Five tips to avoid booking the wrong meeting room

There are times when many micro and small businesses need to hire a meeting room. Maybe you’re

running a workshop for 20 people and your own office isn’t big enough. Perhaps you need

somewhere away from your office for a team-building event. Or you may usually work from your

home office and need somewhere to see clients.

Whatever the reason, here are our top tips for things to consider when hiring a meeting room.

1. Location, location, location

This is probably the most critical factor. How far are people travelling and where is a good mid-point

if they are coming from multiple locations? Do you need to be close to a main train station or to

motorways? Is it better to be somewhere rural so it can feel like you’re getting away from it all? Is

there enough parking at your chosen location and is it free?

2. Budget

Room hire costs can vary significantly, so budget should be a big part of your decision-making. You

may want to provide hot drinks and even some food, so ask hotels about day delegate rates (which

tend to include hot drinks and biscuits) and other conference facilities about their different tariffs.

Bear in mind that cheap doesn’t always equal good value so if you find a venue for what seems like a

great price, make sure you do a bit more digging to assure yourself the quality will be what you

need.

3. Facilities

Is there a room the size that you’re looking for and is it flexible enough to be laid out the way you

need? Not everyone wants a boardroom table; sometimes a series of smaller tables (café style) or

rows of chairs (theatre style) is best. Don’t forget to check whether catering, projectors, screens and

technological support can be provided.

4. Response times

If you send an enquiry that takes a week to be answered, the chances are you won’t be so well

looked after on the day of your event. Use both the response time and the quality of the response as

a gauge for what your experience on the day will be like before investing time in a site visit.

5. Site visit

Take the opportunity to look around the meeting room before you book it – all professional meeting

room hire venues should offer this. Pay attention to the welcome you receive (as it’s likely that will

be your delegates’ first impression too), how clean and tidy the whole building is and the style of the

décor – will this suit your event?

Croft Myl has 3 meeting rooms in the centre of Halifax, from small intimate spaces to rooms

large enough for 20 people. All meeting rooms are decorated in our signature fun and funky style

and cost from just £15 an hour to hire. Book your tour now to discuss how we can help make your

next event a great success by calling 01422 413035.