So many people today use Skype and email for business that the art of face-to-face meetings is gradually dying out. It is usually smaller businesses which opt for these cost effective virtual ways of getting across their opinions. Meetings and conferences are often conducted virtually, but this does not mean that the traditional methods are of no use today. No matter how far we progress technologically, the need for human contact will remain, both in business and in personal spheres.
Why not hold a quarterly client meeting in a hotel?
Small companies can find it advantageous to use conference rooms in hotels to carry out many campaigns. Annual gatherings, sponsored events and meetings to discuss new ventures and troubleshooting are a great way of getting together with clients and it helps to have a relationship that isn’t just conducted over the phone. Employees, shareholders and – sometimes – customers and potential customers would find it beneficial to attend such meetings.
One of the primary reasons that small businesses should use hotels for conference venues is the cost. Many hotels and resorts offer meeting rooms for a reasonable price based on the number of people that are going to attend and the time of year that the room is booked. The cost of maintaining and keeping a large conference venue, particularly in London, can be high; costs of cleaning, maintenance, installation of high tech equipment and constant upgrading of this equipment has a high cost. Considering that such conferences only happen sporadically, these rooms often represent a waste of space, and therefore, of money.
Often, small companies lack space to host the large number of people invited to such conferences in their usual office premises. Also, in some situation it helps if the venue is situated in a neutral location. This makes the choice of a hotel conference room highly appealing. Another advantage of hiring a conference room in a hotel for a business meeting is parking. Since a large number of guests will arrive by car, it becomes easier to manage and find parking space in a hotel since many smaller office buildings either very limited parking space, or no facilities at all.
Using a hotel for a conference venue has the additional advantage of someone else’s staff making the appropriate seating arrangements – so an end to scrabbling around for chairs, stools and sofas to ensure sufficient seating!
Hotels can also see to lighting provision, video equipment, presentation equipment, mics, speakers and any other essential elements to a successful meeting, conference or function.
Most hotels will also provide catering, which is a welcome alternative to ordering sandwiches from the local coffee shop and having them delivered to the office.
Finally, it is imperative that the decor of the conference venue is suitable and conveys an impression of professionalism. Hotels often customise their meeting rooms to suit individual tastes and this can make a great impression. Even if the hotel meeting room is not specifically adorned for your conference, it will nevertheless be appropriately neutral.
This helpful business information was sponsored by Holiday Inn.
