A Guide to Planning Accessible Meetings

What Does Your Event Need? Creating a Needs Assessment

Before reaching out to facilities to find the best choice for your event, you need to identify the needs of your audience. Here are some things to consider:

• Where are most attendees located? How far will they need to travel?

• What is an affordable price point for hotel rooms in the area if overnight accommodations are needed?

• What amenities (nearby public transportation, restaurants, recreation facilities, side trips, night life, etc.) will attendees need?

• What type of facility (hotel, convention center, resort, training facility, conference room, church hall, movie theater, other) would best meet the needs and objectives of your meeting?

• Preferred dates (consider more than one so you have options)

• Anticipated arrival and departure times

• Weather factors (including weather along the travel routes of the majority of attendees)

• Total number of attendees anticipated

• Number of attendees with disabilities or functional limitations anticipated

• Number and size of meeting rooms/exhibit space needed per day

• Are other spaces (office space for your event team during the event, registration area, press room, etc.) needed?

• Number of sleeping rooms needed, by single and double occupancy

• Number of anticipated rooms needed that are mobility accessible and/or communication accessible

• Number of food functions (meals, coffee breaks, receptions)

• Parking requirements

• Accessible transportation to and from the airport

• Accessible transportation to and from any off­-site program events

• Information technology needs (videoconferencing, streaming/webcasting, recording, Internet connectivity for attendees, technical support, screens, projectors, speakers, etc.