Choosing Your Meeting Facilities and Conference Centres

If you're planning to hold a corporate meeting or a conference you need to find an event venue that has the proper facilities to handle absolutely all of your needs. Most event venues you will find will have facilities, services, and possibly event catering designed for:

• Conferences
• Conventions
• Meetings
• Seminars
• Dinners
• Work luncheons
• Workshops
• Banquets

Many conference centres and event venues will also host a wide type of other events, such as weddings, testing and exam centres, and much more. This shows flexibility, but make sure that the conference or meeting facilities you're considering are not hosting meetings and conferences as an extra income stream, when they really specialize in something different, like weddings. You want to source a venue that will ensure that your corporate event exudes professionalism and leaves a lasting impression on your guests.

Getting Pricing

Comparing pricing between different venues can be a time consuming process, because so much of it depends on the specifics of your event. And different facilities will have different pricing structures. Some might have a hall rental charge, while some will only have a price "per head."

The easiest way to get pricing is to compile everything you need and email event directors in your area with a request for a quote. Be detailed in your RFP, because you want to ensure that you get an accurate price and an accurate account of what the venue facilities are able to provide.

Talk to the Venues

Even though you've sent your exact specification, you might still have to discuss things over with the venues. How will they arrange the tables? Do they have any other suggestions for hosting your meeting or corporate special event? Good corporate venues will work with you so that your event can be as spectacular as possible. You should be able to sit down one on one with an event planner or event manager to work out exactly how you can pull off the perfect corporate event, conference, or tradeshow.

Catering

Food and food catering is one of the elements that people always remember about corporate meetings and conferences. Many meeting facilities provide cold snacks or sandwiches, but you might have different needs. Perhaps you'd like to break up the sizeday with a nice sit-down lunch. Many meeting facilities and conference centres will be able to accommodate this, but you need to confirm this before booking.

Take a look through the venue's catering menu to see what they provide. Ask them how much it can be customized. If you have very specific types of catering services you're after, keep that in mind. Ask if the venue is able to accommodate your needs. If perhaps you need specifically Italian catering, for example, you don't necessarily need an Italian catering company. You just need to make sure that the catering company you are using is able to do it, and to do it well.

The Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre offers Ottawa conference rooms and meeting facilities and corporate meetings facilities. We have completely customizable corporate packages available to give you ideas to plan and host the perfect special event, whatever your needs are.