Site-inspecitons are essential to planning a successful meeting.   Marriott.com offers a meeting planning checklist that is comprehensive and helpful,including site inspection.  Here are some things to consider when inspecting a site:

• Virtual tours – don't let distance hold you back.  Many venues offer virtual property tours.
• Guest rooms – try them out.  Ask to see the different categories of rooms to see the actual differences.
• Meeting rooms – How will your setup work? What is the distance from the meeting room to banquet facilities, restrooms and guest rooms. 
• Food and beverage – where is the banquet kitchen located?  What is the F&B minimum?
• Parking facilities – Is there adequate parking if your attendees are driving? Is it secure? What is the cost per day?
• Safety – Get a copy of the venue's safety plan.  Does it cover all your needs?
• Security – Are there in-room safes?  Do elevators require key access so that only registered guests can access the lodging floors?
• A/V - Do they offer the equipment and technology you need for your meeting and for your attendees?  What are the costs?

Do a detailed site inspection to avoid surprises.

The world seems to be a bit darker and edgier than in the past and guest security should be taken seriously by the hotel hosting your next event. It’s shocking when untoward events take place in a hotel; guests book a room for comfort and convenience. Their security is simply taken for granted.

It never crossed Erin Andrew’s mind that her privacy would be invaded last September at the Nashville Marriott. The ESPN sportscaster was photographed with a cell phone through an altered hotel room peephole while she was changing. Other celebrities have been stalked or robbed while staying at quality hotels. Security procedures have become more stringent after the violation of Erin Andrew’s privacy.

You may not have a celebrity speaker at your event; however, the nature of the event might pose some security problems that need to be addressed. Preventative measures should be taken if your guest speaker is well known either to the public or in the industry. Book the speaker into his or her room using an alias.

Alert hotel personnel if anyone requests a room stating they are in your party, you must be notified immediately. Changes are the request is legitimate but it’s better to avert a problem than fix it.