Sara Schnack, CMP, senior meeting planner, meetings and corporate travel is the picture of good health, and for good reason. For the last 19 years she’s been planning meetings for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, a juggernaut of 36 independent, locally operated health care coverage companies. The Chicago-based meeting prof discusses career longevity, F&B progression and pesky water damage.
What kinds of events do you plan annually?
I handle anything from 20-person committee meetings to conferences with 500 attendees.
What does your team look like?
We have a lot of longevity with almost 130 years of experience as a group. We have a director and six meeting planners who plan about 275 meetings annually across the United States, along with 2,500 internal meetings and employee events. We are busy, but we must like it, as some of [our team] have worked here for more than 35 years.
Are there any interesting challenges you face?
I have a handful of government-rated programs that require the federal government per diem lodging rate. Many hotels shy away from these meetings, especially in today’s seller’s market. However, I keep getting lucky with hotels that like our Sunday arrival and good history.
When you’re on a site visit, what elements do you look for that others might not?
I am obsessed with the condition of the dishes, china, linens and waitstaff uniforms. If these items are nice and fresh, it shows me a hotel takes all aspects of its service and quality seriously. For instance, if a hotel has had a recent renovation, but doesn’t update the items to be used in that area, to me the renovation is not complete.
Tell us about recent standout programs you’ve planned.
I’ve had a lot of great meetings lately. Hotels are stepping it up on the service side, and the F&B hotels offer is so much better than in years past. I do book a series of three larger meetings using one hotel. These get better and better with each meeting we hold in that particular hotel.
Any funny stories about something that didn’t go well?
It seems like water damage follows me around. I have had four instances in hotels, whether it’s a ceiling tile falling down on a VP, a smelly sewer leak or a wet ballroom. In the ballroom instance, the entire perimeter was dripping with water right before our awards dinner. I got creative and asked the hotel to skirt the perimeter of the room in pipe and drape, uplight it, and put out garbage cans lined with towels behind the drape so guests couldn’t hear the water pouring down. In the end, we pumped up the music, and attendees thought the room looked great—they didn’t even notice.
