1

The Ultimate E-Guide to

Hosting the Perfect

Meeting and Training

Events

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Have you ever wanted to unlock the

secrets to holding a successful

meeting or training event? It can

often be a difficult task, for

businesses and institutions that want

to organise a meeting, but do not

know how to plan and implement an

effective meeting or training event.

There are many issues that need to

be considered when organising a

meeting or training event which

will be discussed further in this

e-guide. Some of the most

common issues that arise when

planning a meeting involves

where to hold the meeting,

organising the venue, the number of

attendees, the presentations and

resources that may be needed and an

overview of the overall budget that

you have to organise and hold a

meeting.

If you are looking to hold a training event

you may also find that you will need plan

your budget effectively to incorporate the

necessary marketing and promotional

materials that may be needed to run your

event effectively. With so much to

consider in planning a meeting it may be

worth creating a checklist or assign

different members of your team or

employees to effectively manage different

aspects that will be involved in creating

the perfect meeting or training event for

your company. Whether you are holding

a professional business meeting or an

educational training event for employees

this e-guide aims to help you plan you

event with ease.

Businesses are wasting thousands of

pounds each year because of time

wasted on poorly planned meetings. This

is why it is essential to have an effectively

planned meeting and set the agenda with

confidence, to ensure that you don’t lose

out on potential business deals or

creative networking opportunities. In

addition, training events become

unproductive if they are not properly

organised and often companies incur

losses through unsuccessful

training events. Meetings

are vital for managem

and communication. Properly

run meetings save time,

increase motivation,

productivity, and solve

problems. Meetings create new

ideas and initiatives. Meetings

achieve buy-in which would be

essential to the success of your

company. Meetings are effectiv

the written word only carries 7% of the

true meaning and feeling. Meetings are

better than telephone conferences

because only 38% of the meaning and

feeling is carried in the way that things

are said. Therefore planning and hosting

a meeting or training event can create

lucrative potential for your business and

further spur motivation for employees and

participants.

Planning and Budgeting

for your

Meeting/Training Event

a professional business meeting or an

educational training event for employees

guide aims to help you plan your

Businesses are wasting thousands of

pounds each year because of time

wasted on poorly planned meetings. This

is why it is essential to have an effectively

planned meeting and set the agenda with

confidence, to ensure that you don’t lose

out on potential business deals or

creative networking opportunities. In

addition, training events become

unproductive if they are not properly

organised and often companies incur

losses through unsuccessful

training events. Meetings

are vital for management

and communication. Properly

run meetings save time,

increase motivation,

productivity, and solve

problems. Meetings create new

ideas and initiatives. Meetings

in which would be

essential to the success of your

company. Meetings are effective because

the written word only carries 7% of the

true meaning and feeling. Meetings are

better than telephone conferences

because only 38% of the meaning and

feeling is carried in the way that things

are said. Therefore planning and hosting

raining event can create

lucrative potential for your business and

further spur motivation for employees and

Planning and Budgeting

for your

Meeting/Training Event

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The first and most important thing you

should do when organising a potential

meeting or training event is to create a

plan. When establishing a plan for a

meeting, keep in mind that sometimes

you want to think out of

the box in order to

expand possibilities.

Firstly at the top of

your plan you

should decide on

the budget for your

meeting or training

event. The budget will

act as a guide for your

expenditure for the

meeting from hotel or

venue bookings to the

refreshments for the guests and

any other further resources you may

need for your meeting. It is therefore

imperative that you create a checklist of

all the essentials that you will need for

your meeting e.g venue hire and put next

to it the amount it will cost for each of

these things. You may find that you are

left with more money to spend by setting

the budget in advance and seeing what

things you may need. However, you may

also find that there is a lot to consider

and hire out for your meeting and you

may need to weigh up what you really

need for the meeting and rule

unnecessary items out of your meeting or

training event. Once you have created a

checklist and written down an estimate of

the costs you will be able to add up how

much it will cost to run the meeting and

this will help you when booking your

venue and other components such as

refreshments for your guests. The actions

you take before creating the meeting can

help you to establish the groundwork for

accomplishing successful meeting

results. You can do all of the needed

follow-up, but without an effective

meeting plan to start, you may not get the

results you have ho

meetings that produce results, begin

with meeting planning and if

you take the necessary steps

in creating a budget and draft

plan then you can be one

step closer to holding your

perfect meeting. It may be

beneficial to identify

whether

are needed to help you plan

the meeting. Then, decide

what you hope to accomplish

by holding the meeting.

