, let me know.
• I will be unable to attend the May 6 meeting due to a scheduling conflict; I’ll be attending the IAVF convention in Orlando.
• I regret I won’t be able to participate in the May 12 conference; I’m scheduled for some minor surgery that week.
• After talking further with our managers about the proposal, I’ve decided attending your May 1 demonstration would be premature in our current situation.
• I’m afraid your invitation to the March 11 seminar has been misdirected; Ralph MacGregor would likely be more interested in attending than I would. My work primarily entails ….
• I regret to say I won’t be available on May 30 to attend the review meeting. I’ve scheduled several appointments already for that day–appointments I must keep.
• Mention how you plan to follow up the meeting results: By sending a representative? By phoning an attendee? By reviewing the meeting minutes?
• Although I’m involved in another major project right now and can’t attend the meeting personally, perhaps one of my staff can sit in for me. Is that acceptable to you?
• I will plan to phone the week after your meeting to hear the results of the group’s discussions.
• John Hayden will be taking good notes for me in the meeting and will report the results to the group.
• I’ll plan to phone Marty Pewter after your meeting to get the details.
• I’ll be sure to get a copy of the meeting minutes.
• Frank Smith will give me a review of the suggestions turned up in the meeting.
• Wish the meeting planner success with the meeting.
• I hope the meeting will be all you expect.
• Here’s to a productive two days.
• With such advance planning, the meeting’s certain to go well.
• The meeting attendees’ list looks impressive. I’m certain your conclusions and recommendations will be sound.
• Have a good meeting!
• A meeting of the minds–sounds like a great idea. Good luck.
• I’m looking forward to hearing any suggestions from the meeting.
• Forward any approvals, information, or comments that will be necessary for the meeting to be successful for the rest of the group.

Example 1: Sample letters for declined the meeting

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Diedra:

I regret to say I will be in New York the week your representative will be here (August 5) to discuss how our employees can begin to complete undergraduate business courses and degree requirements while on the job. The special “hook-up” from our company to your campus sounds exciting.

I have asked Garrett Smith, however, to attend the meeting and bring me a summary of the how-tos. He will look forward to meeting you here in our fourth-floor conference room about half an hour before the 3:00 p.m. meeting.

Enclosed are my projections for the number of participants interested in each degree plan. I hope this will help in your discussions. I’ll look forward to hearing your ideas via Garrett.

Sincerely,

Example 2: Decline an invitation letter

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT: Absence at Public-Relations Meeting

I will be unable to attend the upcoming public-relations committee meeting to be held Friday, May 8, at the Merrimac in Dallas. Due to my recent heart ailment, my physician has restricted my work schedule to three hours a day and has advised me not to travel.

I’ll be in touch with Alice Henry, however, after May 8 to catch up on discussions and decisions made in my absence.

Enclosed you will find my nominations for the upcoming scholarships our branch would like to offer. Also, I’m returning my marked ballot for the STA election.

Best wishes for a productive meeting.

Example 3: Declined the meeting

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Mr. McKinney:

I’m sorry to say I will be unable to attend your October 9 Roundtable. I’d like to say the reason is I’ll be sunning in the Mediterranean, but the truth is I’m simply two weeks behind in a major project and cannot afford the time away from the office.

I have asked Matt Johnson to attend in my place, to share our latest concerns with you and to bring back all the suggestions he can garner from the meeting. Matt has been most intimately involved in the work and can no doubt contribute to your meeting far more adequately than I.

The agenda sounds full of challenge. I’ll do my best to find answers to our concerns.

Sincerely,

Guidelines : Correspondence

Correspondence

Guidelines

• Quality, professional service at a hotel or meeting facility should be noted. A short letter to the manager can help assure that your company will receive outstanding service in the future.
• Conversely, poor service should be brought to the attention of a facility’s management. Displeasure should be expressed in a non-confrontational, factual manner.
• Cite specific examples of poor service. Include the names and titles of specific personnel if possible. If you or your company is a regular customer, state this at the beginning of the letter.
• If you expect action to be taken as a result of your letter, state your wishes up front. Provide the opportunity for the facility to make good on the situation. This gives them a chance to retain a valuable customer and alleviates your concerns.

