Millions of conferences take place every year, and they all demand the same fundamental thing: a venue. If you’re holding a meeting or training session away from your actual business building, you need to make sure you hire a venue that is fit for the purpose. Your attendees have the full right to judge your company based on how professional all the facilities you use are.
There are specific requirements you need your conference facility to meet before you can go ahead and book it out. In general, you’ll need to provide good seating, food, presentations and, if the conference your planning is running over a few days, accommodation. The easiest way to make sure you plan a great conference is to hire a hotel conference room; this way, you can cater for your attendees easily.
So, to ensure that your next conference is equipped with all the necessary furnishings and technology, and is absolutely professional, here’s what you need to know about the venue.
Does the venue have the technology you need?
You need the right technology at your event to ensure it runs smoothly. This will ease a lot of your stress. Obviously, what technology you need depends on the purpose of your meeting; however, usually, conference venues should at least have:
- Fast, reliable and accessible wifi
- Audio-visual equipment, such as screens, projectors, speakers, etc.
- Support to ensure that you have help, should there be any sort of hiccup with the venue equipment
Are food and drinks provided at the venue?
Offering your attendees quality food and refreshments should be at the top of your priority list. Hospitality goes a long way in making attendees actually enjoy the conference.
Food and snacks should be offered throughout the day. The venue you choose should have catering facilities, ensuring your guests are catered for during the course of the conference.
Is the venue the right size?
Firstly, you want a venue that has just enough room for all your guests to be seated comfortably; however, if you have a smaller group, you’ll need a smaller venue to keep the conference more comfortable and intimate, if that’s what you’re wanting to achieve. It is always better to have too much space than not enough space.
Does the venue have air conditioning?
There’s nothing worse than sitting in a venue that is too hot or too cold. Appropriate air conditioning can control the temperature to ensure all your attendees are comfortable throughout the duration of the conference.
Are you looking for a conference venue in Pretoria?
Morning Star Express Hotel in Pretoria has two conference venues, both with the capacity of up to 100 people. The hotel’s venue includes high tech equipment, various conference packages to suit different budgets, and snacks and beverages. It is also situated near important landmarks in Pretoria and there’s a Gautrain bus stop right in front of the hotel, making traveling convenient.
