Top 10 Factors to Consider When Selecting a Meeting Location

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to planning a meeting, and one of the biggest is where you’ll host the event. That decision alone comes with so many factors you’ll need to consider, but some are seen as more important than others.

Convene brought together a Meeting Planner Forum - a small group of well-known and highly respected meeting planners - to discuss topics of mutual interest. We asked the forum participants to think about the various elements that were most important to them when selecting a location for their next meeting or conference.

We’ve compiled the results into a list of the top 10 most important factors meeting and event planners consider when selecting a meeting location:

1. Location & Accessibility

“Location, location, location!” still holds true. If the location is not convenient, participation and attendance will likely be low.

When you’re looking for a Meeting & Events venue, it’s important to take into consideration how close it is to where participants work, and how they will get there. Is the venue near public transportation? Is there parking nearby? The harder it is to get to the venue, the more likely it is that participants won’t attend.

2. Meeting Room Capacity

When selecting a venue or space for your next event, size does matter. Our Meeting Planner Forum revealed that the sweet spot is a venue with a capacity of 100-125 meeting participants.

Before you select a venue, you’ll want to make sure you have a rough idea of how many participants you’re expecting at your meeting. Then keep in mind whether you want room for extra RSVPs or last-minute attendants. If you do want to accommodate growth, you’ll want to book a venue with a higher capacity.

3. Flow and Layout of Space

How are the sightlines? Is there enough space for social interaction and networking? Is it easy to find your way around and not get caught in dead-ends and corridors that lead nowhere? These are just a few of the things our meeting planners check for. Make sure you take a close look at floorplans and photos of potential venues so you’re familiar with the layout and size of the venue. New York meeting planners in particular are seeking out bigger meeting spaces.

4. Quality and Capability of AV Equipment

Michael Bay. Samsung. CES. Need we say more? When a CEO or major speaker is giving their talk, the last thing you want to happen is a teleprompter, microphone, or general tech failure. Meeting planners want state of the art equipment that’s easy to use and reliable.

You should also consider whether the venue has an on-site tech support team. Convene, for example, offers dedicated technical experts who can produce, manage, and monitor your events, and provide personalized support throughout your planning process.

5. Room Flexibility

Meeting rooms need to be able to flex into various configurations. This is especially true as more and more meetings now have breakout sessions. Before making your decision, you should talk to venues to ensure the room you’re booking can adapt to different layouts based on what kind of sessions or forums you have planned for your meeting.

6. Decor

Times change and so does taste. With people from three to four generations often attending the same meeting, planners feel the need to take multiple taste factors into account. But what all meeting planners can stand behind is the need for a space that is clean and adequately furnished.

If you’re planning on incorporating some of your own decor, make sure you check with the venue before you book. You’ll want to be aware of any restrictions when it comes to certain decorations or if you’ll be charged for clean-up.

7. Intelligent Staff, from Sales to Service

A meeting planner’s biggest pet peeve is dealing with non-responsive, “spaced out” staff. Competent, emotionally intelligent sales and service staff are always decision-swaying factors for event planners because if anything happens during the planning process or on the day of your event, you want to know you’ll have support.

Convene’s event packages include on-site support staff and hospitality experts who work with you every step of the way to ensure a seamless planning process.

8. Price Flexibility

This was a big surprise to us as we thought having comprehensive package pricing would be preferable for meeting planners. Some planners expressed a desire to be able to negotiate the fees in order to show their superiors that they were able to lower costs.

While event planners may believe package pricing includes paying for things you may not need, this can actually save you money. Working with a different vendor for each service includes a hefty fee for each. Package pricing, on the other hand, eliminates those fees by grouping everything together to serve as a one-stop shop.

9. Quality of Food

For today’s foodie generation, high quality food with healthy and hearty options is now de rigueur at conferences and corporate meetings across the nation. Planners also want meeting locations that can accommodate last minute menu requests and increased attendance.

At Convene, our chefs have worked hard to curate menus filled with foods that promote productivity and energy. Each of our rotating menus include foods that are made with fresh ingredients and rich with fiber and protein, and take into consideration different dietary needs.

10. Participant Experience

Will your guests be satisfied? Will they attend another meeting? These are key questions meeting planners should be asking after their event. Although we would have liked to see this factor score higher, we were relieved to hear that planners were still concerned with guest and participant experience.

At Convene, we know there’s a lot to consider when you’re looking at potential meeting venues. That’s why we simplify the process by offering premium amenities and warm hospitality at all of our locations. Get in touch with us to take a tour of one of our beautifully designed event spaces and see how our support staff can help ensure your meeting goes above and beyond.