© 2006, Educational Institute Chapter 13 Function Rooms and Meeting Setups Convention Management and Service Seventh Edition (478CSB)

© 2006, Educational Institute 1 Competencies for Function Rooms and Meeting Setups 1.Describe function rooms and how they are managed. 2.Identify various meeting room setups and describe when each is commonly used, summarize how function rooms are broken down, describe meeting rooms of the future, and explain why it is important to monitor function room usage.

© 2006, Educational Institute 2 Function Room Assignments Made by CSM with meeting planner and with approval of director of sales Criteria Room size and capacity under required room setup Type of event/presentation style Room location with regard to traffic Room location with regard to who’s next door (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 3 Function Room Assignments Timing Tentative assignments at point of booking Definite assignments at least 60 days before event Some planners require definite assignments in contracts (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 4 Function Room Size and Layout Use these criteria for choosing a size in room assignment: Expected number of attendees Room setup AV equipment Lectern or head tables Clothes racks, props, tables, or handouts Coffee service (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 5 Function Room Size and Layout Put similar meetings back to back. Remember additional items for meeting rooms: Pads and pencils Ashtrays Water glasses and pitchers Place cards Handout materials (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 6 Setup, Breakdown, and Function Room Charges Timetable for Setup and Breakdown Allow enough time Inform planner if current schedule does not allow enough time (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 7 Setup, Breakdown, and Function Room Charges Function Room Charges Vary by property and according to amount of business the group brings Can be used to compensate for discounted guestroom rates Maintain a firm list of rates Many properties have sliding scales based on guestroom pickup Charge for function rooms if guestroom revenue does not cover setup, cleanup, and teardown costs (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 8 Release Dates, Multiple Groups, and Employee Procedure Manuals Release Dates Set in letter of agreement or contract Simultaneous Meetings Most properties host more than one group at a time Use of Function Rooms by Others Avoid booking competing groups for the same time Planners may want control of space Small property’s advantage (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 9 Release Dates, Multiple Groups, and Employee Procedure Manuals Employee Procedure Manuals Includes meeting room setups and setup procedures Houseperson training and job description Update periodically to include new furniture, equipment, and procedures (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 10 Scaled Drawings and Function Room Furniture Scaled Drawings Have one of each function room for in-house use Include much detail Include doors, windows, pillars, elevators, electrical outlets, and obstructions Include ceiling height and capacity in the most popular setups (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 11 Scaled Drawings and Function Room Furniture Function Room Furniture Criteria: strength and durability, ease of handling, ease of storage, flexibility, comfort Chairs Tables: Velcro-backed draping, snap-drape skirting Platforms: use carpeting and skirting if platforms are worn Lecterns: table and floor; permanent light fixtures; built-in speakers; AV controls (continued)

© 2006, Educational Institute 12 Auditorium or Theater Setup Chairs set up in rows facing the speaker First row should be 6 feet from edge of head table or platform Center aisle most common, but use of two aisles increasing Aisle size regulated by code: usually 6 feet for large groups; 4 or 5 feet for smaller groups Variations on theater style: semicircular with center aisle; V-shaped

© 2006, Educational Institute 13 Monitoring Function Room Usage Calculate cost of leaving function space unused Track the following: Function room occupancy by meal period Types of functions Use of guestrooms by function groups Popularity of individual banquet menu items Sales revenue per square foot of function space Average banquet check by type of function Pattern of unused times and days Average number of persons by type of function