With technology advances and tight budgets, groups might be reluctant to make or cancel their reservations for meetings and retreats.

Is this challenge exclusively a marketing and outreach issue? It’s important that facilities and property staff be involved. In preparation for the fall season, you can discuss the following questions:

• Does the marketing value proposition adequately convey what your facilities, mission, mission-focused activities, amenities, and natural environment offers?
• How are the buildings and natural environment presented in the marketing materials? Do they describe: your great location and facilities, ways that your organization can contribute in the user group accomplishing their goals, AND the worth (value of natural environment, minimizing distractions, opportunities to see things from a fresh perspective, personal comfort, etc.)
• How are (reasonable) requests by groups communicated and then accommodated by the facilities and property staff? Do all staff members understand the organization’s limits and rationale?
• Does the facilities staff promptly see the feedback after groups leave? On questionnaires and surveys, are there questions regarding the facilities and the natural environment?

Below are a few resources for the value of off-site meetings.

Time for Your Next Off-site? May 2, 2012
http://greatleadersserve.org/time-for-your-next-off-site/

Bring Back the Offsite 10/08/2009
http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/08/importance-meetings-value-leadership-fred-cook.html