Evaluating Training Venues for Classes and Speeches

(Real or Imagined = Physical or Online)

Evaluating training venues in advance can prevent disasters! Have you ever planned to show an online presentation using your favorite URL links only to discover – upon arriving at the site – that the venue in which you’re speaking has poor Internet access or none at all? Can you honestly say you’ve thoroughly addressed all these variables?

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• Did you hold an outdoor, summer evening event without suggesting participants bring bug spray?
• Do you know what to do if you attract an overflow crowd?
• What is your plan if the power goes out?
• Will you need mics for the audience when you’re recording your presentation or when they want to ask questions in a large room?
• Do you need signed releases for recordings and photos?
  • Who is going to obtain them, when, and how?
  • Do you have a file system where they will be kept in case of a future challenge?
• Who is going to handle refreshments, including setup and cleanup?
• Are you responsible for cleaning and/or security?
  • Do you have a vendor selection process?
  • Do you have good contract templates for hiring janitorial or security staff?
• How does the venue relate to marketing?
  • Will the venue help you advertise?
  • How does that change your presentation materials and ads?

Let’s face it. When you are teaching classes or presenting training modules, online training is a topic unto itself. This is not that. This conversation is about evaluating training venues. Yet, some of the concepts apply to all types of presentations, so you might want to check out my checklist below.

The Key Is To Determine

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT AND ON WHAT SCHEDULE OF DEADLINES?

While several of the items below apply to online training, let’s concentrate on training, speeches, and other presentations that are done in physical locations (a training venue) with in-person interactions among the presenter and the attendees.

Note: As a public speaker, I give presentations and teach classes that are not training modules, per se. I’m using “training” as a generic term to cover all these kinds of speeches and teaching.

The Training Venue Will Provide Both Opportunities and Constraints

To begin, you need to determine what your topic is and who your audience is. If you missed it, here is the link to my page which is the first in this series. It is called, “Training Series ~ #1 How to Construct New Classes and Training Programs.” In it, I talk in detail about things to consider when in the conceptual stage of constructing new classes and training programs.  It will help you focus on what you want to accomplish and how to go about it.

Then,  you can factor those variables into your thinking about the training venue you would like to choose or that you must use.

Conversely, you also will be factoring the advantages and limitations of that training venue into how you will create your presentation and what materials, techniques, and technology you can use. That’s why you should know about the capabilities and restrictions of your venue BEFORE you create – or at least, finalize – your presentation.

Scouting Out How a Training Venue Will or Will Not Meet Your Needs

I’ve decided to share a checklist I developed some time ago for presenters to use in thinking about their approaches to a speech. It is adaptable. You can use it solo or for team teaching and multiple presenters. In addition, you can use it when you hire contractors to find venues or teach in venues. It’s an easy way to give them guidance.

There are many considerations when you have the luxury of choosing a venue, as opposed to having to present or perform in a venue about which you have no input. In addition, there are several presentation-design modifications you may have to make if you cannot choose. All of this is important in your planning, regardless of whether you do the training or you want me (or someone else) to conduct the sessions.

(Interested in vetting me? In case all these details are already overwhelming and you want to outsource your projects to me, here is a link to show you the wide variety of training materials I’ve developed and presented. That will get you started.)

Evaluating Training Venues in Terms of Marketing

Once you’ve reviewed the variables listed in the chart below, you’ll also want to consider how you will market your classes or notify attendees about the event and whether the venue owner will participate in those efforts in terms of costs, materials, and ad space, if applicable.

Evaluating Training Venues for Items That Will Affect Your Audience and Your Performance in Classes

These are just a few more examples from the checklist for you to contemplate. What about:

• Tech support?
  • Venue provided?
  • Provide your own?
  • Do you need a contract?
  • Do you have a contract?
• Parking?
  • available | not available
  • free | fee
  • special arrangements for speakers, VIPs, guests?
  • what about a dock, elevator, or whatever is needed to load and unload equipment and supplies?
• Introductions?
• Lighting?
• Room Temperatures?
• Transportation and hotel arrangements?
  

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Sample Checklist for Evaluating Training Venues and Who Is Responsible for What

REDUCE STRESS AND GIVE MORE EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS

If you prefer, click on the link to view this informal checklist. The chart does not translate well on WordPress. It’s very “clunky” and unusable for editing, so I’ve made it into a link. If you cannot access it, email me with a request, and  I’ll send it to you as a PDF file.

Training Venue Chart

The chart includes these categories, to which you can add if needed.

ITEM,  AVAILABILITY,  CONTACT INFO,  NOTES & ?’S

I hope this thought-provoking table is helpful to you. I’d love to have your feedback about what you found most important and about any items that you think should be added when I teach this as a class.

Thanks for joining me and stay tuned for the next in the series about how to create and conduct effective training sessions. I’ll be posting more on training topics during the rest of May, 20201 at a minimum.

Fees by the Hour or by the Project (Learn More)

My fees vary, depending on whether you choose:

• customized or off-the-shelf products/classes/services
• editing, writing, reviewing services
• individual or long-term training services.

Fees also are influenced by the:

• amount of lead time you provide
• complexity of the work
• amount of research involved.
• travel requirements
• ability to do the work and transmit it online for the most part.

Reduced Rate for VIP Clients Who Have a Retainer  Contract (Learn More)

If you put me on retainer for six months, I’ll give you a reduced rate. You also may qualify in other ways to be one of my VIP Clients. In addition, I occasionally give discounts to specific networking group members and to worthy causes. Contact me for details.

How to Make Payments Directly to My Persuasive Presentations, LLC

When you book me, I will provide you with an address to which you can transfer money to my bank (Zelle) or PayPal account. Zelle omits the fees that PayPal charges. I don’t take credit cards. However, if you need to pay me by check, I’ll start work after your check clears.

Thank you and best wishes for success in your event!

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