Another effective tip on planning the

meeting is to establish doable goals for

your meeting or training event. It would

be unproductive to organise a meeting at

a five star hotel if you know that this

exceeds your budget. Therefore be

realistic and work according to your

individual budget of your business to

ensure that you have enough money for

all the other components which will help

create the perfect meeting. The goals you

set will establish the framework for an

effective meeting plan. As Stephen

Covey says in the Seven Habits of Highly

Effective People, "Begin with the end in

mind." Your meeting purpose will

determine the meeting fo

agenda, and the meeting participants and

will help to further engage your

participants and work towards productive

success.

In developing your meeting plan, ensure

that a meeting is the appropriate vehicle

successful meeting

results. You can do all of the needed

up, but without an effective

meeting plan to start, you may not get the

results you have hoped for. Effective

meetings that produce results, begin

with meeting planning and if

you take the necessary steps

in creating a budget and draft

plan then you can be one

step closer to holding your

perfect meeting. It may be

beneficial to identify

whether other employees

are needed to help you plan

the meeting. Then, decide

what you hope to accomplish

by holding the meeting.

Another effective tip on planning the

meeting is to establish doable goals for

your meeting or training event. It would

ve to organise a meeting at

a five star hotel if you know that this

exceeds your budget. Therefore be

realistic and work according to your

individual budget of your business to

ensure that you have enough money for

all the other components which will help

create the perfect meeting. The goals you

set will establish the framework for an

effective meeting plan. As Stephen

Covey says in the Seven Habits of Highly

Effective People, "Begin with the end in

mind." Your meeting purpose will

determine the meeting focus, the meeting

agenda, and the meeting participants and

will help to further engage your

participants and work towards productive

In developing your meeting plan, ensure

that a meeting is the appropriate vehicle

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for accomplishing the set goals which you

want to achieve out of your meeting.

When you schedule and hold a meeting

you need to take account of the number

of people attending. So, make efforts to

determine that a meeting is the best

opportunity to solve the problem, improve

the process, or make an ongoing plan. A

meeting or training event can create the

perfect means to accomplish your goals;

therefore it would be worth checking with

the participants who must attend for the

meeting to succeed. The needed

attendees must be available to attend the

meeting. Postpone the meeting rather

than holding a meeting without critical

staff members. If a delegate attends in

the place of a crucial decision maker,

make sure the designated staff member

has the authority to make decisions.

• A Few Tips for Planning

Here is a solid basic structure

for most types of meetings. This

assumes you have considered

properly and decided that the

meeting is necessary, and also

that you have decided via

consultation with those affected

if necessary or helpful what sort

of meeting to hold.

• Plan your meeting - use your

agenda as a planning tool

• Set and be clear of your

budget

• Circulate the meeting agenda

in advance

• Run the meeting - keep

control, agree outcomes,

actions and responsibilities,

take notes

• Write and circulate

especially actions and

accountabilities

• Follow up agreed actions and

responsibilities

Meeting Venue

The venue is an important aspect of your

meeting which is why you want to select

the most suitable venue for your meeting.

Meetings or training e

in a variety of locations from hotel

business suites to conference hall your

university lecture theatres. However, the

price of scheduling a meeting venue

varies considerably depending on the

number of attendees and the additional

resources that you may need.

Many meetings are relatively informal,

held in meeting rooms 'on

warrant extensive planning of the venue

as such. On the other hand, if you are

planning a big or important meeting

which needs to be held off

unfamiliar venues very definitely require a

lot of careful planning of the venue layout

and facilities. Plan the venue according to

the situation and you should find that

your venue will provide you with ample

space to conduct your meeting.

Venue choice is critical for certain

sensitive meetings, but far less so for

routine, in-house gatherings. Whatever,

there are certain preparations that are

essential, and never leave it all to the

hotel conference organiser or your own

facilities department unless you

them implicitly. Other people will do their

Write and circulate notes -

especially actions and

accountabilities

Follow up agreed actions and

responsibilities

Meeting Venue

The venue is an important aspect of your

meeting which is why you want to select

the most suitable venue for your meeting.

