How To Plan A Successful Meeting in Kansas City
How To Plan A Successful Meeting in Kansas City
Some meetings are easily planned while others, such as conferences, seminars and training days, require more time and effort. When planning a large meeting or conference in Kansas City, it’s important to control as many factors as you can through planning. Fortunately, it is much easier to structure a meeting for success in advance.
1. Identify the purpose
Before you start planning your meeting in Kansas City, it’s important to identify the purpose and type of meeting that is necessary. Then can you plan a meeting that achieves your objective or goal. These are a few of the categories of meetings that yours might fall under:
- Information sharing.
- Innovation.
- Team building.
- Decision-making.
- Status update.
Introducing a theme for your conference or large meeting is important as it unifies all parties involved. It could be relatively broad and high level or much narrower. Themes help to connect ideas, get appropriate speakers and include the right people.
2. Expectations
When preparing for a large meeting or conference at the KCI Expo Center, it is imperative to have an agenda and be clear about expectations. For meetings, develop an agenda entailing what will be discussed and distribute it to attendees. Be sure to include times and topics. Creating an agenda will allow you to stay on topic during meetings. Mission statements are more helpful for conferences as they help events and sessions stay on track. When setting expectations and writing agendas, it’s a good idea to also send any and all required reading materials to participants. Preparation is key.
3. Technology and Equipment
As time has progressed, technology has become an integral part of our world. Use it. People are accustomed to seeing graphics or other visuals to accompany speeches or reports. Be sure to appeal to that mindset and incorporate those visuals when planning your meeting or conference in Kansas City. One thing that many tradeshows or large meeting space venues should offer is charging stations for your attendees to make sure their cellphones and laptops stay full charged on meeting days.
Decide if you’ll be using collaborative tools during your event and confirm with your meeting space that any equipment you need can be supported or provided. Testing the equipment and running through your visuals before the big day is another important step that is often overlooked, but can save you from running into technology-related issues during the event.
4. Venue and Accommodations
The KCI Expo Center is the perfect venue for your large meetings and conference room needs. Attendees are going to be enjoying each minute at your event when you pick the leading spot in Kansas City. Many vendors and meeting planners enjoy hosting their meeting at KCI Expo Center because the Holiday Inn is connected to it by exterior walkway and has a delicious on-site restaurant, Burger Theory. Meeting planners also choose the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City because of its central location, close distance to the airport, and many amazing choices for restaurants and things to do in the city.
5. Attendee Participation
While having the group as a whole is the primary goal of a conference or large meeting, splitting up participants into subgroups based on specialties, experience, and other criteria, can be surprisingly helpful. Subgroups can:
- Create differentiated perspectives.
- Give sides a chance to clarify their positions.
- Organize complex plans into manageable projects.
There needs to be enough time allotted for these small groups to discuss their opinions and thoughts and then allow them to each have the chance to share their findings with the large group.
Running a conference or large meeting is hard and takes a lot of work, but the rewards are massive. When you have the help KCI Expo Center is able to offer in your quest for greatness, there is no need to worry. Contact us today to fulfill your meeting needs!
