Confidentiality in Meeting Rooms

There is a strange phenomenon you may have noticed after hosting a meeting at a hotel…

• You run into an old friend who “saw” that your company was meeting at _______ hotel;
• You start getting phone calls from other meeting sites looking for business; or
• You get a call from an old friend wanting to know if you have any business for his meeting site.

Ever wonder how they knew? Reader boards.

Many people hosting meetings within conference centers and hotels demand some level of confidentiality and they may think they are getting it – when they are closed off in their meeting space. But what is happening right outside…

In hotels (and some conference centers) throughout the United States, when you arrive at a meeting there is some sort of lovely display stating your company name and where you are meeting. Sounds helpful, right? It’s not. Other meeting sites “troll” these boards looking for new contacts and business. Not to mention, everyone that strolls through the lobby now know where you are as well. In today’s age of security concerns, wouldn’t you rather NOT broadcast everything about what your company is doing?

Request to have a person at the front desk to greet your guests and direct them to the appropriate meeting room. This will give the added benefit of your guests being able to get directions to the room (instead of wandering around) looking to see who else is there.

-Amy

Hotel Meeting AV Pricing Tips

It has always amazed me how hotels are able to command extraordinary fees for the provision of ordinary audiovisual equipment. As the operator of conference center in a major U.S. city, Metro Meeting Centers - Boston, we follow the industry standard and have "built-in" our a/v equipment to be easy-to-access/operate and there is never an charge additional fee or surcharge for using this equipment.

Let's look at the math:

To buy a data projector, say 3000 plus lumens (that means bright - like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree bright) for $3,000.00 and put it on cart that costs $99.00. Next, wheel it into a meeting room of approximately 2500 square feet (30-50 guests) and rent it for the meeting.

OK, name a price. Well, if you rented it 10 times to cover the cost that would be $300 per rental, not unreasonable.

Here is the catch - in most hotels, the average data projector rental can be approximately $400 to $800 daily; and don’t forget the service charge (which can be as much as 22%), so the real range can be $500 to nearly $1000 daily. If you are really fortunate, the screen is sometimes included (read as - usually isn't included).

This is simply one of many pricing tricks in the hotel game of “here’s a room rate that appears below market, we look forward to hosting your group and maximizing our profitability by charging for audio visual and food & beverage at remarkably high rates. We recognize that once you are here, your options are limited”.

Now what happens when something goes wrong, and (if you plan enough meetings) something will go wrong...

Where is the hotel a/v tech and how long before they reach you? You know, for nearly $1000.00 per day, I would be tempted to insist that the projector come with an a/v tech attached by leash to the equipment.

Therefore, if you find yourself needing to put a meeting into a hotel, here are three a/v tips:

1. Negotiate the price of the data projector and get the screen included.
2. Ask a pager to reach a tech if there is a problem.
3. Ask for the newest and brightest projector available (more lumens are the key, 2800 for a 2000 sq.ft room is good to go).

If all fails simply, bring your own. You may need a long extension cord, but you'll save a lot of money.

-David

What's your emergency plan?

I can remember being terrified as a kid going through bus safety with our teachers and bus drivers.

What do you mean "in case of accident"?

If we can't get out the front door of the bus - then what?

We sat and listened as it was explained how to exit the bus through the windows or emergency backdoor. Sounded scary - but (I thought) at least there was a plan. Then came the shocking news that WE would be exiting through the back of the bus. I watched as kid after kid jumped out of the backdoor. As my turn approached, I was more and more nervous... how is a little kid like me supposed to make that BIG jump.

When the time came to jump, I closed my eyes and did it - not completely convinced that I would survive the jump (but I wasn't going to be outdone by my other classmates)...

... and you know what, I survived! Not only that I was very comforted by the fact that in the case of an emergency - I would know what to do.

What about your staff?

Do they know your emergency plan?

Fire, flood, terrorist attack?

Scary? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.

In order for your team to function effectively and get your guests to safety - they have to be comfortable with the plan and know how to execute it at a moment's notice.

When was the last time you and your staff practiced "jumping out of the bus"? Maybe it is time for a review.

-Amy