Learning Curves: Make the Most of Conference Center Space

Kinley Levack, mimegasite.com, 3/9/2007
(Originally published in Successful Meetings magazine, March 2007)

With a few exceptions, employees dread training classes. Even when trainees arrive with the expectation of receiving useful information, the return to a room set with uncomfortable chairs, at small tables facing a projector screen, dredges up memories most would rather leave in high school.

Yet training is a necessary evil and, when masterfully designed, can be a smashing success. The trick is not only to offer relevant content, but to use the facility in the most effective way possible. A traditional classroom setup is rarely, if ever, the most effective way—pods, crescents, rounds, and other more creative room sets are how the cool kids train today. And the people best suited to shed light on the ideal use of space at conference centers are those who not only work for the facility, but also frequently use the centers for training.

Set the Barr High
Diane Barr, director of training at Benchmark Hospitality International's corporate office in The Woodlands, TX, coordinates a four-day "train the trainers" program for Benchmark. Barr, who is also a certified hospitality trainer, walks participants though what types of room setups work best for different sorts of training. "For diversity training, you're going to set the room up a little differently than if you were doing a teambuilding event," she explains.

"We start with a U shape: What would it be good for? When the facilitator needs to be able to walk through the group, or for a classroom where you want to encourage discussion." Barr's training delves into "the impact that room setup has on delivery" as well as the body language of trainers, tone of voice, and how to arrange technological components so they enhance, not detract from, the training.

Barr warns, for example, that "when you're talking about room setups you really need to take into consideration what kind of technology you're using. What happens if you do a hollow square and something happens to your laptop? You have to climb over or under tables to get to your laptop to fix it." She recommends taking the time to visualize a presentation in the room: "Can you move freely around the room? Is there enough space for flipcharts? Do attendees have a clear visual for that information?"

For Nancy Lindemer, regional director of sales and marketing for the Babson Executive Conference Center, an Aramark property in Wellesley, MA, one of the initial questions she asks regarding a training program is, "How does the content dictate the kind of facility we'd like to use? Is it a high-level program or entry level? Based on how that looks, we determine what facility in our portfolio to use."

Lindemer finds the Babson facility particularly well suited to leadership programs, such as a new think-tank program that will be held there in April for roughly 20 attendees from within Aramark. "We're designed to be a training facility, so we're utilizing it pretty much as groups would," she says.

"When I'm doing training, I particularly like to have rounds," says Judith Slowey-Brown, director of recruitment and development at Lansdowne Resort, a Benchmark property in Lansdowne, VA, which has an on-site conference center. "We do a lot of management training, and I like people to be able to discuss things. You are dealing with adult learners and you want them to feel as much a part of the learning as possible. Make sure it is fully participative, not like a show-and-tell where they feel like they are in school."

"I think a classroom setup is a first reaction when you think of training because it's so easy. That's how you typically think of learning. We've all been to school. We've sat at our desks and looked forward at our teachers, but it's important to focus on the adult learning style. It's very different from how you teach a child or a teenager; there's more interaction and you need to think outside the box," says Barr. She acknowledges that such a program requires particular dedication and experience on the part of the facilitator, because he cannot rely solely on a prearranged PowerPoint or handout. "It takes a facilitator who is willing to learn from their audience," she says.

"There are two styles of room setups that I think are most effective," says Lindemer, citing tiered amphitheaters and pods. "The pod setup is great—especially for small groups or teams—because it allows for quick conversations. If groups need to tackle a project that might not take much time, they can do it in the room without leaving, so you keep the agenda flowing." Lindemer finds planners are beginning to embrace pods, though it boils down to knowing not only the audience, but the expected outcomes as well. "If you need their attention facing forward, then a classroom setting is probably better, but pods are great when you need the groups to interact during the meeting."

"Casual seating is the most underused" room setup, in Barr's opinion. "We bring in sofas, chairs, and coffee tables to make it very casual. It's a great setup because sometimes when people walk into training [with a traditional room setup] they say, 'Ugh, I'm back in training.' This takes some of those fences down." She warns that the setup loses effectiveness if participants need to take copious notes, but says, "It's a great way to provoke discussion."

What's Wrong with U?
"One of the sets I find interesting is when you talk about a U-shape for more than 20 or 30 people; it becomes cumbersome, and people on one end have no idea who is on the other end. We get the request less often than we used to, but it still comes through more often than you would think," Lindemer says.

For some groups, though, the U-shape is ideal. "I had decided we would do pod tables in both rooms and move from one room to another. The [Babson] staff recommended going with a U-shape in one room so people weren't walking over cords. I thought that sounded quite reasonable," says Will Eckhardt, director of education for Boston-based Sleep Health Centers, who spoke to Successful Meetings midway through a two-week training course. Following suggestions from the staff, Eckhardt also reevaluated space around the U so trainees, who are newly hired technologists at sleep labs or people interested in getting into sleep medicine, now view demonstrations in the center of the U.

All of the experts agree that room sets are ultimately determined by the groups' needs. "Theater style is not great for a long class, because people want to be able to write things down. Also, it's like being on an airplane—people don't want to get up because they feel embarrassed, but it's good for short presentations," says Slowey-Brown. "It all depends on the audience and the content. You have to be very much driven by the audience, time of day, expected level of participation, and similar factors."

Not to mention proving the value of the program to higher-ups. As ROI moves from term du jour to training requisite, directors of training have added to their sessions more information on measuring outcomes. During her "train the trainers" session, Barr spends considerable time discussing budgeting and measurement. "How do you put a dollar figure to training? How do you make it more than 'Sure, it worked'? You have to be able to measure the results," she says, citing Kirkpatrick's levels of evaluation as one option.

Barr also finds success with surveys, and though some deride them as nothing more than "smile sheets," she finds attendees to be honest and helpful. Barr encourages trainers to allow time for attendees to respond, and warns them "not to be such a presence in the room, because then it's like the teacher's watching." The teacher is, of course, watching, but a bit of ignorance can be bliss, even during training.

Kirkpatrick's Levels of Evaluation
The Phillips ROI methodology is based on the four evaluation levels published by David Kirkpatrick in 1959, but adds ROI as the fifth level.

1. Reaction - Generally effective to use a survey to ascertain what attendees thought of the training program; immediately follows the training.

2. Learning - Often implemented in the form of a quiz to determine what attendees learned.

3. Behavior - A longer-term strategy to examine how attendees' behavior changed as a result of training; uses surveys and interviews of the trainee, bosses, subordinates, and colleagues as appropriate.

4. Reaction - The lasting outcome.