29 March 2019

8 Things That Make a Great Meeting Venue

Meetings can go one of two ways. We’ve all experienced the feeling of sitting in pure boredom, in a stuffy room, staring out of the window, willing for it to end. Equally everyone, hopefully, has attended a meeting which gave real insight and was both informative and inspiring. We all want the latter to be the only meetings we attend and give, and the first step is choosing the right meeting room. So, here are 8 things you should look for when picking the perfect venue.

Contents: 

• How to Choose a Venue for a Meeting
• Why is a Good Venue Important? 
• What to Look for in a Meeting Venue

How to Choose a Venue for a Meeting

Take into consideration the needs of your delegates and how you can make a great impression to reflect your business. Whether you require catering options, accommodation, local transport links or AV equipment, once you have established the facilities your event needs to succeed the planning process i easy!

Why is a Good Venue Important?

Choosing a good meeting venue is important to bring attention to your company whilst delivering an impactful experience to partners and clients. Choosing a good meeting venue ensures your meeting goes smoothly due to the many modern facilities available onsite including professional venue staff members, technology & tech support, breakout spaces and catering facilities.

1. Networking Opportunities
2. Professional Facilities
3. Good First Impression 
4. Brand Awareness

What to look for in a Meeting Venue

1. Floor Space

Make sure there is sufficient room inside for the number of guests you have. No one wants to be cramped or sitting on their neighbour’s lap. It’s important for focus that everyone has enough space for their bags and laptops and to sit comfortably, so have this in mind when choosing a venue.

2. High Ceilings

High ceilings create a sense of spaciousness which will aid the flow of ideas. It sounds minor but low ceilings will make the room seem cramped even if it’s large. Look for a venue with those high ceilings to create the right vibe for the meeting.

3. Air con and Heating

It’s no secret that UK weather is unpredictable and sometimes extreme, so make sure your event venue has suitable heating and air conditioning to keep everyone at a comfortable temperature. Windows are also helpful to create that spacious feel and a cool breeze on a hot day is always favourable.

4. Presentation Facilities

These are crucial to your meeting to present ideas, and slow facilities can disrupt and waste time, so ensure you choose somewhere with modern technology and state of the art equipment that will be reliable. Whiteboards might seem outdated but if all else fails are really helpful to draw up ideas. Doing a few test runs to check the technology before the meeting is always advisable, so any problems can be resolved beforehand.

5. Wi-Fi

Obviously Wi-Fi is a crucial part of any meeting, for the presenter and also the guests so make sure your venues has good quality and high speed. Consider putting up the router name and password whilst everyone is entering and getting settled or email it out beforehand to save time. Similarly, ensure there are plenty of power sockets around so people can easily plug in and aren’t restricted to one area.

6. House Keeping

No one can focus in a messy room so make sure the house keeping is up together. Dust, clutter and streaky windows are all things that will distract from the focus, and a tidy area keeps a tidy mind. Having friendly, accommodating staff is really helpful when trying to organise and conduct a meeting, so gauge how they respond through phone calls and emails before making your decision.

7. Breakout Areas

If your meeting is longer than a few hours, it’s essential to have a breakout area. People will want to talk, stretch their legs and have something to eat outside the meeting space. It’s important to allow space for minds to be refreshed and reenergised, otherwise it sets the second part of the discussion up for failure.

8. Ample Parking

Finally, at the end of a long meeting, no one wants to have to walk miles to get back to their car. Having a large ample parking space at the venue is ideal and makes things easier for everyone. It also rules out the possibility of people being late because they couldn’t find somewhere to leave their vehicle.

What Makes a Great Meeting Venue? 

1. Floor Space
2. High Ceilings
3. Air Con and Heating
4. Presentation Facilities
5. Wi-Fi
6. House Keeping
7. Breakout Areas
8. Ample Parking 

 How to Choose a Meeting Venue, Concluded 

If you’re searching for a meeting venue for your upcoming corporate event then it’s essential to ensure the venue offers all the important facilities and amenities ready to impress your business partners, employees or even potential clients. Our meeting venue ideas help you to choose the perfect venue adapted to the requirements of your event whether that be for a training day, team meeting or team building day. 

We welcome you to host your upcoming meeting at our meeting venue in Milton Keynes. Our meeting venue offers a wide range of flexible meeting and conference rooms easily adapted to your business’s requirements. To find out more or to secure a meeting room today, get in touch