With proactive and pragmatic planning, a comfort plan can be prepared and
incorporated without increasing your workload or exceeding your budget.
and expensive, take heart; with proactive and pragmatic planning, a comfort plan can be prepared and incorporated without increas- ing your workload or exceeding your budget. In some instances, it may be suffi cient to incorporate both height and weight questions within your special needs requirements during the registration pro- cess but bear in mind that individuals that may need additional consideration due to weight may be too embarrassed to be forth- right on the questionnaire. However, this can be done by tactfully adding the option for registrants to specify they need accommoda- tions prior to arrival so you can provide the proper provisions. If you would like to delve deeper and incorporate a full comfort plan while alleviating potentially awkward moments for your par- ticipants at registration, while also eliminating surprise inclusions in your budget; start by including a comfort plan in the beginning of the planning process. As each meeting and event is unique, the recommendations set forth below are by no means meant to be an inclusive list of considerations, but rather provided to be utilized as a base for initial planning preparation.
When preparing your RFP for venue site selection, ensure that you denote requirements for table set-up, seating and location with the indication that you will require suitable space to allot for: • Two participants per each six foot table • Three participants per each eight foot table • Five participants per twelve foot table • A maximum of six per sixty inch round table • Seating without arm rests • Seating that supports the lumbar • Seating that is suffi cient in both length and width to avoid cir- culation discomfort
• Seating that can adequately support weight for extended periods of time
• Alignment of the presentation area that allows for ease of view- ing so that taller individuals do not need to be displaced and to allow for unobstructed views for other participants
• Frequent aisles with ample space to access without hindrance • Theater style seats are not preferable, but if required they should not be touching or in any way interlocked together
• Accessibility via an elevator, escalator, or located on the ground fl oor without steps required for access
• Ensure all pass-through doors and restrooms adhere to the Amer- icans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines with a minimum of
WWW.MIDWESTMEETINGS.COM 32 inches in width
• Confi rm that hinged restroom doors do not swing into the clear fl oor space required to use any fi xture as to not impede the use of sinks or toilets.
• Individual room thermostat con- trol, not centrally controlled When conducting a venue site inspection, be mindful. Thor-
oughly walk through the venue with a measuring device as a visual or pictorial inspection will not suffi ce. Venues that were built after 1990 are required to be ADA compliant; however, es- tablishments that are older or designated historic may be excluded from this law and therefore may not adhere to ADA accessibility guidelines.
Be sure to ask if the venue must adhere to union regulations in regards to the service staff. If so, you may be required to compensate the service staff with additional gratuities for servicing less partici- pants per table than their contract provides. If necessary, prepare to offset this expense elsewhere in your budget. When preparing to submit an RFP for lodging, consider estab- lishments with abundant king beds available. Joining two double beds is not an acceptable option for those with issues of higher girth and certainly not appropriate for someone tall whose legs will dan- gle over the edge. Again, having well rested participants allows for a more productive environment. Also ensure that the king rooms are located within a reasonable distance to an elevator, escalator, or on the ground fl oor. Additionally, be sure to ask about ADA compliance for the en suite restrooms as well. You will fi nd that with a little foresight and proper planning, you will be able to accommodate all of your participants while main- taining your intended budget. As an added value, be sure that you let your attendees know you have taken them into consideration so they know they will experience your meeting or event with inten- tional comfort by providing your comfort plan to potential partici- pants via your website or in promotional materials. Rachael Alford is a solutions strategist and an independent meeting and event planner. Her aim is to utilize her knowledge and experience to create, promote, and increase holistic, intuitive, and integrated solu- tions for success within all facets of business. Contact her at Rachael@
RachaelAlford.com or by visiting
www.RachaelAlford.com.
45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116