Business Meetings Don’t Always Have to be Boring… Do They?

Have you ever been stuck in a three-hour long meeting and found yourself staring out of the window through lack of stimulation?
We haven’t. And here’s why.

First of all, our meeting rooms in Manchester are second to none. Offering all the basics on arrival plus anything extra you should require (within reason, of course) we accommodate pretty much every party size and need. If, however, you are looking to spice up your meeting even further, we have years of experience and can tell a great meeting when we see one. So, without further ado, here’s how to host a conference, seminar or summit that will keep your guests interested and get the ideas flowing around the room in no time.

1. Utilise the equipment on offer. Most meeting rooms in Manchester will be well equipped with the basics, including Wi-Fi, notepads and presentation boards or projectors. There’s a reason for this: people don’t like to just sit and talk or listen for hours, they like to touch, see and do. Make use of what you have available to you for a more interactive meeting.

2. Open the meeting on the same sentiment you wish to end it on. Starting with the negatives or current issues will only cause the meeting to demise into nothing more than a complaints session. Begin with the positive and ask delegates to share something good that has happened since the last meeting to ensure that you get off on the right foot.

3. Although we offer chairs and tables as part of the service in our meeting venues, don’t feel as though you have to use them. Tables during meetings tend to be used for nothing more than a place to rest your coffee cup, so cut out the blockade and create a more open, exposed and engaged discussion with your peers.

4. If the weather permits, perhaps take the meeting outside and make the most of your fresh surroundings by altering dress code and refreshments to suit, although we must admit, this may be more suited to summer meetings.

5. Find out where the real talent lies and invite attendees with a gift to perform during coffee or lunch breaks – you can also tie this into a fundraising mechanism to raise money for a charity of your choice.

6. Everyone loves a competition, so award prizes for the best dressed; the attendee with the best idea or the person who managed to talk the most to add a little humour to the occasion.

7. If your meeting is going to last more than one day, ensure you have something fun lined up for each day of the event so people don’t lose interest. We’ve even know people to provide hats and fake moustaches for the final day of the event to keep the energy levels up.

8. On that note, if your event is going to last a few days, host it somewhere with bonding facilities onsite, such as a pool, spa or well-stocked bar and set aside some social time in the evening to relax and get to know your delegates outside the board room.

9. Think of more interesting ways to share ideas such as putting business cards into a bowl and pulling out names to ask for suggestions or asking people to write their idea on a piece of paper, scrunching it up and throwing it to someone across the room to build on.

10. Finally, for an unforgettable meeting, send out a humorous ‘top ten things we hoped you learned from the meeting’ list, along with your regular minutes that includes a range of funny highlights, as well as more serious successes from the event.

If you aren’t so keen on some of our more outlandish business meeting ideas, simply book yourself into our meeting rooms in Manchester for a seamless conference or gathering of the finest quality.
Talk to one of our planners today.