Meetings

Mandy Chagger

A large part of what makes a meeting successful occurs in the preparation phase. Although it may vary by committee, department or unit, there are seven key responsibilities expected of chairs or team leaders before a meeting takes place. Each is explained in detail below.

1. Clarify purpose and aims. A clearly stated purpose or aim describes the key decisions that must be made or actions that must occur at the meeting. The purpose of a meeting should be stated at the top of the meeting agenda. Some example purpose statements might look something like:
• Share best practices in graduate recruitment and identify opportunities to recruit collaboratively
• Identify priority goals for next year
• Examine and update admission criteria
• Decide how to get feedback from faculty, staff and students
Everything else on the agenda including topics, times, and presenters are the activities that, taken together, will accomplish the aims. A weekly or monthly staff meeting may not require meeting aims beyond the agenda items.

2. Create an agenda. An agenda is a framework that guides and supports the meeting. Agendas are like roadmaps, blueprints, flight plans, and recipes. An agenda helps focus the group’s work toward achieving desired outcomes. Good agenda items provide focus and structure for a meeting. Some example agenda items might look something like:
• Report on fall enrollments
• Identify members for ad hoc space committee
• Generate list of possible solutions for the xyz problem with pros and cons of each
3. Schedule the meeting. Scheduling a meeting involves much more than just making a list of attendees. It requires identifying key people who must attend and either finding times that work for them or notifying them of the meeting’s time and location. Once an optimal date and time are agreed upon, a meeting location can be selected. (Choice meeting locations sometimes dictate meeting dates.) Other scheduling activities might include some of the following:
• Create a scheduling grid
• Create an electronic mailing list at the start
• Keep a sample E-mail handy to use as a double-check
• Draft the final meeting notification early on, with date, time and location added later.
4. Post and send out agenda. An agenda should be sent to participants ahead of time to help them prepare to participate. There are legal requirements for posting meeting notices.

5. Circulate supporting information. You should always circulate supporting materials to participants in advance of the meeting. However, deciding how much information to send in advance can present a conundrum. Some people won’t look at anything prior to the meeting and some will conscientiously read all the supporting information they can.

6. Make room arrangements. Ensure that room arrangements (including refreshments) are made. Room arrangements can make a big difference in how well a meeting goes or doesn’t go. Most important is that participants can see and hear each other. Although a “U” shape arrangement or open square is ideal for smaller groups of 20 or less, it is not usually a good choice for larger groups. The yawning hole in the middle makes communication difficult. A herring bone arrangement of tables is usually better for these larger groups. Room Arrangements for a Successful Meeting An important role for a committee chair or facilitator is to ensure that everyone present has the opportunity to participate in the deliberations. This means being able to see and hear each other. Some room arrangements facilitate communication and interaction more than others. For small groups, a “U” shape or open square arrangement is ideal - everyone can see everyone else and the shape by itself suggests interaction and equal participation.

Those same shapes, however, can be deadly when groups get over 20 or so. Suddenly the huge empty space in the middle yawns. Each side of the “U” or square becomes so long that people are actually quite far from each other, making it difficult to hear and see others. Ironically, the same shape that creates such a warm atmosphere for small groups becomes counter-productive for larger groups For groups over 20, consider a herringbone arrangement of tables and chairs with 4 or 5 people at each. These arrangements enable people to easily see and interact with others, not only at their own table, but at the tables around them as well. Have as many tables as are required so that no one must sit at an uncomfortable angle to see what is happening at the front. Committee decisions often benefit by some small group discussion before the group as a whole makes a decision. Consider in advance whether separate breakout rooms are needed. If the room is large, participants can spread out by moving their chairs to various corners. If there is not room to spread out, the noise level can make it almost impossible for the groups to accomplish their work.

This noise level is particularly uncomfortable for participants with hearing aids. Ironically, the same shape that creates such a warm atmosphere for small groups becomes counter-productive for larger groups. Breakout space doesn’t necessarily need to be another formal meeting room. In thinking of alternatives, consider having groups go outside to work, weather-permitting. There may be lounge areas or a lobby to which small groups could go for their working session. At one memorable meeting, a small group met in the lounge adjoining the ladies room! The point is to consider ahead of time what kind of space is required for the work to be done.

