When tasked with finding a meeting venue where do you start? With so many different spaces available offering a range of different seating options, facilities, ambiance and location it can be a daunting task. There are multiple factors that will influence where you decide to hold your meeting, but essentially here are the things you need to consider to find your perfect meeting room.
Location
The location of the venue you choose is crucial. Delegates need to be able to get to your meeting easily, whether by public transport or car. In addition to reflecting positively on your organisation your venue needs to complement and advance the mission and message of your meeting topic.
When you’re drawing up a shortlist of venues consider if there are amenities nearby, accomodation for people to stay over and there’s easy access for all delegates.
Did you know that a taxi rank is also conveniently located opposite our venue? 30 Euston Square is also just a 1 minute walk from London Euston.
Spaces
What content are you going to deliver in your meeting? The spaces available need to be able to support the topics and activities you’re going to include and add to the overall experience.
How will your delegate consume the topics you’re planning? Will they be taking part in interactive activities and require a large open space? Do you need something intimate for a small group? Will you be presenting in a more traditional way and require a boardroom or lecture theatre? Will you be able to customise the space to reinforce the topics for discussion?
There may be lots of criteria that you need to fulfill and the content of your meeting will contribute to what you’ll need your meeting room to look like. Will your meeting incorporate a range of activity types? If so, you may need to consider a venue that has breakout rooms, outside space and leisure facilities. Will you need additional space, pre or post-meeting to support networking opportunities?
Once you’ve established what you need from a space you can determine what venues are able to deliver them.
Facilities and Services
Great venues offer great facilities. Establish what is mandatory and what are niceties (luxuries) when it comes to delivering your meeting. Do you need extra rooms, specific equipment, technological support, stationery, refreshments and front of house services?
Try to think about the little details – the things that will make your meeting a seamless experience for all your attendees and can often be overlooked at the planning stage:
Will you need service after hours?
Are there restrictions on outsourced vendors?
Does this venue have a setup and clean up crew or will you need to organise this?
After you’ve established your specifics you need to ask if these are available and part of your package. And whatever you do, don’t forget to ask about adapters and connectors for tech.
Did you know at 30 Euston Square our meeting rooms are equipped with Barco Clickshare and 75” HDI screens?
Budget
No one likes to talk about budget, but before you start your search, you need to agree on a budget and stick to it. This will save you time in your venue search and prevent time wasted on venues that are out of budget.
Check that there aren’t hidden costs and what exactly is included in your package. Check testimonials, accreditations or if the venue and it’s team have won any sector awards.
A large proportion of your budget will be spent on the venue so it’s important that you make the right choice.
Site Visit
Visiting a site before you book is a great idea. Lots of venues have virtual tours on their websites, but it’s always beneficial to check it out in person. Was it easy for you to get to? What else is around the venue that delegates can engage with? What was the overall feel of the venue and spaces?
Were you welcomed on arrival? Was the venue neat and tidy? Is food available either in the venue or in the surrounding area? How did the venue’s staff behave? Were they warm and friendly?
Again it’s the details that matter, they’re the things that stick in delegate’s minds and a personal visit will ensure you find them.
Response Times
Your first interaction with a venue is your first impression of what the whole experience will be like. How was your enquiry handled? If it took a long time or you received no response this may indicate what the overall service is like at the venue.
Security Needs and Safety
Something that’s extremely important and often gets forgotten is the security and safety of delegates. Does the venue have initiatives and adequate training in place to keep you and your delegates safe and secure? Advice from the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) suggests that once you have a clear understanding of your event concept, it’s always a good idea to talk to your venue about their safety and security initiatives.
Availability
You may fall in love with a venue and think it’s the perfect place to host your meeting. But this is no good if you can’t book it for another 6 months as they only have 2 meeting rooms. There’s also no use finding the perfect space for full-day meeting when you can only book it out for an hour.
It’s also always important to consider who else will be using the space at the same time as you.
Are your competitors using the venue? Will other events being held at the same time be noisy? How long will you be able to use the space for? Are there suitable rooms for meetings that require privacy due to a sensitive topic being discussed?
Did you know that 30 Euston Square has 18 modern meeting rooms and a suite of six grade ll* listed Heritage Rooms, are ideal for meetings?
A Feeling
What’s the atmosphere of the venue like? Is it conducive to learning and benefit from natural daylight? Are the spaces empathetic to privacy and meetings that may contain sensitive topics?
Modern, traditional, historical, opulent or neutral, does the venue have a suitable backdrop to your meeting? Are you looking for grand fireplaces or a blank canvas to set the perfect tone?
Essentially, even if the venue ticks all the boxes. If you don’t get a positive feeling from it and you feel comfortable in its spaces, it might not be the right venue for you.
A Unique Venue
Throughout the year delegates will be attending multiple conferences held in meeting rooms that all look the same. An increasing number of working professionals are seeking individuality in the spaces they occupy, like creatively designed rooms or unconventional games and activities incorporated into agendas.
Bring some spice to your event by choosing a venue that makes a statement through a stunning outside space or unusual architectural style. Depending on the catering available, you may also want to offer some Instagram-worthy food at your event, which, after all, makes for great sharing opportunities.
Your delegates will be inspired by a unique space that offers something a little different and will be more inclined to engage with and enjoy the content you’re presenting.
Outdoor spaces, views, proximity to famous landmarks, a building that tells a story and has heritage are all great reasons to choose a venue. And don’t forget about the reputation of your venue – there’s a fine line between good and great.
Did you know that our unique building integrates grand Edwardian façade and original Greek Revival architecture with modern detailing and contemporary characteristics?
Planning a meeting? Our experienced Events and Operations team are always on hand to provide advice on the best layout, AV and menus to enhance your event experience.