Example 1: Appreciation letter for service

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Freeburg:

We would like to commend you on the excellence of your events planning staff. And in particular, we feel special thanks should go to Elena Martinez, Helen Forbes, and Ted Erickson.

Last week we hosted a very large conference at your Austin Convention Center site. We had approximately 2,000 people in attendance, all of whom were moving from room to room as they listened to the different speakers.

Your staff thought of everything. They made a point to check with each speaker before the conference began to ensure that each room had been properly prepared, and to offer complimentary beverages to the speakers throughout the day. They had several well-posted maps of the conference room with an enlargement of the day’s schedule beside it. Furthermore, they cheerfully answered all questions concerning restaurants and sightseeing and directions—your staff went beyond the call of duty!

Such efficiency and willingness to help made the conference an enjoyable one, even for those of us who planned it. We look forward to doing business with you again soon.

Cordially,

Example 2: Thank you for letter hosting event

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Chou:

On May 12, our company celebrated our 100th year in business. We had engaged your restaurant to cater the event, and we were extremely pleased with the service we received.

Your caterers arrived early for the set-up. When we informed them that we had ten extra “surprise” guests, they quickly called back to the restaurant to increase the number of meals, at no charge to us. Available seating for the additional people turned out not to be a problem either—your employees’ were smart to remember to bring an extra table and chairs for such emergencies.

It seemed that for every possible problem we presented to your staff, they answered with quick, friendly service.

This attitude continued throughout the evening. We received flawless service, and the meal was delicious. We will be recommending your company to all of our colleagues. Thank you for making a special evening perfect.

Regards,

Example 3: Appreciation letter to customer service

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Green:

We would like to offer our sincere gratitude to Jane Bluett, a member of your wait staff.

On March 16, our company was having a business luncheon at your restaurant. One of our employees began to choke on a piece of roll that he was eating. Ms. Bluett quickly and calmly made her way to the employee and successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver. Her actions averted what could have been a tragedy.

Please ask Ms. Bluett to accept the enclosed gift certificate as an expression of our appreciation for her heroic deed.

Sincerely,

Example 4: Appreciation to Hotel Staff

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Walker:

We would like to compliment your staff on the exceptional job they did modifying a conference area during an electronics class for one of our employees, Grace Sims, who is in a wheelchair.

Upon arrival at your facilities, Ms. Sims found that although her wheelchair could move easily though the hallways, there were some problems, such as no automatic doors, and a steeply inclined conference room to contend with. Not wanting her to have to be dependent upon others during this class, the staff made a point of ensuring that all doors were locked into an open position so that Ms. Sims could easily get wherever she needed to go. They also found a heavily grooved plastic mat to put down in the aisle of the classroom, providing her chair with much needed traction.

We appreciate the attention your staff gave to Ms. Sim’s needs.

Cordially,

Example 5: Complimentary service letter

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Graphic Ink:

We would like to thank your organization for the exceptional work you did on the visual displays and handout packets we used in a large corporate presentation on the 18th.

The quality of the printing was phenomenal-—we ended up giving your name and number to several corporate representatives who plan to make use of your company in the future. But even more importantly, your service was beyond compare.

Any time we called with a question, or a change to be made, you responded instantly. Never once were we put off, nor were we ever treated rudely. You finished all projects a week ahead of the deadline we had given, thus allowing us extra time to check over the materials. During every step of the process, you were helpful, courteous, efficient professionals.

We look forward to working with you on several upcoming projects. We’ll be calling.

Cordially,

Example 6: Restaurant complaint letters

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Carrino:

On June 24, 1997, my company hosted a weekend conference at your hotel. We arranged not only for conference facilities and catering, but also for room reservations for our speakers and for many of our conference participants. Unfortunately, we had several problems with Karen Ames, your weekend reservations clerk.

