Did you know? Many factors can determine the success of a meeting or event, but 91% measure the success of their events on attendee satisfaction. (EventMB, 2018) One way to ensure your attendees are satisfied with your upcoming meeting or event is by making the experiences convenient, easy, and stress-free. Think about all aspects of the meeting planning process, from pre-meeting to post-meeting. What areas could you make more convenient not only for your attendees but also for you and your staff? This article will discuss why it is important to focus on convenience in meetings and areas where we can enhance convenience in the planning.
Why Focus on Convenience?
Convenience is the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty. Consider all the aspects that go into a meeting from beginning to end. Your potential attendees are more likely to register, attend, and enjoy your meeting if it is convenient throughout the process. The role of convenience doesn’t only benefit your attendees but also can make items less stressful for the planner as well. Overall, it can benefit everyone if focused on during the planning development.
Areas Where We Can Enhance Convenience
Registration
Your meeting’s registration site should answer any frequently asked questions and be easy to navigate to make it the most convenient for your potential attendees. They do not want to work hard to register for your meeting. The more items that they need to click, or the more questions to answer, could deter potential attendees from completing the registration process. The “convenience aspect” makes your registration site as simple and effective as possible. Learn what factors go into creating the best registration site here.
Virtual or In-Person
Hybrid meetings (virtual & in-person) can increase the convenience for your attendees by letting them decide which option works better for their lifestyle. Many of your potential attendees have different life and work demands and cannot always drop everything to attend in person. Hybrid meetings allow you to reach a wider audience due to the flexibility of the attendance option. If hybrid is not an option, know your audience when scheduling a virtual or in-person meeting. Attendance goes up when it is most convenient for their calendar.
Location
If your meeting is in-person, consider the walkability of your venue and hotel to improve the convenience factor. It is a good idea to make all locations during your meeting close together. The shorter distance is helpful for both the attendees and staff. Provide clear instructions on how to get to each location so attendees don’t get lost or frustrated. Additionally, if air travel is involved, how far is the venue from the airport? Lay out all the different transportation options and how long it will take to get to your meeting site. Communication is key to success.
Instruction and Agenda
There are many items to consider when constructing the agenda: how can we be considerate of attendees and staff convenience?
First, consider the timing in between sessions. Attendees will need a long enough break to get to the upcoming session location, use the restroom, or do whatever they need to regroup.
Second, provide clear instructions about where events are being held and at what time.
Finally, you may add speakers, session bios, or any other information that will provide good information for all attendees.
Food and Beverage
60 percent of Americans say they monitor or restrict the consumption of at least one nutritional component in their diet (Food Engineering, 2014). During the registration process, it is smart to ask if attendees have any dietary restrictions or allergies. Some examples include lactose intolerant, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, kosher, keto, peanut allergy, etc. Then share the dietary data with the caterers to make menu planning more convenient and ensure all requests can be accommodated.
Pro-tip: Label all menu items with ingredients or which specific dietary requirements are met. A well-informed catering staff who can answer specific ingredient questions is also important.
To recap, when planning a meeting or event, consider how convenient each category is for everyone involved. It is important because everyone can benefit, and it will draw people to your next meeting. Create a post-meeting survey and ask questions regarding convenience to determine what worked and didn’t.
The LaClare Group has the expertise to bring your meetings and events to life and is here to provide free tips, tricks, and tools to help you succeed in your next meeting, whether in-person, hybrid or virtual!
We’re offering you a free 30-minute consultation on anything related to meetings & events -virtual, hybrid, or in-person! You can schedule your consultation today by email (info@laclaregroup.com) or by phone (952.737.6980).