The Importance Of Distraction Free Meetings
If you are holding a meeting, keeping it distraction-free is a primary goal. When your attendees are distracted by phones, excessive talking, or noise, they are not likely to remember much of what you say. On the other hand, boredom can sap attention from the task at hand. The question is how much distraction is too much? Should you worry about having a distraction-free meeting or concentrate on making things informative? Perhaps you should try a little of both in your get-together. Meetings are held to get information out and discuss challenges and goals by and large, but it should also encourage and enlighten, so mix in some fun. Distraction-free doesn’t have to be boring.
A Fun & Distraction Free Meeting, Is It Possible?
Let’s face it, if you want a distraction-free meeting, you should control the distractions. Ever attend an event or meeting in a casino? Just to get to the meeting room you must navigate the gauntlet of flashing lights and electronic cash register sounds. Not terribly conducive to focusing your mind on business is it? Perhaps you have attended a meeting in a tropical location. Sun shining, palm trees, and a sandy beach all draw your thoughts and attention away from the task at hand.
Even meetings in a normal location can distract you. An old friend from high school still maintains he got a D in Algebra because cheerleaders practiced right outside the classroom window. Yes, distractions can and do come from many sources. You definitely need to limit meeting distractions and it is not easy. You can’t lock yourself and your guests away from the world, but you can distract them in a positive way. If you control the meeting environment & provide some fun distractions yourself, then a distraction-free meeting becomes a distraction-controlled meeting.
Controlling Distractions
You can’t eliminate distractions from your meeting environment but you can limit or control them. The first step is easy: location, location, location. A serious business meeting held in a casino or hotel may seem like a great time for everyone. However, do you really want to be sitting at a table talking about marketing when slot machines and free drinks are right outside the door? You know the answer to that question. Meeting in a bar or restaurant is not much better, is it? So our first suggestion is to find a meeting rental venue in a more professional setting. Putting your attendees in a business state of mind by keeping the location in a business environment should be your first step. We put together a shortlist of suggestions for limiting meeting distractions by controlling how the attendees are distracted.
- Schedule frequent breaks. No one wants to be trapped at a table for several hours. Sprinkle in a short break every hour or so, attention spans today are short.
- Require cell phone use to be outside the room. You can’t stop people from checking or using their phone, just make sure they don’t feel the need to do it during your meeting.
- Have some fun, tell some jokes, maybe even get everyone up and dancing for a few minutes. Hand out some candy, you will definitely get people’s attention with that one.
- Close the door and pull down the blinds. Eliminating some distractions is really pretty easy.
A Distraction-Free Meeting doesn’t have to be boring, it just needs some planning and control on your part.
THE BEACON CENTER KNOWS ABOUT SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS
We have hosted too many meetings to count. Add to that, nearly 60 yrs of combined meeting attendance by our owners, Becky & Gil. The Beacon Center location was chosen specifically to give privacy and limit distractions during any event or meeting. After being bored in countless meetings, we can even offer suggestions on how to have a little fun and still keep people interested in your meeting.
Don’t worry though, The Beacon Center is literally just 1.8 miles down the street from the Las Vegas Strip. When you finally release your meeting attendees, the fun is right outside our doors… you will just have to walk, drive or ride-share around the corner. If you need to plan a distraction-free meeting or event, just give us a call, or better yet visit our website and get started.
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