Ms. Ames incorrectly informed several of our most important speakers that they did not have room reservations. When the two speakers produced confirmation paperwork, she became verbally abusive. At this point, our conference director Chris Amberly intervened. Ms. Ames continued to be profane and abusive, until at last another employee took the situation over. While we appreciated the sincere apologies of Taylor Wilson and her prompt efficiency, we were appalled at the treatment of our conference director and distinguished guests at the hands of an employee who appeared to be intoxicated.

We would strongly suggest you take appropriate measures concerning Ms. Ames and her irresponsible behavior.

Sincerely,

Example 7: Complaint service

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Langenstein,

Last weekend we hosted a conference at your convention center. We had been planning the conference for some time. In fact, we booked the reservations for conference room 603 on July 18, six months prior to the conference. Susan Rioux, the reservations clerk at that time, assured us that the 600 seat conference room was available, and that the staff at the convention center would prepare the facilities for us.

You can imagine our unhappiness, then, at discovering another conference scheduled in our room when we arrived to check the arrangements that morning. Apparently, another employee had booked the reservation for the second company, Day & Jones, without first consulting the booking schedule.

While the staff corrected the problem as quickly as possible, it was still a great inconvenience for our 600 conference participants to have to wait for two hours until we received a room. Furthermore, we were forced to cut several speakers due to the delay in being able to start. Though we were unable to let these speakers present their papers, we were still obligated to pay them for the time they had invested at our request. We lost not only money, but also valuable information due to the gross negligence of one of your employees.

We are not sure what steps can be taken to ensure this does not happen again, but we felt that as the general manager of the facility you should be informed of the situation. It is highly doubtful that we shall make use of your facility again.

Yours Truly,

Example 8: Complaints letter for staff

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Seinfeld:

On July 16 I presented an important business investments report for several members of the board of directors for my company. I had reserved the conference room two weeks in advance, and had requested an overhead projector and screen. Your staff assured me that they would procure both visual aides for my presentation.

On July 16, however, there was no visual support for my presentation, nor could anyone on your staff track down an available overhead. It seems that they were all in use. This forced me to hand my slides around the room as I was giving my talk, something I found very embarrassing, as well as distracting for my listeners.

After questioning your staff, I discovered (to my surprise) that they had known about the situation since July 15, but had not attempted to contact me so that I could make alternate arrangements. I find this lack of service on the part of your staff extremely unprofessional. Please let me know how you plan to rectify this lack of service?

Sincerely,

Example 9: Complaints about Facilities

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Kelly:

On July 19, we reserved your party room for a business luncheon consisting of a group of approximately forty people. We were told that three members of your wait staff would be assigned solely to our party, and that there would be a 15 percent gratuity added to each bill. We agreed to this, and were in your lobby at 1:00 p.m., our reservation time, ready to be seated.

Unfortunately, the party room had not been prepared for our arrival. After a twenty-minute delay we were seated, only to discover that we had only two wait people rather than three. This perhaps would have been acceptable if the waitress, Mary, had been more polite. Instead she was surly and rude, and actually stood pouting over by a door while the waiter Kurt ran tray after tray of food to our tables. When Mary was asked to refill water glasses, she spilled water on several of the diners and didn’t bother to apologize. When we received the checks, everyone who had their order taken by Mary had a 20 percent gratuity added to the total of their bills. Most of these same people, after having paid their checks, also gave a tip to Kurt, simply because he was the one person in the establishment besides the cooks who seemed to realize he was at work.

We feel that everyone who had to pay gratuity to Mary should receive a full refund for their meal. They received some of the worst service we have ever seen. Enclosed is a copy of each person’s receipt.

