Where can I find conference space for 50?
Hello everyone
I am looking for some space to organise a week-long event, for around 50 people. What I need is place where people can sleep, eat, and have a kind of conference room. And it does not need to be fancy, most of all i would go for budget options.
Will appreciate any help!
ibu guru has given you good advice. If you have never done this before, beware. Everything must be in writing. They will bring a bill to you to pay before the end of the event, so all monies must be available or something else specified in the contract. You will have to personally make sure everything is going OK in case there aren’t enough chairs in meeting rooms, it’s too hot in the meeting rooms (rarely too cold). That microphones work. That the podium is actually there. There is ice water and enough glasses. They might want to use the conference room during the hours you won’t be using it, so you have to have your stuff secured some place else. Audio visual might be separate or may be your responsibility to arrange with another vendor.
My non-profit has had two day events for over 20 years and still things go wrong. We finally had to get a walkie-talkie from the event people because they are so hard to find in a big hotel/motel. The sleeping rooms won’t be your responsibility, but you will hear all the complaints. The facility will, however, drop the price of the meeting room if you have a lot of sleeping rooms booked. If you have them serve a catered meal or buffet or have an event with bar service, you might find the meeting room is free. Be flexible about dates – start as early as possible – get your special room rates fixed and make sure the deadline is known by everyone but there will be some play in how many rooms at that special rate they are willing to find for you if someone does miss the deadline. Do not do this alone. Always have someone else with you in all negotiations. Event planners leave in the middle of this process, so be sure you have copies of everything and don’t take what someone says as true because they might not be there when the event is put on. Check back frequently to make sure your space is still booked.
Also, don’t forget to work with your city’s event planning program if there is one big enough or places with meeting rooms who will coordinate with nearby motels for sleeping rooms.
Whoever signs the contract is responsible for paying the tab. Make sure that, if something doesn’t go off correctly, you personally aren’t responsible for it unless it is your personal project.
Above all, keep your sense of humor, have fun, and expect to be exhausted.
Any reputable hotel will have conference rooms, catering for conference events as well as the hotel restaurant and coffee shop for meals outside of the event, and of course rooms for the participants. For a group of 50, assuming you would need 30 or more rooms for participants coming from out-of-town, you will get a pretty good discount on the hotel rate. The size and number of conference rooms determine the rates for those.
Beware "budget" places as they will charge extra for podium, microphone, any other facilities, service is likely to be poor, etc. Go with a better hotel where the staff has experience with such events and they have a full-time events coordinator, sales manager, etc. Clearly a professional at a good hotel has more experience than you do and will guide you as to what you need that you didn’t even think of. The better places generally give bigger discounts for large groups than the "budget" places, too.
References :
ibu guru has given you good advice. If you have never done this before, beware. Everything must be in writing. They will bring a bill to you to pay before the end of the event, so all monies must be available or something else specified in the contract. You will have to personally make sure everything is going OK in case there aren’t enough chairs in meeting rooms, it’s too hot in the meeting rooms (rarely too cold). That microphones work. That the podium is actually there. There is ice water and enough glasses. They might want to use the conference room during the hours you won’t be using it, so you have to have your stuff secured some place else. Audio visual might be separate or may be your responsibility to arrange with another vendor.
My non-profit has had two day events for over 20 years and still things go wrong. We finally had to get a walkie-talkie from the event people because they are so hard to find in a big hotel/motel. The sleeping rooms won’t be your responsibility, but you will hear all the complaints. The facility will, however, drop the price of the meeting room if you have a lot of sleeping rooms booked. If you have them serve a catered meal or buffet or have an event with bar service, you might find the meeting room is free. Be flexible about dates – start as early as possible – get your special room rates fixed and make sure the deadline is known by everyone but there will be some play in how many rooms at that special rate they are willing to find for you if someone does miss the deadline. Do not do this alone. Always have someone else with you in all negotiations. Event planners leave in the middle of this process, so be sure you have copies of everything and don’t take what someone says as true because they might not be there when the event is put on. Check back frequently to make sure your space is still booked.
Also, don’t forget to work with your city’s event planning program if there is one big enough or places with meeting rooms who will coordinate with nearby motels for sleeping rooms.
Whoever signs the contract is responsible for paying the tab. Make sure that, if something doesn’t go off correctly, you personally aren’t responsible for it unless it is your personal project.
Above all, keep your sense of humor, have fun, and expect to be exhausted.
References :
Have done the facilities organizing when someone else did the program. Back in the olden days, an urn of coffee was $1 a cup and a cookie was $1. Ice water was free.