Planning for a meeting is very important. In fact, you will see that being able to choose the right conference location, venue and set of activities will help you plan your meeting in a manner that it would be stimulating for everyone who would be attending. It may be hard to come up with inspiring events that meeting attendees will be likely to return to in the future, but it can be done. If you would like to plan truly exceptional meetings, there are some things that you have to take note of to make it a reality.
Experts recommend that you need to plan a personalized event, which is actually tailored for the attendees of the meeting. You could prepare gift bags, customized name tags and other like items, which would make the delegates feel that the meeting was truly meant for them. You can also make a personalized thank-you for the meeting attendees, as it will make them feel special and appreciated. And, by preparing a presentation of the highlights in the meeting, as well as what the meeting has established, along with “thank-you’s” to all those who participated and contributed to the success of the meeting, will absolutely make delegates feel more special.
It can be awkward for many of the first time meeting attendees to be in a new place with new people, and you may find that having an icebreaker can help to relieve the discomfort many feel in a new place. You can have delegates that have attended the meeting a number of years greet the new ones and show them around, and you can even have a special greeting for first-time guests. Don’t forget that the meetings should always be tailored in accordance to your attendees’ preferences. You need to structure the program of the meeting in a manner that it would be comfortable for your attendees.
When you talk about meeting planning, it does not only involve the actual meeting, but it also pertains to some downtime during the program. Try to allow your delegates ample time to wander around town, to relax, to check out the hospital amenities, and even the local culture. Make sure that the necessary security measures are implemented so as to make delegates feel safer. Make sure that you coordinate with the security of the conference venues in case you would not be contracting a security of your own. Just ensure that the team, along with the security in the area, are also taking steps to make attendees feel safe.
Try to do away with picking the conference venue that is simply the most expensive. Try to consider clean and “green” options, which could help you save money. Also try to select a venue that will be close to where the attendees would be coming from, that way, this would help attendees save time. Also, make sure that they feel free to tell you what they loved or disliked about the meeting, as that will help you to be able to take those things into account for the meeting planning of your next event. By getting a lot of people to tell you about the things they like or dislike, you would be able to plan it better and make it more fulfilling for them.