Sincerely,

Example 10: Complaints letter about services

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Timmons:

On April 8, our company rented a portable PA system for our company dinner. After we set it up, we ran several test runs and were assured that it was working properly. Jim Raimes, our employee who set up the system, is a trained audio expert, and we have every confidence that the small fire which occurred during dinner was not through his error or negligence. The fire inspector has indicated to us that the probable cause of the fire was faulty internal wiring in one of the speakers. We therefore feel it is reasonable for you to assume responsibilities for the damages.

Yours Truly,

Guidelines : Confirming Speaker

Confirming Speakers at Meetings

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

• Thank the reader for agreeing to speak at your meeting.
• We are delighted you have agreed to speak on “Communication Trends” at our upcoming national conference, October 1-4, in Anaheim, California.
• On behalf of the NACE program committee, I am so pleased you have agreed to speak to our group on August 9 about ….
• Thank you for so promptly accepting our invitation to speak to us on August 9.
• We are thrilled you have agreed to be with us on August 9 to share your ideas on ….
• Repeat all pertinent details about the program: overall theme; other speakers’ topics; the reader’s specific topic, length, and date; audience description and expectations; and any necessary equipment, printing, or publicity needs.
• You are scheduled to speak on Tuesday, May 6, at 10:00 a.m. Your presentation will be preceded by Dr. Max Apple and Barry Goldman, both from Neiman Associates.
• We will appreciate it if you can make your own hotel and flight arrangements.
• Confirm the logistics of the meeting–escorts, meeting site, address, room numbers, hotel accommodations, meals, transportation to and from the site.
• As you stated in your letter, you will not need reimbursement for overnight lodging, but we will be happy to rent any necessary audio or visual equipment.
• All meals will be included in your complimentary registration to the conference.
• Please fill out the enclosed forms telling us of your lodging and travel preferences, and we will do our best to handle the details to make your travel headache-free.
• We will have a limo driver meet you at the gate.
• You will be guest of honor at the luncheon to precede your afternoon workshop.
• Of course, you are also invited to join us for cocktails before the evening’s program and your speech.
• Please keep in mind the lighting will be poor for any audio-visuals you might normally use.
• With such a large group, you’ll probably be unable to provide an opportunity for questions from the audience.
• Please allow the last 10 minutes of your presentation time to answer questions from the group.
• We have reserved a room for you (guaranteed for late arrival) at the convention hotel on the night before your presentation.
• We will have two assistants on hand to help you set up the demonstration.
• Enclosed is a map of the area, showing where you may park your car and where the actual meeting rooms are located.
• Explain how to handle the expenses: Are expenses to be direct billed to you, or will the speaker be reimbursed? How does he or she submit expenses and fees?
• We will be happy to provide a $200 advance against your expenses. If you prefer to bill us afterward for your expenses, we can reimburse you within five days.
• We will arrange to have the hotel bill us directly for your room and meals.
• Close by expressing confidence in the success of your speaker.
• We are eager to hear you.
• We know you will be a big success with our audience.
• Our members have expressed great excitement in having you come.
• We’re expecting many excellent management tips from your vast experience.
• We know we can count on you for a quality program.
• You are sure to be a smashing success.
• Your remarks will be the highlight of the evening.
• Your comments will be just the motivation we need at this critical time.
• Your words will be welcome indeed.
• Your words, I’m sure, will be appropriate and well grounded in years of experience.
• Our audience will be most interactive and supportive.
• Our audiences always rave about such practical help as you plan to give.
• Your speech outline looks intriguing. We can hardly wait.
• If the speaker is coming without fee in hopes of referrals or publicity for his or her own later business, express your intention to help or your best wishes for those possibilities.
• As we have discussed, our members should be quite eager to make purchases of your audio for further self-study.
• We hope you will agree the time spent in your preparation for our program will be a great investment in future business.
• Most of our attendees will be small-business owners and, therefore, primary prospective buyers of your accounting services. We plan to point out in our pre-meeting publicity that you are, in fact, accepting new clients.

