It’s time for your company’s yearly convention. You dread it each year simply because it’s always held in that drab meeting facility down the road from the office. Worn out chairs organized in rows and a dimly lit room with temperatures ideal for napping. At the end of the day, what do you go home with? Nothing but a “Hello! My name is “_____” sticker that you forgot to get rid of from your shirt and a new discovered acquaintance with the back of your eyelids. Not all meeting facilities are made equal so why not choose somewhere greater and better? Meetings can be in new and fun spots that get you out of the every day grind and into an atmosphere contributing to learning and productivity. Now, the query is-where to go?
Location is everything. Some companies choose to travel to unique locations like the Bahamas while other individuals choose ski resorts. Meeting facilities can be located just about wherever so find a place where your coworkers can have fun in between conferences as well as a meeting facility that is useful for your company’s needs. “We like any place that is interesting or has interesting things to go see or do. We pick sites that our members enjoy going to, places where they can do things besides the convention,” said Flo Makifske, NTA (National Tattoo Association) treasurer and convention coordinator. Consider a poll and come to a common consensus of what your coworkers prefer or the place they’d enjoy to go and you have your new assembly destination.
The beautiful thing regarding meeting facilities is that the opportunities are limitless. If your company is on a tight price range and a company vacation to the Bahamas is out of the query, holding your next big assembly on a school campus just may be your next greatest option. It is far more affordable than conventional hotels and resorts and is starting to be well-liked for conferences. In the year 2009, the Association of Collegiate Conferences and Events Directors-International noted that “college-based meetings and conferences brought in $1.04 billion in revenue.” Lecture rooms act as a ideal meeting facility since they are state of the art and have the capacity to maintain vast crowds. Not to mention that the income invested on the convention goes back to the establishment that serves the community.
Unique companies or associations possess unique needs so it is essential to locate a meeting facility that caters to your company’s needs. Metropolitan areas like Reno, NV have to be prepared for the International Juggler’s Association’s (IJA) yearly visit. Kim Laird, IJA Chairwoman, mentioned “We’re a very unusual group in that we need a gym area, a wide open space or banquet room that doesn’t have chandeliers in it. We need high ceilings and at least five other rooms we can use for the workshops we run.” There are meeting facilities that can cater to groups of 30, 300 and also 3,000 and can supply sound and visual, banquet or catering services, service staff or whatever you need to make this the greatest meeting your company has ever had.
Technological innovation dominates our lives. We have become dependent on our smart phones, notebooks, and other wi-fi devices. We feel lost and alone devoid of them so when seeking a meeting facility, selecting one with Wi-Fi, preferably complimentary, will be essential. The Alliant Energy Center’s Ted Ballweg mentioned, “People coming to meetings need be connected, need it quick, and need it everywhere. For some people, no Wi-Fi access is an annoyance.” Getting quickly available internet is not the only critical issue to consider. If you will be presenting a slideshow or need some type of sound and video, you will want to look at meeting facilities that have an audio and visual group that is experienced and can answer any of your questions.
