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| Useful Tips for
Evaluating Your Meeting Venue Options |
However,
large or small the meeting, location is key. Your environment,
formal or informal, helps set the necessary mood and ambiance for
the meeting to take place. Think about choosing a comfortable,
yet stimulating environment that encourages attendees to concentrate,
but beware of making it too cozy and relaxing that they’re
likely to fall asleep.
By Neen James |
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 When thinking about
the right location, consider the meeting objectives, the length of
the meeting and, of course, your budget. Decide how appropriate/necessary/important
it is to hold the meeting on or off-site. For example, sometimes
a neutral, off-site location is necessary for confidential, top secret
discussions.
Different types of locations to consider:
1. Local off-site meeting space
2. Out-of-town off-site meeting space
1. Local off-site meeting space
When it comes to selecting an off-site location, be it a local hotel
conference room, a restaurant or other meeting space, your budget
will rule and determine the outcome. To play it safe, always inspect
the space first-hand before finalizing any decisions. Make sure the
space is the right size for the meeting. You want to avoid “maxi-sizing,” that
is having a space big enough to seat 200 for a 20-person meeting.
You only want to consider venues that are larger enough to handle
the event you’re planning. Much will depend on the number of
participants and the complexity and/or variety of the program. Will
it be formal, informal or both? Do you want a rural or an urban location?
Chances are that every event you plan will possibly meet different
criteria, and thus have different space requirements.
2. Out-of-town off-site meeting space
This option is usually used for extra special meetings, such as sales
meetings, as costs will inevitably be much higher. These kinds of
meetings may well last for several days so you want to make sure
that all necessary details are well taken care of. If you want to
make it high on your colleagues’ popularity poll, consider
using a resort facility, as they usually offer various enjoyable
relaxation options, golf, swimming, fitness center, etc. A site visit
is essential so as to avoid any unexpected surprises.
With this in mind, let’s look at the various venue options
available to you:
· Hotels
· Conference centers
· Convention centers
· Resorts
· Retreat centers
· Cruise ships
· Unique environments
Hotels. These fall into three main categories:
1. Well-known and established chains, such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt,
Sheraton, Holiday Inn, that offer a certain level of service that
you can expect worldwide. They offer a wide range of amenities especially
if you need room for large banquets, trade show or exhibit areas.
2. Independently owned properties, such as those belonging to the
Preferred Group (http://www.preferredhotels.com), whose luxury hotels
and resorts offer a unique character, one-of-a kind ambience, and
provide the highest standards of quality and extraordinary service.
3. Boutique lodgings service business travelers in search of a home
away from home. They are small luxury hotels & resorts with individual
personalities – eclectic, quaint hotels housed in historic
urban buildings or romantic resorts with flowering gardens and beachside
villas (http://www.boutiquelodging.com). However, nice these sound,
you definitely need to check what meeting space facilities, if any,
they offer.
Conference centers. Conference centers encompass a broad gamit of
venues which are often purpose-built specifically for meetings and
events and offer state-of-the-art facilities, many including videoconferencing.
They comprise corporate training centers, universities, resorts,
airport, urban and downtown facilities. Your best bet to find a suitable
facility is to start your research with the International Association
of Conference Centers (http://www.iacconline.com/). You can do a
worldwide search based on your specific meeting criteria.
Convention centers. When you’re looking for a combination of
an urban location, plenty of meeting space, and substantial exhibition
space, then a convention center is a practical solution. They’re
geared up large numbers and generally situated close to airports
or in a convenient downtown location. The one drawback is that you
would need to use a nearby hotel for accommodation.
Resorts. You’ll probably only consider a resort property if
relaxation and leisure activities rank high on your priority list.
This environment works well for both formal and informal meetings.
Resorts Online (http://www.resortsonline.com/) allows you to choose
the activity you’re most interested in to find an appropriat
selection of choices.
Retreat centers. These generally work best for smaller more focused
groups who are looking for a quiet, serene meeting environment. They
encourage “an away from it all” type mentality where
people can engage in personal exploration, strategic decision-making,
communicaton, and self improvement.
Cruise ships. These make an interesting and very different venue
option. There are a few companies who specialize in cruise meetings
offering facilities worldwide for a wide variety of groups (www.cruisemeetings.com).
Many of them will work within your budget constraints to offer complete
packages that include airfare, transfers, meals and entertainment.
Unique environments. Unique environment don’t always make the
best meeting spaces, but it’s worth doing your homework to
find out. Some options to consider include museums, stately homes,
(including castles in Europe - http://www.grandes-etapes-francaises.com/geehome.htm),
sporting venues, and theaters. Many of these venues work well for
special functions, but don’t necessarily have adequate meeting
space facilities and equipment.
About the Author
Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they
spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen
helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance.
A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates
how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things.
With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen
delivers a powerful lesson in productivity.
Subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com |
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