The UK's events industry is a world leader when it comes to staging creative events, but today's delegates are expecting more than ever. When it comes to generating ideas, a great deal of attention has always been paid to who is doing the thinking. But often, the quality of ideas generated can be the result of where the thinking is done.The most successful and productive events are a result of bringing the right people together, using the right process and hosting the event in the right place. The venue cannot be underestimated in contributing to the success of an event and organisers are taking this on board and looking for venues that are unique and offer something unusual to add an extra dimension to their meetings.
The environment that you choose for hosting your meeting or event can have a dramatic effect on people's behaviours and their ability to be creative and innovative in their thinking. People take cues from their environment in all sorts of subconscious ways. There have been a number of studies conducted over the years that have found that people will behave differently depending on where meetings are held, be it a boardroom, a standard meeting room, a hotel or a training room. Findings have shown that people react differently in these environments and their behaviours impact the way they act, think, and the ideas they generate.
For example, in a boardroom setting people tend to be quiet and speak in hushed tones. They wait for others to finish before speaking and the ideas can to be very conservative. In company meeting rooms, corporate hierarchies can affect the brainstorming process with junior employees contributing less to the meetings. There appears to be a set of unwritten rules that apply that can potentially hinder brainstorming and innovation when people get together in traditional meetings spaces.
What you want to attain from your meeting should therefore have an impact on where you hold the meeting. Some meetings require more than a basic room, they need a creative and stimulating environment. Choosing to hold a meeting outside of company premises can also do a tremendous amount to encourage new ideas and new ways of viewing a business task.
The UK is blessed with a wide variety of alternative venues including historical houses, botanical gardens, art galleries or golf clubhouses. Truly inspiring, creative spaces can also cost less than a traditional conference facility or hotel room. The beauty of a unique venue can be in its setting, with unusual architectural elements, gardens or magnificent views, or it can be in the functionality of the venue as with eco-friendly venues or sporting grounds, or it can be in the activities or interests the venue provides as with museums or outdoor activity centres. These venues all offer attendees the chance to explore their environment and be inspired and rejuvenated by the experience. By choosing a unique venue you are also providing an extra talking point and ensuring the event will be more memorable.
However, creative meeting spaces are not purely restricted to unusual venues. Many traditional meeting venues in the UK have developed spaces that utilise visual stimuli, colours, activities and music to create an inspiring environment for delegates. These meeting rooms are designed to meld the concepts of face-to-face communication with play, creative thinking and technology.
If you like the idea of getting creative in your next company meeting, click here to view the many stunning and inspirational venues listed on our site. If you would like any advice or suggestions our live chat service can help you find exactly what you are looking for.
