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Using a hotel to hold events or conferences has become common practise. It is a safe bet, as hotels are facilities that offer an entire range of convenient services relevant to corporate meetings, exhibitions, congresses, training or team-building activities, among other types of events.
Organising a hotel event is an excellent idea, for the reasons we’ll discuss in this article. But choosing the hotel best adapted to the needs of your next event will be a vital part of their success. To ensure the right choice, we’ll discuss the essential factors to bear in mind when putting it all together.
Why hold your event in a hotel?
Hotel events provide much more than a space to hold a product presentation or launch, or even a congress venue. As they become more accustomed to being chosen by organizers, many hotels now offer special conditions to turn your event into a unique experience.
Networking
One of the main advantages of organising a hotel event are the networking spaces that can be generated, above and beyond the main purpose of the event. An easy-going atmosphere is always conducive to exchanging points of view in a more relaxed, even productive way. Just think of how business deals have come to life during the breakfast buffet!
Without a doubt, networking is a fundamental part of many events, as it provides professionals involved in the same field with the opportunity to meet and get to know one another. To boost this part of your event, consider holding it at a hotel.
Security and organization
Another of the reasons to organise a hotel event is that they come equipped with complete reception, security and organization staffs. When you hire out such a facility, you will probably receive support for certain tasks and be able to devote your efforts to what really matters, in addition to lowering and handling stress levels throughout the organization or production phases of your event. What’s more, your technical equipment and the belongings of attendees will always be safe throughout the event.
Personalized service
Sometimes, the smallest details are as important as any of the larger items. A hotel event can offer personalized service, efficiently meeting the needs of the organizers as well as attendees.
Services
Being in a hotel is the closest thing to being at home. Hotels offer a broad selection of amenities and services for their guests to feel comfortable at all times. In most cases, organizers and attendees are welcome to useTECH the services themselves: event and meeting rooms, audiovisual equipment, rooms, parking facilities, restaurants, catering, health club, spa, pool and much more.
Convenience, image and time-savings
Holding a hotel event generally ensures a higher level of convenience than other types of spaces. It also helps build a good image that your guests will notice, thanks to the facilities: event space, meeting rooms, the possibility to stay on-site, etc. which can even cut down on unnecessary travel, saving time and adding to convenience.
Team building
Whether or not you decide to stay at the event hotel, there is always the possibility to hold team-building activities organized by the hotel itself: golf, tennis, cultural or gastronomic outings, hands-on workshops, nature walks, etc. Any excuse will do to strengthen the bonds of teamwork among the staff.
5 keys to choosing the right hotel for your next event
Now that you know more about the pros of an event-ready hotel, you may be thinking of one for your next act. If so, here are a few of the keys that will help you find the hotel best adapted to your needs, and those of your participants.
Event date
The first item to define is the date the event is to be held. Planning it with enough time in advance is key, as this will give you the chance to look at several options with time and peace of mind. Hotels can have limited availability for events. So the further in advance you plan, the better the quote you can get.
Location
Location of the hotel event you choose is another crucial factor. You can choose one close to the airport, in the city centre surrounded by everything you or your guests may need, or a venue in the mountains, or on a beach, far from the madding crowd. It all depends on your goals.
Available spaces
Of course, the hotel you choose should offer all the spaces you need. You must also take into account the number of attendees the space has capacity for, the services or suppliers it offers or the possibility for overnight stays.
It is a good idea to make a check-list of everything you’ll need, to easily determine whether the hotel chosen meets your expectations.
Technical requisites
Before choosing the best hotel for the celebration of your hotel event, you have to consider the technical requisites and make an inspection visit to the site to study in-depth all of the aspects that could have an impact, in addition to determining whether the audiovisual set-up meets all the requirements.
That is why we recommend you work with a solid audiovisual partner from the very beginning.
If you need assistance in the selection process, this video covers a few tips that will help you make the right choice for your next event.
Among many others, a key aspect is to know whether the hotel has its own audiovisual equipment. If they do, ask for a detailed quote for using it, and find out if the price of renting the video, audio and lighting equipment is included with the price of the rooms, or is charged separately.
Proceed with caution; some hotels have exclusivity deals with their audiovisual providers! If so, find out and negotiate conditions in advance. Also, read the contract carefully before signing it. Remember, most places will respect your right to work with your own audiovisual partner.
During the visit, you’ll want to confirm the hotel’s experience with events, their equipment and internal audiovisual capabilities as concerns additional equipment and technology.
In addition to finding out whether the hotel can provide everything you need, ask them for a plan or 3D render to envision the event before putting it on. This service will help you transform a simple list of audiovisual components into a three-dimensional portrayal of exactly how the stage, screens, lighting, sound and everything else will be. You’ll know whether the implementation of the equipment is correct, and if your scenographic proposal is doable, in addition to seeing the design of the lighting and placement of the attendees.
Also remember to make a check-list with your questions, and research in depth the technical services to avoid last-minute surprises. Here are a few of the questions you can ask:
- Is the lighting of the space dimmable?
- What is the ideal microphone for your event and speakers? How many will you need?
- Do you need LED screens? If not, do you require projection screens? If you do, is front or rear projection better?
- Will you use the rigging of the room if it is possible?
- Which is the rigging set-up best-suited for your event?
- Does the hotel have the sound and lighting capabilities that you need?
- Is there stable high-speed Internet connectivity?
- If the event is international, will you need simultaneous translation booths?
- Will the staff need an intercom system for the event?
- Will you need lighting on the stage? Will you need decorative lighting?
- Will your event be streamed live?
Activities and facilities
As we have already mentioned, holding hotel event can go above and beyond your basic goals. If you’d like to offer your guests an unforgettable experience, make sure the hotel you choose offers the right facilities and activities to bring extra added value to your event. Health club and spa, golf course, tennis or paddle tennis courts, pool, game room, karaoke, team-building activities, etc.
As shown, hotels ready to hold events offer a broad array of exciting possibilities that can turn your next event into an unforgettable experience.
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This article was first published in Dushow Spain, you can read the original Spanish version here.