Meetings or training events can be held

in a variety of locations from hotel

suites to conference hall your

university lecture theatres. However, the

price of scheduling a meeting venue

varies considerably depending on the

number of attendees and the additional

es that you may need.

Many meetings are relatively informal,

held in meeting rooms 'on-site' and do not

warrant extensive planning of the venue

as such. On the other hand, if you are

planning a big or important meeting

which needs to be held off-site at

unfamiliar venues very definitely require a

lot of careful planning of the venue layout

and facilities. Plan the venue according to

the situation and you should find that

your venue will provide you with ample

space to conduct your meeting.

s critical for certain

sensitive meetings, but far less so for

house gatherings. Whatever,

there are certain preparations that are

essential, and never leave it all to the

hotel conference organiser or your own

facilities department unless you trust

them implicitly. Other people will do their

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best but they're not you which is why it is

crucial to ensure you hire a trusted venue

provider which will help to make things

run more smoothly. Often venue

providers will not be able to second

guess exactly what you want. Therefore

you must make a note of all the things

you wish to be included for your venue

and this could be included in your plan

which you can give to your venue

provider. You must ensure the room is

right - mainly, that it is big enough with all

relevant equipment and services. It's too

late to start hunting for a 20ft power

extension lead five minutes before the

meeting starts.

Other aspects that you need to check or

even set up personally are:

• Table and seating layout

• Top-table (if relevant) position

• Tables for demonstration

items, paperwork, hand-outs,

etc

• Electricity power points and

extensions

• Heating and lighting controls

• Projection and flip chart

equipment positioning and

correct operation

• Whereabouts of toilets and

emergency exits - fire drill

• Confirm reception and

catering arrangements

• Back-up equipment

contingency

• Refreshments (if any)

All of the above can and will go wrong

unless you check and confirm - when you

book the venue and then again a few

days before the meeting.

For a big important meeting, you should

also arrive an hour early to check

everything is as you want it. Some

meetings are difficult enough without

having to deal with domestic or logistics

emergencies; and remember if anything

goes wrong it reflects on you

credibility, reputation and control that's at

stake. Positioning of seating and tables is

important, and for certain types of

meetings it's crucial. Ensure the layout is

appropriate for the occasion:

Formal presentations to large groups

may be better in a theatre

hall venue in order for the audience to be

in rows, preferably with tables, facing the

chairman and this would be an ideal

venue for a training event.

Medium-sized participative meetings

horse-shoe designed table lay

open part of the U facing the chairman's

table, or delegates' tables arranged

'cabaret' style. Small meetings for debate

and discussion - board

work well with a one rectangular table

with chairman at one end. A relaxed

team meeting for planning and creative

sessions would work better with a lounge

style venue, with easy chairs and coffee

tables.

Your own positioning at the meeting in

relation to the group is vitally important. If

you are confident and comfortable and

your own authority then you should sit

close to the others, and can even sit

among people. If you expect challenge or

need to control the group strongly set

yourself further away and clearly central,

behind a top-table at the head of things. It

is important to ensure that everyone can

see screens and flip charts properly or

r a big important meeting, you should

also arrive an hour early to check

everything is as you want it. Some

meetings are difficult enough without

having to deal with domestic or logistics

emergencies; and remember if anything

goes wrong it reflects on you - it's your

credibility, reputation and control that's at

stake. Positioning of seating and tables is

important, and for certain types of

meetings it's crucial. Ensure the layout is

appropriate for the occasion:

Formal presentations to large groups

better in a theatre-style or lecture

hall venue in order for the audience to be

in rows, preferably with tables, facing the

chairman and this would be an ideal

venue for a training event.

sized participative meetings -

shoe designed table layout with the

open part of the U facing the chairman's

table, or delegates' tables arranged

'cabaret' style. Small meetings for debate

board-room style would

work well with a one rectangular table

with chairman at one end. A relaxed

eeting for planning and creative

sessions would work better with a lounge

style venue, with easy chairs and coffee

Your own positioning at the meeting in

relation to the group is vitally important. If

you are confident and comfortable and

authority then you should sit

close to the others, and can even sit

among people. If you expect challenge or

need to control the group strongly set

yourself further away and clearly central,

table at the head of things. It

re that everyone can

see screens and flip charts properly or

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the person who will be speaking and

actually sit in the chairs to check you'll be

surprised how poor the view is from

certain positions.

