Planning a corporate or professional event depends on several factors, but there is one that is the key to success. The location of a meeting, conference or retreat is vital because it must be suitable for the type of event being held. There are several things to look for when choosing the proper venue.
Size
The number of guests will narrow down your venue choices. From a handful of employees to a giant corporate gathering, the selected venue has to have enough space for everyone. Comfortable employees will be more efficient than one that are crammed into a small space. Give your group plenty of room for private meetings, as well as a place for a large gathering.
Travel
Take into consideration where your participants are travelling from. Are they coming from down the street or are some coming from across the country. Several venues can cater to local and international guests, with some offering hotel accommodations. It is also important to consider a location close to an airport, if there will be people travelling from far away. Making it an ease to get to and from your event venue is very important.
Amenities
You want your group to be comfortable and have everything at hand to get the most out the event. What amenities will you need to make your event successful?
Most professional or corporate meeting spaces offer minimal supplies for events, such as AV equipment, tables and chairs. There are even some venues that specialize in corporate meetings, offering staffed office space and executive boardrooms. Besides certain space and furniture, don’t forget about technology. Make sure your venue has up-to-date equipment. Video conferencing and WiFi is now becoming a must when booking a business operations venue.
Some spaces offer catering services, while other have on-site restaurants and bars. This is important if your event will last a long amount of time. Also, depending on the time of day, your guests will expect some sort of refreshments. For example, if your meeting will last during lunch, the proper thing to do is to provide food.
Uniqueness
Choosing a business conference venue is no easy feat. The needs and wants of participants are quickly changing with the times. Many companies are looking for ways to make corporate events more exciting and fun. A modern twist on morale-boosting and team building has opened the door for more unique venue choices.
Call it mixing work and play. Activity venues, such as bowling alleys, bars and arcades, are offering up their spaces for corporate gatherings. The trend has even seemed to create its own genre of business. Establishments, such as the Texas-based Pinstack, offer luxury entertainment, as well as space to get down to business. Pinstack has 55,000 square feet of space, featuring luxury bowling lanes, a full-service bar and meeting space. In fact, it is so large it can hold multiple corporate events at once. It is just one of many of these types of venues popping up around the world.
Another growing trend in corporate event planning is outdoor civic venues. These outdoor spaces mix amenities, such as the latest AV equipment, with plush landscaping. These spaces also allow for flexible entertainment and food options, like food trucks. Spaces for these types of venues are abundant and some cities are renovating parks to serve this purpose. Just recently, the city of Philadelphia upgraded Dilworth Park with $55 million renovations. With space for 4,000 people, the improved park offers top-of-the-line security, Wi-Fi and projection capabilities.
Convention Center Possibilities
To accommodate the needs of businesses, many convention centers are rethinking their design. Bigger layouts with more options for groups are becoming a focal point. Rooms can be divided or combined. Sound-proof walls allow for multiple events to run at the same time. Technology is planned to run seamlessly from space to space.
An advantage to booking a convention center is the cost. It is sometimes cheaper to rent space at your local convention center than it would be to rent space at a trendy upscale event venue. Also, most convention centers are located with travelers in mind, so your guests should have plenty of hotel, travel and food accommodations at their fingertips. Despite these advantages, many corporate events want to break out of the mold and use a more unique venue. It all depends on what you want to achieve with your event.
Once a great venue is picked for your professional business meeting, conference or retreat, the rest of the planning will fall into place. A professional and reliable venue will be able to answer any questions you may have, as well as take over some of the event planning responsibilities.
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