Arranging a company conference can be a somewhat daunting task as you seek the perfect venues, worry about what activities will suits all tastes, and then of course the ever present budgetary pressures.  All of these worries disappear when you arrange conferences at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, so we sat down with Banqueting Manager, Ane du Preez and asked her what her top 5 tips would be when arranging a conference.

Tip 1: Plan early                    

As obvious as this sounds, conferences take time to arrange as there are a number of elements that need to be arranged and sources, so the sooner you plan, the less stressful the process becomes. Du Preez suggests that you start the process at least 8 – 9 months in advance if you’re still looking at venue options as this gives you time to assess all the relevant areas.

Tip 2: Determine the type of conference you want

When speaking to venues, have an idea of what it is you want to do, and how you see the conference being run. Most venues will assist you with some ideas and implementation, but you need to have a clear idea of the number of delegates and a basic programme. Some venues may be removed from your potential list based purely on capacity.

Tip 3: Know your budget

Conferences expenses can escalate quickly, so you need to determine your budget before you start the process and express this to your chosen venue, or miscommunication creeps into your event. Granny Mouse Country House & Spa prides themselves in tailor marking packages dependent on the needs and budgets of clients.

Tip 4: Do your homework

Ask the venue what types of conferences they have hosted before, and even go so far as asking who some of their past conference clients have been. This will give you a good indication of what you can expect from the venue and the calibre of venue you are selecting. It is also common that potential clients ask for the contact details for reference purposes. Don’t be afraid to ask for this information; any decent venue will brag about their previous amazing conferences.

Tip 5: Ask for advice

Many venues have dedicated teams who are more than happy to assist you with ideas and concepts, as they do this job for a living. They can often provide you with ideas that they have executed for other conferences that may fit well with your conference ideas. Your chosen venue may also be in close proximity to other activities which could form part of your conference.

Du Preez’s finals words of wisdom in conference planning, is to enjoy the process and keep the lines of communications open with your on-site banqueting team, as they are there to help you every step of the way.

As part of their community upliftment initiative, Granny Mouse Country House & Spa recently invited 10 young ladies from the Lily of the Valley Children’s Village, coordinated by Nicola Basset and Spa Manager Liza Williams, to spend a day at the Spa as an opportunity for them to learn about the skills, qualifications and personal qualities needed as well as challenges and highlights of the Beauty Therapy career. The aim of the planned outing was for the girls to also get a glimpse of what it would be like to work in a Spa environment as well as motivate them to have dreams and plans for their future.

This visit formed part of an initiative by Lily of the Valley Children’s Village, an orphanage in Eston, who are developing an exit program for a group of young adults living at the home that aims to holistically equip them for the life skills needed for life outside of the orphanage when they have completed formal schooling. Due to a large number of these girls expressing interest in exploring a career in Beauty Therapy and the Hospitality industry, Granny Mouse seemed a great place to start, as the ladies have had very little exposure to these work environments previously and the visit assisted them in their decision making process.

After the ladies arrived and had been welcomed, each Granny Mouse Spa therapist did a short speech on how they started in the industry and how they have grown since then. A questions and answers session was then held and then each lady was taken on a tour of the Spa. To end it all off, each girls received a funky nail varnish and gift to take home with them.

Overall the day was a success and the ladies left feeling happy, smiling and motivated.