CONFERENCE CENTERS order to supPo

rt the recreational infrastructure. Usually they have

.
ss meeting space than do executive centers, but more tOOd
Table 1 identifies the principal types of conference centers, the_t~pi- somewh a t 1e m· . N
age and recreational fac hes. ew resort centers are being
cal meetings they attract, and their general physical charactenst1cs. andbever . d th d ..
.11 • both suburban locanons an e more tra [Link] resort desti-
Figure 1 shows a nonresidential center. bu1 1n ·& . Th ft
. such as Arizona and Cali1orma. ese
. o en. .are joint-venture
nations,
developments because of the extreme cost m acqumng the land and
The executive conference center is the most typical midrange facility
building the center and recreational amenities. ~ addition to these new
(although not necessarily midprice). It is oriented toward corporate
meetings, including both training and management development. properties, existing resort operators are addi~g. conference center
Such centers feature a relatively large number of conference buildings to extend their seasons, and attract [Link] markets.
rooms--only the largest corporate training centers have more. Most
executive centers are located in the suburbs around the larger cities, Corporate conference and training centers are physically the largest
such as New York, Washington, Atlanta, and C~cago. With increas- of the several categories and a few existing properties have as many
ing competition and land costs, the main concern of both developers as 1,000 rooms. Although many corporations have built facilities
and operators should be whether a proposed facility has the potential with as few as 100 to 150 rooms, new entities tend to be in the 200-
to attract weekend conferences or social business, both of which are to 500-room range. Corporate centers contain much more conference
necessary to ensure profitability. space than do other types because of the need to meet very specific
training needs. Many major corporations, especially those in tele-
Many of the resort conference centers have evolved from executive communications, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and financial services,
properties by marketing and promoting their recreational facilities.
are struggling with the decision of whether to build their own resi-
They are designed for the same type of management meetings, as well
dential or nonresidential centers, or to rent space from executive cen-
as for sales and incentive groups. Resort conference centers vary in
ter~ ~r at other sites. Fortunately, they all realize the importance of
size but most new properties are in the 350- to 500-room range, in
trammg and employee development to their success.
_
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _c_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Author: Richard H. Penner

Reviewer: John Hill, Hill Glazier Architects
.
Re+erence: Conference Center Planning and Design, Whitney Library 0 f D es1gn
:1•
 Conference centers

conf eren ce cent er char acterlstl

I 1
robe . cs
~- Typical Meeting Uses - - - - - - - Facility Characteristics ____ ____ .
Mid- and upper-level train ing~ - - - - - -
fJ!,~ Suburban locations; 225-3 00 ~dsiz e to iarge guestr ooms
;
~ecuu development; manag ement plan . management gs ate numb er of
rung; sales meetin multiple dining and beverage outlets; moder
mid-size conference rooms; large number of breakout
. rooms; moderate recreational facilities
Mid- and upper-level management .
trips; sales meetin gs meetings; incentive Resort destination or suburban locations; 150-4 00 large
rooms; multiple dining and beverage outlets; small to
moderate number of conference rooms; additional
banquet rooms; extensive recreational amenities
(especially outdoors)
corporate Technical and sales training for low- and . Suburban or headquarters locations; 125-4 00 rooms of
employees; manag ement develo ment rru_d-level . varying sizes; limited dining alternatives; extensive
P . meetings;
conferences if compa ny pollcy permit outside
s training or conference rooms to meet corporate objectives;
specialized rooms; auditorium; moderate to extensive
recreational facilties
. 'fi1c
middle managers,. sc1enti
university Execu• tive educa tion
. .
for On-campus location; 50-15 0 small to midsize rooms;
meetin gs and contin uing educa tion programs limited dining and beverage options; small to moderate
number of conference rooms; amphitheater; auditorium (at
continuing education centers); recreation located else-
where on campus rather than as formal part of center
Nonresidential Low- and mid-level emplo yee education; middle and Urban or corporate headquarters location; no guestrooms;
upper manag ement develo pment one limited-service dining room-cafe; generic conference
and breakout rooms ; limited special-purpose rooms;
no recreation
Not-for-profit Relig!o~s, educa tional, and govern ment staff training; Often at remote location; 25-10 0 rooms; single dining
associ ation and found ation meetings room; small to moderate number of generic conference
rooms; large multipurpose room; limited recreation
(primarily outdoors)
- - - - -- - -

