Think about it. Guests are seated close to each other in a meeting room, all day. And, most of us are not used to sitting still for very long periods of time, let alone all day. Surprise guests with unexpected seating and standing options so attendees are taken aback and delighted by not-so-average seating styles when they walk into a meeting room. 

When you begin searching to find that “just right” hotel, that one that meets your check-list of “must-haves”, visit the hotel in-person, and make sure your vision matches the hotel’s ability to provide what you’re seeking. There is nothing more important when choosing a hotel than a site visit. Websites are good, yet they do not tell the entire story. 

Meeting planners share stories with us after site visits that literally saved them from choosing the wrong hotel. You see, a website is designed to make you want to stay at that hotel. And the hotel sales manager is trained to make you want to choose that hotel. Yet, without first stepping into a hotel, smelling the smells of the neighborhood and onsite restaurants, observing what you see when you look around the neighborhood and the ambience of the property, tasting the cuisine and experiencing the service, observing food presentations, menu options, and noting the flexibility of the restaurant/bar, it is not advisable to choose a hotel, sight-unseen.  

And, now, how does one go about selecting the right hotel with ideal meeting space? When you go and take a look around, you can be sure the meeting rooms the hotels offer matches your expectations and vision. Before setting up site visit appointments, narrow down the options based on your search criteria to locate ideal meeting rooms. Share with hotels exactly what you’re looking for, with a variety of seating and table size options. Also, consider renting furniture to create the atmosphere of “different”. 

Think of Oprah’s couch. Place presenters on a stage, seated on soft furniture, while guests are seated theatre style (chairs, no tables). Surprise guests when they walk into a room for a short breakout session, no AV needed, set with highboy cocktail tables with attendees standing to face the presenter. Everyone will be engaged and anticipate something unique. It’s distinctive and people will enjoy the change.

Before lunch, in a ballroom have an exercise coach/yoga teacher/breathwork master, engage guests in a 20-minute health break. Kind of like going out for recess before lunch. Or, opt to host this fun session right after lunch to get digestion moving, and help guests be alert after a big meal.

Toss around ideas with your teammates, other planners, and stakeholders of the meeting to come up with something new! It’s exciting to create new styles of seating by thinking outside the usual box of schoolroom style or u-shape seating. Guests will appreciate the nuances and will talk about and remember the event long after everyone goes home.