It would also be beneficial to set up of

projectors and screens which is vitally

important and strive for the perfect

rectangular image, as this gives a

professional, controlled impression as

soon as you start. Experiment with the

adjustment of projector and screen until

its how you want it. If you are using LCD

projector and overhead projector (a rare

beast these days) you may need two

screens. A plain white wall is often better

than a poor screen.

People from the western world read from

left to right, so if you want to present

anything in order using different media,

set it up so that people can follow it

naturally from left to right. For instance

show introductory bullet points (say on a

flip chart on the left - as the audience

sees it) and the detail for each point (say

on projector and screen on the right).

There may be meetings that use material

from other languages which is why you

should consider the arrangement of your

materials and resources in relation to

your attendees.

Position screens and flip chart in order

that they can be used comfortably without

obscuring the view. Ensure the

speaker/chairman's position is to the side

of the screen, not in front of it obscuring

the view. Ensure any extension leads and

wiring is taped to the floor or otherwise

safely covered and protected. Supply

additional flip chart easels and paper, or

write-on acetates and pens, for syndicate

work if applicable. You can also ask

people to bring laptops for exercises and

presentation to the group assuming you

have LCD projector is available and

compatible.

In venues that have not

built for modern presentations,

sometimes the lighting is problematical. If

there are strong fluorescent lights above

the screen that cannot be switched off

independently, it is sometimes possible

for them to be temporarily disconnected

(by removing the starter, which is a small

plastic cylinder plugged into the side of

the tube holder). In older buildings it

sometimes possible to temporarily

remove offending light

spoiling the visual display, but always

enlist the help of one

rather than resorting to DIY.

Finally, look after the venue's staff

need them on your side. Most business

users treat hotel and conference staff

disdainfully so show them some respect

and appreciation and they will be more

than helpful.

Meeting Timing &

Attendees

It is important to make a list of the crucial

attendees or delegates for your meeting

and check whether they will be able to

make it on the scheduled date and time

for your meeting. It would be wise to be

flexible on the timing to ensure that you

hold the meeting at a time when all the

key participants can make it. It is

important to ensure that the date you

choose causes minimum disruption for all

people to bring laptops for exercises and

presentation to the group assuming you

have LCD projector is available and

In venues that have not been purpose-

built for modern presentations,

sometimes the lighting is problematical. If

there are strong fluorescent lights above

the screen that cannot be switched off

independently, it is sometimes possible

for them to be temporarily disconnected

moving the starter, which is a small

plastic cylinder plugged into the side of

the tube holder). In older buildings it

sometimes possible to temporarily

remove offending light-bulbs if they are

spoiling the visual display, but always

of the venue's staff

rather than resorting to DIY.

Finally, look after the venue's staff - you

need them on your side. Most business

users treat hotel and conference staff

disdainfully so show them some respect

and appreciation and they will be more

Meeting Timing &

Attendees

It is important to make a list of the crucial

attendees or delegates for your meeting

and check whether they will be able to

make it on the scheduled date and time

for your meeting. It would be wise to be

flexible on the timing to ensure that you

meeting at a time when all the

key participants can make it. It is

important to ensure that the date you

choose causes minimum disruption for all

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concerned so that you get off to a good

start for your meeting. It's increasingly

difficult to gather people for meetings,

particularly from different departments or

organisations. So take care when finding

the best date and pick a date which

would be most convenient for your key

speakers and participants. It can be a

very important part of the process,

particularly if senior people are involved.

For meetings that repeat on a regular

basis the easiest way to set dates is to

agree them in advance at the first

meeting when everyone can commit

there and then. Try to schedule a year's

worth of meetings if possible and you can

circulate and publish the dates which

would help to ensure people keep to

them and are able to make it as they are

prepared for the meeting in advance.

Pre-planning meeting dates is one of the

keys to achieving control and well-

organised meetings. Conversely, if you

were to leave the scheduling of a meeting

date and time to late it would be hard to

agree dates for meetings and will almost

certainly inconvenience people, which is

a major source of upset and

disappointment for creating productive

progression within a company.

Generally it would be beneficial to consult

and gather an agreement of best meeting

dates for everyone, but ultimately you will

often need to be firm. Use the 'inertia

method', i.e., suggest a date and invite

alternative suggestions, rather than

initially asking for suggestions, which

rarely achieves a quick agreement.