7. Arrange for a recorder. The recorder takes notes on paper, laptop or on flip charts. Meeting notes should be distributed as soon after the meeting as possible. The longer the lag, the less confidence the members have that their investment will result in action. For groups that meet regularly, the recorder is responsible for keeping previous meeting notes and agendas in one place where they can be referenced later such as from a notebook or shared network drive, etc.

Mandy Chagger

Meetings held and organised by Pharmaceutical companies are an essential way of communicating and evolving scientific research, clinical development and medical education. However, there is always the danger that they can be seen as a blatant attempt to railroad Health Care Professionals into prescribing products by using lavish surroundings and hospitality to influence them.

This is where the ABPI 2006 code of practice comes into its own, specifically clause 19 which deals with the arrangement and holding of HCP meetings within the Pharmaceutical industry. The key requirement being that the main purpose of the meeting should be its content and any hospitality offered during these meetings should not only be secondary but in fact no more than basic subsistence.

How can we work out what would and would not be acceptable? In answering this question, you would need to consider all aspects of the meeting from the venue, timings, hospitality, content (including speakers) and all associated materials ie handouts, stand material and invitations and equally as important, the costs. All of these elements factor in how the end product, the meeting, will be perceived. This is how it would be deemed acceptable or not, the overall impression given from combining all of these elements. Therefore, one of the requirements of the code is that all Pharmaceutical companies have a specific policy dealing with meetings and hospitality. This must be adhered to otherwise companies can find themselves in breach of the code which can ultimately lead to heavy sanctions against the offending company.

What sort of meetings are acceptable? In simple terms, educational meetings. This however does not rule out promotional meetings as these can be just as educational as non-promotional meetings. Either way, the educational content of the meeting must be the primary purpose of the meeting.

To achieve the right balance between educational content and hospitality the following must be considered. Timings- Does the length of the meeting justify the hospitality offered? For example, a meeting lasting one hour in the afternoon does not warrant an elaborate 3 course dinner and overnight accommodation, however if the meeting commenced at 12 noon and ran till 6pm and extended until the following morning, then this level of hospitality could be justified.

Costs/Quality- Is the cost and quality of the hospitality in accordance with the level of the meeting? For example, a good quality venue with 3 course dinner could be booked for a meeting featuring an international speaker however would not be justifiable for a local GP speaker meeting as this would be more appropriately hosted in a conference centre.

Arrangements- Have the arrangements been made to be suit the educational content of the meeting? For example, a talk over dinner suggests that the educational content comes secondary to the food, whereas a short meeting with just simple refreshments would indicate that the education is why people are attending.

Advertising Emphasis- Does the advertisement of the meeting ‘sell’ the content or the venue/hospitality? For example, if the meeting is billed on the invitations as a ‘Gala Dinner’ or being held at a ‘Luxury and Renowned Venue’ this would be seen as luring the attendees on the hospitality or the quality of the venue. The meeting must be advertised with the educational content being its primary ‘selling’ point.

Venue- Is the venue appropriate to the purpose of the meeting? The meeting content should be planned first and only then a venue should be sourced to fit in with that content. Never should a venue be hired and the meeting content be edited to fit to that specific venue. The venue must be professional and offer privacy for the duration of the educational content of the meeting. Nightclubs and Casinos are a big no-no.

Sporting venues and Spas should be avoided unless there really is no alternative venue to host the meeting. Any sporting venue that is used should have no fixtures immediately before, during or after the meeting. Location of the venue is also important. For example, it would not be acceptable to hold a local GP speaker meeting from the midlands in central Scotland as this would mean unnecessary travelling, accommodation, expense and would be perceived as the venue being the main attraction for the meeting allowing the attendees a mini-break on the back of the meeting.

