How to choose the perfect meeting space

According to a recent survey published by Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, a massive 81% of business professionals believe that face-to-face meetings are better for building long-term trust and ensuring strong client relationships. Finding the perfect venue that suits your needs can be difficult, though, especially if you’re working to a strict deadline.

Here are a few tips on what to look out for to ensure you make the right choice.

Location

Whether you decide to hold your meeting on your own premises or in an outside venue, location plays a crucial role. To ensure that everyone invited can easily attend, make sure there are good transport links to the venue including ample parking and possibly a valet service if you expect certain guests to drive. The last thing you want is for attendees to turn up late and interrupt the flow of the your meeting or, even worse, failing to turn up at all. If you have guests travelling from overseas, you may want to consider finding a spot that is close to the airport that they will be landing at. After a potentially long flight, the last thing your main guest speaker will want to deal with is another time-consuming journey.

Amenities

The next thing you need to do is ensure that the venue offers all of the amenities you’ll be needing that day. As businesses are more reliant on technology than ever before, the space will need to be able to provide a stable, high-speed broadband connection for anyone looking to complete some work on the go. If you plan on introducing a speaker via video chat, make plans with the venue beforehand so that any necessary projection equipment hasn’t already been reserved. You may also wish to check if the facility can provide any refreshments during the day. While essentials like water, tea, and coffee being on offer should be expected, during a busy day some guests may not have been able to find time to go out for a meal so making sure something is provided in-house may be appreciated. If this is the case, check for any specific dietary concerns ahead of time.

Suitability

Last, but certainly not least, consider how the venue reflects your company’s intended corporate image. We’ve all experienced meetings where the entire staff has been bundled into spare room in the office at the last-minute. Not only does this result in an uncomfortable experience, but the mood of the event has been compromised from the get-go. Your guests will be much less receptive to what’s going on in these kinds of environments. societyM is just one of a number of companies trying to move the perception of meeting rooms away from blank walls and stale coffee to innovative design and contemporary art. These kinds of venues will help to encourage communication, which could be crucial in breaking the ice if you have a number of clients present who haven’t spoken to each other before.