The times to start and finish a meeting or

training event depend on the type of

duration of the meeting and the

attendees' availability, but generally try to

start early, or finish at the end of the

working day. Two-hour meetings in the

middle of the day waste a lot of time in

travel. Breakfast meetings are a good

idea in certain cultures, but can be too

demanding in more relaxed

environments. If attendees have long

distances to travel you may need to

consider overnight accommodation and

the arrangement of accommodation for

them.

If the majority have to stay overnight it's

often worth getting the remainder to do

so as well because the team building

benefits from evening socialising are

considerable, and well worth the cost of a

hotel room. Overnight accommodation

the night before also allows for a much

earlier start. By the same token, consider

people's travelling times after the

meeting, and don't be unreasonable

again offer overnight accommodation if

warranted - it will allow a later finish, and

generally keep people happier.

As with other aspects of the meeting

arrangements, if in doubt always ask

people what they prefer which would help

to further spur productivi

meeting.

Meeting Agenda

The meeting agenda plays a crucial role

in the flow of your meeting and ultimately

helps you to conduct the meeting with

ease and ensure that all participants can

get involved and know what they are

duration of the meeting and the

attendees' availability, but generally try to

early, or finish at the end of the

hour meetings in the

middle of the day waste a lot of time in

travel. Breakfast meetings are a good

idea in certain cultures, but can be too

demanding in more relaxed

environments. If attendees have long

distances to travel you may need to

consider overnight accommodation and

the arrangement of accommodation for

If the majority have to stay overnight it's

often worth getting the remainder to do

so as well because the team building

ng socialising are

considerable, and well worth the cost of a

hotel room. Overnight accommodation

the night before also allows for a much

earlier start. By the same token, consider

people's travelling times after the

meeting, and don't be unreasonable -

ain offer overnight accommodation if

it will allow a later finish, and

generally keep people happier.

As with other aspects of the meeting

arrangements, if in doubt always ask

people what they prefer which would help

to further spur productivity in your

Meeting Agenda

The meeting agenda plays a crucial role

in the flow of your meeting and ultimately

helps you to conduct the meeting with

ease and ensure that all participants can

get involved and know what they are

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talking about. It would be helpful to

include all the relevant information and

circulate it in advance of your meeting to

ensure that all

participants can

gather the

concept of

your

meeting

and

contribute

effectively to

the

discussion. If you are holding a training

event you may also find it beneficial to

circulate an agenda or plan of what will

be discussed. If you want to avoid having

the ubiquitous and time-wasting 'Any

Other Business' on your agenda,

circulate the agenda well in advance and

ask for additional items to be submitted

for consideration. Formal agendas for

board meetings and committees will

normally have an established fixed

format, which applies for every meeting.

This type of formal agenda normally

begins with:

• apologies for absence

• approval of previous meeting's

minutes (notes)

• matters arising (from last

meeting)

• and then the main agenda,

finishing with 'any other

business'.

For more common or informal style

meetings which could be about

departmental, sales teams, projects, ad-

hoc issues, etc), try to avoid the formality

and concentrate on practicality which

could help you drive your meeting

forward. For each item, explain the

purpose, and if a decision is required, say

so. If it's a creative item, say

so. If it's for information,

say so. Put timings,

or tim

both (having both is

helpful for you as the

chairman). If you have

guest speakers or

presenters for items,

name them. Plan

coffee breaks and a

lunch break if relevant, and ensure the

caterers are informed. Aside from these

formal breaks you should allow natural

'comfort' breaks every 45

people lose concentration and the

meeting becomes less productive.

Hosting the Meeting

If you are the key host of the meeting be

prepared and plan what you are going to

say in advance. The key

your meeting is keeping control and

keeping your calm. You can achieve a

confident demeanour by sticking to the

agenda, managing the relationships and

personalities, and concentrating on

outcomes. Meetings must have a

purpose. Every item mus

purpose. Remind yourself and the group

of the required outcomes and steer the

proceedings towards making progress,

not hot air.

Try to encourage and motivate those who

are nervous. Take notes as you go,

and concentrate on practicality which

could help you drive your meeting

forward. For each item, explain the

purpose, and if a decision is required, say

so. If it's a creative item, say

so. If it's for information,

say so. Put timings,

or time-per-item, or

both (having both is

helpful for you as the

chairman). If you have

guest speakers or

presenters for items,

name them. Plan

coffee breaks and a

lunch break if relevant, and ensure the

caterers are informed. Aside from these

should allow natural

'comfort' breaks every 45-60 minutes, or

people lose concentration and the

meeting becomes less productive.

