How to Select a Venue – A Complete Guide

Events usually are not a matter of chance only, but also serve as memories for a long time. Attendees to an event have quite a bit of expectation, and this makes it a lot more imperative for the host to make every effort possible to ensure that the event hosted by them does not just have an experiential touch to it, but it also establishes an emotional connection with the attendees of the event.

It is needless to say that, the most integral part of any event planning, be it personal or business, is the selection of the venue. So whether it is a corporate event such as business dinners, seminars, or personal occasions like engagements, weddings, social gatherings with friends and family, choosing a venue that most suits the type of the event will set the mood of the event and its invitees.

While corporate events will have a more formal touch to how it is being held and organized, a personal event is intended to establish a sense of empathy between the host and the invitees. Below guidelines enlists the important things that one should focus on will help in conducting the event in a very smooth and timely way.

Choosing a Venue for a Corporate Event

Corporate events speak a lot about your company. One of the purposes of organizing a corporate event is to build an environment of cohesiveness amongst all stakeholders. The success of a corporate event also largely depends upon the venue it is being held at. So what aspects should you keep in mind, when you are planning for a corporate event?

1. Accessibility and Space

When one speaks of accessibility to the venue, it implies that the location of the venue at which the corporate event is being held should be such that different modes of transport should be easily and readily available to reach the venue. The event is more likely to be attended by people if they can reach the venue smoothly. Moreover, since the events will have numerous activities planned, the chosen venue should be spacious enough to foster a variety of team building activities.

2. Facilities and Technology

For selecting the right venue for a corporate event, one of the most crucial parameters is the availability of technical facilities. By technical facilities, we mean to say how well the venue is equipped with audio-visual equipment, charging points, connectivity and support staff for all sorts of assistance.

3. Food and Beverages

Whether it is a corporate event or a personal event, food and beverages form an integral part of the event. Although most venues have in-house catering facilities, it is always advisable that as an organizer of an event, you check with the venue administration about the quality of the food served, their suppliers, and relevant costs attached to the catering services.

4. Branding

Corporate events, whether conducted for employees, clients, vendors or suppliers includes a branding exercise. So make sure you ensure that the venue chosen has enough space available for putting company banners, signage’s, and other marketing-oriented collaterals.

5. Lodging & Accommodation Facilities

Usually, for a corporate event such as a conference or a seminar, there will be a good number of outstation attendees. That is to say that whenever you are sifting through the venues, you should keep in mind that there will be several attendees who may need lodging and boarding facilities. It would be thus advisable that you should select a venue that offers these facilities in-house so that your guests do not have to worry about transport and other issues. In a case, if the chosen venue does not offer lodging facilities within its premises, you should choose a venue which has hotels and accommodation facilities in its vicinity.

Corporate events reflect the image of your company. Venues are intrinsic to any event planning process and with this event guideline that you now have, you could be sure that your corporate events will truly represent the ethos and vision of your company.

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Choosing a Venue for a Personal Event

A social gathering, a birthday party, a graduation party, an engagement, or a wedding, are these just events that come and go in each one of our lives? Are these events not remembered fondly for the memories they leave, long after they got over? Well, these events serve not only as a long-lasting memory but also establish an emotional connection with every soul who is a part of the event, hosts and guests alike.

With so many cherished memories echoing the pleasant times spent with friends and family, one should be extra careful and responsible while choosing the venue for the event. No wonder, a right “Venue” can set the tone and aura of the whole event.

Let’s take a look at what all things one should pay attention to when he/she is searching for the ideal venue to make their event memorable.

1. Accessibility to the Venue

Unless you are planning for a destination wedding, which would require your guests to travel a fair amount of distance, you should be mindful of the fact that the venue chosen, is well within the city’s limits, in other words, the event venue should be reachable without any hassle.

2. Style & Design

The style and design that you should look for while zeroing on a venue are largely dependent on individual preferences, however, there is no denying that the style and design of the venue you choose should mesh with the theme of the event.

