Believe it or not, most meetings are small. According to the Convention Industry Council, of the 1.87 million meetings that take place every year, 70% of them are corporate business meetings consisting of 20 or less individuals.
Even though most meeting planners probably think this small of a gathering requires little thought or planning, I would disagree. Small meetings set the tone for larger ones and if you are new to the industry, they can help you build the confidence you need in planning big events.
Here are 7 tips to make sure your next small meeting is a smashing success without breaking the bank.
Small Meeting Success Factors
- Focus on Your Goals.
What is the end game of the session? Is it planning for an event, getting ready for trial or conducting a peer review? Whatever the goals, you will better understand who needs to be there, where the event should take place and what audio visual rental equipment you need. - Set up a Budget.
Even small meetings need a budget for AV, food, beverages and venue. If the meeting is held onsite, make certain the space is conducive to fulfilling your objectives.
If you are holding meetings that will last one hour or more, don’t skimp on food and beverages. Having premier coffee, pastries, fresh fruit, salads and/or desserts sets the tone for the meeting and says you care about the attendees.
Make your meeting special, by taking care of those who are invited. - Obtain the PowerPoint presentations at least a week in advance.
This will allow you to do two things: 1) Load and test the configuration on the computer rental and projector rental and 2) put the presentations in the order of the agenda, forcing your speakers to be ready the day of the event. - Send out the Agenda.
Put on the agenda the start time, end time, agenda items and who is responsible for which portion of the program. Send out the agenda electronically at least two business days before the meeting and ask for feedback. Tweak the agenda if needed and resend to the group. - Test for Sound.
If your meeting has over 30 individuals, obtain a microphone rental. The last thing you want or need is for attendees to strain to hear the message. Ask your AV provider for their recommendation and then, spend the extra money if warranted. - Start and End Your Meeting on Time.
This is where you will earn the most respect with attendees and upper management. They will see you are not interested in wasting your time or theirs. You have an agenda, the presentations are loaded, the room is set and you are ready to roll. - Send Out Actionable Items to Attendees.
As soon as the meeting ends, take your notes and create an action list of items that need to be completed or questions that need to be answered, who is responsible for them and a due date. Determine if another meeting needs to occur to address those items and plan accordingly.
Why Hartford Technology Rental?
Hartford Technology Rental is poised to help you with your next small meeting! We have Microphones, Projectors, Sound Systems, Teleconference Equipment and Video Conference Equipment to meet your needs. Give us a call to at 888.520.5667 today!