Top 5 Meeting & Event Planner Tips

Five ways you can earn that extra ROI on your next meeting…

1. Accommodation, keep your group together - Investigate accommodation set within a larger estate giving you the advantage of privacy, yet access to a full range of wider facilities and activities.

2. Set realistic price expectations of any event ‘extras’ to avoid disappointment – if you are planning a small meeting the price per person for any teambuilding/activity or facilitation will often be significantly higher than when organising for a larger event.

3. Timings – prepare extra time for events, particularly when working with smaller groups. Quite often it can take longer than anticipated to gain the level of comfort required that will lead to deeper levels of sharing and engagement, a process that cannot be rushed.

4. Outdoor space – its there, use it! Studies have long proved that even the smallest amount of time outdoors will promote relaxation, critical to the comfort of the attendees. Consider outdoor group walks or perhaps serve one of the meals outdoors with a picnic or BBQ should your budget be prohibitive to any organised activity.

5. Negotiate! – Rates are very often flexible with the right dialogue, ask the venue if there are any dates that they can offer discounted rates for.

It's a win for Farncombe!

The winners of the Conference Awards and Conference Venue & Supplier (CVS) Awards were announced at Battersea Evolution on Friday 13 June at their biggest ever ceremony.

Farncombe Conference Centre were among the winners, taking home the award for Best Conference Venue Customer Service - Outside London. 

Organised by the Global Conference Network, the event welcomed a record attendance of over 750 industry professionals to celebrate the success and innovation in the conference industry. Hosted by Smart Hospitality, part of the Smart Group, guests were treated to a three-course meal and a sophisticated production provided by Hawthorn as the winners were presented with their awards by comedian Josh Widdicombe.

Claire Wormsley, director of the Global Conference Network, said: “We’ve had a thriving year for the conference industry and we’re delighted to see the Conference Awards grow. These awards have become the definitive recognition of the dedication and innovation that drives excellence in our sector. Congratulations to all our winners and we would also like to say a huge thank you to all our sponsors and partners for making this event possible. A special thank you should be extended to Hiscox Event Insurance who has been our sponsor from the launch of the awards in 2010 – they are a fantastic asset to our events and to the conference industry as a whole.”

The awards also included a charity raffle in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, with items to be won including a dinner for four at West London’s Marco Grill and a three-night weekend stay at Center Parcs.  

A day of tree climbing and didgeridoo at Farncombe Estate

Climbing trees, street luging and didgeridoo playing were just some of the quirky activities on offer at Farncombe Conference Centre’s Unique Ideas Taster Day earlier this month.

Companies and groups looking for innovative ways to liven up events, corporate training and away days were given the chance to try some rather unusual team building activities on the 400-acre Farncombe Estate near Broadway.

More than 40 attendees from a range of organisations and took part in the high intensity day, which began with African drumming, progressed to archery and tree climbing and moved on to human sheep herding.

Anthony Shipley, from the NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The events were not only fun and interactive, they were also contextualised.

"They were demonstrably linked to team building, leadership and management activity, which is really important in terms of value for money."

Rachael Buttery, sales and marketing manager, said: "Our taster day was an opportunity to say we understand the current trend for creativity and to showcase what we offer. We want to give teams an experience they’ve not had before, which is why we work with carefully-selected partners offering unique activities that fit that bill."

Resilience Through Change Masterclass at Farncombe

On Friday 30th May and Thursday 26th June, Farncombe will be the hosting venue to complimentary Resilience Masterclass delivered by author and presenter Liggy Webb from the Learning Architect. 

These half day events will begin at 9 am and will be offered on a complimentary basis to organisations who are looking to implement resilience and wellbeing programmes for their employees. You will have the opportunity to sample and experience the range of approaches offered by the Learning Architect. 

The experience will include access to materials to support the sustainable outcomes and complimentary light refreshments.

To register for one of these events, please email info@thelearningarchitect.com or call 01242 700027 to reserve your place. 

What will you experience?