LAS VEGAS Unobstructed views and no pillars. Walls that offer no sound distractions. Free high-speed internet service.
You would think these assets occupy the top slots of a meeting planners’ check list – at least filling up their top five considerations.
No, it’s washrooms close to the meeting rooms.
At least that’s what came out of a recent study conducted by the International Association of Convention Centers (IACC) among 150 North American business events organisers, specialising in gatherings of between 25 and 150 people. The findings were presented at IMEX 2012 in Las Vegas.
In order of priority, the 10 most desired venue essentials were:
1. Nearby restrooms (to meeting rooms)
2. Set-up fees included in the package
3. Ability to customise a menu to accommodate special dietary requirements
4. A single package price – no nickel and diming
5. Individual meeting room climate control
6. Skilled on-site AV/IT technicians to handle every need
7. Continuous break service, from 7am to 5pm
8. Meeting room rental expenses
9. Ergonomic chairs
10. Acoustically rated walls that guarantee no sound distractions
IACC is a non-profit facility-based membership founded in 1981. Its main goal is to assist meetings professionals in providing productive networking experiences. It has 215 active members in North America and over 350 globally. IACC executives told MIX they were currently in talks with venue operators in China about constructing better designed future facilities.
For more about IACC, visit www.iaac.org
Margie T Logarta
Images from IMEX America
