The Meeting Planners Check List

The meeting planner needs to remember a multitude of points, from the first day of planning the event through to completion.

This is the Hotelpacc top 80+ checks for a typical corporate meeting involving up to 500 delegates, which should cover most eventualities. Adapt it to suit your own special requirements.

Remember if you have any questions you can always ask Hotelpacc for sound and impartial advice!

Finance

1. How is the conference financed?
2. What is the estimated cost of staging the conference and have budgets been agreed?
3. Which aspects of the conference will be free to delegates, which will be charged back and which will be paid for direct (extended stays, personal extras, etc)?
4. If delegates have to pay for specific items, do they know this, do they need to book in advance and is a deposit necessary?
5. Has the finance department been advised of the liabilities and agreed the timing for deposits and payments so they are aware of cash flow implications?
6. Does the venue/hotel have clear instructions as to who can authorise additional expenditure and how all conference and personal extras are to be paid?

Professional assistance

7. Have you appointed a conference company to assist you with venue finding, event management and, if venue and hotels are separate, hotel accommodation?
Hotelpacc provides free quotes without obligation fully integrated online solutions.
8. Will Online facilities be required for registration management and can they provide them? Ask Hotelpacc for details of their registration management services.
9. Are their staff experienced and accessible and will they be present during the conference?
10. Have you arranged your audiovisual and presentation requirements?
11. Have you appointed a production company for set build?
12. If an exhibition is being staged have you appointed and exhibition contactor?
13. Will you need a PR company?

Choosing the venue

(Hotelpacc can provide invaluable help and venues you may not know)

14. Can the venue cope with the numbers required for meeting room space, catering space and syndicate or breakout rooms? If you need to limit numbers for some meetings have you integrated this with online registration?
15. Is the venue conveniently located for delegates arriving by air, road, or rail?
16. Is the venue well located for places of technical interest for delegate?
17. If a retreat is required is the venue isolated from outside distraction?
18. Are outdoor facilities required and if so have these been reserved?
19. Delegates will need information about the venue including:
1. A location map and directions for various means of travel
2. Car parking facilities
3. Sports and leisure facilities

20. Are disabled facilities required?
21. Are there first aid points and where are they located?
22. The venue's terms and conditions should be studied very carefully.
    Tip - pay special attention to the payment and cancellation terms.

23. Are there any unfavourable elements such as excessive aircraft or traffic noise?
24. Does the venue have the right technical facilities, lectern, projectors etc?
25. Does the venue have a PA system and are the right sorts of microphones available - adjustable, stand mounted, roving?
26. Is the foyer area large enough to hold all the delegates before and after sessions and during recesses? Is it suitable for tea/coffee service? Is it suitable to locate the reception desk?

Meeting rooms

27. Does each room have all the required facilities for the style you require (theatre, schoolroom, workshops etc)?

1. Are there any pillars or obstructions?
2. Is the ceiling the right height?
3. Can the speakers' platform and audiovisual equipment be accommodated?
4. Does the room have the necessary air-conditioning, soundproofing, lighting and sound system?
5. Can these be properly controlled and adjusted? For example dimming equipment for lighting? Is air-conditioning silent and effective?
6. Are there sufficient power points of the right type and voltage and are they suitably located?
7. Can the room be dimmed for audiovisual presentations?
8. If simultaneous interpretation is required, is the system permanently installed? Is there sufficient space for hired in equipment to be set up?
9. Are there facilities for displays around the perimeter of the room or on the walls?
10. Are the doors wide enough to cope with delegates arriving and departing in large numbers and for bringing in displays? If not, are there bigger service entrances that can be used?
11. Are washrooms close to the main conference room?
12. If the meeting rooms need to be cleared for rearrangement, or to allow catering staff to lay tables for meals, is there adequate space elsewhere, for example an ante-room? And if so, can refreshments or drinks be served during the change-over times?
13. Are the venue personnel experienced and co-operative?

