Covering the
basics:
AMA day conference centers
Finding space for a day
meeting that requires no hotel rooms used to be a
planner’s worst nightmare. Not anymore. Day meeting spaces, for
rent by the hour or day, are springing up in office buildings
across the country, and they come loaded with everything from
high-tech gadgets and ergonomic chairs to on-site support staff and
complimentary java.
The New York City-based
American Management Association (www.amanet.org) has
executive conference centers in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City,
San Francisco, and Arlington, Va., that come with a meeting
concierge desk and a host of complimentary items, such as
beverages, local calls and wireless access. Its standard meeting
package includes a meeting room, two flip charts, an overhead
projector and screen, and a VCR.
Washington, D.C.-based
Preferred Offices (www.preferredoffices.com) has nine executive
conference rooms in the Beltway area that can each accommodate from
15 to 25 attendees. The company’s newest addition, the Reston (Va.)
Center, scheduled to open next month, is just six miles from Dulles
International Airport and features complimentary Starbucks
products, a self-service business center and membership discounts
at a nearby fitness center.
With 4,000 meeting rooms in 465
locations, Addison, Texas-based Regus (www.regus.com) dominates
the day space market. Packages include catering, complimentary
high-speed Internet service and support staff. Its newest outpost
is in the LEED-certified Banner Bank Building in Boise, Idaho,
featuring two conference rooms and a business lounge.