When I worked as a consultant and trainer for a small consulting firm, it was someone else’s job to source venues. We had an in-house team that managed the public programmes and when delivering an event for a client, the client chose the venue. So, when I started my own business in 1997 and started running my own public programmes, I didn’t have a relationship with any local venues.

Not that I was new to running events. In my final ‘proper job’, where I was UK Head of Training, my PA and I spent a good deal of time researching and visiting venues for training courses, off-site meetings and our annual Trainers’ Conference. The task was simply to find a suitable venue in my local area.

At the last count I’ve used about a dozen local hotels in the 24 years since I started my business. Some of them have closed down, some just didn’t suit me, some continue to be great locations for specific programmes. I aim to have a relationship with more than one venue at a time – I got caught out with ‘all my eggs in one basket’ in the past and now I prefer to balance the risk by having options. Having said that, when I find somewhere that works for me, I’m a very loyal customer.

Here are my criteria for a great venue for the kind of course I run now. I’m thinking of the NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner, the LAB Profile training or a small team event. Group size is rarely more than twelve.

1. Location

The location is important because most people will be driving to it, some will come by public transport and however my clients are travelling I want the venue to be easy to get to. Hence, I prefer somewhere that is no more than 15 minutes from a major road, no more than 40 minutes from the nearest airport. At the same time, I want it to be somewhere appealing. If it feels like a bit of a treat to be there, so much the better. (So, no airport hotels then!)

I also prefer to be fairly close to home. A three-hour journey at the end of five days delivery was not uncommon when I worked for someone else. Now that it’s my choice, I prefer to be in Warwickshire. For a client, of course, I’ll go to the ends of the Earth – and sometimes do, depending on where you think are the ends of the Earth!

2. Size

Cue the cheap laughs, size IS important. If I’m working with a small group over an extended time period, I want to be in a venue where any other groups are also small and stay for at least a day or two. In a large venue with large groups coming and going, it’s easy for a small group to be de-prioritised or overlooked altogether. I know because I’ve made the mistake of booking a room in a large conference hotel and constantly had to remind staff to bring our tea and coffee.

I also prefer a smaller venue because the number of staff is smaller and there is a greater opportunity to build up a working relationship with the people on whom I depend for the smooth running of my event.

3. Space

Space is important, both indoors and outdoors. Ideally, I want somewhere where we can spread out in our training room. I don’t want a ‘board room’ for twelve that barely has space to pull the chairs out. I want a space where I can set up for the presentations and demos and also have a separate area for break-out exercises without having to use ‘syndicate rooms’. I do like to be able to keep an eye on everyone and be available to answer questions during practical sessions.

Natural light is essential. So are privacy and low levels of noise.

Outdoor space is also significant. NLP training can be intense and it’s often good for participants to be able to take a walk outside during the break. We all know the soothing power of Nature!

4. Style

This is very personal, but I want to be working in a place I like. I would never book a venue that looked shabby or dirty, but I would hesitate equally over somewhere that had décor that didn’t appeal to my taste. Environments are important because they affect our internal state. I want to be in the best possible state to deliver my programme, so choosing an environment where I feel comfortable – even feel at home – is important.

NLP Trainers have said to me, “Surely you can manage your state regardless of the environment?” Yes, I can. I once had to deliver a 20-day programme during renovation work that the venue neglected to tell me about until the day before my programme started. We moved around the hotel, using whichever space was least disrupted on each day. The programme was still a success, but much more effort was required on my part to keep the right atmosphere.

Yes, I can manage my state, but I’d rather be putting my energy into other aspects of the delivery!

5. Staff

It doesn’t matter how perfect the environment seems to be, if the staff aren’t doing a great job, it’s not going to work for me. It’s not always easy to tell how well an event will be staffed until it’s actually in progress, so I usually aim to run a short event in a new venue before I commit to a long one.

I began my career in the service sector and I’ve spent months of my life delivering training in customer service so I do have high standards. For me, it’s not about the staff getting everything right first time, it’s about their willingness to listen, to understand what I want and to remember it so that I don’t have to keep asking for the same things every day. Which brings me to…

6. Consistency

When I book a venue for a modular programme, I want to be sure I’m booking the same room for every single day of the programme. This isn’t just because I’ve chosen the room best suited to our purpose and I don’t want a different one. It’s also because the room becomes an anchor for the course participants and when they arrive back for a new module they feel as if they haven’t been away. Continuity of environment assists with continuity of learning.

In the same way, being supported by the same staff each day helps a lot. It’s not always possible because of the shift patterns, but the fewer people I have to work with, the more quickly we come to understand each other and work effectively together.

7. Food

If the food isn’t good, I go somewhere else. No debate. Poor food can be such a distraction on a residential programme so I won’t compromise on this.

8. Bedrooms

I often stay in the hotel where I’m running an event and I want to be comfortable. One of the Brilliant Minds values is ‘comfort and joy’.

But it’s not just about me – if my clients are going to stay overnight, the rooms have to be up to standard. Clean, modern facilities, comfortable bed, temperature control – they all matter. Like poor food, all these things become a distraction if they’re not right.

I could go on, but I think these are the top criteria. Don’t get me started on the challenge of negotiating the deal with a salesperson and arriving at the hotel to find that most of your requirements haven’t been passed on to the operational team of the day. (That’s why I like to arrive on the evening before the event)

Ultimately, I know that when you book to attend a Brilliant Minds course, the venue is an integral part of the experience. Hence the venue and the quality of service you get are a part of my brand. I’m not going to trust that to anyone – or anywhere – without giving it a great deal of thought.

Your turn…

If you’ve attended one of our courses, what did you think of the venue?

Even if you haven’t, what do you like in a conference hotel?