Choosing the Right Conference Meeting Venues

A conference can cost significant amounts of money – both directly and indirectly. As a result, it's imperative that it's productive because its cost-effectiveness will be directly related to the benefits that arise from it.

If you find you can't clearly identify and measure post-conference benefits then by definition it failed. Choosing conference meetings, tradeshows and exhibition venues that are fit for purpose is quite important.

There are some venue problems that are easily avoidable but sadly, all too frequently seen in spite of that. Just a few examples might include:

• Overcrowding – sitting jammed together too close for comfort with others can dilute delegates' attention away from presentations and keynote speakers and instead on to the people around them.

• Heat – some venues seem to have air conditioning that just can't cope with the numbers in the room.

• Insufficient WCs. When conferences reach a logical breakpoint, lots of people can descend on the conveniences at the same time. This may sound trivial but needing to queue up for lengthy periods, just isn't conducive to a positive mindset when the conference re-convenes.

• Insufficient audio-visual facilities. You'll know how frustrating that can be when someone is drawing attention to (e.g.) a critical graph but unfortunately, you just can't see it because the display's too small to be seen from the back of the room.

• Poor catering. One symptom there is when you've dutifully queued up for your food only to find when you get there that they've mysteriously "run out".

Perhaps these sound like comedy show scenarios but they really do happen and when they do, it's very difficult to get people thinking positively about the session overall.

There's little point in spending huge amounts of time over the program of events and then paying scant attention to venues or simply selecting the cheapest you can find.