From time to time, businesses need to hold conferences or meetings for large numbers of people. Shareholder meetings, conferences to make announcements or just incentive days and training are just some of the reasons why a business may need to use a business meeting room. In a lot of cases, a business won't have the space in house in which to hold a conference such as this. For these occasions a conference facility of some kind must be sought. There is more to this than simply booking a large room nearby. There are several factors that should be considered before money changes hands and a booking is made.

The first consideration is that of location, particularly in terms of how people will be arriving at the venue. If a large number of people are coming by airplane then the location should be close to an airport. If most people will be coming by public transport then there need to be good public transport links to the venue. Parking will be necessary for those coming by car because few things are as stressful as finding a parking space on a busy street where none have been allocated.

The size of the room is also extremely important. Sometimes it can be difficult to know what size of room you need because although the invitations may have gone out, until they are received back you won't know who will be in attendance. Nonetheless you need to plan for an expected turnout. If you have a room that is too large then on the day the group will feel swamped. It may make people more uncomfortable and the formal atmosphere could prevent good communication between colleagues. If the room is too small however then no one will want to stay and will want to leave as soon as possible because they will be hot and uncomfortable. Try and get a rough idea of numbers as soon as possible as this will really help make the preparations easier.

The best meeting rooms are also those that have the right technical equipment available. Whether it is a digital whiteboard you need, a computer for a powerpoint presentation or a slide machine for a slide show, make sure you have the desired equipment on site. If the conference facility doesn't have something you need, it still may be possible for them to source it for you. You should also request that there be a technician on site during the day. A conference that has taken months of preparation can easily be ruined at the very last second because of a technical hitch. You don't want this to happen to you!

Food and drink are always very important at a conference, especially at all day events. You need to ensure that wherever you choose has the ability to supply the right type of food and drink for your needs. Whether it is just tea, coffee and biscuits or a full lunch for 200, make sure you choose a place that can handle your refreshment requirements. Special diets will need to be incorporated in all likelihoods too. Speak with the business centre to get assurance that this will not be a problem and all catering can be organised either in house or from an external caterer.

The best business meeting venue to use is that which is the right size, is situated in the perfect location, has access to food and drink and has all the necessary technical equipment available. When you find conference meeting rooms that tick all these boxes you can book a room. Large group accommodation can be time consuming to organise so make sure you have enough time to do it. If you were planning on doing it in one month, take two months just to be on the safe side.