Mr. Dolce

Meetings & Conventions

Venue Choice: First and Most Important Factor in Coordinating a Meeting

By Andy Dolce, Founder, Chairman & Managing Partner, Dolce International

In the early years in this industry, corporate meetings and conferences were stodgy affairs with limited options in terms of location and capability. Although sites offered room accommodations for large groups, guests had only two choices on the dinner menu. Meeting equipment consisted of an easel and a slide projector, and too frequently, there was a coffee hour that offered more varieties of sweeteners than beverages.

Clearly we have come light years when it comes to the depth and variety we offer meeting planners in our meetings, but it is the choice of venues - the meeting site or destination - that has truly made a big impact on the industry. In fact, the excitement, anticipation and expectations that surround a conference are completely contingent on the venue choice. Meeting planners live by this truth. Venue, some might argue, is perhaps even more important than the very content of the conference. If the setting is a distraction, or the center ill-equipped for the agenda, the conference goals simply cannot be met. This is why meeting planners spend so much time deliberating on the property, as much as they would on planning their conference agenda. The right venue doesn't just enhance the meeting; it sets the tone for the entire event, contributes to overall productivity, and leaves attendees satisfied with their worthwhile experience. It is hardly an overstatement to say that venue determines the meeting's success.

A meeting planner must pick their client's venue based on flexibility and comfort, criteria that are inherent in conference centers. Although conference centers are ideal places to accommodate small to mid-sized meetings, not all conference centers are created equal, nor do they necessarily serve the same needs. Conference center companies represent a variety of facilities, including executive, resort, universities hotels, and corporate learning centers. (Meeting planners can also consider convention centers if there group is large.) Furthermore, these different types of sites can be found in various urban, suburban, resort and college settings.

Although it sounds confusing, selecting a site can actually be easy once you identify your conference objectives. While flexibility and comfort are mainstays for choosing a venue, each client also has a unique set of priorities such as cost, availability, cutting edge technology, ultra-modern resort facilities, food and beverage, destination, safety, and seclusion.

Meanwhile, meeting planners are aggressively courted by the thousands of hotel facilities that bill themselves out as meeting centers, but come up short in every respect of the definition of a true "conference center". Meeting planners must decide if they will choose from the more than 300 members of the International Association of Conference Centers, truly experienced in coordinating the details for more specialized meetings. It's important for conference planners to realize that more than half the space of an IACC-certified venue is devoted to conference space separate from the leisure areas. Why is this important? For starters, it guarantees clients' business can be conducted in environs ideally suited for it. It means they literally own that area of real estate for the duration of the conference, space where their guests can mingle with each other, minus the distractions of the property's other guests. Consider it a quasi-headquarters for a company-only better because it's a welcome change of scenery.

The conference center philosophy is based on flexibility; not only in our means of executing an array of themed events, but also in our flexibility and collaboration with our clients with pricing plans. Companies trust that when they come to a certified conference center, they won't be socked with hidden fees and surcharges, but will enjoy the highest quality event at the right price. Indeed, most hotel competitors excel at the "add-on charge", which when added up weigh heavily on the per person cost of a meeting. On the other hand, our ability to offer flexible pricing plans within the Complete Meeting Package (the conference center's industry standard pricing plan) results in no surprise costs and easy per person calculations.

Recognized member centers of the International Association of Conference Centers also demonstrate their flexibility in their ability to accommodate a range of events, suitable for their unique and diverse sites; be it the intensive week-long seminars at a destination conference resort or one-day-only training sessions at a university learning center. Many companies prefer the built-in downtime associated with a luxury resort setting; others desire focused training and/or team building, best suited for a remote and rustic conference center. We even distinguish between a suburban facility, where attendees spend the bulk of their time on-site, versus an urban center, which allows visitors to take advantage of the local hustle and bustle. In many cases, the success of a meeting or event is measured on attendance. For short meetings, getting there hassle-free is important. Perhaps a drive-to destination would be more appropriate or, a location close to the airport.

Certified conference centers also pride themselves in the choice of services and comforts that make a successful meeting. The variety and ability to provide these types of services are also a key component in the meeting planner's choice of venue. For instance, a site which offers meeting rooms fully loaded with the kind of multimedia equipment that would allow employees, say, based in New Zealand to attend a conference located in New York may be a better choice than the IACC center that offers top of the line ergonomic chairs and non-glare desk space for maximum comfort. Or, a facility with audio-visual equipment that allows for cutting-edge presentations that not only instruct, but captivate, may be better suited than a conference resort which offers more social activities for team building experiences. Whatever the destination, IACC facilities always include trained and proficient technicians to coordinate, even help produce top quality meetings. No taping on microphones here. Even the lighting is designed with productivity in mind.

