Booking a conference room in a hotel can involve more than just reserving a room with a projector and booking a catering package. There are several things to check before you book the room for your event to avoid any disappointment.
AV and Hybrid Meeting Technology
AV: ask if the venue has dedicated fibre broadband or if it’s shared with the rest of the hotel. Check the size of screens in relation to the back of the room and that they can support the number of attendees. It’s also worth asking if they can support remote attendees and how they typically do this.
Breakout and Syndicate Rooms
Even for whole day conferences most of the sessions are held in smaller groups of people and so require more Breakout Rooms than are needed for the occasional Plenary Session. Find out how many rooms there are, whether you can book them all or whether others will be used for other functions, and how the rooms are laid out as a minimum configuration. Find out if the rooms can be configured in alternative ways.
Catering and Dietary Options
Day-delegate packages will be offered by most Cotswolds hotel conference rooms such as https://tewkesburypark.co.uk/hotel-conference-rooms/cotswolds/ , including meals and refreshments for your day delegates. It’s also worth asking whether the hotel can offer to cater for most common dietary requirements within their normal menu offerings, and not as a ‘special request’. Also ask about the timing of breaks, such as timed coffee breaks, to ensure that your event runs smoothly.
On-Site Delegate Accommodation
If your event is being held over a number of days it’s worth checking whether the hotel has rooms on site. Booking a room block and negotiating a special rate can save a lot of time when booking for your delegates.
Accessibility for All Attendees
Under the Equality Act 2010 venues have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that people with disabilities can use their services. This includes ensuring that your venue is accessible to delegates with disabilities for example is the venue accessible for people who use wheelchairs? Are hearing loops installed in the main rooms? Are the toilets accessible for people with disabilities? A venue that can confirm all of these details will be able to make suitable adjustments to ensure that all delegates are able to attend your event.
A few simple questions can reveal whether a Venue can deliver what you need for your event.
