International (basic) quality requirements of meeting locations: guidelines

IDEA was asked by Tourism Flanders to create guidelines for meeting locations and conference hotels. The guidelines provide a clear and structured overview of the international expectations and criteria of conference organisers and participants with regard to infrastructure and services of meeting and conference locations.

Our approach

The guidelines are based on research from various sources and studies on current and future quality requirements and expectations in the international meeting industry. IDEA Consult brought five experts around the table to seek their views. We also studied a number of leading international meeting venues, which we used as a benchmark. We managed to refine the content during a feedback session with nine meeting professionals from Flanders.

The result

The result is a document that lends itself perfectly to self-evaluation. It includes handy checklists that show the extent to which a venue meets international expectations. It also has a section containing inspiring tips and trends. A distinction is made between basic requirements and 'optionals': extra features that can give venues an edge internationally. The guidelines help venues not only to improve the quality of the infrastructure, but also improve the services they provide as well as the way in which the meeting location is managed.

Why have we created this guidelines?

Tourism Flanders has the ambition to make Flanders a top international destination for meetings and congresses. In order to play an international role as a destination, it is important that meeting and conference locations meet international quality expectations in terms of infrastructure and services. With its professionalisation trajectory, Tourism Flanders supports the Flemish meeting and conference sector to meet these international expectations. This guidelines is a practical tool for the meeting venues.

Would you like more information?

Please read through the guidelines: https://www.toerismevlaanderen.be/publicaties/leidraad-internationale-basiskwaliteit-meetinglocaties 

If you have any questions or if you, as an organisation, would like to focus on the meeting industry, please feel free to contact us for expert advice.