Meetings Blog Jul 07, 2017
We know that in each event you organize, the seating plan is one of the important pieces that you take care of. However, have you considered that the way you structure how people sit can be culturally representative? Moreover, there are key elements to how you organize guests depending on the purpose of the meeting and how you want attendees to interact.
Consider if you will the parliaments of a few key countries in the world. The United Kingdom has the governing party and opposition facing each other in what some may argue is rather confrontational, although as a debating format is often ideal. In the United States of America there is a more amalgamated semi-circle structure to proceedings for the US Senate and House, giving a different sense of discussion.
These styles, and several others, can be used very effectively. The key is identifying what it is you are trying to achieve from the meeting and applying some seating logic to the preparations. Do you want debate, negotiation, idea generation or the sharing of insight and results? Think whether a circle of seats would remove unnecessary hierarchy removing some barriers to involvement. Maybe small groups huddled together would drive more ideas and competition. Quite possibly there are times when a key speaker does require all the focus of the room to be centered on him or her. Based on the objective and background culture of attendees, the solution should present itself quickly. And as you know, often a single day can see that solution in various forms, like changing from a classroom style in the morning for speeches to a brainstorming banquet setting in the afternoon.
Before reading any further, consider how timely you are when arriving at a meeting. Do you pride yourself on being there at least 10 minutes before the start? Possibly you go even earlier to prepare, mingle or grab the best seat. It’s also just as possible that you see the time indicated on the invite, whether formal or not, as something only to be used as guidance, so arriving some minutes later is more than acceptable. Now consider those differences across your attendee list. How many times has this proved challenging?
Exceptions aside, if you’re planning a meeting in the UK, the US, France, Germany or Scandinavia (as examples) there will be expectancy that everyone is there on, or before, the scheduled start. Linear time, after all, is a very precious resource in those countries, and those that don’t treat it so could be deemed rude and disrespectful. Travel south in Europe or America, though, and the idea of rigid timekeeping carries less weight. The 10 minutes of courtesy are in order (up to half an hour for conventions with introductory session). Even though we can detect changes in this tendency, the fundamental is that the meeting took place and was successful; not whether it began with the same number on the clock as that in the diary. Being aware of these differences allows you to take various steps during planning – issue clear communications to your attendees, create filler-windows for those grey areas, etc. – allowing enough margin for the ‘real’ start to involve everyone…without anyone feeling pressured to conform and avoiding annoyance caused to those who were there on time.
Most of the events you plan will have a requirement to provide sustenance for your guests. This could be something simple like a snack buffet but if it is a more formal sit-down style of nourishment then note that this too can be a minefield of cultural exchanges.
The first thing to consider is what is actually served up and the variation in tastes and occasional restricted diets across cultures. One way to decide on food for an event is to go with local produce although this comes down to when and where you are. Etiquette and expectations between attendees can vary significantly. Not everyone around the world has had experience with those troublesome shellfish that take a certain knack to eat. Although this can act as a great icebreaker, less confident attendees may look to avoid altogether rather than be embarrassed. Often in Eastern business cultures it is accepted behavior to share food from your plate to that of another, but this ‘family-like’ tendency would appear strange to other nationalities. Try to find out as much as possible about the norms of those attending your event and see how you can cater for all.
Of course, when we consider these aspects, the size of the event is a massive factor in how challenging they will be. For smaller meetings, possibly where you have personal knowledge of the attendees, you’ll be in a much better position to manage the situation adequately, often with just the local customs to be taken account of. And for the bigger conferences, the good news is that well-travelled international event goers will generally be accustomed to the variations encountered across different parts of the world. But a planner with the understanding of the nuances between cultures can pre-empt any potential challenges and make attendees feel more ‘at home’ with their experience. With venues around the world, NH Hotel Group is right by your side to guide you through this interesting area.