Hosting the Meeting

If you are the key host of the meeting be

prepared and plan what you are going to

The key to success for

your meeting is keeping control and

keeping your calm. You can achieve a

confident demeanour by sticking to the

agenda, managing the relationships and

personalities, and concentrating on

outcomes. Meetings must have a

purpose. Every item must have a

purpose. Remind yourself and the group

of the required outcomes and steer the

proceedings towards making progress,

Try to encourage and motivate those who

are nervous. Take notes as you go,

9

recording the salient points and the

agreed actions, with names, measurable

outcomes and deadlines. Do not record

everything word-for-word, and if you find

yourself taking over the chairmanship of

a particularly stuffy group which produces

reams of notes and very little

else, then change

things. Concentrate

on achieving the

outcomes you set

the meeting when

you drew up the

agenda. Avoid

racing away with

decisions if your aim

was simply discussion

and involving people.

Avoid hours of discussion

if you simply need a

decision. Avoid debate if you

simply need to convey a

policy issue. Policy is policy

and that is that.

It would help to defer new issues to

another time. Practice and use the

phrase 'You may have a point, but it's not

for this meeting - we'll discuss it another

time.' (And then remember to do it.) If you

don't know the answer say that you'll get

back to everyone with the answer, or

append it to the meeting notes.

If someone persistently moans on about

a specific issue that is not on the agenda,

quickly translate it into a simple

exploratory or investigative project, and

bounce it back to them, with a deadline to

report back

their

findings and recommendations to you.

Use the rules on delegation to help you

manage people and tasks and outcomes

through meetings. Try to stick to the

agenda by putting the less important

issues at the top of the agenda, not the

bottom. If you put them on the bottom

you may never get to them because you'll

tend to spend all the time on the big

issues.

Ensure any urgent issues

are placed up the agenda

and any non

place down the agenda if

you are going to miss any

you can more easily afford

to miss these. Try to achieve

a varied mix through the

running order while you are

hosting.

Also be mindful of the lull that

generally affects people after lunch,

so try to avoid scheduling the most

boring item of the agenda at this

time; instead after lunch get people

participating and involved, whether

speaking, presenting, debating or doing

other active things and this would also be

beneficial in training events. En

know what the meeting's purpose is to

have a clear vision for running the

meeting smoothly. Decide the issues for

inclusion in the meeting and their relative

priority: importance and urgency as

are quite different and need treating in

different ways.

You can avoid the pressure for 'Any

Other Business' at the end of the meeting

if you circulate a draft agenda in advance

of the meeting, and ask for any other

items for consideration. 'Any Other

Business' can often create a free

session that wastes time, and gives rise

manage people and tasks and outcomes

through meetings. Try to stick to the

utting the less important

issues at the top of the agenda, not the

bottom. If you put them on the bottom

you may never get to them because you'll

tend to spend all the time on the big

Ensure any urgent issues

are placed up the agenda

and any non-urgent items

place down the agenda if

you are going to miss any

you can more easily afford

to miss these. Try to achieve

a varied mix through the

running order while you are

Also be mindful of the lull that

generally affects people after lunch,

ry to avoid scheduling the most

boring item of the agenda at this

time; instead after lunch get people

participating and involved, whether

speaking, presenting, debating or doing

other active things and this would also be

beneficial in training events. Ensure you

know what the meeting's purpose is to

have a clear vision for running the

meeting smoothly. Decide the issues for

inclusion in the meeting and their relative

priority: importance and urgency as they

are quite different and need treating in

You can avoid the pressure for 'Any

Other Business' at the end of the meeting

a draft agenda in advance

of the meeting, and ask for any other

items for consideration. 'Any Other

Business' can often create a free-for-all

that wastes time, and gives rise

10

to new tricky expectations, which if not

managed properly then closes the

meeting on a negative note and may

change the overall outcome of your

meeting.

Finally thank your attendees or

participants for their contribution and

participation in attending the meeting and

ensure that everyone is happy with the

overall running of the meeting and had a

chance to voice their opinions if

necessary.

