I and a very efficient representative from the client side, with whom I’ve worked before, chose to ‘recce’ the venue in advance and meet face to face with the banqueting and conferencing people to ensure our needs were precisely met on the day. We even went to the extent of doing room visits to see if the accommodation was up to spec. We decided, in order to be different, to have our session in the chapel on the estate. Unusual outcomes sometimes require unusual venues. I asked for the removal of the existing hard-backed chairs and in their place, carpets, couches and wing-back chairs and occasional tables with lamps. Added to the lovely stained-glass windows, I wanted an ambiance of relaxed comfort and luxury, sufficiently laid back for conversation to be effortless. We were told this was no problem.

We carefully explained the purpose and intended outcome to the conferencing manager. I even booked myself to arrive a night ahead of the conference at my own expense, in order to make sure that things would be ship-shape before the clients arrived on the designated morning. My ultra-efficient client-side representative had made detailed lists to ensure there was no possibility of a glitch. Partners, spouses and ‘accompanying people’ were scheduled along, and entertainment and facilities were organized for them too. The venue conferencing manager appeared to understand the importance of all the detail.

When I arrived at the venue late afternoon the day before, I expected to see some progress already underway in our conference chapel. I was assured that a team would move in en masse at 06:00 the following morning and quick as a wink, our required set-up would be organized. The following morning, the hard-back chairs and rolled up long red carpet were piled outside the now stripped venue by 07:00 but there was no other sign of progress. Since we had clients arriving at 09:00 I was very concerned that we wouldn’t be ready in time. The nature of the facilitation was going to need me in a calm and resourceful frame of mind, so I thought: ‘OK. No point or up-side in getting upset – play it calm and collected.’ I did – which is not my usual style when things are ‘not happening’. It didn’t help much. At 08:00 the first (not too clean) couch arrived. A couple of chairs and couches followed - sufficient only to seat half the delegates. I pointed out that we needed double the number and asked for the carpet to be laid over the stone-flagged floor first so we could then properly arrange the seating. The carpet arrived. It was filthy and covered with fluff, with jagged and wavy edges guaranteed to ensure it wouldn’t lie flat. It transpired later that this previously fitted carpet had been ripped up from a room some time before as part of a renovation process. It had therefore already passed its sell-by date and still retained the original fitted shape of that room.

However, this was ‘the’ carpet. There was no other. There was also no sign of a supervisor or manager to advise the extremely willing but clearly out of their depth workers who were trying to assist. Ratcheting up the pressure just a tad, I finally got the carpet vacuumed and enough seating in the room for the delegates. Insufficient occasional tables followed, and a man was found at the back of the venue, fiddling with lamps with very short power cords. They didn’t have extension cords available, and even if they had, their idea was to have lamp power cords trailing over the top of the shabby grey carpet, in order to get the lamps working. With just a half hour to ‘lift-off’, I instructed the scrapping of the lamps. Insult to injury was that two of the three portable gas heaters failed to work and the one that did, didn’t work properly. Instead of clean jets producing a comforting hiss of blue flame and resultant warmth, we had yellow flames licking the heater hood and producing soot. In mid-Winter.

In between all of this, I’d been setting up my own equipment, getting my paperwork and handouts ready and trying to focus my mind on what I had to do. There was still no sign of a conferencing manager.

The piece de resistance was when I tried to move the stand for the projection screen a little to one side. The screen itself came crashing down on my hands. The sprung wire clasp intended to hold it to the stand was broken and only just able to hold it open provided there was absolutely no movement. I had visions of a repeat performance in the middle of my facilitation.

Just a few minutes before the clients were due to arrive, the managing director of the complex put his nose into the chapel and mirrored my reaction to the carpet. He said that they could replace the carpet with one or two Persians ‘taken from the lounge’. By now, the seating was in place, we had no lamps, the ambience I’d wanted was absent and it was just too little too late.

My clients were gracious and very understanding - if a little bemused - about the carpet. They had paid a lot of money for us to use the venue – on my recommendation. I and their representative had done everything short of physically source and set up ourselves, the desired furnishings and the like. The venue and their management – or lack of it – had let us all down, seriously so. There are signs of ‘decay’ in a number of arenas. The wife of the senior-most client told me that on arrival at reception, the receptionist didn’t even look up and greet her. This is a four star venue. Based on the absence of assistance I encountered, they no longer deserve that grading. Would I give them a second chance, recommend them to a client or use them again? Dunno. Even though they’ve undertaken a shake-up, I’m not sure I’d easily put myself at risk again. That’s the power of one really bad experience.

In total contrast to this experience was my co-facilitation at the end of the very next week, of a conference at the Mount Grace Hotel and Spa in Magaliesberg. As always, it was seamless, effortless, unobtrusive professionalism and efficiency from all staff, throughout. Leaving me and the delegates to get on with what we were there for - our business of the day. We didn’t have to visit in advance. We let them know what we wanted and it was set up and ready to roll even before I got to the conference room. During breaks, our venue was subtly and ‘invisibly’ refreshed. Thank you Mount Grace management and staff for a consistently brilliant and stress-free experience over the years. Maybe other venues will realize that their ‘contribution’ can make or break a conference, and follow your superb example.

About Author :
Clive is a marketing and communications strategist and published book author. His speciality is facilitating sustainable change in individuals and organizations. Website: http://www.imbizo.com