3. Size & Capacity

Needless to say, you would certainly not want to cram your guests. So, choose a venue that does not appear to be claustrophobic, nor does it look too uncrowded due to its oversize.

4. Parking Facilities

Any event is expected to be attended by a substantial number of attendees, and events such as a social gathering, parties, engagements and weddings are sure to have a large number of invitees. It is well understood that not all the guests will arrive at the venue by car, but it is still recommended to make enough parking space available for the vehicles of your guests.

5. Check Vendors List First

Before you finalize the venue, you should check for the availability or vendor tie-ups the venue management may have. Remember, you will need a florist, a lighting and decor vendor, a caterer, a music band or a disc jockey to deck up the venue and entertain your guests.

6. Look for Reviews

Nowadays, getting reviews and feedback about any service or product is not a challenge. It is suggested that one should scan through reviews, feedback available on various online platforms and general hearsay comments about the venue to get a fair idea of the amenities and service staff at the venue.

Remember, business events are quite frequent and they come and go, but personal events hold a special place in the hearts and minds of everyone. They leave behind treasured memories that transcend the boundaries of time. Thus, when you choose a venue for a personal event, various aspects such as the ambience, decor and furnishings, should resonate with the purpose of the event. Ancillary things such as parking facilities, size and capacity, in-house hospitality services should also be given due consideration as they do contribute to making your guests comfortable when they attend the event.

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Some Common Aspects

A venue should resonate with the theme and the purpose of the event to be held, however, there are certain common aspects that an event planner should bear in mind when he/she begins his hunt for choosing an ideal venue.

1. Fixing your Budget And Costs

It is a well-understood thing that as you begin the process of selecting a venue for your event, you certainly would have a ballpark figure in terms of how much cost you would want to incur. Be it a corporate or a personal event, it is always advisable to draw up a budget that would distinctly mention costs and spending on various facets of the event, including the venue. One should bear in mind that the cost incurred on the venue will form a major part of your overall spending. Food for thought- if you are flexible with the date of the event, you could negotiate a better price for the venue.

2. Location of the Venue

In today’s super hectic life, invitees are more likely to appreciate a venue that is within the city limits or at the best motorable distance that does not take away their much time to commute. For instance, if you have a conference to be attended by guests out of the region, it is recommended that you choose a conference room in a hotel situated close to the airport. Easy accessibility to the venue of the event is likely to earn you some brownie points from your invitees. Food for thought- ensure that your guests find ample space to park their cars, or there is valet service available, else your guest would feel inconvenience.

3. General Amenities

As far as selecting a venue for any event goes, there is no such thing as one size fits all. Hence, the number of guests going to attend the event should be noted and following that number a venue of suitable size should be selected. There are several questions that an event planner should have clarity on, such as how many people can the venue embrace? Is it spacious and well ventilated? Does it offer the ambience and mood that aligns with the event and, finally, would that be appealing to the guests? Once all these checkboxes are ticked, you should focus on other fringe amenities such as quality and taste of food and beverages, availability of internet, very crucial for business conferences and seminars, seating arrangements and ambience of the venue, acoustics and sound arrangements.

4. Specific Services and Amenities

While all the venues more or less offer the standard set of services and amenities that would be sufficient to carry out the specified event, as an event planner you should select a venue that offers services and amenities that best suits the type and requirements of your event. For instance, does the venue have in-house kitchen and catering facilities, does it have an in-house support staff and crew, does it have audio-visual facilities that are all important for any business event, does it provide suitable space for entertaining your guests and so forth.

5. Insurance or Indemnity Clause

Although this may not be the deal maker or deal-breaker, some of the venues would insist on you buying insurance to help them mitigate any losses arising out of unforeseen circumstances. On the contrary, a lot of venues also help and facilitate the event planners with the process of buying insurance and fulfilling other lawful procedures.

So now with this event guideline in your hand, you should feel more confident on how to go about selecting the right venue that will breathe life into your event.