Outside the meeting rooms, certified conference centers offer meal plans customized for their clientele. Whether it is a four-star gourmet dinner or a "shorts only" barbecue. Clients aren't held to rigid times for these meals, either. Midnight buffets are common, as are ultra-early breakfasts for the most time-sensitive events. Any time a meeting is in session, a splendor of refreshments await just outside the doors for those in need of a quick pick me up in the form of coffee, soda, or a midday snack. Far gone are the days of stacked water bottles on a table. The area is constantly cleaned and replenished, with staffers on hand to handle even made-to-order requests.

Of course, we know that the conference doesn't end once the meeting is over. That's why the guest rooms in our facilities are equipped with desk space and Internet connectivity. Even amenities as oft-overlooked as an iron and ironing board, so guests can always look and feel their best, are a fixture of many certified facilities, including those of Dolce International. Certainly our sites recognize the value and importance of on-site leisure activities. So much so, that golf and tennis courses, spas, fitness centers and fine dining venues are crucial components of our value proposition. At Dolce's Aspen Meadow Resort, our corporate clients can enjoy hot air balloon rides or whitewater rafting trips. Whereas at Dolce's Zermatt Resort and Spa in Utah, which was inspired by Swiss architecture and has the look and feel of a quaint Alpine village, clients have access to ice fishing and snowmobiling. That sounds like more of a vacation to me! Yes such off-the-beaten track leisure escapes hold opportunities for great team building experiences and social interaction.

Working with a client well before the event to determine the objectives, helps pinpoint the right venue from the outset. At Dolce and other conference center companies, we consider all aspects of the conference event, from duration and topic to corporate culture and audience expectation. For example, recognizing the difference between a Silicon Valley client, whose company prizes out-of-the-box-thinking alongside their informal dress code, and a Wall Street investment firm, with its white-shoe culture and formal environment, is key in coordinating the right type of event and booking the right venue.

The conference center choices are clear. Resort conference centers, for example, are suitable for company's that are really out to motivate, inspire, and reward. They are perfect for sales and customer recognition meetings. It's a vacation atmosphere, with the resort offering upscale amenities and plenty of outdoor and indoor recreational facilities, such as golf courses and a spa. Of course, companies have to be willing to incorporate free time for their employees to enjoy the facilities though. Resorts are also a big draw for groups, for which attendance is not mandatory, as many delegates will add pre- and post-time to take advantage of the resort's offerings.

Suburban conference centers are meant for extended stays, with intensive training seminars, and perhaps product launches. The properties feel more like private estates or inns, making the group build a strong bond, like a family. They are located in out of the way destinations, free of distractions, with attendees spending the majority of free time on-site, taking advantage of recreation facilities on its grounds.

Urban conference centers are ideal for strategic planning, learning and training, mixed with a bit of the local downtown flavor as attendees have access to all that is nearby. Like urban centers, colleges and universities are ideal for employee training, strategic planning, as well as for team building. Colleges are especially attractive for groups with entry level, twenty something-year-olds. Plus, being on campus, in an academic setting, can offer some sought after inspiration.

Regardless of the locale, IACC-recognized conference centers lead the industry by providing professional and experienced staffers from the very beginning of a meeting booking, providing the clients with guided and informed decisions as to when, how and most important "where" to coordinate a successful event. That type of collaborative partnership continues throughout the event in the form of technical expertise and on-hand event coordinators, giving the client's own meeting planner more time to spend with their group, and time leftover to enjoy some golf and spa treatments at that conference resort!

Andrew (Andy) J. Dolce founded Dolce Hotels which has become the world's leading conference hotel company by providing environments where people can meet and learn. Dolce is at the forefront with properties in the U.S., Canada and Europe. He has been named one of the "25 Most Influential Executives" in the meetings and travel industries by both "Meeting News" and "Business Travel News". Mr. Dolce has been a board member and president of the IACC. He is on the board of NYU's Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Travel Administration and serves on Iona College's Legal Board of Trustees. Mr. Dolce can be contacted at 201-505-5906 or andy.dolce@dolce.com Extended Bio...

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