Many large companies and organisations have major conferences that are out of town, or even in another country. This is especially true of companies that are multi-national, with branches all over the world (such as Coca-Cola, Virgin Mobile, Nike, etc…), so that delegates from all of their branches are able to meet one another at one destination. This is very exciting, albeit costly, and certainly offers the employees a magnificent opportunity to travel and to meet their foreign colleagues.
As the event coordinator, it is imperative that you visit the destination well ahead of time, so that you are familiar with and prepared for the unique features and challenges of the country or city, as well as its amenities and facilities.
When deciding upon a destination, take the following five factors into account:
Attractions
Many of the delegates are likely to want to see a bit of the destination during their time there. The local attractions and activities will make their trip there memorable and special. Attractions may include cultural sites, natural resources, arts, crafts, parks, wildlife reserves, museums, galleries, and so on. The attractions should be accessible and relevant to the profile of your delegates (i.e. being near an amusement park may mean very little to a group of senior directors without their families).
Tourist Facilities and Services
While on conference, your delegates are, essentially, tourists in the destination. Therefore, they need to be cared for as such. Tourist facilities and services include accommodation, transport, restaurants, tour guides, foreign exchange outlets, etc…
Infrastructure
Some branches of the organisation may be located in poor or rural areas. Especially if this is the case, you will need to assess the suitability of the infrastructure (roads, hospitals, electricity, and water, for example) for the number of people that you are expecting to attend. Bear in mind that some may be older, some may bring their families and there could be physically disabled people in your group of delegates. The infrastructure should be adequately suitable for all.
Transportation
Depending on your event and destination, you may require different forms of transportation, such as flights to and from the destination, shuttles between the airport and the accommodation, public transport to get to the conference each day, taxis, tour busses, hired vehicles, chauffeurs, etc… The potential chaos caused by a lack of sufficient, safe transport is disastrous and would be difficult to amend once actually at the destination. Therefore, it should be arranged well ahead of time.
Hospitality
Some countries are known for their excellent standards of service, while others are left standing, so to speak. Gauge the needs and expectations of your conference delegates and decide accordingly. In some cases, the experience of a particular destination may be worth slightly inferior service quality. For some delegates, service may be of utmost importance, outweighing almost any other aspect of the experience. You will need to evaluate the overall hospitality levels and make a decision based on your specific profile of guest.