, pub-
some issues of the individual functional areas, including guest rooms
University conference facilit ies meet three differe nt needs: confer ence core, and recreat ional faciliti es.
ed for dedica ted busine ss school lic areas,
of the most luxuri ous are design
s visitors
executive educa tion progra ms; others provid e for campu
ences, or for growi ng contin uing educat ion PLANNING THE MEETING FACILITIES
and educational confer
univer sity center s genera lly are no larger than 150 s, and cer-
programs. The One key difference between hotels and conference center
as well
to 200 rooms, and featur e amphi theate rs or an audito rium tainly the one that developers and operators feel is most centra l to their
center s exist becaus e
as the more typical confe rence rooms . These success, is the planning and design of the confer ence and training
e that their reputa tions are, in
the large research univer sities realiz areas. Toe conference center industry has grown around provid ing a
ion pro-
Part, dependent on the types of execu tive and adult educat superior meetin g produc t, including better service , fewer distrac tions,
abiliti es to bring busine ss execut ives little real
grams they run, and on their and an all-inclusive price. However, these attractions give
does not provid e suffici ent
to campus on a regula r basis. advantage if the meeting facilities design
dedicated conference space organi zed for effective meetings.
ed, either
The nonresidential centers most often are corporate operat
ement devel- g space
for low- and mid-level trainin g or for upper-level manag The earliest conference centers developed a core of meetin
headq u~er~ or the varyin g needs of
opment. They may be constr ucted near the corporate balanced between multipurpose rooms to meet
Mo st con~n fauly dedica ted to confer ences,
at a site convenient to the trainin g department. different users and single-purpose spaces
pers
Standard conference rooms and may be available to the pubhc
for day audiovisual presentations, private dining, and so forth; develo
learne d which types of rooms establi shed the most sal-
meetings, depending on the corpor ate policy eventually
ches. Today, most
able mix between these two divergent approa
,
The most highly variab le group are the nonpr ofit centers, ~~ch may confer ence center operators emphasize the single-purpose spaces
· · ssocia tions and sed marke ting and manag ement abil-
be 0Wned by religious or educa tional orgamzattons, a further strengthened by increa
that
·
founctalions, research centers, or
· e h_umanita
pnvat .
rian .and artsec- ities. Also, over the last two decades, operators have found
th the want and expect more genero usly sized rooms , and so
err res!' attend ees
~oups. Their facilities reflec t the differing ID1_ss o?s of t
1
le, breako ut rooms
live owner groups and offer the public or specif ic mtereS ~oup . space requirements have escalated. For examp
oppo • t lar mountam setting that might have once been 250 square feet are now 400 to 500
rturuty to meet in, for examp le, a spec acu

=~
sed from
square feet; meeting rooms for 30 participants have increa
or near a historic landmark. feet. As a result, among the most impor tant
750 to 1,000 square
ns is to evalua te the expect ed confer ence user, and to design
decisio
lbe following sections discus s each of the confer~nce ce:::;
a_nd illustrate a variety of planni ng and design solu_uo ns. ~ Jannin g rooms for their specific needs.
Ila} investigates the variou s compl ex progra
mrrung an P

