By: Clive Simpkins
Given the competitiveness among
venues available for the conducting of conferences, I'm in awe of those who still leave the
organizing of conference details in the hands of amateurs. I recently needed a venue to facilitate
a serious, one-day, belly-button contemplating session for a very important client. They're
socially sophisticated, well travelled, accustomed to the best, discerning and committed to
excellence. They, like many of us in the service industry, work very hard at delivering a
professional service to clients. And they, also like many of us, are very sensitive to any slide in
standards. I'm not going to give the name of the venue in this scenario, because in fairness to
them, they've asked to use my constructively-intended criticism as a catalyst for improvement. But
here's the lowdown and learning:
I and a very efficient representative from the client side, with whom I've worked before,
chose to 'recce' the venue in advance and meet face to face with the banqueting and conferencing
people to ensure our needs were precisely met on the day. We even went to the extent of doing room
visits to see if the accommodation was up to spec. We decided, in order to be different, to have
our session in the chapel on the estate. Unusual outcomes sometimes require unusual venues. I asked
for the removal of the existing hard-backed chairs and in their place, carpets, couches and
wing-back chairs and occasional tables with lamps. Added to the lovely stained-glass windows, I
wanted an ambiance of relaxed comfort and luxury, sufficiently laid back for conversation to be
effortless. We were told this was no problem.
We carefully explained the purpose and intended outcome to the conferencing manager. I even
booked myself to arrive a night ahead of the conference at my own expense, in order to make sure
that things would be ship-shape before the clients arrived on the designated morning. My
ultra-efficient client-side representative had made detailed lists to ensure there was no
possibility of a glitch. Partners, spouses and 'accompanying people' were scheduled along, and
entertainment and facilities were organized for them too. The venue conferencing manager appeared
to understand the importance of all the detail.
When I arrived at the venue late afternoon the day before, I expected to see some progress
already underway in our conference chapel. I was assured that a team would move in en masse at
06:00 the following morning and quick as a wink, our required set-up would be organized. The
following morning, the hard-back chairs and rolled up long red carpet were piled outside the now
stripped venue by 07:00 but there was no other sign of progress. Since we had clients arriving at
09:00 I was very concerned that we wouldn't be ready in time. The nature of the facilitation was
going to need me in a calm and resourceful frame of mind, so I thought: 'OK. No point or up-side in
getting upset - play it calm and collected.' I did - which is not my usual style when things are
'not happening'. It didn't help much. At 08:00 the first (not too clean) couch arrived. A couple of
chairs and couches followed - sufficient only to seat half the delegates. I pointed out that we
needed double the number and asked for the carpet to be laid over the stone-flagged floor first so
we could then properly arrange the seating. The carpet arrived. It was filthy and covered with
fluff, with jagged and wavy edges guaranteed to ensure it wouldn't lie flat. It transpired later
that this previously fitted carpet had been ripped up from a room some time before as part of a
renovation process. It had therefore already passed its sell-by date and still retained the
original fitted shape of that room.
However, this was 'the' carpet. There was no other. There was also no sign of a supervisor
or manager to advise the extremely willing but clearly out of their depth workers who were trying
to assist. Ratcheting up the pressure just a tad, I finally got the carpet vacuumed and enough
seating in the room for the delegates. Insufficient occasional tables followed, and a man was found
at the back of the venue, fiddling with lamps with very short power cords. They didn't have
extension cords available, and even if they had, their idea was to have lamp power cords trailing
over the top of the shabby grey carpet, in order to get the lamps working. With just a half hour to
'lift-off', I instructed the scrapping of the lamps. Insult to injury was that two of the three
portable gas heaters failed to work and the one that did, didn't work properly. Instead of clean
jets producing a comforting hiss of blue flame and resultant warmth, we had yellow flames licking
the heater hood and producing soot. In mid-Winter.
In between all of this, I'd been setting up my own equipment, getting my paperwork and
handouts ready and trying to focus my mind on what I had to do. There was still no sign of a
conferencing manager.
The piece de resistance was when I tried to move the stand for the projection screen a
little to one side. The screen itself came crashing down on my hands. The sprung wire clasp
intended to hold it to the stand was broken and only just able to hold it open provided there was
absolutely no movement. I had visions of a repeat performance in the middle of my facilitation.
Just a few minutes before the clients were due to arrive, the managing director of the
complex put his nose into the chapel and mirrored my reaction to the carpet. He said that they
could replace the carpet with one or two Persians 'taken from the lounge'. By now, the seating was
in place, we had no lamps, the ambience I'd wanted was absent and it was just too little too late.
My clients were gracious and very understanding - if a little bemused - about the carpet.
They had paid a lot of money for us to use the venue - on my recommendation. I and their
representative had done everything short of physically source and set up ourselves, the desired
furnishings and the like. The venue and their management - or lack of it - had let us all down,
seriously so. There are signs of 'decay' in a number of arenas. The wife of the senior-most client
told me that on arrival at reception, the receptionist didn't even look up and greet her. This is a
four star venue. Based on the absence of assistance I encountered, they no longer deserve that
grading. Would I give them a second chance, recommend them to a client or use them again? Dunno.
Even though they've undertaken a shake-up, I'm not sure I'd easily put myself at risk again. That's
the power of one really bad experience.
In total contrast to this experience was my co-facilitation at the end of the very next
week, of a conference at the Mount Grace Hotel and Spa in Magaliesberg. As always, it was seamless,
effortless, unobtrusive professionalism and efficiency from all staff, throughout. Leaving me and
the delegates to get on with what we were there for - our business of the day. We didn't have to
visit in advance. We let them know what we wanted and it was set up and ready to roll even before I
got to the conference room. During breaks, our venue was subtly and 'invisibly' refreshed. Thank
you Mount Grace management and staff for a consistently brilliant and stress-free experience over
the years. Maybe other venues will realize that their 'contribution' can make or break a
conference, and follow your superb example.
Article source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=63814
