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Are you thinking of arranging a study day? Or have you already made the decision to hold one, in order to give your employees more in-depth knowledge and/or to attract new partners? In any event, here’s an overview of the benefits of organising a study day, as well as ideas on the best setting for this type of seminar.

The study day: a versatile tool

Let’s start by mentioning that study days are a relatively new type of event, or at least the name is recent, as it’s a new term to describe an existing concept, namely a conference/seminar that lasts no longer than a day. Although they can be held in a university or community setting, study days are also frequently organised by companies. In a corporate setting, they offer the advantage of improving the company’s skills, either in general or in a particular field or theme. For instance, a study day could focus on Cisco coding skills, or on artwork appraisal techniques. Obviously, you’ll choose a subject for your study day that relates to your firm’s business activity. But once you’ve chosen the subject, your business will benefit greatly from this event, especially with contributions from external guests.

For the reasons described above, study days are a particularly efficient way of building relationships with potential partners and/or customers. In fact, they offer the perfect opportunity to invite people whom you are thinking of working with in the near future, as you can show them that your company and its employees are the ideal partners and experts in your field. So the study day is an effective tool for boosting your business network, finding prospective customers and identifying interesting suppliers.

Where can you hold your study day?

In terms of geographical location, you’ll need to find the best fit according to where your attendees are travelling from. Are you thinking of organising a study day on the theme of arts and entertainment? Then you may wish to book a room in London’s Soho or West End, in order to maximise the number of positive responses to your invitation. If it’s a national event, choosing a city that’s equidistant between the attendees seems the fairest option, even if it’s tempting to organise it in your own town.

Finding a room to hire for your event needn’t be too complicated. Once you’ve ticked off your capacity and comfort criteria from your check list, just ensure that the essential equipment that you need for the day is available, such as video projector, screen, microphone, Wi-Fi, whiteboard, etc. Organising refreshments is also strongly advised.

Lunch: a key part of a successful study day

You are free to let your study day participants fend for themselves for lunch, but in terms of brand image, you might fail to leave a lasting memory. Two other options are available: organising lunch on or off-site. To organise lunch at the venue, you’ll need to make arrangements with a caterer, or a company specialising in events which will also be able to coordinate all aspects of your study day (room booking, welcome and registration, meal, etc.). Alternatively, you could book a restaurant, but make sure that this is possible at a nearby restaurant before booking your venue, or you could get caught out.

The schedule for your study day

Normally, a study day starts at around 9:00 am and finishes at 5:00 or 6:00 pm. But since flexibility is one of the main features of this type of event, it is possible to compress it so that it runs from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm or 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm, as a half-day. This option also has the advantage of avoiding the issue of meals. If your budget is tight and the subject/audience size allows it, this is definitely the best choice.