Example 1: Confirmation letter for speaker

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Al,

We are so pleased you have agreed to speak to our Houston Credit Association membership on July 8. Your topic is one that has been bounced around for months as a “wish” until someone gave us your name as a true expert on the subject of collections.

The setting of our meeting is very informal. After cocktails at 6:30 and dinner at 7:30, you will be introduced at 8:30. After your 30-minute presentation, we will allow about 15 minutes for questions and answers. We expect about 120 people to attend, and we hope this question-answer time will allow our members to ask what’s on their minds. You should undoubtedly be prepared for questions on how the normal collection letters and schedules can be handled in such a sour economy and with bankruptcies at a peak.

We will have an overhead projector and lapel microphone ready for you and understand you will be bringing your own handouts. Also, as we discussed, you are free to bring copies of your book for sale; we can furnish a volunteer to sit at the book table to make sales if that would be helpful to you.

Janet Jones, who will be wearing a name badge, will meet you in the United Belasco Tower, first-floor foyer, and lead you through the “maze” to our banquet room. If you need to make any other last-minute requests or arrangements, please phone her at 123-4444.

The program committee is genuinely excited about the information you can provide our credit people; we hope you too are looking forward to meeting potential clients. We plan to publicize your speaking date widely and feel certain you will attract those most interested in your own professional services.

Cordially,

Example 2 : Invitation letter to speaker

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Mr. Sprinter:

I am so pleased to confirm your participation in our upcoming November 12-14 conference at the Marriott Waverly, Fullerton, California (23499 Hosea Boulevard, 303-449-2897). We expect 300 to 350 registrants to attend your session.

The complete program brochure should be available for me to forward to you in late August. But in the meantime, let me give you a few preliminary details: You will be one of 10 speakers over the three-day period, all focusing on the theme of “Quality Investments for Long-Term Growth.”

You will be responsible for preparing camera-ready materials for the participant manuals. We will be responsible for reproducing, binding, and shipping the manuals to the workshop site. You will need to send me your camera-ready materials to arrive no later than February 1.

For your presentation, we will provide an honorarium of $500, plus reimburse you for travel, meals, and lodging expenses associated with your presentation. Upon completion of the workshop, simply send us your invoice for expenses, along with your receipts. You should receive a check within two weeks.

I’ll be calling you later to discuss your A/V equipment needs and the room setup, along with any promotional materials we need such as biographical data and a press kit.

Our members are eagerly looking forward to hearing your suggestions and advice on how to ensure a sound financial future in this depressed economy! We think you’ll also profit from the exposure to our member firms, and we encourage you to follow up with them about their individual needs at the various locations around the nation.

Sincerely,

Example 3: Guest speaker confirmation letter

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Gates:

We are honored to have you as our guest speaker at the College of Business’ Student-Faculty dinner. As a graduate of our program, your success has been an inspiration to many of our students. Your speech is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. and it is up to you how long you would like your presentation to be. Please be sure to allow time for questions, as our students are sure to have many.

For years our students have been hearing about the legendary Mr. Gates from those on the faculty who worked with you while you pursued your Masters. We cannot tell you how overwhelmed the students are to be meeting “The Legend” at last.

Dr. Gerrera, Dean of the College of Business, and I will be at the airport to meet your 1:00 p.m. flight. We thought perhaps you would enjoy meeting with the faculty for an informal wine and cheese reception in the department. We have also arranged for accommodations for you at the Riverside Hilton, where the dinner is to take place. I will be happy to take you to the Hilton around 3:00 p.m. so that you have ample time to relax before the dinner.

Thank you for your generous offer to pay for your own accommodations and travel expenses. Please allow us to at least take you to breakfast before your return flight home.

Sincerely,

Example 4: Speaker invitation letters

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Dr. Phelps:

We are pleased to include you in our roster of speakers at the October 29 “Business Law & the Small Business” Conference at the Sea Side Kingsway Hotel.