Time-S aver Standards for Building Types

;fi
IJ ~
3 HOSPITALllY
-
--
~I. Conference Rooms
ESTABLISHING THE CONFERENCE SPACE PROGRAM . e rooms for 20 to 50 people form th
. . d onferenc fl fl . e
Th ese -dedicate c . f c1'lities. They have at oors, simple bu1'lt
The architectural program for salable conference an d meeting
,
spaces
n best mojorilY'of th~
meeung a bl
din writing and tacka e suuaces, -" ·
projection
is essential to defining the conference center product. Tius ca in systems, mclu ~ rails Some include front-scree n projectio
be done in three steps: sentauon · n.
screens, on d. pre ts· & •
18 to 2 6 square feet per seat ,or execullve the.
, 1 Space requiremen · . . 34 to 42 square feet per seat for hollow
I. Consider the types of generul und specin purpose rooms that are ater and c 1ass
room setups,
d arrangeme nts.
required square and U-shape
2. Detennine the optimum and maximum capacity for each
3. Establish the number of each type
Breakout Rooms
The difference with hotels is obvious. Convention hotels cont~in mall conference rooms for up to 12 people
one or more large ballrooms and a number of sma~l~r. me~tm~ Breakout_rooms are s usually including tackable walls, a white-
s
and banquet rooms, usually multipurpose and subd1v1S1ble, no with lillllted fea~ur~ , screen Space requireme nts: 25 square feet
d proJect1on · .
much space is dedicated to small and midsize meetings. The curr~nt board , an a are often used, but still for no more than 10
standard for conference centers, on the other hand, is to provide per seat; larger rooms
many more conference rooms, few of the smaller spaces subdivisi- to I 2 people.
ble, a high number of small breakout rooms for working groups,
and such dedicated rooms as amphitheaters, auditoriums, and Boardroom
computer facilities. In addition, assembly and refreshment spaces,
•
conference services staff offices, and projection and audiovisual The boardroom is a special• upgraded. conference room with a fixed
•
table execuuve ch"';rs high-level firushes, front and/or rear-screen
needs are essential to meeting customer expectations. Because '" • . .
different developers and management companies use varying ter- .' . d a private lounge or anteroom. Usual capacity 1s about
proJectton, an .
minology (for example, an "auditorium " may be a large, multipur- . ements· 40 square feet per seat, mcreased by 50
16 to 24 . Space requlf · ·. .
pose conference room or a sloped-floo r theater), it is necessary to percent when providing a proJectJon room, pantry, or anteroom.
define the tenns used generally throughout the conference center
industry. Computer Room

Auditorium This special training room, found mostly in corp?rate and uni':'ersity
centers, incorporates several rows of work stattons, each with the
The auditorium is a sloped floor, theaterlike room for formal presen- capability of exchanging informatio n between the instructor and the
tations, sometimes with additional balcony seating. It generally students. Many of these rooms are part of a larger building or cam-
includes a stage and front screen (and occasionally rear-screen) pro- pus network. Space requiremen ts: 30 to 40 square feet per seat.
jection capability. Auditoriums are most common in corporate train-
ing facilities, with room capacities of 150 to 300, and in university Of course, the exact number of each room type and its respective
continuing education centers, with capacities as high as 1,000. Space capacity will be the result of the market study and operational objec-
requirements: 8 square feet (7 square feet per person by code for tives of the owner and operator. For example, the program may call
occupancy calculation) per seat for the auditorium seating and aisles;
for many similar 4O-person conference rooms and 10-person break-
10 to 12 square feet per seat overall, including the stage and a small
out rooms designed to meet a general set of design criteria. lo addi-
projection room.
tion, it may establish specialized requireme nts for individual larger
Amphithea ter rooms, or for those with distinctive audiovisua l or computer require-
ments. A_ computer company, for example, certainly will have differ-
The amphitheater is a tiered room incorporating built-in work sur- en~ req~ueme~ts for a presentatio n room in a training center than a
faces, which are often curved to focus seating on the speaker or umversity busmess school will have for its executive education case
study. room-both
horseshoe-shaped to allow better eye contact among attendees. It fea- of which may essentially be a tiered-floor
tures front-screen projection in university executive education cen- amphitheater for 30 people.
ters and rear-screen projection in executive facilities. Capacity at
university centers is limited to between 40 and 60, depending on the ESTABLISHING THE ASSEMBLY AND
class objectives, and between 90 and 125 at executive conference SUPPORT AREAS PROGRAM
centers. Space requirements: 25 square feet per seat.
In addition to detenninin th . .
spaces th t g e necessary conference and tra.1nmg
Multipurpose Conference Room 'h e earn must establish the program for the prefunction areas
and sue support fun ti . . .
fee pantri d . c ons as conference services, aud10v1sua ls, cof-
This is a large, flexible meeting room, often with subdivisible
partitions, a flat floor, and a 200- to 500-seat capacity. The charac-
ulty and eS, an <•~ corporate and university projects) offices for fac-
from a sprogram dtrectors. The assembly spaces are of several types,
ter of this room can vary greatly, depending on the type of confer- eparate 1obby f; d .
outside the l or ay attendees, to major prefuncuon areas
ence center, with some more resembling a junior ballroom and arger rooms t all
others little different from a standard conference room. Most incor-
terraces Th ' 0 sm er refreshmen t areas and outdoor
· e assembly ar h
of the salable & eas 8 · ould total between 30 and 50 percent
porate either front- or rear-screen projection. Space requirements con,erence space.
are 15 to 24 square feet per seat for executive theater and classroom
setups. The support areas add furth . ..
The principal comp . er complexity to the program defimoon.
onents mclude:

~ T,me-Saver Standards for Building Types

 conference....,.,.,.,_..:.:
y\.f',IJNMJG -1,i,~
- ------- - .
-- - _ _ _,,; ? -
(i ;, the conference cor e or nea
rer
Space is ne d d ~ n~ - • ~ u I ballroom be located in
, Conference services:con ference s e ~ for off ices for RA :i:
ence concierge , the ants?
erv 1ce [Link]• and c ll e re
t
I
and A.V. P anners , and a lou nge t:
or meeting wit h I' ,:,,: me • How Id it be decorated? systems of the largeS me
et-
. I d iovisual d. 1
ie 5l. c
.. s • o eed the same sophisticated
operators me u e an aud isp ay room and wo
adjacent or nea rby .
and front-screen . . *
'f HYO ·I ms?
• Audiovisuals: Rear- mo roo ms , the la ated conference ma rke t
office and pro hcl ion needs to assess the anticip
being the mo re com n; 0 the aud iov i- Eac h pro jec t team
m falls on the conW tinuum between
end " or c : ~ /om s for ermine where the ballroo Ie, es tfi e Id s • three
sual technicians; a "he ad- n roo m. and det
ability ~n ha dlS trlbutio meeting room. For examp
Graphics: Reproduction cap ort an . out material ·is essen- function room and sophisticated com put -
vid e a com pl div isib le bal lrooms each offer highly
tial; Iarger centers pro r~p rod uce larg e sub
the management provides
the full
e badgee e p~n t shop to audiovisual systems, and
course materials, signs, nam s, an so on, and inc lud e a eriz ed
full photographic dar kro om
. es at each one.
range of conference servic
ded for con t:
nee
• Sto rage areas: Spa ce is lecterns and . erence room furnishin gs, ms oriented to different
perties include two ballroo
including tables, cha irs • , nse rs· portabl e aud.10v.1sual Several resort pro a fun ctio n roo m; the sec ond
foo d ser vic e sup plie s· and 1: t in use s: On e is des igned principally as reen projection.
equipment; • c ient materials sen g room, including rear-sc
advance of meetings. equipped as a large meetin typ e of me eting or func-
· roo m can be used for any