Key Factors Affecting

How Best to Run

Meetings

Your choice of structure and style in

running an effective and successful

meeting is hugely dependent on several

factors which include the following which

are:

• The situation (circumstances,

mood, atmosphere, background,

environment)

• The organisational context of

the implications and needs of

the business or project or

organisation

• The team, or the meeting

delegates (the needs and

interests of those attending) • You and your position(your own

role, confidence, experience,

your personal

aims, etc)

• Your position and relationship

with the team

• The aims of the meeting.

Inevitably, there will always be more than

one aim or goals for a meeting or training

event and , almost all meetings bring with

them the need and opportunity to care for

and to develop people, as individuals or

as a team these goals need to be

reflected in the meeting. Planning is a

crucial factor in having a successful

meeting and without proper planning and

implementing of the structures that create

the perfect meeting you will be unable t

hold a professional meeting or training

event.

When you run a meeting you are making

demands on people's time and attention.

When you run meeting you have an

authority to do so, which you must use

wisely. This applies also if the people at

the meeting are not your direct reports,

and even if they are not a part of your

organisation. Whatever the apparent

reason for the meeting, you have a

responsibility to manage the meeting so

that it is a positive and helpful experience

for all who attend. Having this

alongside the specific meeting objectives

can help you develop an ability and

reputation for running effective meetings

that people are happy to attend.

Taking Account of the

Meeting and Minutes

Distribution

position and relationship

with the team

The aims of the meeting.

Inevitably, there will always be more than

one aim or goals for a meeting or training

event and , almost all meetings bring with

them the need and opportunity to care for

le, as individuals or

as a team these goals need to be

reflected in the meeting. Planning is a

crucial factor in having a successful

meeting and without proper planning and

implementing of the structures that create

the perfect meeting you will be unable to

hold a professional meeting or training

When you run a meeting you are making

demands on people's time and attention.

When you run meeting you have an

authority to do so, which you must use

wisely. This applies also if the people at

re not your direct reports,

and even if they are not a part of your

organisation. Whatever the apparent

reason for the meeting, you have a

responsibility to manage the meeting so

that it is a positive and helpful experience

for all who attend. Having this aim,

alongside the specific meeting objectives

can help you develop an ability and

reputation for running effective meetings

that people are happy to attend.

Taking Account of the

Meeting and Minutes

Distribution

11

It is important to consider the need for

meeting minutes or note taking so that

the important factors that were discussed

in the meeting can be taking into account

a record of it can be made. Training

events can also benefit from having a

summary of notes for the participants to

receive once the meeting has finished. It

is important to consider who will be taking

the meeting notes or minutes, and who

will keep command for the meeting. You

could appoint a member of your team to

record the minutes or you could hire a

recording device and have the meeting

recorded.

Meeting notes are essential for managing

meeting actions and outcomes and

working on goals to be achieved. They

also cement agreements and clarify

confusions.. A meeting without notes is

mostly pointless as you will not be able to

remember or take account of who said

what and it will be harder for you to

implement a way forward, therefore notes

are essential both in meetings and in

training events. Actions go unrecorded

and therefore forgotten. Attendees feel

that the meeting was largely pointless

because there's no published record.

After the meeting it would be beneficial to

circulate the minutes and copy to all

attendees, including date of next meeting

if applicable, and copy to anyone else

who should see the notes.

The notes

should be

brief or people won't read them, but they

must still be precise and clear. Include

relevant facts, figures, accountabilities,

actions and timescales. Any agreed

actions must be clearly described, with

person or persons named responsible,

with a deadline.

The final crucial element is following up

the agreed actions (your own included). If

you run a great meeting, issue great

notes, and then fail to ensure the actions

are completed, all is lost, not least your

credibility. You must follow up agreed

actions and hold people to them. If you

don't they will very soon learn that they

can ignore these agreements every time

negative conditioning

managing teams and results. By following

up agreed actions, at future meetings

particularly, (when there is an eager

audience waiting to see who's delivered

and who hasn't), you will positively

condition your people to respond and

perform, and you will make meetings

work for you and your team.

Final Note on achieving

success for your

Meeting/Training

As discussed in this e

are many factors that need to be taken

into consideration when creating the

perfect meeting or training event.