You will be giving four 30-minute presentations, each having an additional 10 minutes included for a Q&A session. We ask that you choose one aspect of small business law to address and mail us your outline as soon as possible. We will notify you if your topic overlaps another presentation. Please include any visual aide equipment you may require in the same mailing, as well as any handouts you may need copied. We will provide you with a lapel microphone.

As you will see from the enclosed conference schedule, you are slated to speak at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Your conference room number is 102. It features theater style seating and will comfortably accommodate up to 215 persons.

We have arranged your flight on Trans South Airlines flight 908, which will arrive on October 28 at 4:00 p.m. The Kingsway will have a car and driver waiting to transport you to the hotel. The airline tickets and hotel confirmation will be mailed to your secretary from our travel department.

We are also happy to pay for any meals you may wish to have at the hotel on either the evening before the conference, or the morning after. Simply have the meals billed to your room number. We will provide a buffet service throughout the conference day for your convenience.

Your return flight is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Trans South flight 583. Please inform the front desk of the time you wish to be taken to the airport.

We appreciate you volunteering to speak at no fee and are more than happy to include your business brochure in each information packet we mail to our conference participants.

Your wealth of expertise makes you a welcome addition to our list of speakers.

Yours Truly,

Example 5: Letter of confirmation

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Keller:

We are delighted that you have agreed to be a panel participant in our “Women In Business” Conference to be held at the downtown Excelsior Hotel November 5-7 in Jackson. Each panel participant will be asked to give a brief description of their background in their field. You will be seated on the Business Ownership panel. I know that there are many conference members who are interested in the successful software company you have. Please refer to the enclosed schedule for panel time and room location.

After the conference is concluded, please be sure to mail or fax all travel, lodging and meal receipts to Terry Ledbetter in our accounting department. She will mail you a reimbursement check for the expenses, as well as your $600.00 speaker’s fee. You should receive these checks approximately one week after the conference.

As a successful business owner, you are a welcome addition to our panel. We look forward to you sharing your expertise and advice with us.

Sincerely,

Guidelines : Confirming Attendance

Confirming Attendance at Meetings

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

• State that you will be attending the meeting.
• I’m pleased to say I will be able to attend the May 4 accounting review meeting.
• Thanks for your invitation; I’ll be happy to attend the August 6 New Customer Orientation.
• Yes, I’ll be at the August 6 meeting in Plano.
• Confirm any vague details such as location, time, travel arrangements, and so forth.
• Can you suggest a nearby hotel?
• Will someone arrange to have a company car there?
• I will be staying at the Hyatt if you need to reach me before noon.
• State your intentions to complete any pre-meeting preparation.
• I have phoned my area supervisors to get their input and will be prepared to summarize their comments to the group.
• Yes, I plan to bring with me the Fullerton report.
• By the meeting time, I will have available all figures from our local region and will bring five copies of all the reports you mentioned.
• I noted the reading assignment and intend to complete that before arriving.
• I have phoned all committee members asking they prepare their input to present at the meeting.
• The statistics you requested will be ready for printing next week, and I will mail them to you about a week prior to the meeting.
• I have reviewed the packet of materials you sent and will be ready with my comments.
• Suggest any other agenda items, if appropriate.
• Is the agenda still open? If so, I’d like to add time for a discussion about ….
• There’s one other thing I’d like to add to the agenda: ….
• May I suggest two other topics for our meeting? One is for decision and one is for discussion only ….

Example 1: Confirmation letter of attendance

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Mr. Haverty:

I’m pleased to say I have been able to rearrange my schedule so as to be able to attend the Rockford branch meeting on August 1. Laura Reed, our secretary, has made all my travel arrangements, including hotel. I’ll be coming in the evening before the meeting and will give you a call upon arrival about 8:00 p.m.

The models have been shipped directly to the hotel. I’ll be bringing the building plans with me, as you requested.

May I suggest that one other item be added to our meeting agenda? A five-minute overview of the committee’s objectives in their building design would be helpful to those of us who have not been involved from the beginning.

