Blog

Whether you’re hosting a private, corporate or charity meeting, hotels are often the best place to accommodate your needs and the needs of your guests. Providing a variety of locations within the building to host your meeting and other activities, as well as access to staff, on-site catering, and, of course, somewhere to sleep before or after meetings. 

Most good hotels will supply a variety of meeting rooms and spaces – from corporate conference rooms to informal lounges. The Hotel Beacon is no different, boasting six unique function rooms in the heart of the city. If you’re thinking about hosting your upcoming event in New York City, choose from: 

• The Beacon Bar
• Broadway Amsterdam Room
• The Penthouse Terrace
• An Executive Boardroom
• Two Classrooms
• The Banquet Hall

How to Host a Successful Meeting

Hosting a meeting is never an easy task and hosting in person again after a couple of years on Zoom can be nerve-wracking! As they say, “success is the residue of planning” and it is true that having a good plan in place is the best way to have a successful meeting.

Why are you hosting the meeting?

What is your goal or objective for the meeting and what do you hope the outcome to be? Knowing what you want to gain from a meeting or event can help you to structure your meeting, prevent you going off on a tangent and help achieve the goals you have set rather than getting distracted.

Only invite those who matter!

Every invite to your meeting costs you money – is every guest essential to achieving your original goals? It can be tempting to invite everyone you know in the corporate world but when you’re hosting your own meeting, it's important to consider the value of each attendee, before making the investment of inviting them along.

Choose a practical location to host

Choose a location that works for the attendees – do you have guests flying in from out of town? Will the meeting last one day or is it a multiple day event? Do you need accommodation? Are you close to transport links or parking? All these factors will help guests to decide whether to accept or decline your meeting request.

Invite as early as possible

Once you have decided where to host your meeting, as soon as possible think about sending out save the dates and invitations to have the best chance of everyone being able to attend. If you’re undecided on a date, send feelers out through social media and/or email to see which of three dates works best for the guests you most want to attend.

Network, network, network

At the meeting itself, don’t be afraid to network – as the host, the pressure is on, but networking is often the biggest benefit of business meetings. When guests see you breaking the ice and interacting with all your guests between hosting, they will be encouraged to do the same and the more they network at your event, the more likely they are to remember it - and you - going forward.

Offer more than just your expertise

Meetings can get long, tedious and have you wishing you were anywhere else if you’re not comfortable, well-watered and well-fed – and your guests will be the same. Be the “host/ess with the most/est” and ensure the comfort of attendees is a priority. One of the biggest advantages of hosting your event in a hotel is having an on-site bar, restaurant and staff to help cater for your guests.

End on a high (and with a plan)!

The best meetings end with a plan of action for obtaining the goals and objectives you set out when first planning your event. You should conclude with a plan for the future and finish on a positive note – even if the meetings have been stressful! A smile, a hint of humor and a big “thank you” also goes without saying.

We’re not just about business – we do pleasure too! You can host much more than just meetings and business events in the Hotel Beacon! Whether you’re planning your wedding, bar mitzvah, an engagement party or even an office social, it would be our pleasure to help you create an event to remember for all the right reasons.

Learn more about the events facilities at the Hotel Beacon in the heart of New York’s Upper West Side. We can help you organize every aspect of your event, from catering to entertainment - reach out to let us know how we can help - regardless of what type of event you’re planning.