By Daniella Bustamante Much like every painter needs a canvas, every event planner needs a venue. Thinking through the event needs and objectives is a solid starting point in your search for the right venue. What works for an 800 person conference won’t likely work for a 50 person social event. Though the “perfect” venue is different for each and every event, there are some key areas across the board to think about during the site selection process to ensure you…
Site Selection
-
-
Choosing a new meeting destination: It’s all in the details
By Shannon Byck and David Drover There are various reasons for a company to decide to plan a meeting or incentive in a new destination: team building, incentive award, or training are just a few. When looking outside of your typical in-house or local meeting venue, a new destination provides your attendees with a unique environment that can build upon your companies’ goals for that meeting. There may be concerns about the additional costs (transportation, hotel costs, etc.) of using…
-
Best practices for site selection and sourcing corporate meetings and events
By Jennifer Glynn and Joe Nishi From the moment someone in the office looks at you and says, “we need to plan a conference, make it happen,” what do you do and how do you do it? You would most likely call your favourite property only to find out they do not have space. Now what? You start calling every hotel in the vicinity and wait for someone to respond and hope they have space. Once you get the details…
-
Disruption happens: What are you doing about it?
For several years, there has been a theme of disruption. Meetings and events are being disrupted by technologies offering everyone access to new models for accommodation, transportation, meeting space booking, and transparent buying of a plethora of goods and services. We receive messaging saying we must integrate now. The question becomes, how do we prioritize our adoptions of new demands and technologies? SWAG! SWAG, the “Stuff We All Get” is a simple shift to start with. While there remains an…
-
Site selection: How architecture and ambiance enhance your event
I recently had a fascinating discussion with acclaimed interior designer Lucienne Van Langen, owner of Luminary Design in Saskatoon, who hosts an annual gala evening for existing and potential clients. Van Langen is intimately aware of the “feeling” she wants to accomplish for her function. “The venue we chose this year was a reflection of the characteristics of the individuals that make up our design firm and an extension of our luxury, high-end brand. It offered a unique experience in…
-
The meeting sales package is dead
There, I said it. Although the printed glossy folders with picture brochures, menus, venue specs and offers still exist, meeting sales packages have outgrown their usefulness – according to most planners. Blame it on the nomadic way we work today. On any given day our “office” can be our home, the car, Starbucks – work is the thing we do, not the place we go. Those of us who do still work in physical offices are noticing an evolution in…
-
Unconventional venue contracts still require conventional contract wisdom
As revealed in my last article, there are a multitude of items that one must consider when “finding the perfect fit” between an event and an unconventional venue. The wide range of factors to be considered (which even at 30-plus items was not exhaustive!) gives credence to the importance of fully understanding the wants and needs of the event, and the capabilities and limitations of the venue, and when compared side by side – being able to discern the best…
-
Unconventional event venues: 31 considerations for finding the perfect fit
Finding the perfect job…finding the perfect size…finding the perfect mate…finding the perfect home… In almost every avenue of life, we are in search of finding the perfect fit. This too is true in the events industry. As event planners, one of our primary responsibilities is to find the perfect venue. Event venues come in all shapes and sizes, and range from conventional – such as a hotel or conference centre – to unconventional. The opportunities for unconventional event venues are…
-
Event technology checklist: 18 items to consider when planning your next event
We’ve covered a lot of ground with this four-part series on technology, and this illustrates the depth and breadth of the topic and the important role it plays. Most meeting planners have learned as they go, and this is certainly how it worked for me. To help you feel comfortable talking about event technology and, more importantly, negotiating pricing on Internet service, here is a list of things to know that will help you in the process. First and foremost,…
-
Creative formats for business events
Tools and tactics to create more emotional engagement and encourage greater overall participation and higher stakeholder satisfaction Business events these days are shifting. Attendees no longer want the same old snooze fest they’ve attended in past years. With technology changing and new generations taking over, one must keep their events interesting and flexible, allowing for attendees to connect with the event and enjoy their overall experience. There is no one-size-fits-all anymore. With four generations in the workforce, our events must…
