Whether you are living in the UK or abroad – where do you start when planning an international conference ?
The obvious place to start is the conference or training venue . Finding an international conference centre to deal with your individual conference requirements could prove to be more difficult than it seems. Nonetheless, finding an appropriate international conference venue will be crucial to the successful outcome of your event .
Therefore consider the following five key points:
• Access – Where are your delegates coming from? Think about motorway access, rail networks and, in case of an international conference or training event , proximity to airports.
• Wi-Fi – Are you familiar with the true internet speed at the conference venue? Guests these days use a great selection of items to go online – including laptops, tablets and mobile phones – to get in touch with friends, families and colleagues. These increased levels of activity create increased pressure on accessibility and reliability of the internet; therefore make sure your chosen venue can cope with online demand, to avoid you having to deal with frustrated delegates.
• Capacity – How many delegates to you expect? Make sure the conference meeting rooms are able to cope with a comfortable variance of a minimum of 10% – ensuring your guests remain comfortable should the number increase beyond the original number of guests.
• Accommodation – Can the venue accommodate all the delegates on-site? Make sure you book enough bedrooms at the booking stage, allowing for an approximate variance of 10% and agreeing with the venue to hold a certain amount of rooms on a provisional basis until total numbers are received. It is a fine balance, no-one wants to be caught out with hefty cancellation charges, but similarly no-one wants to stay at a different venue.
• Cuisine – Are you confident the venue will meet your expectations? First understand the attendees’ expectations and then establish whether the venue can cope with the requirements. For example, a delegation from the Far East might want to experience British cuisine, but a group from South America may find the British style of cooking a little too bland. Then there are religion, special diets and general culture to consider as well.
International conference centres will be able to provide the facilities and level of service to cope with the above requirements. It may be a good idea to start your search online, simply enter the search phrase ‘conference venue UK‘ in your chosen search engine, then select three or four venues to compare.
For more information about Lane End Conference Centre, contact Sales & Marketing Manager Heni Fourie, telephone +44 (0)845 521 3013.
