This time last year, the mere thought of attending a meeting, conference, trade show or exhibition seemed like a pipe dream and the demand for equipment hire simply didn’t exist. The COVID pandemic sent us all into a virtual world, whether we liked it or not. The technology for holding meetings between multiple people has, of course, been around for years – it’s just that we’ve not necessarily embraced it. With COVID forcing our hand, therefore, it did us a bit of a favour by making us realise that we don’t actually have to fly across continents to have a meeting. Why just not Zoom it!
As this year has progressed, however, we’ve started to see a return to professional gatherings such as meetings and conferences. Whilst we’re all for virtual meetings, nothing quite beats a face-to-face encounter with fellow professionals. Whilst we don’t know the stats about how many deals are closed in person vs virtually, you can bet that it will favour face-to-face. People buy from people, after all, and as humans we crave social interaction. Meetings and conferences, therefore, are here to stay!
But what equipment hire do you need for meetings and conferences? The range is actually perhaps more than you might think, and so if you are an industry professional organising one of these events, the list below might help.
Make that all-important first impression and hire a reception desk. By having one of these, it provides a focal point for your attendees when they first arrive at your venue. Instead of having them meandering around wondering where to go, direct them to your reception counter, where you can have their name badge waiting for them. This also enables you to get a clear idea of numbers at your event.
Yes, this might sound obvious, but most conferences and meetings will need these. Especially if it’s a meeting, then you’ll probably need conference table hire for the meeting room and maybe even smaller break-out rooms where delegates can hold more private meetings and discussions. If it’s a larger conference, then you’ll definitely need conference chair hire in large quantities – make sure these are padded on the seat and back, as conferences often involve your guests being seated for longer-than-normal periods.
To offset the price of the venue and the costs of actually laying on the event, why not invite companies from that sector to the venue where they can promote their products and services. A good example of this would be in the education sector where you have lots of teachers doing training sessions, and you could invite companies marketing their interactive whiteboards, education consultancy services and other things that might be useful to your captive audience! These companies might need display showcase hire, showing off their products at their best!
The chances are that if it’s a full day meeting or conference, then you’ll need to lay on some form of catering. This might be in the form of tea and coffee, for which you might need to hire urns, water boilers, teapots, cups and saucers and a host of other equipment hire, or maybe it’s a lunchtime buffet or sit down meal with a view to providing additional networking opportunities for your delegates. If this is the case, then you’ll need tableware such as glassware, cutlery and crockery hire in all the right numbers.
Whatever furniture hire and catering equipment hire you need for meetings and conferences, rest assured that you’ll be able to find exactly what you’re looking for with the event equipment hire experts at Event Hire UK. Take a few moments to browse the range of equipment hire on our website online and place your secure order 24/7, safe in the knowledge that you are putting your faith in the hands of the experts!
