Meetings

How to make the most of large conference venues

Large congresses, meetings and events require big spaces in easily accessible destinations. But as any organizer who has delivered a large event knows, size isn’t everything. Of course, the meeting venue needs to be big enough to accommodate the number of delegates attending in person, but with so many large events now including virtual and hybrid elements, state-of-the-art technology, reliable high-speed internet, and excellent lighting and sound are an absolute must.

From Amsterdam to Frankfurt and London to Stockholm, our collection of XL Venues offers sizable and striking spaces to accommodate your biggest events, as well as state-of-the-art technical equipment and dedicated on-site support from our team of experienced Radisson Meetings specialists. On top of that, we also have a range of Grand Venues offering generous dimensions in top global locations with capacities over 250 attendees. But large conference rooms can be intimidating for meeting organizers. It can be a challenge to know how best to optimize a huge empty space, especially for hybrid audiences. In this blog, we focus on some of the things you should consider when sourcing and setting up large conference rooms.

15 Nov 2023 5 min to read

Flexibility is key

Most large events will require a range of different set-ups, from plenaries and breakouts to exhibition and networking spaces, so your large conference venue needs to be flexible and highly customizable to suit your bespoke requirements.

No audience wants to sit in the same seat for hours on end, and with business event delegates increasingly demanding a more interactive and personalized experience, mixing it up is key. Consider adding small tables and light-weight movable seating in large rooms that can be rearranged in multiple ways for flexible configurations and ensure there are plenty of spaces outside of your main plenary. As Switzerland's largest convention and congress hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel, Zurich Airport has 52 meeting rooms to choose from catering for all manner of meeting set-ups, including 21 versatile meetings rooms, 27 boardrooms and the ballroom, which offers 800 square meters of space that can be divided into sections or used as a whole, for up to 500 delegates theater-style.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Zurich Airport - Ballroom Zürich - Theater

Radisson Blu Hotel, Zurich Airport - Ballroom foyer 1st floor

Lights, camera, action

Set-up for a big event space may be more elaborate but it doesn’t have to be difficult. With the right tech solutions and support, large meeting rooms can be as easy to configure and set up as small spaces. Our site conference coordinators can help meeting organizers with how to best use a large space and how to adjust equipment for presentations and video conferencing. Key things to focus on are brilliant image quality, crystal clear sound and optimal room design. Try to think more like a TV producer to create an engaging experience for remote delegates as well as those attending in person.

Cameras love light, and with large conference rooms and meeting spaces, it’s vital to have an evenly lit meeting space. This helps capture the most accurate color, contrast, and video definition. Total room coverage is key, and its important that the camera can capture and focus on people at the back of the room as well as the front.

Blog images - 2023 - How to make the most of large conference venues Meeting Meeting Room

Radisson Blu Kaushambi Delhi NCR - Amber Meeting Room Auditorium Style

Studio-quality solutions

Check your venue has the tech solutions required to achieve this. We have upgraded our offerings with new technology, such as modern video-switching and audio equipment specifically designed to facilitate live-streaming. In some of our conference hotels, we have developed Radisson Meetings Studios in collaboration with expert technology providers.For example, Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm – which has its own congress center accommodating up to 3,000 delegates – offers a studio solution that includes 2 HD cameras with high resolution image quality; 4 Wireless headsets for the best possible sound quality; Camera mixer; Sound mixer; Hard Disk Recording; Display of presentation during broadcast / recording; and 2 AV technicians.

Blog images - 2023 - How to make the most of large conference venues Meeting Auditorium Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel Stockholm

Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm - Auditorium

Seamless and consistent experience

Having the right video conference technology solutions ensures a seamless and quality experience for delegates attending remotely. There is, of course, another upside: upgrading your sound, lighting and stage décor in a large meeting space to look good on camera is going to increase the production value for your in-person experiences as well. Consistency is also important. Audiences want meeting technology that is easy, intuitive, and well designed, and offers the same experience regardless of whether they are in a small or large meeting room. A consistent user experience from room to room is likely to improve engagement and interaction for your in-person delegates not just with each other, but also with the remote audience.

Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre Kigali - Auditorium

Consider your carbon impact

Lastly, but arguably most importantly, large conferences and events can have a significant environmental footprint, so make sure you consider sustainability credentials when sourcing a large meeting venue to minimize your impact. All Radisson Meetings are carbon compensated by design, meaning we reduce your company’s carbon footprint at no cost to you. In partnership with First Climate, we automatically compensate the carbon footprint of every single event held in any of our more than 1,100 hotels worldwide by supporting projects that help reverse climate change and help positive sustainable development. If you’re looking for a large conference venue for your next event, find out more about our XL and Grand Venue collections and how we help can you optimize our spaces to bring your vision to life.

Related tags: Europe & CIS , Switzerland , Zurich , Radisson Blu Hotel, Zurich Airport

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