lateWhether you are conducting a sales meeting, training session, or producing a product launching event, individuals who are perpetually late can cause real problems for meeting planners. These late attendees can be disruptive to the meeting flow because they either want  you to start over, they talk with their neighbor, or they are busy getting some food and coffee while the session is in full roar. In the end, they are devaluing the time of the people who arrived promptly. 

So, what are some tactics to avoid tardiness, time-in and time-out? The solutions below will require a firm facilitator to keep everyone on track. The major takeaway is: EVERYONE'S time is valuable. So, give the attendees solid reasons why they need to be on time — regardless if they are an entry-level person or the President of the organization. 

  1. Let everyone know — numerous times and in numerous ways —  that the meeting will start and end on time.
    Let them know from the 1st invite until the last. And then…on the day of the meeting, start and end the meeting on time! You mean what you say and say what you mean — which in the end will wield a whole lot of respect for you. 
     
  2. Have the room and presentation services audio visual equipment set up and tested 90 minutes before any employees arrive.
    The speaker should be in the room at least 1 hour prior to the event to test the sound and lighting rental system to make sure everything is ready to go. 
     
  3. Give plenty of time for networking.
    If your meeting is 90-minutes long, provide networking 30 minutes before and after the meeting. Employees always want to network with each other, especially if they work remotely or do not see each other on a day-to-day basis. 
     
  4. Provide great food and drink and let employees know what they will be served beforehand.
    Giving attendees a full breakfast with french toast, eggs, and sausage is much more appealing than fruit and coffee. Spend the money on good food and beverage and it will get the attendees there. 
     
  5. Start your meeting with a VIP.
    Choose your best presenter right up front. Let employees know who it is, their bio and what they will be speaking about every time you send out the invitation. The more excited they are to hear the speaker, the more likely they will show up on time. 
     
  6. Because sometimes late arrivals are inevitable, put a reserved sign on the last 2 rows of seating so you can seat attendees with the least disruption to the group. 
    A traffic accident, construction, or inclement weather are unforeseen circumstances that can make an employee late. Start the meeting on time, but make sure these attendees create little to no distraction to the speaker. Position the food and beverage outside the room and encourage the attendee to sit in one of those reserved spots.  

AV Event Solutions is corporate audio visual provider within the entire state of California. Give them a call today to learn more about their state-of-the-art meeting technology offerings!