Venue selection tips

This can happen to any 5-star hotel in any city. Hence, unless organizers are prepared to put-up with the noise and inconvenience during conferences, as well as complaints from delegates after that, do avoid hotels undergoing renovations.

• Originally published in March 2009 The financial crisis is causing a slow-down in business travel. Some hotels may be taking advantage of this lull period to renovate the properties. For event organisers, this may present an opportunity to negotiate for better rates from hotels that undergoing renovations and also have empty rooms to fill. However, it is not advisable to hold a conference in a hotel that is undergoing renovation for the following reasons: It doesn’t matter whether the renovation takes place several floors away from the ballroom, or is in a different wing, the fact is that sound travels; knocking and drilling noise in unavoidable in such a situation.
• Despite what the hotel convention services people might promise, it usually does not make economic sense for the hotel management to issue a stop-work order for the duration of the conference.
• Knocking and drilling noise is very distracting and disturbing for speakers and delegates. When this happens, it will take a while to trace and stop the work because the sound could come from anywhere.
• Apart from noise, F & B choices and quality may be affected, dining venue may be overcrowded, hence affecting the overall experience of the event participants.
• If elevator upgrading is involved, hotel guests may need to wait longer to get from one floor to another.