Setting up your first business meeting can be a truly daunting task. For the most part the pressurised environment that these kinds of tasks are untaken within is extremely stressful and challenging at the best of times. It is no exaggeration to say that any one the meetings set-up in this ilk could be the pivotal point in your career and could kick start something new for your future. When you begin to think about how to go about planning a business meeting for the first time it is very difficult to know where to start. There are so many things to consider, each an equally important piece of the puzzle that come together to form the picture of your company that you wish to present to your peers.

A good place to start in the search for the perfect business meeting is to consider where you are going to hold it. Most of these meetings will be requiring guest to attend from across the country so the vast majority of them will be held in a hotel in order to give the invitees a place to spend the night.

If you are planning on holding a business meeting in a hotel then there are certain factors that must be considered to ensure that you pick the correct one. Here are our top five must-haves for any hotel venue that will make for the perfect meeting:

Ease of Accessibility –

This is a big one. It is vital that you take some time to consider exactly where all of your guests will be travelling from and try to find a suitable venue that is equidistant from them all. Of course, you must not sacrifice the quality of the venue for this aspect but taking all things into account try to find somewhere that everyone will be happy to travel to. For this consider how far the venue is from the motorway as city venues may be hard to find and be difficult to park near, when you would have been better off picking somewhere close to the M1 for example.


The Food –

It is important to remember that the venue that you choose is an extension of your business and your company and how it is seen by your guests will reflect on what you are doing. Make sure there is an impressive menu that will appease everybody’s needs.


The Conference Room –

Make sure that there will be enough space and enough chairs for the size of meeting you will be holding and also be sure to check that they have all the fixtures you will be using, like a projector for example.


Sleeping Arrangements –

If your guests are staying the night be sure to read some reviews of the hotel itself as you can never know the problems that might be apparent if you haven’t stayed there yourself.


Amenities –

These can help you stand out from the rest; if your venue can provide a swimming pool or a massage service, for example, this will help your meeting be remembered.

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Guest post contributed by Lauren Jones, a self-made businesswoman who currently runs two businesses based in the North West of England. Lauren is very grateful of IHG Business Advantage when it comes to organising her business meetings.