Find a Conference Venue

We have spoken with both professional and non professional event planners to come up with a comprehensive corporate event planning resource.
Use these tips as your guide to producing a successful event.

59 Questions to ask the Hotel and Venue Sales and Service Manager when choosing a Venue for your Event, Conference or Corporate Meeting.

Be sure to ask plenty of questions before booking, to ensure there are no surprises once you arrive.

Checklist for Corporate Event Planning

Section 1     :Booking and Checking in
Section 2    : Hotel Policies
Section 3    : Additional Services at the hotel
Section 4    : AV Questions
Section 5    : Meeting Room  General
Section 6    : Meeting Room Setup
Section 7    : Catering
Section 8    : Extra costs and maintenance
Section 9    : Transport and Parking
Section 10  : Communications
Section11   : Digital Communication
Section 12  : Miscellaneous

Booking and Check-in - Corporate Events

1. Can you provide a link for online reservations?
2. Can you provide remote check-in or pre-check in? How many terminals are there?
3. How many stations/terminals will be available at the registration desk?
4. When our reservation block is full, can your reservations department automatically add on rooms to our block, as needed, or is a contract addendum needed?
5. When the block is full, can the reservations department direct attendees to our overflow hotels? Click here to read more….
   
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   Hotel Policies
6. Are you a union hotel? If so, when is your union contract up for renewal?
7. What other groups will be in-house during our dates? What time does their meeting end?
8. What will be your availability the night before our arrival?
9. What is your service charge/gratuity rate?
10. What is your check-in and check-out time?
    
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    Additional Services at the hotel
11. Are there any other mandatory charges – e.g., porterage?
12. Do you deliver daily newspapers? Which one(s)?
13. What are your Spa hours?
14. Do you have 24-hour room service?
15. What are the workout-room/gym hours? Can you open it earlier/close it later? Is there a charge for use?
    
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    AV Questions for your corporate conference
16. Do you have a business centre? What are the hours? Can you open it earlier/close it later? Is there a charge?
17. Do all your meeting rooms have a sound system?
18. Who is your in-house audiovisual provider? Do they store equipment on-site? Can we bring in our own AV Company?
19. What is the largest screen that can be used in the ballroom?
20. Can you provide a TV feed in the meeting space?
    
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    Meeting Rooms General
21. Can you provide a ballroom layout diagram?
22. Do you charge for easels/flipcharts?
23. How much do you charge to re-key locks in the meeting space?
24. Where is the closest hospital? (Dentist, doctor)
25. Can you provide brochures for us to send out with our registration materials/photos for online registration?
    
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    Meeting Room Setup
26. What size are your round banquet tables? Do they fit 8, 10, 12 people?
27. Do you have tablecloths that go to the floor for banquet rounds and high-top cocktail tables?
28. What colour linens and table cloths do you have?
29. Do you have chair covers?
30. How many high-top cocktail tables do you have?
    
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    Catering
31. Do you have mobile/belly/stand alone bars?
32. What is your overset policy for food-and-beverage functions?
33. Do you have any food-and-beverage surcharges (i.e., surcharge for a buffet for less than a certain number of people)?
34. Can we arrange a food tasting?
35. Do you have any centre pieces – e.g., candles, hurricane lamps?
    
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    Extra Costs and Maintenance
36. Is there a fee for package/box/pallet acceptance/delivery?
37. Do you have a storage fee for packages? How many days in advance can we ship materials to the hotel?
38. What is your room-drop (room delivery) charge? (i.e., room deliveries by bellmen for meeting amenities, notes, papers, etc)
39. When was your last refurbishment for sleeping rooms? Meeting space?
40. Do you have a concierge/club level? What services are offered?
    
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    Transport and Parking
41. Where can buses be loaded/unloaded? Executive coaches? Chauffeured cars?
42. What is your valet/self parking capacity? What are the charges?
43. Do you stamp or give out stickers for hosted parking?
44. How many parking attendants will be on duty during peak arrivals?
45. How many bellmen will be on duty during peak arrivals?
    
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    Communications
46. Can you carry our walkie-talkie/radio while we’re onsite?
47. May I have both your direct-dial and mobile phone numbers? And those for the Service Manager?
48. Who is your Administrative Assistant, and can I have her/his direct number and email address?
49. Do you have an on-floor/dedicated Meeting Concierge?
50. How many people will attend the pre-con?
    
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    Digital Communications
51. How long will it take you to prepare Banquet Event Orders (BEOs)?
52. Is there wifi/broadband access in the sleeping and meeting rooms? What is the cost for each?
53. Are high-speed Internet lines charged at a flat rate per day or charged per IP address?
54. Are your meeting rooms air conditioned?
    
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    Miscellaneous

55. Can you rent copying/printing equipment for us?
56. How much are portable space heaters? Do you have them on-site?
57. Will there be any type of construction going on in the hotel during our stay?
58. Is a service charge added to your meeting room rental rate?
59. Do you have a risk management plan/security plan for your facility? What is this?
    
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Thanks to Arlene Sheff, CMP, Senior Meeting and Event Planner for The Boeing Company, California.