Business First Family Business, Accounting, Finance, Investing, Marketing And Management
Meetings and connection occasions between businesses are the lifeblood of so many different industries. Ideas can be discussed, concepts can be considered, deals can be made, and business gets done. But how do you choose where to go? As an entrepreneur, how do you pick from the range of hotels, restaurants, conference centers, shared office space and business parks that could be the place to go? How do you find the ambience and the setting that is most conducive to what you need? While there are several subjective questions that only you and your colleagues can answer, the following practical considerations are something to always watch out for.
Location, Location, Location
This may seem an obvious thing to state, but it is something that often gets indirectly overlooked. Too many people when planning a meeting offsite think that just anywhere nearby, or somewhere within a reasonable price bracket will do. They forget that a location can carry meaning.
Choosing a location that has meaning can add much-needed heft and weight to the proceedings. Perhaps, you and the business leaders you are meeting with all work in an industry that had its birthplace in this particular city. Maybe previous iterations of one or both of your companies had headquarters nearby. If you do enough in-depth research into the people you are meeting, you could find a place that has a personal connection for one or more members of the team you are meeting. The first port of call in all these kinds of selections should be the location, hence why real-estate people tend to mention it three times, minimum.
Transport Links
Once you have established where you want to go, your next important question is how everyone gets there. If you are expecting everyone to arrive by car, there is parking and highway/motorway connections to consider. Options in the very middle of a big real estate city might seem ideal as they are bustling, busy, and interesting, but they also can be difficult to get to without public transport. Make sure the location you are heading to features the kinds of links and connections that all parties would expect to find.
Technical Support
For many business meetings, you are going to be making a presentation, and you are going to want it to be the best presentation possible. Projectors, movie screens, flat screen televisions, tablets at every seat on the table. All these and more can often be found when dealing with a certain kind of conference venue. Depending on your technical requirements, even if the location in question doesn’t immediately advertise them, do not be afraid to ask. These businesses are keen to accommodate potential clients, and will likely find a way to either do what you ask, or get as close as they can.
Amenities
The meeting itself, the discussions, the ideas, the conversation, these are possibly as little as half of what it takes to actually get the deals you need to be done. Business is about business people, and like all people, business people like to be comfortable in creative meeting rooms. The kinds of amenities for rest and relaxation available at your meeting site will be key to clinching the big deal you need. Is there a well-stocked bar? Are the room’s decorations lavish and luxurious with comfortable chairs? Is there a quality restaurant nearby to celebrate the arrangement with a good meal? Henry Kissinger once famously said that he agreed the US’s recognition of Taiwan as part of China because the previous night he enjoyed an excellent plate of Peking Duck. If you can find a meeting place with the right food, much like the kind you can see if you click here, anything could be possible.
Meetings are events that need to be delicately planned, carefully coordinated, and meticulously researched. By factoring in the right location, transport connections, technical support, and available amenities, anything is possible.