rooHcrlg~--·- . '}.t~ - {
are a for b gh, eith er
• Coffee pantry: Includepre a ser vic e , Alt hou use and designed and
dri nks , par ing and hold_rewmg c?ffee and te_a tion , the dev elo pers established a primary
holding col d
so on. mg paStrtes and fruit,
storing soiled dishes, and equipped the
: Requirements .me1ude offices staff
~
ulty and tra ine r offices
• Fac d •
rooms for the instructors an program
workrooms, and resource
ma•nagersd. These are mo
st com mo n in un· v .
I ers1ty execuuve edu-
. La,., c,nr.,,.,. Roo " · _ .'_
g centers·• execuu·ve an resort con-d feet; see
on an cor porate trainin greater than 1,500 square
cati
., pro vid e two or thre e s all Offi Lar ge conference rooms (those req uiri ng littl e aud ience
1erence centers may r. m ces for the
Fig . 2) are mo st ofte n used for presentations are set up
client meeting pla nne ms
ion or questions. These roo
involvement through discuss fac ing the spe ake r.
in straight rows
off ice s for ins tru cto rs, th e support are theater or classroom style, eed s 50 fee t and the row s num-
If there are no ext ens ive the room depth usually exc
per cen t of the salable co nierence Because vide a
c
. to 30 it may be necessary to pro
as range from abo . ut 15 am oun t of aud iov isu al sup por t ber at lea st ten (often 20 or more), tion bec aus e it infl uen ces
van ant is the is an important consid era
space. The• ma d Jor
., . . cen tral aud io ·
v1s ua 1- stag e or rise r. Th.i s
tton roo ms and the
space . require. 1or proJec pro gra m phase, the owner and
Th rou gho ut the
graph1cs services. lities and ser-
s wh eth er added capabi
o~ rat or mu~t ~ll y ~iscus es (fo r bot h space and
cap ital expens
v1c~ levels JUStJfy hig her pon din gly hig her payroll cost.
al corres
equipment) and the eve ntu s the equipment
al pro gra m sho uld addres
I lype 200 8i:il) And a separate aud iov isu nt in aud iov isu al support
ma jor investme
lyand~ : duplication imp lied by a
1le,the ~ 1. space.
ims and l~, OMS
CE AND TRAINING RO
if design cr'.i!2!E TYPF.s OF CONFEREN
of unique plan-
1en11 for olii:i; ence rooms has a number
Each of the typical confer uire the collab-
·isual orcrq:ir:: ly in the design. These req
ning criteria to con sid er ear tea m, especially the
ers of the design
ceruinlvmbli orative effort of all memb sul tan t, and operator. A
\na ~ ~= architect, interior des ign
er, audiovisual
n follows.
con

ts execu01tt/J.1il· room-by-room exa min atio

,entially ti 1'!- n Brothers Conference
an d Training
Ballroom Fig. 2. Shearson Lehma ed on two up pe r floors of a
Locat
ns as the princi- Center, Ne w York City. ce nte r contains
lro om serves dual functio ng, the Shear son
The conference cen ter bal meeti~g .room Wall Street office buildi ce sp ac e.
for larg er groups, as the t of de dic ate d co nfe ren
~D pal banquet roo m and , lud es_ soph1sucated 23,000 ne t square fee are a on the low er floor
design, therefore, inc a reception
for general ses sio ns. Its r~ased ven- Guests are gre ete d at ms , inc lud ing a
tion boo ~s, mc of 25 meeting roo
audiovisual sys tem s, one
or mo re pro jec
ual ity sound- an d directed to on e ute r lab s, an d two rooms
bre ako ut areas, and _high-q r co mp
tilation, larg er foy er and 393-seat auditorium, fou computer
che s common
_ Hon. Except for the
with rear-screen proJec
u~e tou
. Ma ny of the decora sp ace s ha ve
proof divisible par titi ons deh cate wall ce an d bre ako ut
e expans ive cha nde lier s,
conference rooms, all the conferen r an d lower
in hotel bal lro om s (th but the lar views of the ha rbo
b ent
ned car pet) are a s ,
. windows with spectacu verings Include three lay ers -
sconces, or bol dly pat ter ers the pot ent ial for attracung weekend Manhattan. Window
co ree n-a ll
center bal lro om stil l off h d sign charac ter to cap- s, an d a lighter sun sc
. [Link], and so sho uld have eno ug e drapes, blackout curtain sm all dining
by the Instructor. A
social electrically op era ted d sp eci al rec ep tions.
lunches an
ture this sec ond ary marke
t. room Is av ail ab le for
ings & Merrill)
of difficult plan- (Architect Skidmore, Ow
sonality" raises a number
The ballroom's "split per
ning and des ign questions:

