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The Impact of Effective Sponsorship and Events on Brand Growth
Learn unique ways to leverage sponsorship and events to reach wider audiences
July 12, 2024
1:57 pm
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There are multiple reasons to host training sessions. Good business practices such as onboarding new employees, teaching relevant skills, or simply creating a progressive work culture, require training to thrive.
Albert Einstein likened training to lifeblood when he said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying." However, while organising training is important, organising it well is a necessity.
One way to have successful training is to pay attention to the training room setup. Invest time and finances in crafting quality training content, but also invest time in the venue and facility.
This article takes a look at some components to consider when setting up a training room optimised for learning.
Setting goals is essential to the success of anything a business does—training included. This has to do with the who, why, and what-end questions.
Before choosing a room and a location, the goals of the training must be clear and specific. For example, a networking training goal would require a different room setup from examination-driven trainings.
Goals and objectives also influence the number of guests as well as the number of facilitators—factors that affect the overall location and capacity of the training room.
The next thing to do is pick out a venue. When determining what venue is right, it is advised that you consider factors like accessibility, distractions, hall structures, etc.
In some cases, event hosts select and pay for a training hall before the entire facility is considered. This is a flawed process. Choosing a venue involves more than just choosing a hall or room.
There is the question of what other kinds of events are held there. What is the noise interference like? Best practices suggest taking a tour of the facility beforehand.
Some facilities provide virtual tours to accommodate the challenges of busy schedules and long distances.
Also, make use of tools such as Google Reviews and social media pages to get an overall experience of the look and feel of the venue.
Google reviews are beneficial because they also include objective photo submissions from past visitors. Objective photos assist in seeing the actual, unfiltered condition of the facility.
In addition, your choice of venue will determine what training hall capacity you can choose from. For example, using a 100-seater capacity hall to host a 10-man training will require more décor to avoid an ‘empty hall’ look.
Another thing to take note of is accessibility. What time is the training? What locations are your trainees coming from? How soon can they get there? With what level of stress? How accessible is the venue?
These questions are necessary because you do not want trainees who are exhausted on arrival.
For more factors to consider when choosing a venue, please view our article on 7-Point Checklist to Choose the Right Corporate Event Venues
Another factor that significantly affects your training room setup is the furniture provided by the facility.
First, you need to ensure that the chairs and tables are comfortable. An impactful training session is one where the trainees are comfortable enough to pay attention.
Furthermore, your choice of furniture is also influenced by the calibre of trainees attending your event.
Comfortable furniture for a teens’ coding session is extensively different from those needed to set up for top management training.
The world is prioritising health matters these days, and rightly so. Hence, as much as you can afford, go for ergonomic furniture.
Other things to look out for when it comes to furniture and effective training room design are:
Make sure that the number of tables and chairs is enough to accommodate every trainee. You don’t want trainees standing up or hassling for seats on D-day.
Have you ever attended an event and had to look for a needle and thread because a piece of lousy furniture caught your clothes? Terrible! It leaves you feeling terrible.
Establish that the tables and chairs are in good condition.
Some chairs were created to make noise more than to sit guests. Check to see that the tables and chairs do not generate distracting sounds in your chosen hall.
You definitely don’t want tables that make screeching sounds with every bathroom break. Some suitable halls are carpeted to accommodate particular furniture.
Also, distractions may include things like fancy coverings or elaborate designs.
Lighting and learning go hand-in-hand.
According to a Visual Edge Slant Board article, “the best lighting type for maximum productivity and learning is as natural and soft as possible, while still being bright enough to see clearly.
Lighting that is too dim can cause difficulties in learning, like affecting brain focus and visual clarity when reading. It also lower psychological well-being over time.
Conversely, lighting that is overly bright and fluorescent was shown to contribute to off-task behaviour and make hyperactive behaviour worse."
Adequate lighting ensures that trainees see and take notes clearly—fundamental aspects of any training. It also affects the mood and stress levels of the human mind.
Good training hall design may include roof lighting, stage lighting, projector screen contrast, etc.
On the day of the training, check that the training room lighting is not too bright or too blinding. Switch off the bulbs if necessary.
Do not be afraid to ask trainees if the lighting is sufficient or not for them.
To engage your attendees, you need to promote discussions that matter to them, not just what you feel they would be interested in.
Look for conversations in places where your target audience might interact with one another.
Look at the topics they are discussing and the questions they are asking. This way, you are more informed about how to plan and market your event correctly.
Every other checklist culminates in an arrangement.
When you have set your goals, chosen a venue, and ensured the furniture is right and that there is adequate lighting, you can focus on how the hall is arranged for enhanced learning.
There are various types of seating arrangements. Each arrangement depends on the number of trainees, the kind of training, and the session’s goal. Some of the prominent seating arrangements are;
This form of arrangement makes the facilitator the sole focus of all the trainees. It is best for mentally immersive sessions. It can, however, sometimes feel too formal.
To reduce the formality, you can break the tables into rows and columns in what some refer to as the non-traditional classroom seating arrangement.
One of the most popular arrangements, the U-shaped, is perfect for almost every type of training. It is set precisely as its name—to form "U."
The end is open, giving the trainer ample space to move around, shuffle between the board and the desks, and interact with the trainees.
This training room layout is perfect for all hands-on practical sessions. It creates an environment that brings the trainer down to the level of the trainees (think about primary school robotics training).
The circle can be very big or small, depending on the number of trainees to be seated.
A long rectangular table and chairs around it usually make up the boardroom training room setup. The facilitator usually sits or stands at one of the short widths of the rectangle.
This arrangement is perfect for engaging and discussion-inclined training sessions.
This training hall design is set as a large square or rectangle with a space in the middle. The facilitator can either be on the stage or at the centre of the square.
The disadvantage of the hollow square seating arrangement is that the facilitator will be backing some trainees at every point in time.
Utilise the strategies highlighted in this article, and don't forget to explore other excellent articles on this blog that can help make your events memorable and exciting!
Choosing the perfect venue for your corporate events doesn't have to be stressful. This is where The Zone comes in. At The Zone, we are committed to providing a state-of-the-art facility and ensuring that every one of our services is top-notch.
For more, kindly visit www.thezone.ng or email hello@thezone.ng
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