Face-to-face meetings are on the rise again as American businesses are deciding to take advantage of travel deals and the country’s best venues. It doesn’t mean that online conference calls are dead. They’re just being temporarily put on hold, pardon the pun. So to help everyone transition from telephones to banquet tables, here are a few meeting planning tips:
- Research meeting venues in advance and choose one that is likely to astound your important guests on many levels. Appeal to their five senses by selecting meeting areas with beautiful views, pleasant background noise, comfortable chairs and fantastic food or beverage service. And make the destination easy to get to as well.
- Go with total immersion. Make the event as all-inclusive and interactive as possible. For example, ask the meeting venue about their packages and whether or not they’re customizable. If they are customizable, work with the meeting venue staff to create a truly unique, destination specific experience for your guests.
- When it comes to hiring outside service providers, don’t blindly trust online reviews. Ask the meeting venue staff for personal recommendations and referrals. Afterward, investigate the providers they’ve suggested on your own to ensure that they are the best companies in their respective industries (e.g. caterers and florists).
- Ask the meeting venue staff if they’d be willing to let you take photographs before the event. That way, you can share those images with potential attendees and other service providers. For example, a florist may appreciate seeing a picture of the areas they’ll be in charge of decorating.
- Finally, stay true to whichever agenda you’ve set for the meeting and don’t let anyone else stray either. Ways to do that include reconfirming all venue specific plans with the meeting site’s staff and related vendors before the start date.
To learn more about what makes face-to-face business meetings a success, please contact us. At The Legacy, we pride ourselves on helping meeting planners make the best impression possible.