B11ilding Typ es
Tim e-Sa ver Standards f or
 3 HOSPITALITY
- -- - {.( ~
~\~
~\~~Tl
the design of the front presentation wall and, as a result~lh 1
ofsuc h
e~~ o/111!~~, 1 C .J k ! ,.....- ...., ;..
support areas as a rear projection room. ',,, 1·:1
1 -·. •
\,.
Unfortunately, the larger rooms often are subdivided, a~ a!.t ,Ciluon
.
. / ; ;·L __.......,.-.,-, T
~; -'
Iuuv rd
I ov
I_.. " ~
I J
that creates significant difficulties because these roon:is ~ ! : t u :_:.
greatest need for sophisticated audiovisual and sound remfor
l.)..._),..J'-J'-J'-" ~
Iuvv
I oo
systems . Audiovisual capability often is compromised, or redu ndant
systems are required in subdivis ible rooms. These rooms mor~ often
~ .,. IVVV
I UOd
I ~
@ @
~ "' I I I d.,
have specialized audiovisual presentations, and it is therefor~ •~per-
ative for the speaker to be able to darken the room with a mimm~m
uou uo
of effort; if the rooms include windows, it is importan t to provide
OJJ JXD I J ·"'
electronic blackout shades or drapes.
OJJ JXD ~
Iuuo
I uo
. ..~
Also, the larger rooms require substantially greater ceiling heights,
•· 1s·
which influences the rooms' location in the building . Rather than
combining higher and lower ceiling spaces in the same zone (result-
ing in unusable volume above the finished ceiling of the smaller
rooms), the larger rooms frequently are located in a low structure
extending beyond the guest room tower, or on a lower level that can
: : ::::; : ::: ::::~
accommodate the two-story volume.

Medium C~ erence Rooms CJ

These rooms, in the 1,000 to 1,500 square foot range, are the
mainstay of today's properties. For example, among the corporate
projects , the Pitney Bowes training center includes 30 out of 46
confere nce rooms at this size, and the IBM Advanced Busines s
Institute has 18 of 21. These midsize rooms, used for highly inter-
active training, management development, marketing, and execu-
tive education, need to allow practically any type of room
arrangement: theater, classroom, hollow square, U-shaped, or small-
group configurations (Fig. 3). In addition, these rooms require a
variety of permane nt and portable equipment and audiovisual sys-
tems. At a minimum, they need a whiteboard, projection screen,
..
N

••
tackable walls, an overhead projector, and at least two easels.
Beyond these basic requirements, which apply to all types of con- Fig. 3. Conference room layouts. Conference cente
ference centers, the operator must assess the need for slide, video, ~perat~rs are alert to the poten tial variations in capac
audio recording, and other systems. 1ty of different layouts. The illustrated rooms, 23 by 31
fe~t or 760 square feet show maxim um seating an,
Some conference center operators establish very precise requirements fairly tight spacing, espec ially betwe en seating and thE
for these rnidsize conference rooms, based on their experience and walls. Theater layout (top left) offers the most seats
knowledge of the types of furniture to be specified. For example classroom (top right), U-sha ped (botto m left), and clus•
when planning a new project, the Benchmark program establishes no~ ter (bottom right) arrangements accom moda te abou'
only conference room areas but the exact dimensions. This is in order equal ~umb~rs but will vary slightly depending on the
to accommodate the maximu m number of people with the more gen- room d1mens1ons
erous executive furnishings. For instance , a conference room 28 feet
~de ~ornfortably holds four 5-foot conference tables and two 4-foot
~•de aisles; a narrower roon:i woul? force the elimination of one table
m each row or w_ould require a smgl_e center aisle. A slightly wider
room would provide more generous aisles but no increase · · .
m capacity
Small Conference Rooms walls that can acco d
ators install a h ~mo .ate she~ts tom from a flip chart. Some oper-
Centers expecting to attract groups of 20 to 30 peo I of each client. angmg rad ' offenng wide flexibil ity to meet the needs
a large number of smaller conference rooms in thp e may program
Wh. 500 000
1le these smaller rooms offereless to .I '..
&
square ,oot range. Breakout Rooms
and may encourage crowding of slightly larger rou s flexibility
tors bemo~n the lack of a sufficient number of sn1:alle~ / many opera-
fut analysis of the needs of the primary u
Another distingu ishin fe ..
. d ooms. A care- of a high b g ature of conference centers is the provision
centers may establish the right mix for a newsers an of comp 1- . num er of break
.
proJect. e •live other confere nce out rooms, often equaling the total of the
among cente rooms Th · · aUy
· e size of these rooms varies drarnauc
rs,
These rooms should be equipped similarly to mid . say 150 to 200 some allowmg •
no more than an office-sized space,
space should have a permanent projectio n size .rooms. Each
screen, whiteboard large enough forsquare feet·' 0 ther operato rs insist on breakout rooms
d
'an 400 square feet.~; ~~~~~ 8 to 12 an~ set a minimu m size of about
iuon to Scantic on-Princeton included seven
3ml Time-Sav er Standards for Building Types
 conference 1...,.,, "=-:
\
h
breakout roo ms of 450 square fe et eac . The larger rooms are more
. , of course, accommodati I se
flexible
ed pro~g t argbe_r groups as well as tho
.
needing to woIrk on extend Jec s, nng in computers or video
. erwis e spread out.
equipment, ro e-play, or oth
same m· . ipm ent as d o smaller
Breakout rooms require the e littl mu na.1 equ . .
ms . Mo st hav ' · 1 equ1p-
specialized. aud _iov
conference roo
. e 1sua
cen ters ma y pro vid e d'10 nd
ment; execut ive a video Jacks to accom-
from a c/u tra l con
modate transmissions to or n trol room.