Syndicate rooms

28. Are they sufficient and of the right size? Are they conveniently located? Are they included in the overall charge or are they an additional cost?
29. Are they needed throughout the period of the event or could you save money by reducing the period of requirement?

Hotelpacc is always ready to provide free, sound and impartial advice. There's no substitute for experience!

Catering - Drinks

30. Has a policy been set and advised concerning consumption of alcohol during the conference?
31. Are drinks to be included with meals and if so what type? Are cash purchasing facilities available for any drinks on individual's own account?
32. Have the wines to accompany meals been chosen and has the venue/hotel ordered sufficient stock?
33. Does the venue/hotel have clear instructions as to who can authorise additional expenditure on drinks during the conference?

Catering - Food

34. You must be sure as to when notification of final numbers is due for all
    catering events. The main items to be calculated and checked are:

1. Tea or coffee during registration
2. Morning tea or coffee
3. Afternoon tea or coffee
4. Lunch, whether it is a buffet or semi-formal
5. Dinner, whether it is a buffet, banquet involving entertainment, dancing, dinner in a location removed from the conference?
6. Can the meeting hall cope with the catering requirements within its own threshold?
7. Are meals to be buffet style or sit-down?
8. Will special meals be required for dietary or religious reasons? Bear in mind staff from overseas?
9. Can the venue handle the opening party and/or any gala dinner - or would you prefer a different location?

Hotelpacc has expert staff available to assist with menu planning and advice on every aspect of catering and banqueting.

Accommodation

Ask Hotelpacc for details of free dedicated hotel reservation websites for events with revenue earning potential:

35. Are bedrooms easily accessible from the conference facility?
36. Are rooms required for disabled guests?
37. Are smoking and non smoking rooms required?
38. Do contractual terms allow sufficient flexibility for late bookers?
39. Are upgraded rooms available for senior staff and speakers?
40. Delegates will need to know the facilities available in the hotel rooms including:

1. Self dial telephone & fax facilities
2. Modem facilities for laptop computers
3. Internet access
4. Air-conditioning
5. Laundry facilities
6. Trouser press and/or ironing facilities

41. What deposits will be required and when must they be paid?
42. Will any special rooms or executive suites be required for senior staff or guests?
43. Do delegates understand arrangements for settling accounts? Could the system cause misunderstanding or lead to disagreements? If so, can it be simplified?
44. Is accommodation held so delegates can arrive early or leave later than the conference period if they are travelling from overseas? Will the special conference price still apply? Is the facility on the website?
45. Will rooming lists be available well before the conference begins?
Tip - use a false name on the rooming list for anyone whose identity is sensitive.

46. What are the check-in and check-out procedures?
47. Are baggage storage facilities required and available?
48. If delegates are storing baggage in cars prior to check-in or after check-out, is the car park secure?

Conference programme

49. Is the theme of the conference reflected throughout?
50. Is there a correct balance of business and relaxation and opportunities for networking?
51. Is there continuity?
52. Has the conference chairperson been fully briefed including housekeeping notes?
53. Have the various functions, sessions, speakers and activities been afforded the appropriate priorities?
54. Have all requirements of the conference plan been met in arranging the format?
55. Conferences held regularly tend to develop established traditions, or at least their own customary ways of doing things. It's important that neither the business nor social events should ignore established traditions. Particular attention to detail should be paid during the following:

1. Opening and closing sessions
2. Formal receptions, lunches and dinners
3. Technical visits and facility tours

Guest speakers

56. If guest speakers are invited, which items will have to be provided by the conference organizers?

1. Travel to and from the conference
   Tip - check out that the class of travel has been agreed beforehand - there's a big difference in cost between a first class and economy flight ticket on a long haul route!
2. Accommodation for speaker
3. Meals
4. Hospitality
5. Other items?

Have all these costs been assessed and budgeted?

