Valentina Fonseca Krug is the founder and lead designer of Lola Valentina, an upscale tabletop decor company offering custom and collection-driven designs printed on décor place mats, table linens, runners, napkins and more. The revolutionary design house offers print-on-demand services and original pattern designs, tailored sizing and expansive colors. Visit our design bar and explore countless pattern combinations, or work with our full team to create the perfect custom look for your next meeting. For more information, visit LolaValentina.com.

What makes a successful meeting? Creating a memorable and enjoyable experience for your attendees.

Meetings give your attendees a chance to connect, engage in meaningful conversations, learn and grow, and contribute to the success of a project of cause. However, hosting a successful meeting involves a lot of hard work and planning — from securing a meeting space to organizing catering and inviting guests.

If you are planning a meeting — regardless of the type of meeting you are planning to hold — check out these simple ways to take your guests’ experience to the next level.

1. Offer Virtual & Hybrid Meeting Options

It is no secret that virtual and hybrid meeting options are here to stay. Those attending in-person meetings must weigh the pros and cons of attending, including their travel costs and health risks — among others. To encourage people to attend a meeting in person, your challenge as the meeting planner is to overcome these obstacles while ensuring that your guests have a meaningful experience.

During the pandemic, virtual meetings proved to be extremely successful. To continue to connect and meet together, almost every industry, business, event planner, organizer and vendor has to adapt to virtual meeting platforms.

By holding a hybrid meeting — one that combines physical and virtual components simultaneously — you can connect with attendees from across the globe as well as those present. With hybrid meetings, you can now mix virtual and physical meetings together, instead of being limited by virtual meetings alone.

With all that being said, meeting planners have to create strategies that balance in-person, virtual and hybrid meetings for the foreseeable future.

2. Consider Nontraditional Meeting Venues

The meeting venue is everything. Location, the size of your guest list and access to transportation options are all important to keep in mind when making a decision on a venue, but consider going one step farther by getting creative. Choosing a visually appealing, unique venue for your professional event or meeting will give your guests an unforgettable experience and offer a breath of fresh air.

These meeting venues are becoming more popular:

• Co-working spaces
• Gardens
• Farms
• Barns
• Warehouses
• Art galleries
• Museums
• Libraries
• Local, state or national parks
• Rooftops
• Conservatories
• Vineyards
• Botanical gardens
• Historical homes
• Vacation rentals
• Industrial buildings
• Breweries or distilleries

Don’t be afraid to venture outside of the norm to find a unique venue to host your meeting.

3. Incorporate Wellness & Mindfulness

As events and meetings shift from virtual-only to hybrid and in person, keep in mind that guests expect wellness and mindfulness. The creation of a meeting space that is beautiful, uncluttered and comfortable is key to creating a wellness-centric event.

To help you incorporate mindfulness and wellness into your meeting schedule, here are some suggestions:

• Dedicated breaks to spark creativity and brainstorming
• Movement breaks such as stretching sessions
• Outdoor activities that offer fresh air and a change of scenery
• Meditation and yoga workshops
• Massage stations or chair massages
• Technology-free zones to encourage conversation and connection
• Quiet areas or rooms to work or relax in
• Healthy food and drink options
• Natural lighting

You can even emanate tranquility and peace with your décor. For example, instead of displaying a wide array of florals, use only one flower type and one color to create a simple — yet stunning — visual display. You can also set up tables and chairs in a way that promotes small groups, resting and relaxation.

4. Get Creative with Food, Drinks & Games

Whether you are providing meeting attendees with snacks and desserts or catering a sit-down meal, you can get creative with the food, drinks, dishes, glassware and cutlery to add an element of excitement and fun. You can also use unique food displays to attract attention and add an exciting element to your meeting event design.

Between snacks or courses, incorporate games. Everyone loves a little healthy competition — so why not use games to make your meeting more fun? Print ice-breaker questions on napkins, send attendees on a scavenger hunt, or have each table play two truths and a lie to encourage connection and laughter.

Remember, people love giveaways. To heighten the competition, consider offering gift cards, branded items such as shirts and bags, or big-ticket items such as tablets and TVs to attendees for winning games or raffles.

5. Use Eye-Catching Tabletop Décor

Impress your attendees with stunning tabletop décor that will grab their attention. Whether you decide to create a floral centerpiece, drape a custom table runner across each table, decorate each chair with a sash, or add a colorful pillow to every place setting, your table decorations will establish the mood for any meeting or meeting event.

And don’t be afraid to use bold colors. Bold colors are in, and they aren’t going anywhere. Adding pops of whimsy and fun to your meeting décor can really liven up the energy, look and feel of your meeting space. Choose a vibrant, eye-catching design for your tabletop décor or find colorful glassware for your guests to admire.

Whatever you choose to do with your tabletop décor, don’t underestimate the power of décor in setting the mood and creating the perfect atmosphere for your meeting or event.

6. Add Elements of Your Branding

Adding company branding colors to the overall color scheme of an event or meeting is an effective way to establish a connection between your company and the meeting. Your brand colors can be used everywhere:

• Printed materials such as signs, flyers, schedules and nametags
• Food and drink décor (for example, the icing on the cake)
• Table linens, place mats and other tabletop décor
• Lighting
• Flower arrangements, artwork and other decorations

Your company logo also goes hand-in-hand with the corporate brand and branding colors. Print the logo on napkins, seating cards, the podium, pens — anything to ensure your company stays at the forefront of your attendees’ minds.

But be careful, you don’t want to overdo it. Too many logos scattered about the venue could seem distasteful. Pick a few areas to display the logo and use colors to make up for the rest. And if your company color is bright or loud, consider mixing in some more neutral shades to balance things out.

Also, don’t forget that freebies are crowd pleasers. Print your logo on items such as pens, mugs, water bottles, T-shirts, hats and tote bags — all in your company colors, of course — and give them to attendees as take-home gifts. Then, when they see those items in the following days, weeks and months, they will recall your corporate meeting or event and further establish your brand in their memories. | AC&F |