Neptune Food & Wine the conservatory space at this Windsor food and wine venue is perfect for small function rooms Melbourne gatherings of up to 36 people. Planning a conference can be both exciting and daunting, depending on the scope of the event and the size of your budget. The most important thing to remember when planning a conference is that everything you do should help your guests feel welcome, comfortable, engaged, and ready to hear your conference’s message. If you keep this in mind while evaluating various conference venues, you’re sure to have a successful event.
Making your Attendees Feel Welcome
From the moment your attendees arrive at the conference venue, they should feel welcomed. You want attending the conference to seem like fun, not like an ordeal full of logistical hassles.
If most of your guests will be driving to the event, it should be easy to find reasonably priced parking. If most of your guests are from out of town, the venue should be easy for them to access from the airport by taxi or public transport. Ideally, the venue will also have good access to restaurants and hotels.
When your guests arrive at the conference venue, it should be easy for them to find the registration desk as well as the various rooms for their activities. You don’t want to choose a venue that is too big or impersonal where your guests will feel like rats in a maze as they rush from one event hall to another.
Making your Attendees Comfortable
People tend to spend a lot of time sitting and eating at conferences, so it’s important to choose a venue that can accommodate these activities comfortably. You want to make sure that the venue offers rooms that suit the size of your group well. Overstuffing a small room and under-filling a large room are equally bad and will make your guests feel awkward and uncomfortable.
Neglecting to arrange the seating properly will also make guests uncomfortable. Make sure that whatever venue you choose offers multiple seating options, such as theatre-style for presentations, banquet-style for meals, and boardroom-style for small meetings.
If the conference venue offers catering, ask to sample the menu beforehand. You want to make sure that everything will be fresh and delicious, because the quality of the food and table service will affect your guests’ impression of your company.
Engaging your Attendees
When it comes to engaging your attendees, obviously a lot depends on the quality of the content you offer in various presentations and activities. However, even the best content cannot be successful without good technological support.
When choosing a conference venue, make sure each room has a good microphone and sound system, as well as a multimedia projector and internet access if necessary. Ask for a demonstration of any computers or programs required to use these devices, and make sure that they will be compatible with your company’s content. Make sure that you can still see and hear the presentation even from the back of the room. If your guests will be taking a lot of notes or doing group work, you should also ensure that there is adequate lighting in each room.