Investigating Venues

Toder says it’s also important to check the lighting in meeting areas, particularly large atria where groups gather for presentations. “There is no way to make those rooms dark during the day, which influences special-effect lighting and audio visuals, so it pays to know the different degrees of light you’ll have at different times of the day or early evening in those spaces,” she says.

Linda Wilkinson, senior manager of corporate events for Best Buy Corporation in Richfield, makes a point of checking on the cell phone service available inside convention centers or sprawling conference venues, since attendees are less than thrilled if they can’t get service while on site.

››› Food Service. Sampling the quality of food available from a venue’s caterer is a “must do” for most planners. Hoffman, for example, will ask that his lunch be prepared by the banquet kitchen during site visits. If meals will be served in outdoor terraces or other areas not typically used for food service, planners often want to walk the area with site managers to ensure the traffic flow, ambiance, and overall space will be appropriate for the event.

Planners also want to know if caterers can accommodate attendees with food allergies or special dietary restrictions, as well as ensure food safety, particularly if meals will be served buffet style outdoors on hot days. Oftentimes, such capabilities won’t be detailed thoroughly in the requests for proposals that meeting site representatives provide.

››› Cleanliness. One inspection essential is checking for the grime factor. Most planners are diligent about checking kitchens, guest rooms, public restrooms, and other areas for cleanliness. “When I spend a night at a hotel I’m considering, I check the baseboards and air conditioner filters in my room, look under the bed, check the bathroom, and more,” says Juntti. “I also look closely at the restrooms in the public areas, because I think how well they are kept is indicative of attention to cleanliness throughout the hotel.”

Juntti also monitors how long food trays are left in hallways outside hotel rooms, viewing it as another barometer of how seriously a hotel takes the cleanliness issue.

››› Security. Most planners use a site tour to look at fire-safety issues, determine the nearest urgent-care facilities for medical or dental emergencies, check on backup systems for power outages, and examine access to storage, office, and guest room areas. All are important to the safety of attendees and protection of expensive items like computer equipment or incentive gifts.

“We like to look at every possible entry point to the building and certain rooms when we’re on an inspection,” Toder says. “We just did an event in a large facility with three ballrooms, two floor levels, and plenty of common spaces in between them, and we checked on all the possible ways to breach security because you can’t always see all of them on a typical floor plan.”