Activities- Which activities are acceptable during the meeting? Any activity offered must be professional. Activities can only be offered if they relate to the main educational purpose of the meeting. Any activity which is mainly for entertainment value should not be included. For example, a round of golf, Spa treatments, wine tasting. These activities are unprofessional and therefore unacceptable in accordance with the code.

Materials- Which materials can be used? All meetings should ideally be documented by at least an invitation or a letter confirming arrangements. All materials used must comply with the relevant sections of the code which also includes materials produced by third parties as the Pharmaceutical companies have overall compliance responsibility. Sponsorship must be clearly stated on all relating material whether the meeting is promotional or not. All materials used must show that the meeting is in accordance to the code. For example, invitations/stands must not give the wrong impression of the meeting content.

There are many factors which could potentially lead to a breach of the code in booking a meeting for HCP’s. Some Pharmaceutical companies are seeking help in this area by using venue sourcing companies who have been certified by an industry consultant and have in-depth knowledge of what is and not acceptable under the ABPI 2006 code of compliance. This is proving to be of great use to them as although it does not remove their ultimate responsibility, it acts as a further safe guard in the need to comply.

In summary, perception is key. Put yourself in the position of an outside observer, how would it look to you?

Mandy Chagger

When you are looking to hold an annual general meeting (AGM), there are a variety of things to consider when selecting an appropriate venue to host the gathering. Not only will you be looking for a suitable professional venue to reflect the image and purpose of the company or trust, you will also need to consider the availability of professional and business support services, location and accessibility, comfortable accommodations for meetings that last days rather than a few hours, and the size of venue that can hold your attendees.

Annual general meetings (AGM) for many companies and trust organisations are major highlights of the business year requiring a great deal of logistical organisation. These meetings also provide an opportunity to demonstrate to shareholders and investors the results of business performance over the last financial year as well as management plans for the future. It is essential that the right venue be selected, as proper consideration in choosing the venue to hold your annual general meeting will pay good dividends.

Consider the number of attendees you are likely to expect, and bear in mind that if you are a publicly listed company, this may run into hundreds or thousands that may or may not decide to turn up on the day. You may be looking to combine your annual general meeting with other company related events such as a product launch, PR event, or training courses that shareholders and staff may participate in, and this also needs to be factored into your decision for hosting the events. Once you have a realistic estimate of the number of attendees, consider the ability of the venue to handle spillover numbers, not just for seating capacity but also parking, food services, and overnight guests.

The geographical location of the venue for the annual general meeting (agm) also must be seriously thought through. Many meetings take place in London every day; however, before you decide to follow the herd or hold a meeting at the main operational location, take some time to look at where your shareholders and stakeholders are actually located. Some organisations deliberately host their annual general meetings at different locations around the country in order to be able to show off differing parts of the company or geographical divisions and dovetail this with what the change of scenery has to offer. The National Trust for instance, holds its annual general meeting at a different venue each year to provide management and stakeholders with the opportunity to sample first hand the efforts of the Trust.

The availability of overnight accommodations is also an important factor to consider when selecting your venue for hosting the annual general meeting. In this instance, the cost is primarily borne by the guests attending and not the company itself, so the ability to offer a range of accommodations to suit the varying budgets of your attendees becomes a good plus point. Bear in mind that quality accommodations will be required for company guests such as potential major investors and business partners who will be attending. These are likely to be required to be close at hand in order to facilitate business meetings and negotiations outside the main event.

It should go without saying that communication and transport links are essential, particularly for meetings that will only be held for the day. Proximity to rail and road links that will allow travel to and from the venue comfortably will go some way to ensuring that attendees arrive fresh and able to conduct the business of the day. Consider what shuttle transport services the venue is able to provide to collect and return attendees to the train station or airport, bearing in mind that attendees will be voting on company resolutions such as director’s remuneration and their ability to serve on the board for the forthcoming year and to an extent they need to be catered for.

