Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Right Deal First Time: Make Sure You Have The Right Venue For Those Critical Negotiations, Urges Regus

* UK businesses could be wasting 100's or 1000's of pounds each year on poorly planned meetings - Regus offers top 10 tips to running great meetings and reducing unnecessary costs *

LONDON, 23 JUNE 2008: As the summer and autumn conference seasons approach, the traditional battle for the best accommodation and meeting rooms will be hotting up again.

According to Regus – the world’s largest provider of flexible workplace solutions – organisations which are settling for cramped, under-equipped and poor quality meeting facilities in hotels offering poor value for money, could be risking new business deals.

Kurt Mroncz, UK Sales & Marketing Director of Regus, believes that many companies are missing a trick by only looking at the meeting facilities available in traditional conference hotels: “If a business is spending 1000's of pounds sending staff and exhibition equipment to conferences, it just doesn’t make sense to fall at the final hurdle by bundling potential customers into the last hot, poorly equipped hotel meeting room they could find. First impressions really count when you’re sealing the deal. Organisations should be thinking smart and looking at professional facilities nearby.”

As part of a global network of 950 serviced office centres, Regus offers highly desirable central locations and excellent transport links for its clients in all major towns and cities across the UK over the conference season. The centres offer fully equipped and air-conditioned offices, professional meeting rooms, business lounges and state-of-the-art videoconferencing facilities, with smart, professional staff.

And it’s not just new business and conference meetings which can be a waste of time without the right preparation and venue. Regus estimates that businesses could be wasting 100's ─ or even 1000's ─ of pounds per employee each year because of time and travel costs wasted on poorly planned meetings.

Regus’ top 10 tips to running the perfect meeting

1. Pick the most central and time-efficient location for the people attending (and make sure everyone has maps and clear meeting times)

2. Be flexible on venue – successful meetings can take place in person, by conference call or by video-conference. Be aware of the time pressures on colleagues and the costs of travelling long distances

3. Pick the right meeting room for your purpose – would boardroom, roundtable, or classroom style work best for you?

4. Pre-book your technology - screens, projectors, video-conferencing (and someone to help you work it, if required!)

5. Brief attendees in advance - make sure everyone knows the agenda, purpose of the meeting and desired outcomes

6. Arrive early to set-up and remind yourself of the details for the meeting

7. Chair the meeting firmly – plan out the time allowance for each agenda point and aim to start and finish on time

8. Keep the meeting lively and engaging – think about using ice-breakers at the beginning of the meeting to ensure everyone is introduced and to get them involved, then aim to maintain energy and enthusiasm throughout

9. Ensure clear and detailed notes are taken – either by you or delegate the job to someone else at the meeting

10. Wrap up the meeting by reiterating agreed actions, responsibilities and next steps – and remember to follow-up the meeting promptly with the contact report and next meeting dates

For more info about Regus office and meeting facilities, visit www.regus.co.uk.