You’ve polished your presentation, rehearsed your pitch, and done the research on your prospective clients. However, one thing can make or break your business meeting – the meeting space.
Whether you’re meeting prospects for the first time or closing a deal, choosing the right place for a business meeting is essential to creating the best impression.
Meeting spaces should fit your prospective client’s preferences, along with yours, so that you are both comfortable during the conversation. They should also represent you and your company’s brand in the best way.
With their warm lighting and trendy interiors, coffee shops offer a casual environment for a meeting and delicious drinks for attendees to enjoy.
Noise can be an issue, so pick a time that isn’t too busy so you can find a good spot to have a discussion. Most cafes will have free wi-fi available. Outlets may be in short supply in shops with high traffic, so take note of this when planning to do a presentation with your laptop or tablet.
Some cafes also have private rooms and event spaces. These may be a better fit if you have a larger audience but still want to retain the casual atmosphere.
Hotels offer a wide variety of choices for meetings. You can hold a smaller casual meeting at the lobby, restaurant, or cafe area of a hotel. A larger formal meeting with more participants can be held at a meeting room or conference room for a price.
Access to the hotel business center might be useful as well if you need to do some last-minute printing and copying.
Coworking spaces are an appealing option because they showcase a friendly, modern vibe in a setting built for getting work done. Coworking spaces offer day passes for their facilities. This means that you don’t have to be a regular tenant of a coworking space to use one of their meeting rooms.
You’ll also have the benefit of having access to office amenities like dedicated digital infrastructure, ultra-fast wi-fi, HD monitors, printing, and refreshments.
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Fast food outlets and food courts run the risk of making the meeting too casual. They also tend to be environments that aren’t conducive to having a good meeting due to noise levels that are beyond anyone’s control.
It's true that alcoholic drinks help people unwind. But, it’s better to avoid the risk of consuming too much alcohol and presenting yourself in a bad light. Even if you do stay appropriately business-like, you can’t trust the other guests to behave the same way. A sports game may also start playing in the background.
If alchohol is the preferred accompanying drink, an upscale hotel bar, bistro, and wine lounge are better options.
You may have an excellent home office. However, inviting clients into the confines of your own home can make them feel awkward. It might also place unnecessary pressure on them, since they’re technically now a guest in your domain.
Weird and also screams "couldn't be bothered". Just don't.
Take note of the best and worst places to hold a business meeting, so you can hit your target numbers and not turn off your prospects completely.
It's also worth nothing that the best meeting spaces may also not be the best across the board, and depends largely on your audience, your presentation content, and your brand values. So do your due diligence!
If you'd like to explore and book the best business meeting spaces in Hong Kong and Singapore, try out the BOOQED app here: Download now (Android and iOS)
