Sense and Sensibility

As head of the European bureau of Meeting Planners International and marketing director of the European Federation of Conference Towns, Geoffrey Smith has checklists galore for assessing conference facilities and services. For selecting a hotel, he asks such questions as: How handy is it for airport transfers and road and rail arrivals? Is the car parking accommodation satisfactory? How many spaces are there? What public transport and taxi services are available? How many function rooms and sleeping rooms are there? How attractive is the price? What can be negotiated? Is it possible to benefit from seasonal and group rates? What other meetings are scheduled at the venue at the same time? (An overworked and exhausted staff is not desirable). Which hotel executive will be responsible for the event? Will he be easy to work with? Is the property handy for places which delegates or accompanying persons may want to visit — shops, entertainment, cultural attractions, restaurants, etc? Does it have a pool, gymnasium, sauna, nearby jogging, tennis, golf? Are the bar prices and hours acceptable? Will the hotel provide a special check‐in desk for your delegates, with quick service or pre‐booking? Will the meeting registration desk be well sited? What about in‐house restaurants, coffee shop, menus and prices? Does it cater for handicapped people? Are the halls and public rooms fresh and clean? Is the front office a cheerful place? Is the surrounding area safe at night? If the conference includes overseas delegates, do some staff speak their languages?