Conferences and meetings are nauseating sometimes, not just to the organizer, but also to the participants and invitees: where shall we have it this time? How many can we accommodate in that shoebox of a place? They don’t offer a catering service do they? Do we have room enough for all the invitees that come from afar? How original is yet another conference in a major hotel in the city? These are general questions that trouble us all. Space, distance, and service seem to be the three major concerns. Yet one has to also count in the fact that the originality of a conference, regardless of the subject matter, is lost when the expected protocol of having it in a well-known hotel or conference hall is followed. Why do we not think bigger? Think bolder? Why do we not get closer to nature and greenery? Why don’t we try and be a bit more primal? If you are eyeing New Zealand’s Southern Alps region to hold your next big business conference, or to launch your new corporate brand, then there are quite a few major locations you can try, in the Canterbury locale itself. Don’t hesitate, do something different. It would be a rewarding experience.
What is offered?
These meeting venues are an entire package: corporate meetings and events, conferences and business functions, and casual company functions and recreational activities. They will offer a first class service to satisfy all your corporate needs. If you need, you can even arrange it as such that your customers and clients can even spend a few days at one of the hotels maintained by the same service provider, enjoying the cool weather, taking in the scenery, tasting the local cuisine, and playing a few rounds of golf.
Give a little and get a lot more in return
Look at the rates and price tags. Most of these places are not indeed rip-offs. But it is good to know what you are walking into and make your plans accordingly. The internet will suggest sites maintained by reputed companies: you might want to try one of these places too. It could turn out be a whole package deal with discounted pricing for seats, audio-visual equipment, rooms, food for the event, air conditioning, etc. You could always settle for a nice big canopy to host your event, overlooking a picturesque scene. Think bigger, think smarter, and think creatively. Booking the random big hotel and ordering a catering service around, is not necessarily a skill.