I’m planning on a productive two days with you!

Cordially,

Example 2: Confirm the attendance

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Marian:

I am pleased to say I will be able to make the Region IV Roundtable on Thursday, May 5, at the branch office at 12345 Harry Blvd. If the intent of the meeting is as you outlined, the ideas presented should be stimulating as well as profitable.

As you suggested, I will be prepared to make a ten-minute presentation on “unsuccessful” marketing of software. May I also suggest an additional ten-minute question-answer period for the concerns this presentation will raise about one of our major accounts?

Will you please arrange to have an overhead projector and screen available?

Also, I would appreciate it if your secretary can confirm a late arrival on my room at the Sheraton. My flight doesn’t arrive until 9:50 p.m.

I look forward to meeting your group.

Sincerely,

Example 3: Attendance confirmation letter

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Martinez:

I am pleased to be able to join in the July 23-25 decorator’s meeting for the new chain of Royal Inns at the Carraway Conference Center in Little Rock. Our firm is excited at the prospect of working with you on this new venture.

I have received the color schemes requested by the hotels’ owners, and have already come up with several plans. I will be working on refining them for presentation during the next few weeks. I would appreciate if both an overhead and a slide projector, along with a screen, could be made available.

After reviewing the itinerary I received, and considering the length of time I will be given to present my ideas, I was wondering: Would it be possible to meet with you the day before the conference begins to narrow down my choices of presentation materials? I am currently scheduled for a 10:00 a.m. arrival in Little Rock on July 22, but can easily re-book if necessary.

I look forward to finally meeting you in person.

Cordially,

Example 4: Confirmation of attendance

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ron:

This letter is to confirm my seat at the Tri-State Business Conference on May 5 at your offices on 645 Armstrong Blvd. I have filled out my preferred roundtable discussion choices, and hope that I have not waited too long to turn them in. You have engaged so many excellent speakers that it was hard to choose among the variety offered.

My secretary, Lindsey Jordan, will be calling in my meal choices to your conference planner as requested. Are there any other materials you require that I may have overlooked?

I look forward to seeing you on the 5th.

Regards,

Example 5: Confirming Attendance Letter

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Burrow:

I am writing to confirm my attendance at the April 6 retrofit committee meeting at your offices in Des Moines. I have already forwarded to your office the various lighting samples, and will be able to provide you with a detailed suggestion list once I receive the blue prints for your warehouse locations.

I would like to suggest that in addition to the blue prints, you have someone walk through the three warehouses and note the size and locations of any pipes or machinery that are suspended from the ceilings and walls. Such obstructions will have a decided effect on light distribution and could drastically effect how many fixtures are needed, as well as the height of ceiling mounts. Please note any lighting areas that are deemed hazardous, as I have a special line of lighting specifically for such locations.

Thank you for the arrangement of my travel plans. My secretary has received confirmation for my flight on Geer Airlines flight. The downtown Hayton has likewise called to confirm my reservations and to assure me that they will provide transportation from the airport to the hotel.

I look forward to meeting you for dinner the evening I arrive. I have heard Chin’s is one of the finest restaurants in Des Moines.