Boardrooms
conferenc
Most executive and resort needs to d et cen~ers include one or two
boardro om s. Th e dev elo per
er a boardroom
tool or is ne :e: ~m ;0wheth ual demand
is desired as a marketing ary _ me et act
boardroo
for such a room. Wh ile the for th ms req~1re relatively little floor
fee t
area (500 to 800 .square e room .[Link]) • m· any d eve1opers
~ choose to add pnv ate
.
accessory areas, which inc
lou nge
rea
s toilets , proJec

fur
•
se the
nis h
spa
and
tion rooms , and 0th er
ce prograf m . l n addi
e ui 0
.
. lion, the
boardroom is exp ens ive to ning two to
q P, ten run

t
sta ndard con ',ere nce room . M uch of th'is
three times the cos t of a k·
additional mill
expense comes from the fac es or:~ :t . ~o vab le wa!I pan
els,
and tac kab le sur
to hide writing s, ove rsiz ed cus -
, and similar luxuri;s~set
tom tables, built-in buffets

t If security is a ma jor con

d t tall · 1
an . o y Pi:1V~ e; ,or
cer n the boardroom
cally separated from" the oth
exa
audio transtn1ss1ons to the
[Link]
mp
. cen
le, sw
ere nce
itch es
roo
ma
m:a
•
~l~ ee
d
todbe ph; si-
Ysoun proo,eoff
y be installed to cut
· ·
tral control room • suc h c aractenstJcs
h
d

