Choosing a Conference Venue in Edinburgh
You should always book an Edinburgh training and conference venue after a site visit. This is important because things could look different in real life to the website or a brochure. A venue visit gives you the chance to look at every aspect of the training facility and the quality of conference rooms. Your first impression and how friendly, welcoming and effective you find the staff are always good indications of the venue standards and the level of service you can come to expect during your business event in Edinburgh.
Whichever way you choose to do it, over the phone or making a visit, you need to know your objectives very well. A good event manager will ask you what you want to achieve from your event so they can offer the right room, the right equipment, services and all the technical support you need on the day. You know your possible dates, your budget and you understand that vibrant Edinburgh is the right city for your event. But there is more than that:
Location:
When thinking of a location you first have to consider the needs of your delegates. There is nothing worse than starting training or a conference being tired and travel worn, so it’s good to choose a centrally-located venue that has easy access by road, rail or airports. Ensure that there are parking spaces available nearby and check the cost of parking for the duration of your event. If delegates are travelling from outside of the city, choose an Edinburgh training and conference venue close to hotel accommodation and within easy reach of local amenities and attractions.
Your Room:
Choosing the right Edinburgh training and conference venue is an important step towards making a success of your business event. The size of the room is key. You will need somewhere large enough to be comfortable, but small enough to ensure the right atmostphere. If you need a breakout area for group work, ask for syndicate rooms which are also great for coffee breaks. You will also need to specify to the venue how you would like the room set up for the event (eg boardroom, theatre or classroom). Keeping your delegates focused is essential, therefore make sure that the rooms have natural light and that there are no noisy distractions.
Event Support:
A good venue should dedicate a team to ensure the success of your event from the beginning to the end. You need to ensure that there will be at least one member of the venue’s operations team whose responsibility it is to look after your needs on the day. Find out if the Edinburgh training and conference venue can provide a reception team to welcome your delegates to the venue and if they are able to register them. If you are using any equipment at all, it’s imperative that there will also be technical support on site all day at your Edinburgh training and conference venue.
Meals and Refreshments:
Providing good food at your event is important to enhance your delegates’ experience and maintain their focus during your event. If you plan this carefully (and choose the right provider) you certainly increase your chances of satisfying everybody’s tastes and needs. You may need to ask your delegates whether they have any food allergies or eat Halal food, and ensure that vegetarians are catered for too. Check how your Edinburgh training and conference venue will handle this.
Choosing to have food brought into the meeting room may sound more time-efficient, but it will likely cause a bigger disruption when food is brought in and cleared away. A good idea would be to ask for a separate room for refreshments and lunch, but this may involve additional cost.
Technological Resources and Technical Support:
Alongside the basic equipment like boards, flip charts, LCD projectors, fast internet connections and over head projectors, you may also need PC’s to a high specification which are all connected through a network. And don’t forget to consider what you will do if there are problems with this equipment. There is nothing worse than your event falling way behind schedule simply because the venue you have chosen didn’t have on-site technical staff that could assist you. Ask if there are professional technicians who will ensure that all your technical requirements will be met to the very highest standards and also if the venue has standby equipment to cover all eventualities.
Cost:
You now are happy with all of the above, but the real challenge is only beginning! Consider the type of rates the venue offers, i.e. daily delegate rate, individual room hire, etc. and ask if they offer any discounts or if the price can be negotiated. Once you have made an agreement that suits your budget, make sure that you are not horrified when the final invoice arrives. Ask if there are any extra costs, e.g. for screen and flip charts or for photocopying and faxes. Will refreshments which are provided be included in the price? What is the cost of parking? Remember that a good Edinburgh training and conference venue will make things straightforward, give you all the information and offer a fixed price including everything you are likely to need.
And Last But Not Least, Are They Willing to Go The Extra Mile?
Even if you feel you have planned every detail of your business event you should never dismiss the power of the unexpected! Fortunately, you can limit the damage by choosing a venue with a reliable team who will help your event remain on course. It’s never easy to assess this but it’s always important to count on your first impression, look at how effective the venue team is in responding to your enquiry and see if they find opportunities to add extra value to your delegates’ experience.
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