Regards,

Guidelines : Canceling/Postponing

Canceling or Postponing Meetings

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

• State the cancellation, giving a specific reason.
• We regret to say, because enrollment has been insufficient for the May 10 ETC seminar, we are being forced to cancel it.
• Dr. Harvard, our keynote speaker scheduled for the May 9 Kansas City meeting, has canceled because of unexpected surgery. Finding a replacement of his caliber at such a late date would be highly unlikely. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the meeting until Dr. Harvard can be with us.
• The March 16 meeting in Seattle for senior staffers has been canceled. Obviously, we must have inadvertently selected a date that creates traveling difficulties for many people in the field.
• Return any fees for registration and so forth.
• Your refund check will be mailed in two weeks.
• Your full $45 will be returned immediately.
• I’ve enclosed your $40 check for the dinner reservations.
• Apologize for the inconvenience of the cancellation.
• I know you spent time in planning your attendance, and I regret the inconvenience.
• I always regret having to cancel anything at the last minute because of the inconvenience we cause you, our customers.
• Please accept my apologies for the postponement. Your attendance, I’m sure, involved some now-wasted planning time.
• I apologize for having to ask you to “unmake” your plans. That’s always irritating and inconvenient. I just hope the day can be used now to even better benefit.
• End with a positive note. You may want to announce or suggest ways you can accomplish some or all of the meeting objectives under the conditions stated.
• We are enclosing a videotape of the same meeting conducted at other regions. Most of the ideas should be applicable to your own situation.
• The enclosed report should give you some insights into the issues involved.
• After schedules become less hectic, we will try to plan a similar meeting in early spring.
• On a more positive note, at least you’ll have one less plane to catch!
• Think of it this way: You have one more day in the office to catch up that week.
• We do think such a meeting would have far-reaching results, and we plan to reschedule as soon as feasible.
• Perhaps, at a later date, we will reschedule and can once again ask you to visit our facilities.

Example 1: Postpone meeting letter

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Ms. O’Shea:

Much to our regret, the San Marcos meeting on May 9 has been canceled. Because of a miscommunication with the assistant director at the San Marcos site, we recently discovered the center would permit only 15 attendees from any one region. That limitation, of course, made the chartered bus trip economically unfeasible.

We know this cancellation has caused some inconvenience in clearing your calendars, and we regret the misunderstanding.

In lieu of our firsthand observation, we have arranged to purchase videotapes of the presentations and the facilities. Those tapes will be mailed to each office by the end of the month. We hope the tapes will give you some of the information you need for working with the clientele there.

Sincerely,

Example 2: Meeting cancellation letter sample

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT: Postponement of Sales Meeting

The sales meeting originally scheduled for 8:00 a.m. July 9 has been rescheduled for 8:00 a.m. July 15 as three of the sales staff have a meeting scheduled with a client on July 9.

The July 15 meeting will still be held in Conference Room 4. Coffee and donuts will be provided. Please update your sales logs up to July 14 for this meeting.

Example 3: Postponement meeting example

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT: Cancellation Of Staff Meeting

Dr. Delacourt has been asked to be a guest speaker at the University’s Medical School August 5. While we are excited by this opportunity for her, it does mean our normal staff conference will have to be rescheduled.

Amy will check over the monthly employee schedule, and will let us know the new date and time of the staff meeting before the end of the week.

Example 4: Template for meeting

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Gray:

We are writing to inform you that your July 18 meeting with Mr. Reynolds’ will have to be rescheduled. Unfortunately, Mr. Reynolds had to fly out to another branch of the company which was damaged in a recent tornado, and is not expected back until July 20.

We realize that there were several questions you wanted to address with Mr. Reynolds’ immediately, therefore, we are sending you our stockholder’s report for last month. We trust that it will answer several of your preliminary queries.

Please call and we will reschedule your appointment with Mr. Reynolds. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Example 5: Cancellation letters/h1>
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Matula:

We are sorry to inform you that our June 6-8 meeting has been canceled. Ms. Arrow, our guest lecturer, had to decline the engagement—her staff had inadvertently scheduled her to lecture on opposite ends of the country on the same afternoon. She has asked us to convey her apologies to you, and we hope to be able to reschedule her for a fall meeting.

Due to these circumstances, a refund check of $200 for your registration fee is enclosed. You are not obligated to return the books that you paid for with part of your registration fee—consider them our a gift!

As we stated, we hope to be able to reschedule Ms. Arrow’s lecture for sometime this fall. If you would like, we would be happy to send you information on that meeting. We hope this cancellation does not cause you great inconvenience.

Cordially,

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?

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.

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,

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.

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,

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.

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,

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,

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,