AGENDA

Many hotels, conference centres and other venues may tell you their facilities and staff are among the best. But now here's your chance to see how they really measure up. The Coleman Center of New York City, an organization that specializes in meetings, recently published the following questionnaire, designed to help you eliminate much of the guesswork when choosing a site for your next corporate event.

The higher the score the better the venue's performance.

a) Square or slightly rectangular. Not long and narrow so that participants in the rear are removed from the leader.
Rating:0123

b) Lighting is bright and evenly spread throughout the room.
Rating: 0123

c) There are no reflective surfaces that cause eye fatigue and reduce concentration levels.
Rating: 0123

d) Wall colours are of solid shades of blue, yellow or green. Depressing shades of white, browns or blacks or distracting loud colours, or plaids or stripes are not present.
Rating: 0123

e) Similarly, the carpets consist of solid colours of blue, yellow or green.
Rating: 012

f) Ceiling heights allow for the unobstructed presentation of visuals.
Rating: 01234

g) Chairs are comfortable, have arms, swivel features, wheels and a recliner mechanism.
Rating: 01234

h) Tables allow for a minimum 2 1/2' between participants.
Rating: 0123

i) There are no pictures or clocks on the walls that have a tendency to distract participants.
Rating: 01

j) Lights use dimmer switches.
Rating: 0123

k) There is no noise from adjacent rooms or corridors.
Rating: 0123

l) Air conditioning is controlled from the room and runs quietly with good ventilation.
Rating: 0123

m) The room will comfortably accommodate my group size.
Rating: 0123

n) There is a simple, efficient means to hang and display presentation materials.
Rating: 0123

o) The meeting rooms are contained on one floor for easier access.
Rating: 01234

Your total: ________

Maximum score: 48

Rating The Staff

a) Is there staff available dedicated to accommodating meetings?
Rating: 01234

b) Is the staff immediately accessible?
Rating: 0123

c) Is there an A/V specialist on hand if problems with equipment should arise?
Rating: 0123

d) Is there an attitude of warmth and courtesy?
Rating: 012

e) How knowledgeable is the staff when responding to questions?
Rating: 01234

f) Are the rooms cleaned at every break?
Rating: 0123

g) Is water readily available on the tables and refreshed throughout the day?
Rating: 012

h) Does one of the facility staff check with the meeting leadership during the day to see whether any additional assistance is required?
Rating: 012

i) Is there access to business facilities such as fax, computers, copiers, etc.
Rating: 0123

Your total: ________

Maximum score: 31

Scoring: