5 top tips to choosing the right meeting room

The meeting room is a place where great ideas are born, of facilitated collaboration and where people are brought together in the best possible way. For whatever reason you are holding a meeting, finding the right space to do so can have a significant impact on how favourably your meeting goes. Hiring professional, comfortable and fully equipped meeting spaces reflects well on your organisation, so it is important you choose the right one.

With an overabundance of room types and venues to choose from, how do you know what meeting room best suits your needs? Here we take a look at the top 5 tips to choosing the right venue for your meeting.

Know the details

Before you begin your search for the most suitable venue, you need to know the basic details. Even the simple things such as dates, how long you need the room for, how many people will be attending, if refreshments are provided or cost extra, if pens and notepads are supplied and more. If you are unsure on the number of people that will be attending then book a room that will accommodate for the maximum amount of people you think will be there. It is easier to downsize than upsize on the day.

It really is that simple. Knowing that all of the small details have been sorted before your meeting will remove any unforeseen surprises. It is worth noting what venues include in their price and what features cost extra. Some prices just include the meeting room itself, while others, like Roffey Park Institute, also include complimentary Wi-Fi, refreshments and utensils, as well as the use of our leading AV/IT equipment.

Does the venue suit your technological needs?

As well knowing the finer details, it is important you choose the venue that can match your more advanced needs. For example, do you need big screens for PowerPoint presentations? Will there be people joining the meeting virtually? Does the venue have a secure and strong Wi-Fi? Again, it all depends on what you are looking for but understanding your needs, no matter how complicated, will put you in good stead when choosing the right venue.

Roffey Park is an international leadership institute which delivers high impact training and development programmes. As experts in the field of collaboration, we have ensured all of our meeting rooms meet your needs and demands. We also understand the rapidly evolving world of technology more than most and as a result we have supercharged our onsite technology, allowing teams to meet flexibly and accessibly. For example, by using our state-of-the-art Kubi robots you can interact with anybody, anywhere, face to face.

The right environment

Understanding what you need is important, and so is the space you are meeting in. We have all been in those meetings with a lack of natural daylight, where the lights are too bright, the wallpaper is peeling and you are just not at ease. Spaces where you are most comfortable, and your true self encourage innovation, collaboration and creativity. Look for venues that offer spacious rooms with large windows and plenty of natural daylight.

It might take a while to find a venue that has the right environment for you. Perhaps you would like to opt for somewhere set in a more natural location or somewhere more urban, it is up to you. With a sleek but comforting interior, plenty of natural daylight and a view to the stunning grounds, Roffey Park Institute’s meeting rooms are designed to make you feel as easy as possible.

Communication

Booking the right meeting room is not as simple as adding to basket and checking out. You have needs and demands and you want to get them across to the venue. It is important to communicate and talk to the venue staff – if you can visit in person then brilliant, if not a phone call is fine. You get the feel of a venue through the staff. Are they friendly? Are they cooperative and confident they can meet your needs? Do they answer your questions confidently and have you got the answers you were looking for? Do they have plenty of photographs of the different rooms?

Having the best hospitality team by your side will help your meeting run as smooth as possible, it can also impress colleagues and clients. At Roffey Park Institute we pride ourselves on having a hospitality team passionate about excellent customer service. From the moment you get in touch to the minute you leave; we ensure a service keen to accommodate and impress.

Check out reviews and feedback

Any venue can tell you how impressive and accommodating their meeting rooms are, but it is important to hear it from the customers. Customer feedback will tell you what the space is like from a likeminded individual, whether the venue has matched their needs or not, if the environment is suitable for a meeting and if the staff and hospitality team were helpful. In our ever-evolving digital world reviews are everywhere, so take advantage of that.

If a venue does not have a platform for customer feedback then that would worry me. Roffey Park’s clients frequently leave feedback on many different platforms that include TripAdvisor, Trust Pilot, Booking.com, Google and Facebook. If you are reading this and considering Roffey Park as the right venue for you then please check out our customer feedback.

If you’re looking for a venue for your next meeting, conference or event, check out Roffey Park’s virtual tour to see what our venue can offer.

Categorised in: Facilities