57. Will the speakers be accompanied by their spouses and who will pay for spouses?
58. Have the speakers been fully briefed as to how their contribution fits in to the overall conference plan? Will they require audiovisual aids?
59. What specific subject will each speaker convey? Will there be enough variety? Are the personalities and styles of the individual speakers properly balanced to ensure changes in tempo without loss of continuity?
60. Is sufficient time available for speakers to cover their subject and to ensure the programme will not run late?
61. Will papers be printed and distributed to delegates during or soon after the conference?
62. Does the conference allow sufficient opportunity for delegates to question speakers and follow up topical points of interest?
63. Have syndicate rooms been properly allocated according to popularity of speaker or topic?

Exhibition

64. If the conference is to be accompanied by an exhibition, how big is the required exhibition space (gross and net usable) and is it easily accessible to both the conference and banqueting rooms?
65. Is the exhibition hall large enough, high enough and the right layout?
66. What is the maximum floor loading?
67. Can large exhibits be taken in easily?
68. Does it have the right services: gas, water and electrical connections, adequate lighting, lighting points, air-conditioning, telephone points?
69. Does it have its own experienced personnel, onsite electrician, security, etc?
70. When is the space accessible for set-up and breakdown?

Invitations & registration

71. Ensure that invitations and registration information for the conference are sent out as early as possible. They should contain the:

1. Theme of the event
2. Destination and venue
3. Dates
4. Speakers and subjects to be covered
5. Cut off date by which forms must be returned
6. Possible policy statement concerning requirement to attend and statement of code of practice concerning late cancellation or failing to appear after acceptance.
7. Website addresses for online registration
8. Website address for hotel reservations

Equipment and special items

Tip - Quite often it is the vast amount of small items required for a conference that bump up costs just as the budget is being stretched. Costs for the small items should be watched carefully.

72. Check if the presentation area will have:

1. Water flask and glasses, ashtrays, pens and pads?
2. Flip charts?
3. Magnetic and pin boards?
4. Illuminated lectern for speaker (with microphone if needed), laser-pointer?
5. Podium, stage sets?
6. Large lettered name cards for speakers, chairman etc?

73. Will conference gifts, prizes or mementoes be required?
74. Have all audio visual aids been organized?
75. Will technicians be required for audiovisual equipment, lighting and what are the costs?
76. Is a photographer required to record the event?
77. Will floral decorations be required? In what quantity and when will they need to be delivered?
78. Is conference office space available, well located, sufficient in size and properly equipped?
79. The following equipment and secretarial facilities may be needed in the conference office:

1. Pcs and printers
2. Telephone, modem and fax facilities
3. Internet access
4. Company telephone directory for direct dialling
5. Photocopying machine (with consumables - paper, toner etc)
6. Interpretation services
7. A full range of stationery - scissors, stapler, paper clips, adhesive tape, envelopes of various sizes, glue, spare pens/pencils, dusters, rulers, velcro tape, string etc.

Hotelpacc provides all the solutions to meet your objectives.

Registration

(Find out about Hotelpacc's Registration Management solutions)

80. Have badges been organized?
81. What time will registration take place each day? Have staff been allocated to cover the registration and information desk throughout the entire conference?
82. Where will the registration desk be situated? How many tables, desks and chairs will be needed?
83. Will delegates get a conference pack on arrival? If so, are the following items included:

1. Folder
2. Name badge
3. Note paper
4. Pencil or ball point pen
5. Program

84. Delegates should be provided with information about check-in & check-out arrangements, transport arrangements to airports or stations after the event, security, safety deposit facilities, first aid points, policies on smoking during the conference, arrangements for messages, facilities for making telephone calls, sending faxes or receiving email. Timings of departures and return travel to any offsite venues.

Now think again ... has anything been forgotten?

Hotelpacc and its associated divisions does not accept liability or responsibility for the information, or any errors or omissions, set out in this listing, which is designed to be a guide for general reference purposes only.