|
|
|
|
|
|
Keep your Training Sessions on Track: Hire a full-service conference center
If you offer formalized training, whether for your company
employees or as a paid expert whose business is professional
education seminars, it's important to assure that the entire
process runs smoothly throughout the course of the training. A
polished presentation, clear, informative handout materials, and
a variety of planned activities involving audience participation
can together result in a positive experience for the training
participants. The right facility can help you create this
positive experience by providing the physical layout and support
services you need.
If, for instance, you plan to hold a day-long training seminar
which involves morning and afternoon media presentations to your
entire group, with workshops and hands-on activities planned for
smaller groups throughout the day, you'll want a large meeting
room which offers a number of seating configurations and the
ability to section the room off into two or more smaller rooms;
or you can rent several rooms of differing sizes and
configurations to meet with your variety of needs.
To maximize productivity at your training seminar, it's
important to create a sensible schedule and then stick to it.
Make sure you build lunch and morning and afternoon breaks into
the schedule, with easy access to food, beverages, and restroom
facilities. Holding your seminar at a self-contained meeting
center providing refreshments will not only be welcomed by
your participants, it will help keep you on schedule, as you
won't end up waiting for participants who straggle in after
having left the seminar location in search of food.
If you plan to distribute instructional manuals, handouts, and
other material at the seminar, consider bundling all the
materials together along with pens, pads of paper, and other
necessities in a promotional
tote with your company logo
emblazoned on it; the tote is a great giveaway, and prepackaging
the materials and handing them out at the beginning of the
seminar will save you time throughout the course of the day.
Think about creating a CD-Rom for participants with additional
resource materials which you don't have time to address during
the seminar - with your name, company logo, and contact
information prominently displayed. If you're a paid expert
presenting a professional development seminar, you may also want
to gather a selection of books, instructional CDs, and DVDs for
sale at the seminar.
If your presentation involves interfacing with the meeting
center's audiovisual equipment, make sure you show up far enough
in advance of the seminar's start time that you can communicate
with the "techies" and troubleshoot the equipment. Even before
you get to the facility, you should have identified a specific
individual as your contact person and communicate with him or
her adequately leading up to the seminar. And make sure you have
a solid understanding of the support services they offer; not
only will you be able to access these services yourself if
necessary, if you can offer the same services to your seminar
participants, it will give them added value and reflect well on
you.
Meeting and conference centers can be of great assistance in
bringing your training seminar into focus. A wise and creative
use of the services they offer will make your job easier and
optimize the learning experience for your participants.
About the author:
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern
New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and
Topics. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
