| O.K., you're going to have an all-day training | | | | by the gallon. Having checked five different hotels |
| session, and you need a place to meet. So you | | | | in downtown Chicago, the average price for that |
| call the local hotel and explain that you need a | | | | gallon of coffee is about $70. Two of the five |
| room for the day.o In the morning you want | | | | charge $95 -- plus a service fee of about 20 - |
| some coffee, Danish, and fruit. In the afternoon, | | | | 22%. That comes to almost $1 an ounce. Is that |
| you'd like sandwiches and cold drinks. And maybe | | | | not unbelievable? Gas, at its highest, cost us a |
| some mid-afternoon munchies as a pick-me-up.o | | | | little more than $4 a gallon, but hotel coffee is |
| You need the session audio- and video-taped. And | | | | $95 + 22% more: a total of $116! |
| maybe an adjoining room it can be transmitted to, | | | | Audio and video: The reason these services are |
| where observers can see and hear the | | | | so expensive at a hotel is that the equipment is |
| proceedings in real time.o Then there is the | | | | not permanently installed. The A/V person has to |
| playback equipment necessary for showing your | | | | figure out how many microphones are needed, |
| materials.o And, finally, a host or hostess available | | | | put together a mixer and recorder, and then lay a |
| throughout the day in case there are any other | | | | few miles of cable covered by duct tape that, if |
| needs. | | | | you're lucky, you won't trip on. Plus, if you're |
| Now for the over-and-under pool: How long will it | | | | video-taping, the camera operator will be in the |
| take for paramedics to revive the hotel's | | | | room with you as an added distraction. |
| salesperson from a dead faint? Because, as we all | | | | But in a focus group suite, the audio and video |
| know, what I've just described has the capacity | | | | capability is just like the room setup |
| to send hotel personnel into an advanced state of | | | | itself-permanently in place. All that's needed is the |
| apoplexy. | | | | flip of a switch. And the equipment? Other than |
| But don't despair. There is a place where | | | | the mikes, it isn't in the room at all. Not even the |
| personnel will not be fazed by any of these | | | | camera, which usually operates from a |
| requests; a place where, instead of a promise to | | | | ceiling-mounted location in the adjoining two-way |
| "get back to you" after half the hotel staff has | | | | observation room. |
| been consulted, you'll get a smile and the words, | | | | Two-way observation: If you're at a hotel and |
| "No problem." I'm talking about a focus group | | | | want your staff, clients, or others to observe the |
| suite: the next-generation training room. | | | | session, you have two choices. You can stuff |
| As most people know, focus groups are informal | | | | them in the same room as the training session. Or |
| panel discussions conducted among some number | | | | you can rent an adjoining meeting room and set |
| of people (usually about eight to 10, but it can | | | | up closed-circuit transmission there, by renting an |
| range much higher). Typical focus group facilities | | | | additional monitor that connects to the training |
| can run three to five such discussions | | | | room with a few more miles of cable and duct |
| simultaneously. But some are even larger. | | | | tape. The cost? Slightly less than a king's ransom. |
| Importantly, focus group facilities are ideal for | | | | But all of our focus group suites have an adjoining |
| training sessions. (Full disclosure time: I am the | | | | observation room with a two-way mirror and |
| president and co-owner of National Qualitative | | | | sound system. Observers sit in comfort, seeing |
| Centers (NQC), a focus group facility with eight | | | | and hearing the proceedings, while being |
| suites in downtown Chicago. | | | | non-existent to the training session participants. No |
| Let's see why, by comparing a hotel's capabilities | | | | extra room rental, no extra charge. |
| to those of a focus group suite: | | | | And, importantly, every observation room offers |
| The room: A hotel meeting room is generic space. | | | | Wi-Fi as part of the standard service. (The hotel I |
| That is because the hotel never knows what it | | | | contacted wanted $500 to provide Wi-Fi for 10 |
| will be used for. Today, it is your training session, | | | | people.) |
| but tomorrow it will have a seafood buffet; the | | | | Video Conferencing: Try though you might, it is |
| next day is a wedding reception; etc. | | | | almost guaranteed that you will not be able to |
| By contrast, our focus group suites are dedicated | | | | find a hotel meeting room with this service. If it |
| meeting rooms. You need 10 to 12 people sitting | | | | exists at the hotel at all, it will be in the business |
| at a table? Or maybe a larger room that | | | | center, not where you're meeting. And it will cost |
| accommodates 50 to 60 people sitting | | | | an arm, a leg and assorted other body parts. By |
| auditorium-style? That's what you get. Not | | | | contrast, NQC has the capability of |
| because it hurriedly can be cobbled together in | | | | videoconferencing right in your meeting room, and |
| some way, but because that's what it is. | | | | at dramatically lower prices. |
| Food and beverages: Ordering hotel food means | | | | Auxiliary services: By this I mean printers, |
| being restricted only to what the hotel serves. | | | | disc-burning capabilities, etc. At a hotel, they are in |
| And, oh, those prices! | | | | the business center, which may or may not be |
| But a focus group facility has no such restraints. | | | | anywhere near where you are conducting your |
| Whatever kind of food you want, from whatever | | | | session. In a focus group facility, they are close |
| place you prefer, is available-almost always at far | | | | by and easily accessible to you. |
| lower prices. | | | | Hosting services: No hotel as a matter of course |
| To research this article, I called a name-brand | | | | will provide on-call hosting services-i.e., someone in |
| hotel within a few blocks of our office and asked | | | | the immediate vicinity who can take care of any |
| how much it would cost to provide food and | | | | needs you have during the session. You can ask |
| beverages for 15 people. The prices were | | | | for one-but expect to pay through the nose. |
| staggering. Continental breakfast? $32 a head. | | | | Focus group facilities offer hosting services |
| Sandwiches and salads for lunch? $43 a head. | | | | throughout your session at no additional charge. |
| Soft drinks? $6 a can. Focus group facilities charge | | | | At my facility we provide ongoing hosting |
| about half this amount, and the food will be at | | | | services for all of our meeting rooms as part of |
| least as good, usually better. | | | | the basic service. |
| My favorite example is coffee. Hotels sell coffee | | | | |