Wednesday, July 20, 2011

How To Toolbox

How to choose a meeting venue

Know your needs, be flexible

Event season in New England’s high-tech industry will be warming up just after Labor Day. That means many venues for these events may have been claimed long before summer even hit.

Consider a few factors in rounding up meeting space for your own event:

Purpose
Having a clear understanding of what the meeting should accomplish will help narrow the search for appropriate venues, which range from conference centers and hotels to convention centers. “You want to choose a location and venue that’s going to project the image of your company,” said Ken Ng, director of sales and marketing for the InterContinental Boston. “You want to create a positive experience for (attendees).”

Once you know the purpose of the event, MeetingsNet recommends doing a “SWOT” analysis. “Evaluate locations based on strengths (easy to get to, good reputation), weaknesses (too expensive, no volunteers in the area), opportunities (place that would draw new members, new experience), and threats (other meetings in town that would drive up costs, a risky location that could affect your organization if it doesn’t work).”

Size
Estimate the number of attendees to get a better picture of the type of venue to fit your event. Hotels or some university-affiliated conference spaces may be best-equipped to accommodate several hundred guests. Having fewer attendees may present flexibility in venue size and open up possibilities of unique venues, for example, at restaurants and museums.

Availability
If you’ve got some flexibility with where and when your event will be held, that will add to your cost savings. Get away from the city glitz or have a breakfast event on a Monday or Friday, and you’ll find a few extra bucks still in your pocket.

For hotels, email requests for proposals that contain meeting specifications and get pricing for peak and off-peak parts times, as the middle of the week tends to be busier and higher priced, and before making any final venue choice negotiate with those on the short list for more amenities or better pricing.

Location
Think of your attendees and whether the venue will need to be easily accessible by public transportation or need to have plenty of parking available. Does the location make sense for attendees working nearby or for the topic of the event?

Cost
This will always be a factor in planning an event. But the price tag of the venue can shift in your favor if you’re willing to be flexible with some of the planning factors, such as date, time or meeting room setup. “You have to make a list and ask, ‘what’s the one thing that I can do without and still get that end result?’,” Ng says. For some, it may be switching from wireless microphones to hand-held ones, or making compromises on the food and beverage. Planning early is usually the best idea, but procrastinating can — occasionally — work in your favor too, if a venue has an opening and you’re willing to fit their time and date slot.

If you’re still stuck in decision-making mode, Ng suggests talking to other people who have held similar events as the one you’re planning. And, he adds, don’t forget to check with the pros — Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Meeting Professionals International and the National Association of Catering Executives.