The 5 W's of Site Selection

Site selection. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Site selection, however, is quite possibly the most important part of planning any meeting and event. When determining which sites are most appropriate to send a meeting RFP and enter into negotiations with, it is first necessary to make sure that the meeting site matches with the five Ws of your meeting. Who, What, When, Where, and Why. If you have ever attended a meeting and wondered “Why did they have it here?” The site most likely did not meet the needs of at least one of these Ws.

Why refers to the goals and objectives of the meeting and is one of the most important considerations. Do you require a location with few distractions for intensive training, or are you looking for a site with more options for networking and entertainment functions? If the meeting site will hinder the achievement of the meeting’s goals and objectives then you should definitely not consider it. Only look at those sites that will foster the achievement of the meetings goals and objectives.

Who refers to your attendees and their guests if applicable. Will your meeting be for mostly drive-in attendees necessitating a suburban hotel with easy access and lots of parking? Are you encouraging spouses to attend a national conference where a downtown hotel or resort is better suited? What is the age group, their likes and dislikes, etc? Each one of these items plays a crucial part in the final site determination.

Now that you have determined the type of facility to use, the where and when come into play. When obviously refers to when the meeting will be held, and where deals with the actual destination. Where and when are highly tied to each other. Sites in the hurricane belt during prime hurricane season can potentially cause disaster or at least a lot of added stress and worry; a meeting requiring lots of outdoor events held in a location with 100+ degree weather and high humidity during the meeting dates may not be that enjoyable to many attendees, etc. Each destination has their prime seasons, shoulder seasons, and off seasons. It is important to make the most of each destination while still trying to keep in mind your budget. As such, sometimes it is important to determine which is most important – where or when. Once you know which is most important you can use the other as leverage to determine the best date and destination.

What refers to the detailed requirements of your meeting that will further refine your site options. Once you have created your list of cities, preferred dates, and property types most appropriate for your meeting, you must determine which matching sites actually meet your logistical needs. A great site with not enough space just won't cut it no matter how hard you try. A good planner must layout their logistical needs in the form of space requirements, food and beverage requirements, service standards, concession minimums, etc. and develop a list of all sites that may be able to meet those needs to send your RFP to. The reason I state may here, is that while some details such as meeting space requirements are black and white, others such as concessions and service standards may not be confirmed until the negotiation process. However, if you know you need a minimum of 5 VIP suites and the hotel does not contain any suites it is unlikely the hotel will be able to meet your needs, while those with 10 such suites may be able to accommodate your concession needs.

As you can see, site selection is a true science. It should be seen as a foundation of the entire meeting planning process, and as such a great deal of thought should be put into the process. When the right site is selected, it makes the rest of the process that much easier. Trying to make a meeting work in the wrong venue…well, let's just say its not that much fun so do your homework and take some time in the beginning to get it right.