Fact: Destination meetings provide a unique chance for team-building, client recruitment, and corporate development.
Fact: It is essential to carefully plan ahead in order to make destination meetings successful.
Fiction: It’s impossible to plan a destination meeting without extreme amounts of stress, confusion, and frightening bouts of hair-pulling.
Destination meetings can be make or break opportunities for businesses looking to increase employee training and to expand clientele. And though they might require some extra planning effort, destination meetings need not inspire such frustrations (we at The BusBank certainly don’t want any hair-pulling). Check out this handy list of things to remember when planning your next destination meeting:,
- Decide ahead of time what the purpose of your meeting is. Is it clear and objective based? Does it adhere to your organization’s mission statement or top priorities?
- Check with other peers who have planned destination meetings (or participated in them). What are their top takeaways from past destination meetings?
- Consider your presentation needs. Think about the the room size, technical equipment, lighting, and sound systems needed to make your presentations successful. If you have a small group then simple flip charts may be all you need. If you have a large group then make sure you have access to an overhead projector. Keep these presentation needs in mind when choosing a site for your meeting.
- Choose a date for your destination meeting after checking the calendar for school and religious holidays. You’ll have a better turnout (and avoid a beach full of Spring Breakers) if you choose a date for your meeting that doesn’t conflict with holidays.
- Plan to “edutain” during your meeting. Presentations and breakouts should be informative, but not dull. Brainstorm ways to present information creatively.
- Research food options. Ask for references and look for online reviews of different restaurants and caterers. Be sure to set aside time to go over the menu with your restaurant or caterer. (Tip: go with non-messy food choices and don’t forget to include some vegetarian options!)
Be sure to plan ahead and schedule reliable and cost-efficient transportation for your destination meeting. Contact an account executive at The BusBank to learn how Charter Bus Rentals can meet your group’s specific travel needs.
