Why Choose Us?

• Professional and knowledgeable service from beginning to end!  Christy Stephens, owner of Trouvaille Meetings & Events, is a professional group event and travel planner with more than eighteen years of experience.  She has worked with groups ranging from 5 to more than 300 participants, in the professional services, healthcare education and student experiential education sectors.  Ms. Stephens is IATA qualified to work with a variety of travel vendors and is also a certified Disney Travel Agent.  Her passion lies in designing the perfect event coupled with balancing the required logistics and financial needs of each group.

• A program that fits your needs in every way!  With a variety of planning service packages from which to choose, your group only plans for what they want and only pays for what they need and fits within their budget. Your event will be designed to meet the specific needs of your group and attendees; it is never a rigid “cookie cutter” program.

• Better value! Unlike planners that offer upfront pricing and predefined programs, TM&E works on a per participant fee basis, passing through all costs to the group without mark-up.
  • With our model, your group is only paying for the actual cost of the event plus a small per participant fee for TM&E’s planning services.
  • Participant fees are based on the level of services and package you determine to be best for your group.
  • Pricing models of other planners are far less “buyer friendly”.  Typically, your group will be presented with an upfront flat fee that is highly inflated to ensure all costs are fully-covered, including the time and effort of the planner.  This model requires “padding the numbers” to protect the financial interests of the planner. 

 

• We negotiate and manage the details, you build relationships with travel vendors!  With TM&E as your planner, all contracts entered into will be in the group’s name.  As such, all contracts will also be approved and signed by your organization. With this approach, you are in control, there are no surprises, and your organization is also developing a relationship with each vendor.  When applicable, with your group’s permission, this allows for bookings that utilize your tax-exempt 501(c)3 status, and ensures that you will receive the absolute lowest tax-free rates that are passed on to your participants.

 

• You are in control of the money and approve all expenditures!  When planning an event that potentially costs tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, money and budget management can be a stress point.  That is why TM&E believes it is important for the group to maintain control of all funds until it is time to review invoices and pay vendors.  This model avoids risk related to planner financial misappropriation, insolvency, etc.  Additionally, throughout the process, TM&E will manage the overall event budget, thereby ensuring the group’s financial requirements are in line with the program being planned. 

 

• Peace of Mind!  TM&E is insured to cover risk up to $500,000 per occurrence.  You can trust that our planning services will result in the best event for your group.

 

• Personalized service start to finish!    Throughout the planning process, TM&E will be in close contact with your designated group representative(s) to provide status reports and ensure the plans underway are exactly what your group is expecting.  As time passes, working together we are able to assess and tweak the plans as new information becomes available.  Additionally, utilizing one of the TM&E planning packages allows your group to enjoy the event planning process while we handle the necessary details based on your preferences.