Although planning a meeting would seem

an easy task at hindsight, it becomes

inevitable that planning a successful

meeting or training event is more difficult

then it would first appear to be. However,

with the tips outlined in this guide and the

sound advice you can be one step closer

person or persons named responsible,

The final crucial element is following up

the agreed actions (your own included). If

you run a great meeting, issue great

notes, and then fail to ensure the actions

are completed, all is lost, not least your

credibility. You must follow up agreed

nd hold people to them. If you

don't they will very soon learn that they

can ignore these agreements every time -

negative conditioning - it's the death of

managing teams and results. By following

up agreed actions, at future meetings

here is an eager

audience waiting to see who's delivered

and who hasn't), you will positively

condition your people to respond and

perform, and you will make meetings

work for you and your team.

Final Note on achieving

success for your

Meeting/Training Event

As discussed in this e-book guide there

are many factors that need to be taken

into consideration when creating the

perfect meeting or training event.

Although planning a meeting would seem

an easy task at hindsight, it becomes

ning a successful

meeting or training event is more difficult

then it would first appear to be. However,

with the tips outlined in this guide and the

sound advice you can be one step closer

12

to organising a successful meeting or

training event with enthusiasm. Meetings

and training events can enhance the

growth of your business and further

create opportunities for improvement and

change within your company that can

further spur success. There are many

things that need to be considered when

hosting the perfect meeting and one of

the most important aspects of creating

the perfect meeting is to plan the meeting

effectively. Every detail and expenditure

should be noted down in order to get an

idea of your overall budget and work

accordingly to book the right venue for

your meeting. The venue of your meeting

also plays a crucial role in creating the

right mood and environment for your

attendees and sets the mood for serious

business or motivating training event.

Attendees are more likely to contribute

and participate to a meeting if they are in

a comfortable environment and therefore

it is important to take care of your

attendees needs and ensure that their

requirements are catered for. It is also

important to take a note of the following

by finding the right meeting room for your

purpose and consider whether the

boardroom, roundtable, or classroom

style layout would be best for your

meeting or training event. It would be

beneficial to pre-book your technology for

your meeting or traning event and ensure

that you have the resources such as

screens, projectors, video-conferencing

(and someone to help you work it, if

required!)

Remember to try to brief attendees in

advance and make sure everyone knows

the agenda and purpose of the meeting

with the desired outcomes which will help

spur discussion and room for

improvement. On the day of your meeting

it would be better to arrive early to set

and remind yourself of the details of the

meeting. In addition you should try to

chair the meeting firmly ensuring that you

plan out the time allowance for each

agenda point and aim to start and finish

on time if you can achieve the correct

timing. Try to ensure clear and detailed

notes are taken either by you or delegate

the job to someone else at the meeting

so that you can prese

notes either at the next meeting or send

them to your attendees. If you are holding

a training event it would be a good idea

to create a summary of what you have

covered in paper form and send it to all

the participants of the event. This wo

leave room for any feedback if one

wanted to get in touch regarding what

they have learnt or make any

suggestions to be discussed at a later

date. Lastly it would be beneficial to

wrap up the meeting or training event by

reiterating agreed actions, re

and next steps which you and the

participants have agreed on which can

further help to enhance and nourish your

goals for the company. The final point

that you have to ensure is to follow

the meeting promptly with the contact

report and next meeting dates and lastly

have a wonderful and successful

meeting.

Author: Tasnim Nazeer

spur discussion and room for

improvement. On the day of your meeting

it would be better to arrive early to set-up

and remind yourself of the details of the

meeting. In addition you should try to

chair the meeting firmly ensuring that you

out the time allowance for each

agenda point and aim to start and finish

on time if you can achieve the correct

timing. Try to ensure clear and detailed

notes are taken either by you or delegate

the job to someone else at the meeting

so that you can present the meeting

notes either at the next meeting or send

them to your attendees. If you are holding

a training event it would be a good idea

to create a summary of what you have

covered in paper form and send it to all

the participants of the event. This would

leave room for any feedback if one

wanted to get in touch regarding what

they have learnt or make any

suggestions to be discussed at a later

date. Lastly it would be beneficial to

wrap up the meeting or training event by

reiterating agreed actions, responsibilities

and next steps which you and the

participants have agreed on which can

further help to enhance and nourish your

goals for the company. The final point

that you have to ensure is to follow-up

the meeting promptly with the contact

next meeting dates and lastly

have a wonderful and successful

Tasnim Nazeer

13

For Perfect Meeting Space Call Hyde

Park Executive

0207 723 9996

www.hydeparkexecutive.com