The ability to provide a wide variety of services such as corporate hospitality and business support services will also mark out those venues that are suitable for hosting your annual general meetings (agm). Asking your prospective venue providers what experience they have in hosting PR events, corporate hospitality provision, training, and team building exercises will help you gain an idea of the professional capability of the venue. Combining these ancillary factors together with the more obvious considerations such as hotel size and location will help you narrow down the choices available to you for hosting the meeting.

Whatever the choice you make, it is important to keep in the forefront of your mind what the annual general meeting (agm) is for and who will be there. This is the meeting where management and shareholders meet and vote on issues facing the company for the immediate future. How well the shareholders are catered for is a direct reflection upon how important management considers shareholders to be. The image that is projected by the selection of the venue will also reflect directly upon how the company is perceived by the shareholders themselves, and it is they who own the company.

Mandy Chagger

When it comes to setting up conference meetings, everything must be perfect and planned down to the last detail. There are a number of different considerations to make when planning conference meetings, including location considerations, hotel selection, cost considerations, and one must also take into consideration the general services offered by the venue of choice. Finding a good venue may seem like a cumbersome task, but the proper preplanning and forethought with ensure that conferences and meetings go smoothly. Further, the selection of a venue will affect the successfulness of any given event and the selection of a venue will create a lasting impression on those that attend an event.

The first thing that one must plan when organising annual general meetings, award ceremonies, conference meetings, conventions, exhibitions, PR events, product launches, sales presentations, or seminars requires the event planner to determine what the primary focus of the event will be. Any event must be planned with the end result in mind, and the focus of the event must prove to be entertaining even if work related. Events like seminars, product launches and sales presentations must be something that will maintain the interest of those that attend. By maintaining the interest of those that attend an event, one can ensure that the attendance of future events is secure.

When it comes to sales events and product launches, selecting the perfect venue is an act that cannot be overestimated in terms of importance. The selection of an appropriate venue can literally mean the difference between a successful product launch and an unsuccessful one. The venue selected will ultimately leave an impression on those that attend the sales event or product launch: an impression that will remain with those in attendance long after the event is over. The impression established at a sales event or product launch will ultimately be associated with the event and the company or the organisation that arranged the event: thus, a venue selection must result in a positive impression.

The second thing that must be considered in terms of conferences and meetings is how many people will attend. Conferences, meetings, and seminars are established for groups both small and large. The number of anticipated attendants will help to determine the size of the venue required. The establishment of a list determining the number of people expected to attend a meeting, seminar, exhibition or convention will also determine the cost of the venue in question: larger meeting spaces may cost more than smaller ones. If a larger meeting room is not required, there is little sense in paying the additional fees associated with the use of a larger meeting area.

After determining the size of an event, a venue can be chosen: once the number of people expected to attend is determined, an event planner will have a solid idea of the size of the venue required. How one chooses a venue will depend up convenience: the event should be hosted in an area where it is easily accessible to those attending the event. Of course, if an event planner is not intimately familiar with a particular location, they may not immediately realise where all of the best locations for an event are: it may be wise to speak with a knowledgable event organiser and planner in such an instance. An organiser can help plan every step of a conference meeting or event, taking away a major burden from a corporation or organisation looking to host an event.

When a location is chosen, the type of menus available must also be considered, as well as available transportation to and from the location. Before selecting a venue, one will need to review the general services offered. Good questions to ask are questions pertaining to available entertainment, what forms of entertainment are permissible, and what fees are involved with the use of the location. To find the best prices in terms of a venue search, it may prove beneficial if one relies on the knowledge of an event organiser; event organisers are not only familiar with the best venues, but they are also knowledgeable about the venues that will generate the least in terms of expense.

Whether your meetings are conference meetings, sales presentations, PR events, product launches, annual general meetings, conventions, exhibitions, seminars, award ceremonies or you want to host one or more team building events, the selection of a venue is critical. It may be necessary for you to rely on the services of a qualified conference organiser to ensure that your conference meetings are perfect. Micromanaging every detail of a conference will help to ensure a positive outcome for the event and for all individuals that attend. By utilising the services of professional event organiser, a company or organisation can ensure that the event is not only successful, but also hassle-free.

