Suppose you were asked to design the specification for the best ever 'dream' training venue regardless of budget , what would it be like? How far would it be from your/your client's business? Would you want a specific contact to liase with? What about technical support? Would you appreciate a personal welcome? What level of luxury would you want for bedrooms/restaurant? Would you want leisure activities available for your trainees? Dream, dream, dream. Then share your dream with Annie on [email protected]
2 Responses
Venue
Annie
First, the basics: accessibility, flexibility and usability (fit for purpose).
see also –
After that there are a lot of ‘it depends’. My dream venue for a top team awayday would be very different than for an IT training course. Generally the more strategic events it needs to be away from the workplace; both physically and psychologically. It needs to be a place that is comfortable, calm and private enough to support reflective thinking. For more creative events it needs the materials, environment and stimuli to support more energised and pacy working. The shorter the event, the nearer to work the better.
For service, I think that this is about listening to what the client wants and delivering (the number of times a venue fails to set up the layout requested is amazing). It is about personal contact and making sure everything runs well, and particularly if there is a problem, sorting it out fast.
As to luxury, well a litlle be of something special rarely goes amiss. But that word luxury can conjure up things that some find intimidating, or higher costs that some might moan about if they are having to make cuts. Even in a dream venue I’d want VFM, at whatever star rating that comes at.
Things like food and bedrooms are so personal – what I might want is different to others – I think it is about different venues finding their level and delivering at that level well. It is then up to me to chose the specific venue that best meets the standard and budget. In my personal dream venue I want options. I want luxuriant soft furnishings in a classic style, a homely feel to the bedroom, a clean and modern feel to the bathroom, great technology and media options, a few nice to have extras such as a training resource library that I can browse through, a complimentary beer or wine with the meal (so much easier if you are on expenses with some firms) and smiling staff that take a pride in the service they offer.
I guess that is a bit of a mix between dreaming and dose of realism, but I hope it helps.
Graham
Other contributors – I’d be interested to know if there is one thing you would most like that you don’t traditionally get in a venue, what would you choose?
Dream venue
Somewhere where – when you turn up they haven’t given your accommodation to someone else (overbooked, recent experience)
Somewhere where – when you turn up they link your overnight stay with the training and ask you if you’d like to see both rooms
Somewhere where – their lunch menu is learner friendly
Somewhere where – you see staff during the day, who are willing to help
Somewhere where – you get exactly what you booked
Somewhere where – you can contact staff during the day
Somewhere where – they’re really interested to know what you think of them
Somewhere where – you relish going back to