Conference Room Hire Questions to Ask

With Covid vaccines being rolled out, there is an end in sight of the pandemic, which means for business external real life events can take place again and conference room hire is back on the agenda.

So how do you find a location and room that will match your event criteria and what are the conference room hire questions to ask when planning your event.

In this article we will cover seven points some of which on first glance may seem obvious but are still very important to consider. These include

• Covid protocols
• Venue security
• Cancellation policy
• Catering options
• What’s included / excluded
• Conference room hire basics
• Technology
• Capacity and usage
• Is the venue sole use
• What capability to apply my branding

Conference room basics

Some essential questions to ask

1. What size of conference can you deal with?
2. How many delegates can you accommodate?
3. How many car parking spaces do you have?
4. Is car parking free, if not are you able to offer discounted car parking at alternative locations
5. How far are you from the nearest train station and are there sufficient taxis readily available? I remember one event where the venue was only 4 miles from the station. So it made perfect sense to travel by train to the event. Unfortunately there were only a handful of taxis available to transfer delegates on, which meant that many delegates ended up arriving late
6. Can the venue offer onsite accommodation, if not can it provide discounted delegate rates for attendees
7. Does the conference room / venue have air conditioning
8. Are there any pillars or obstructions in certain meeting rooms that will obscure a delegates experience. In which case which rooms will be most suitable for the numbers required
9. What floor or level are the meeting rooms on. Are the meetings on the 52nd floor – which means a lift ride for all delegates. Are the meeting rooms on level two, so simple to access but away from the prying eyes of those walking past at ground level.
10. What are the dimensions of the conference rooms and what configuration options are available for each

Covid Compliance at the conference venue

As we approach normality, there is a good chance that managing Covid will still be a critical issue. Depending on the venue type and location there will be different advice. In the UK the Health & Safety Executive is a great provider of information about working safely during coronavirus.

All meeting rooms, serviced offices, co working spaces and conference rooms will have achieved a minimum standard of health and safety and taken essential steps such as

• appropriate hand sanitisation
• providing access controls (track and trace)
• creating two way traffic flows to prevent congestion in pinch-point areas
• ensuring that rooms have adequate air circulation
• social distancing stickers / signs are in place
• Note – there may be additional requirements as the pandemic situation develops

To avoid any uncertainty and make sure you are working to the latest ( most appropriate) guides make sure you ask the business centre or conference venue manager the following questions. When were your health & safety protocols last reviewed and did you get an external body to moderate them. You might find it useful to request copies of Covid H&S documentation in case these need to be reviewed.

Cancelling Conference room hire

Unfortunately in the current climate cancelling an event may be something that occurs. No one knows if there will be further lockdowns, or if issues with new Covid variants will strike, or how we cope when the flu season strikes.

Therefore with so many circumstances outside of your control, you want to be able to cancel the conference venue without facing too much of a financial burden. Most reputable conference room hire operators are likely to offer a degree of flexibility if you have to cancel your conference / event.

It is worth checking this out as some venues will offer an immediate full refund within a reasonable timeframe, whilst others will retain some if not all of your money. So for conference room hire think of exactly the same scenario as the travel and airline industries.

Avoid “There’s an additional cost for that”

When booking a conference room its essential that you identify what is included and what is an additional hire cost. For example we have heard of conference facilities where they charge an extra cost per chair!

Some venues may appear expensive but will be an all inclusive cost which covers stages, AV equipment, flip charts and chairs. Whilst low cost venues might simply be an empty space with electricity charged as extra.

You may want to host 400 people but if the venue only have 300 chairs, who is going to bare that additional cost.

Conference Room Technology

Every conference venue will have its own distinct technological nuances and capabilities. Most venues should be able to provide good quality free WiFi as standard. The ability to cope with more advanced audio visual facilities i.e. microphones, speakers and digital displays is a different level.

Be aware though having great technology is one element, if you haven’t got enough easy to access power sockets within the building, you have a different problem.

Do you get sole use of the venue?

In the post-pandemic scramble for business, conference centres will be looking to get as many bookings as they can. This means that if they have a large venue or lots of meeting rooms, there may be several events on the same day.

If you want exclusivity, or you want to ensure your attendees get full use of the facilities and parking spaces, make sure you check out the usage of the conference centre from the very beginning. A conference with competitive industries all presenting simultaneously in the same venue on the same day, could become a recipe for disaster.

Conference Room Hire Questions – Summary

Contact Michelle Craig at Brightfield Business Hub on 01733 595885 or email Michelle Craig at arrange an appointment to see the wide range of conference and meeting rooms at BBH. Click here to have all your conference questions answered.

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