September 2009
Rentals and Staging


In This Issue:

Choosing a Convention Center Site
Tech Tip - Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations
Denver Meeting and Events Industry - Upcoming Events
Visit Image Audiovisuals' Newly Designed Website
Image's New Partnership with Ameristar - Blackhawk
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SERIES - Convention Centers
Part 1: Choosing a Convention Center Site

Convention centers make great venues for meetings of all all sizes. They often sit in a desirable, convenient location, offer an optimal sound and lighting system, have a full service business center, and boast top-notch customer service. While convention centers have historically been viewed as being rather bureaucratic, they are becoming more flexible and responsive to the needs of their customers.

Choosing a convention center site can be a daunting task that involves considering many details, including price, hotel proximity, location, and much more. Since Image Audiovisuals has worked with a number of convention centers across the country, we have compiled a list of tips for choosing the best convention center site for your meeting:

• Start your research well in advance of your meeting date since convention centers typically start booking their meetings years in advance.
   
• Consider the convention center’s location very carefully, including its proximity to a major airport, to hotels, to restaurants, and to entertainment facilities.
  
  
• Visit the potential site, so you can check if it has good directional signage, see if it has a practical layout, evaluate its food service offerings, check the cell phone coverage (it can be spotty in convention centers), and evaluate any other pertinent details.
  
  
• Ensure that the room size you are considering will be large enough for all of your meeting attendees, equipment, exhibitors, etc.
  
  
• Research hotel options near the convention center, including pricing, amenities, shuttle access, etc.
  
  
• Ask about future renovation plans to ensure that they won’t affect your meeting plans.
  
  
• If you are comparing costs between a convention center and a hotel, it is important to consider that hotels make their money on sleeping rooms, so they are often able to give away meeting space. In contrast, convention centers generally charge for meeting and exhibit space by the square foot, but may be able to offer discounts and/or complementary meeting space, depending on the overall revenue generated by the event.
  
  
• Ask for a list of preferred and exclusive vendors in advance of negotiating your contract. This could save you a substantial amount of money in the long-run.
  
  
• Don't hesitate to negotiate on pricing and services. Event managers at convention centers, along with other service providers, are often more than willing to work with you.  

This is the first article in our series on working with convention centers. Be sure to check back next month for our article on planning your meeting at a convention center.

For more information on choosing a convention center site, please contact Scott Collinsworth at Image Audiovisuals at 303-758-1818, or via e-mail at scollinsworth@imageav.com.

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Scott Collinsworth
Director of Sales
Rental and Staging
Image Audiovisuals, Inc.
2130 S. Dahlia Street
Denver, CO 80222
303-758-1818
scollinsworth@imageav.com

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