u.s. general services administration gsa federal planner toolbox [date] u.s. general services...

U.S. General Services Administration

U.S. General Services Administration. Federal Acquisition Service.

GSA Federal Planner ToolboxTools to Help You Plan a Smart Meeting or Conference

[Date]

Guide Overview

This guide steps you through the GSA tools available

for Meeting and Conference Planning. GSA’s Travel

Management Information Service (MIS) Group Travel

Planning Tool and the FedRooms Groups & Meetings

Tool will enable you to plan a successful event and

travel experience.

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Planning smart is a two-step process

Select the best city with GSA Travel MIS’ data tool

Select the best venue with FedRooms Groups & Meetings

Step 1 GSA’s Travel Management Information Service (MIS) Group Travel Planning Tool

Before you can access this tool, a login to the GSA Travel MIS system will need to be created.

Send an email request asking for access to the conference planning tool in GSA Travel MIS to [email protected].

The reply you receive will include your user name and password and direction for accessing the tool.

mailto:[email protected]

After signing in, follow the path

shown to initiate a group travel

planning report.

Screenshots: GSA Travel MIS

Enter the event start and end date, the cities that travelers will be flying from, the desired event location, the conference fee, and

the number of travelers. (Maximums are noted.)


This screenshot reflects the specific conference needs. We’re planning a meeting around Earth

Day which is April 22nd. Once complete, hit the

run link at bottom of the page.


After hitting run at the bottom of the previous page, wait for all globes to

change from shades of gray to colors. The hyperlink to the right will change to say “view report.” Click and the report

will open in Microsoft Excel.


The tool should produce 4 pages, including a cover page, a group travel planning

report, a GHG emissions results page, and a data grid. The data grid allows you to

change some of your data. If you get more than four sheets or tabs, follow the

Microsoft Excel macro guidance provided in the email you received from GSA that

included your username.


This Group Travel Planning Report specifies both the costs and emissions for

travel to DCA (Washington). The dropdown box alongside

DCA lets you view cost details for the other sites

(Chicago and Philadelphia) you are considering.


This is the bottom segment of the Group Travel Planning report page. Notice the

number of travelers have been split evenly among the originating airport. The

last three lines show total costs and emissions for each proposed city.


This sheet show GHG emissions for the proposed event locations.


All numbers in yellow boxes can be adjusted on the Data Grids tab (currently shown).

Any changes will affect costs and emissions

estimates.


This data grid reflects adjustments to where

travelers are coming from. The length of the conference and the registration fee may be altered in this tab, as well.


This new report shows the dramatic difference in GHG

emissions based on the change in travelers’ originating cities.


Example Summary

In this example, based on the cost and emissions

estimates from GSA’s Travel Management

Information Service (MIS) Group Travel Planning tool

we found in step 1, we will choose to host the

conference in Philadelphia.

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Step 2 GSA’s Travel Groups & Meetings Tool

This tool does not require a login, it only required internet access and some basic information about the conference you are planning. You can access the tool via the FedRooms website, at www.FedRooms.com

From the homepage, click the “Groups & Meetings” tab

Before using the FedRooms Groups and Meetings Tool, you

might want to go to FedRooms.com to see how many

possible properties may be available for the city you have

selected.

Screenshots: FedRooms Groups & Meetings

FedRooms offers 34 properties in

Philadelphia proper and 13 properties in

downtown Philadelphia.


Click on the groups & meeting tab at the top of any FedRooms.com page to get to the tool. Then, click “Get

Started” to begin the questionnaire.



The questionnaire is easy to complete!

This segment of the questionnaire specifies

proposed event start and end dates, the number of

attendees, and response and decision dates.


Specify the number of

sleeping rooms and meeting rooms here.


Enter the planner’s contact information in this section.


Enter the desired location(s) in this

section.


Begin to enter the specific requirements for each

meeting room here.


Specify A/V needs here.


Specify meal and break needs in this section.


Specify sustainability needs here along with

transportation requirements and VIP

details.


Finally, upload/attach additional meeting needs, that are not

already specified in the questionnaire, before

clicking the finish button.


• Next, you will receive an email with a Microsoft Excel

attachment, this will happen in about 3 business days.

• The following slides include a partial sample of the

market research for an event in Philadelphia.

• The report actually identified offers from 5 properties,

here the example includes 2 of these offers.

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Next Step: Receive the Results

To complete the booking process, contact the

representative from your chosen conference or

meeting location. Their contact information will be

included in the Microsoft Excel attachment you will

have received in an email.

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Next Step: utilize the research

If you have any questions please email [email protected] orcall1-888-472-5585.

Contact Information

mailto:[email protected]

u.s. general services administration gsa federal planner toolbox [date] u.s. general services...

Documents

gsa travel mis slide

gsa travel mis system

gsa travel mis data

travel experience

conference planning

conference date slide

gsa tools available

planning smart