~
the programming pha se.
need to be defined ear ly m

Amphitheater
theater (Fig. 4).
........ centers include an amphi
Some resort and ~v ers ity exp ens ive to pro vide, in part
spa ces are
)UIS. Col'!;; These custom-designed typ es of seating
ently flexible for different
because they are n~t suffici righ t size for the
nliol v~ 1 arrangements, wh ich me
ans gro ups that are the
a different
it bec aus e the y pre fer
JSlroled 1ml amphitheater ma y not cho
ose to use
e hor ses hoe shape
1 [Link]: wh o like one design (th
layout. ln fact, instructors ms , for ins tan ce) often
between~ : ool cas e study roo
common in business sch nd in resort and
cur ved amphitheaters fou
i) oWen t1. 7 refuse to use the slig htl y t among the par- rooms offer-
of the lack of eye contac outs. Special-purpose
id(bott~~l executive centers bec aus e ctio n, furnishings, and Fig. 4. Amphitheater lay tial for pa rtic ular instruc-
phitheaters' constru be essen
nlsoc~ ticipants. In addition, am nge in flo or levels, ceil - Ing less flexibility ma y centers provide am ph ith ea ter s-
tional objectives; many
bec ause of the cha
equipment cos ts are hig h en ha nc e
;llghttr~ counters and railings, spe
cial lighting, ho rse sh oe -sh ap ed -to
ing articulation, mil lwo rk either gently curved or Ste inberg Ce n-
put er connec- attendees. Top:
partlcl~atlo~ among thesylvania (Architect: The Hillier
and audiovisual and com
upgraded executive cha irs, er the re is
ter, University of Penn
ear ly on wh eth
should establish Mitchell/
tions. The feasibility stu dy -Palisades (Architect:
phi the ate r. Group); bottom: IBM
legitimate need for an am Glurgola)
uires about 25
ntu ally programmed, req
An amphitheate r, if eve ce as a more
ut the sam e am oun t of spa
square feet per seat, or abo er a front- or
Mo st roo ms will have eith
typical con fer enc e roo m. , inc lud !ng ~lides,
ipp ed for most media howing slides
rear projection roo m equ edi a or mu lup le- m~age to combine two system s-s
video, and film at the ver
y )ea st. If mu ltim
an oversized Some presenters may want the boa rd, for exa mple.
ed, the front wall needs ting notes on
presentations are ant ici pat and , at the same time, wri
om lights are
screen. ned at several locations. Ro
Controls need to be positio inc lud ing ligh ts, projec-
anization of the other systems,
lt des ign tasks is the org switched at the doo r; the the lectern
One of the mo st difficu acc o~ od ate a , and so on, are controlled
at
on wall, which needs t~ tion , audio, window drapes nt wa ll, and in
amphitheate r's presentati le whiteboards), into a floor box), at the fro
sch ool s ma y require multip (which often is connected le for most
Writing surface (business , an~ s~eakers. reless remote con tro l is pos sib
on rail , projection scr een the projection booth. Wi
tackable surface, pre sentati for the proJec tJ?n sys-
mo re screens, one applications.
Scanticon provides two or rhead proJectors.
be tilted for use with ove
tem s and a second that can

Building Typ es
'lim e-S ave r Stan dar ds f or
3 HOSPITALITY

. · tremen-
--
~0 r exampIe, 1ea
---
, ture a computer room, which is used both for .
1ns1ruc.
tudent resource when c 1asses are not being cond
The design of the tiered seating and work surfaces vanes d d ti 0 n and as a s . ucled
dously among conference centers. Some are as simple as stan -~ all th e are limited to 15 to 20 stations because of th d' ·
Gener y es
d cting computer exercises 1or arger groups e iffi.
. ' I
conference tables bolted to the stepped levels; others include a frur Y . f
culues o con u .
simple work surface and modesty panel; a few feature care~lly
crafted custom miUwork units incorporating such details as elec~~al ould allow at least 35 to 40 square feet per perso
The program Sh . th . n to
outlets, microphones, computer and translation jacks, leather w~tmg the computer stations and e associated printers r f
accommodate . , e.
inserts, undershelves and narrow slots for displaying participant .als software and supplies. Most computer rooms ar
name boards. The relative values of these features should be estab- erence maten • ' , . . . e
designed so that the instructor s computer display 1s projected on the
lished at an early meeting and incorporated into the design criteria.
front wall. More sophisticated arrangements allow the instructor to
·eve any student's work onto her computer or onto the projection
Auditorium re tn b. .
screen for discussion and comment. Am thous centers may include 3
Corporate training centers frequently include a large, 150- to 300- computer network, so that the software and instructional systems are
seat auditorium for major class presentations, other presentations by available at each classroom and even in the individual guest rooms.
company executives, and community use. Because of this public
role, the auditorium usually is located near the main entrance, off the Other centers feature unique rooms equipped for highly specializec
conference center lobby, rather than within the main conference core. needs. Merrill-Lynch has installed five telephone laboratories a
their conference and training center in Princeton, where financia
A few of these auditoriums are equipped and finished with perma- consultants are trained in telephone sales techniques, cold prospect
nent work areas; most, however, are typical theaters with a sloped ing, and closing deals, a three-week course that follows a 14-weel
floor, a stage, a balcony, and projection capability. Translation booths field program. Designed like a computer lab, the multipurpos1
may be provided if the need is identified early enough. phone lab features rows of carrels with adjustable front and sid1
panels which provide the flexibility of open, semi-private, or ful
Computer Rooms and Special Classrooms carrel configurations.

Some centers will include specialized spaces to meet their individual

market needs. Many of the university executive education facilities,