Meetings often hinge on the location and venue, among many other factors. A good meeting venue helps to promote networking and productive discussions. Therefore, choosing a setting for the meeting can spell the difference between a successful session or a complete disaster.
Selecting the location will vary from one meeting to another based on the type of meeting, duration, number of attendees, etc. Given below are some of the most important factors to consider for a meeting venue.
- Accessibility of Location
Different meeting types require different locations. Even setting up a booth requires consideration – the location needs to be visible and accessible from all areas of the event venue. While digital signage and creative displays can help attract visitors, a seamless booth experience is possible only if booth traffic and layout are accounted for. Taking care of the entrance, fixtures & furniture, and exits are all a sign of a well-organized booth.
Sales and executive meetings involving a smaller group require quieter meeting spaces in order to carry out conversations without external disturbances. Therefore, meeting rooms need to be placed in quieter corners. Similarly, meeting spaces need to account for buffer or walk-in meetings. These meetings can be held at casual meeting spaces or lounges.
- Space Set-Up
The number of attendees for meetings vary. Meetings can host anywhere between five to twenty attendees. In the case of booth tours, a large volume of attendees generally enter and exit the location and therefore should have ample moving space and fixed entry and exit points. Meeting managers will also have to take care of the layout of furniture, equipment, and fixtures to prevent disruptions and congestions.
- Tech, Equipment, and Other Facilities
The last thing meeting managers would want during a meeting is for the microphone to not work, or the projector to stop functioning. Event managers largely take care of overall technical requirements but the requirement for specific AV equipment for meetings is up to the meeting coordinators. Keeping track of all equipment required for a meeting before its commencement is good practice.
- Off-site Meetings
Not all meetings happen indoors. Off-site meetings help bring attendees together to facilitate conversations to meet business goals. These types of meetings are known to be more engaging and promote networking while factoring in the human element. Off-site meetings can occur in any place outside designated meeting rooms. The key to a successful off-site meeting is to ensure that the group is small and for all participants to be interested and engaged. Choosing a space that is noisy or crowded is detrimental to such efforts. Managers must factor in the attendees’ packed schedules while choosing an offsite meeting location.
Given above are just some of the factors that need to be kept in mind by meeting managers to organize a meeting. Meetings at events are where most decisions are made. Whether it is to advance the sales cycle or close business deals. If a meeting venue is not optimized for the meeting then the purpose of the meeting will not be satisfied.
Click below to learn how to take your meeting experiences to the next level.