Mandy Chagger

Booking meeting rooms for your conference or team building exercise needn’t be time consuming and difficult. Nonetheless, there are a number of factors that you need to bear in mind when doing so that, if you keep them at the forefront of your thinking, will help your meeting to go off without a hitch, and leave all the attendees satisfied.

Meetings are the bane of our life; delays and rescheduling causes us to waste a lot of time in the first place, and then the meetings themselves drag on for hours after they should have finished! Well, this article doesn’t seek to help you run your meetings to a tight schedule – that, unfortunately, is a skill for another day. But what we can do is provide a few simple guidelines that will make the booking of meeting rooms simpler and quicker, freeing up your time to work on the agenda for your meeting or seminar.

The first thing to do is to approach a venue finding company who can handle many of the arrangements for you. They will begin by asking you what your requirements are – over the phone in the first instance, but for larger seminars and conferences this may involve sitting down with you face to face. Be clear in your mind as to what your requirements and expectations are. If it’s a simple matter of simply booking a meeting room, this may be a straightforward process. If not, you may find that you will need to go into further detail with the event organisers.

Issues to bear in mind at this stage will include the following. First, location. It sounds obvious, but make sure you’ve selected a location that’s convenient for all the attendees at the meeting – not just geographically, but in terms of accessibility and ease of travel, too. If people are being required to attend the meeting from long distances, consider the possibility of arranging videoconferencing or Internet conferencing facilities – your chosen venue may charge extra for these facilities, but it will save some of the delegates from making a long and time-consuming journey when they could be using that time to far better effect back in the office!

You’ll also want to ensure that the prospective venue is set up to handle your requirements, be they technical requirements such as IT facilities, or catering needs. You may want to use a meeting room for discussions in the morning and then have it converted to a lecture theatre format during lunchtime, ready to make a presentation in the afternoon. Most conference venues and meeting rooms can handle this sort of requirement, but some more easily than others. In particular, you’ll find that contemporary conference venues are better set up for flexible arrangements of this sort, using modular, lightweight office furniture and partitions to reconfigure rooms in minutes, saving you time and money.

Once you’ve established that a prospective meeting room is suitable for your needs, there’s the small matter of price. Again, if it’s a modest sized meeting – maybe just a handful of people, say – then you may not be inclined to haggle too much. But bear in mind that dedicated conference organisers can often secure better rates than you’d be offered if you simply walked up to the door and asked venues yourself. A difference of £50 may not be much to your business, but if you become a regular customer of the meeting rooms or conference centre in question, this can quickly translate into significant savings. Why pay more than you have to?

Before you commit, make sure that the venue for your meeting is clear on your requirements, both in terms of IT and technical needs, but also in terms of additional issues such as breakout rooms, a registration area (if a larger gathering) and of course catering. Many meeting rooms will provide their own in-house catering; if you want to bring in food from outside it’s important to consult with them first, as some venues will, understandably, object to your doing so. You’ll be offered a range of catering options from the basic tea and biscuits up to a full hot and cold buffet spread for lunch. What you lay on for your attendees is obviously up to you, but check that the venue understands your needs, and ascertain what will happen if your morning session overruns – which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly unheard of, is it? The last thing you want is for an expensive lunch to go to waste because your meeting didn’t break in time to enjoy it while hot.

Using a venue finding company allows you to leave the details to them to arrange, and gives you plenty of time to focus on the substance of your seminar or presentation, which after all is the most important element of the event.

Mandy Chagger

A large part of what makes a meeting successful occurs in the preparation phase. Although it may vary by committee, department or unit, there are seven key responsibilities expected of chairs or team leaders before a meeting takes place. Each is explained in detail below.

1. Clarify purpose and aims. A clearly stated purpose or aim describes the key decisions that must be made or actions that must occur at the meeting. The purpose of a meeting should be stated at the top of the meeting agenda. Some example purpose statements might look something like:
• Share best practices in graduate recruitment and identify opportunities to recruit collaboratively
• Identify priority goals for next year
• Examine and update admission criteria
• Decide how to get feedback from faculty, staff and students
Everything else on the agenda including topics, times, and presenters are the activities that, taken together, will accomplish the aims. A weekly or monthly staff meeting may not require meeting aims beyond the agenda items.

