HAVE YOUR SAYApril 2012 . www.conference-news.co.uk . 69 Top Tweets @tracibrowne: Great discussion with@michellebruno on going 'badgeless' at events @conferenceTQY: Nicky is at the @MIAuk AGM today, it sounds like a rollercoaster ride! Fire alarms are a great way to start the week @AVGirlMidori: Cool New York experience. #Eventprofs should study the energy, pace and branding of pro sports events @dahltonb: The future looks bright for #eventprofs:One of USNews best jobs for 2012 and industry of growth potential @Padraicino: Show me the money! Cash subvention available in #Scotland to organisers of large meetings and events @HelloDMC: Reverse printer erases content on paper, could be more cost effi cient than recycling #greenmeetings @CaitlinFlint: Go green at your next event; follow Encyclopedia Britannica's lead, stop printing @emmacartmell: Thanks CN for all your marketing efforts for #CHS. We've been inundated with bookings and stand enquiries - big thanksDear Editor,After reading the advice piece from Meeting Magic's Katherine Woods, 'Whatever The Venue Make it Work For You' featured on conference-news.co.uk, I couldn't help but feel proud that Sundial Venues tick every box.Our dedicated venues also offer bedrooms and leisure facilities on-site and 'serve as a one stop shop for meeting rooms, accommodation and evening meals', something which she believes only to be true of large and international hotel chains.There are in fact a few things Katherine has missed when considering selecting an effective venue. For instance:· Meeting rooms should be free from view obstructions such as pillars or suspended lights.· Essentials such as Wi-Fi must be free and unlimited, ideally throughout the venue.· A venue with outdoor space has the potential for teambuilding, ice-breakers and ad hoc 'walk in the garden' sub meetings.· Dedicated event planners and conference service teams mean an event will run seamlessly.· Flexibility in relation to timings and breaks is undeniably essential, as is fl exibility of catering; will intolerances and specifi c diets be catered for?· CSR policy; do the menus favour local, ethical produce?; are green meeting packages available?Look for a meetings venue with an all-inclusive pricing structure and check what the contents of the package includes. Always ask yourself, am I receiving the best value for money and does the venue understand my expectations? Tim Chudley, MD ofSundial GroupLettersThings to consider when selecting an effective meetings venueAlways ask yourself, am I receiving the best value for money and does the venue understand my expectations?Dear Editor,In response to Rob Davidson's article 'Does my bum look big' (CN February), I would like to say that investigating on the impact of frequent conference attendance on attendees' health brings the question of how much funding sponsors invest in conferences. In times of recession corporates and associations are trying to keep the costs down but it still seems they will do anything to catch the attention.I am a student, currently doing MSc in International Events Management at the University of Surrey in Guildford, and my dissertation is based on the medical conference sector and sponsorship.Sponsorship in this sector plays a signifi cant role and a huge amount of money goes into the provision of heavy lunches and three-course dinners, coffee breaks and networking events accompanied by canapes and other treats.Yet at such events it seems that the physicians and other health care providers do not really care about the waistlines when they have free food to enjoy. How paradoxical that is? It is interesting to have a look at the advantages conferences bring for the meetings industry but also there is a need for criticism when it comes to the issues that arise within the sector.Kristina Petrova, StudentBringing in to question sponsorship at conferences