2. Create an agenda. An agenda is a framework that guides and supports the meeting. Agendas are like roadmaps, blueprints, flight plans, and recipes. An agenda helps focus the group’s work toward achieving desired outcomes. Good agenda items provide focus and structure for a meeting. Some example agenda items might look something like:
• Report on fall enrollments
• Identify members for ad hoc space committee
• Generate list of possible solutions for the xyz problem with pros and cons of each
3. Schedule the meeting. Scheduling a meeting involves much more than just making a list of attendees. It requires identifying key people who must attend and either finding times that work for them or notifying them of the meeting’s time and location. Once an optimal date and time are agreed upon, a meeting location can be selected. (Choice meeting locations sometimes dictate meeting dates.) Other scheduling activities might include some of the following:
• Create a scheduling grid
• Create an electronic mailing list at the start
• Keep a sample E-mail handy to use as a double-check
• Draft the final meeting notification early on, with date, time and location added later.
4. Post and send out agenda. An agenda should be sent to participants ahead of time to help them prepare to participate. There are legal requirements for posting meeting notices.

5. Circulate supporting information. You should always circulate supporting materials to participants in advance of the meeting. However, deciding how much information to send in advance can present a conundrum. Some people won’t look at anything prior to the meeting and some will conscientiously read all the supporting information they can.

6. Make room arrangements. Ensure that room arrangements (including refreshments) are made. Room arrangements can make a big difference in how well a meeting goes or doesn’t go. Most important is that participants can see and hear each other. Although a “U” shape arrangement or open square is ideal for smaller groups of 20 or less, it is not usually a good choice for larger groups. The yawning hole in the middle makes communication difficult. A herring bone arrangement of tables is usually better for these larger groups. Room Arrangements for a Successful Meeting An important role for a committee chair or facilitator is to ensure that everyone present has the opportunity to participate in the deliberations. This means being able to see and hear each other. Some room arrangements facilitate communication and interaction more than others. For small groups, a “U” shape or open square arrangement is ideal - everyone can see everyone else and the shape by itself suggests interaction and equal participation.

Those same shapes, however, can be deadly when groups get over 20 or so. Suddenly the huge empty space in the middle yawns. Each side of the “U” or square becomes so long that people are actually quite far from each other, making it difficult to hear and see others. Ironically, the same shape that creates such a warm atmosphere for small groups becomes counter-productive for larger groups For groups over 20, consider a herringbone arrangement of tables and chairs with 4 or 5 people at each. These arrangements enable people to easily see and interact with others, not only at their own table, but at the tables around them as well. Have as many tables as are required so that no one must sit at an uncomfortable angle to see what is happening at the front. Committee decisions often benefit by some small group discussion before the group as a whole makes a decision. Consider in advance whether separate breakout rooms are needed. If the room is large, participants can spread out by moving their chairs to various corners. If there is not room to spread out, the noise level can make it almost impossible for the groups to accomplish their work.

This noise level is particularly uncomfortable for participants with hearing aids. Ironically, the same shape that creates such a warm atmosphere for small groups becomes counter-productive for larger groups. Breakout space doesn’t necessarily need to be another formal meeting room. In thinking of alternatives, consider having groups go outside to work, weather-permitting. There may be lounge areas or a lobby to which small groups could go for their working session. At one memorable meeting, a small group met in the lounge adjoining the ladies room! The point is to consider ahead of time what kind of space is required for the work to be done.

7. Arrange for a recorder. The recorder takes notes on paper, laptop or on flip charts. Meeting notes should be distributed as soon after the meeting as possible. The longer the lag, the less confidence the members have that their investment will result in action. For groups that meet regularly, the recorder is responsible for keeping previous meeting notes and agendas in one place where they can be referenced later such as from a notebook or shared network drive, etc.