Just as in real estate the right location is very important to the success of your event. The attendees are depending on you to make the right choice. This is not easy when all the best places are reserved the earliest.
A key factor when choosing a venue is availability. If you have waited until the last moment to organize then your options could be very limited, as well as more costly. Plan well in advance and make the booking as soon as you can. Don't forget to keep track of what booking you have made as you need to keep in mind the cancellation policies, to avoid any additional charges to yourself.
You probably already have an idea where the general location will be. Several things to take into consideration are the travel requirements to the event, if you guest will need transportation to the venue, as additional transportation can increase the cost, leaving you to cut back in other areas such as entertainment, food or drinks. Central city venues can be more expensive, but country venues can be very different. Take these variations into account when you are considering your location.
The style of the venue is important in that it needs to be in line with the 'brand or 'feel' you are looking to establish. Venue types vary enormously from the standard chain hotels, where you can expect a certain level of service, to the more radical local options which lend themselves to a more out of the ordinary event. The style of the venue and the price often come hand in hand so it may be necessary to juggle the budget accordingly. Don't forget that whilst some basic venues may seem cheap, decoration costs can escalate the budget significantly!
The venue you select will be largely dependent on your budget. Prices are all over the map and vary seasonally. You will have a hard time negotiating a price if you are only planning one event. But there are ways to improve your negotiating position. Find out more in our recent article on the art of negotiating venue rates. Remember to factor in additional costs for setup times or eating accommodations.
Are you making the sleeping arrangements? If you are, make sure you don't overbook. You will be paying for any rooms that are not occupied. If no sleeping rooms are available it may be too much work for you to find accommodations for everyone involved. You may best be served by outsourcing this task to someone with experience.
Naturally you will have to decide if the rooms available will suit your intended purpose. Are smaller rooms available as well as the largest room you will need? Usually a site visit is the best way to find out what you need to be sure about.
Trawling through the internet can be one option for finding the best venue, however there are a number of free venue finding services which take away the pain of the process. They can offer a free service as the hotel will pay them a small commission and they will inevitably also manage to get a better price for you!
A key factor when choosing a venue is availability. If you have waited until the last moment to organize then your options could be very limited, as well as more costly. Plan well in advance and make the booking as soon as you can. Don't forget to keep track of what booking you have made as you need to keep in mind the cancellation policies, to avoid any additional charges to yourself.
You probably already have an idea where the general location will be. Several things to take into consideration are the travel requirements to the event, if you guest will need transportation to the venue, as additional transportation can increase the cost, leaving you to cut back in other areas such as entertainment, food or drinks. Central city venues can be more expensive, but country venues can be very different. Take these variations into account when you are considering your location.
The style of the venue is important in that it needs to be in line with the 'brand or 'feel' you are looking to establish. Venue types vary enormously from the standard chain hotels, where you can expect a certain level of service, to the more radical local options which lend themselves to a more out of the ordinary event. The style of the venue and the price often come hand in hand so it may be necessary to juggle the budget accordingly. Don't forget that whilst some basic venues may seem cheap, decoration costs can escalate the budget significantly!
The venue you select will be largely dependent on your budget. Prices are all over the map and vary seasonally. You will have a hard time negotiating a price if you are only planning one event. But there are ways to improve your negotiating position. Find out more in our recent article on the art of negotiating venue rates. Remember to factor in additional costs for setup times or eating accommodations.
Are you making the sleeping arrangements? If you are, make sure you don't overbook. You will be paying for any rooms that are not occupied. If no sleeping rooms are available it may be too much work for you to find accommodations for everyone involved. You may best be served by outsourcing this task to someone with experience.
Naturally you will have to decide if the rooms available will suit your intended purpose. Are smaller rooms available as well as the largest room you will need? Usually a site visit is the best way to find out what you need to be sure about.
Trawling through the internet can be one option for finding the best venue, however there are a number of free venue finding services which take away the pain of the process. They can offer a free service as the hotel will pay them a small commission and they will inevitably also manage to get a better price for you!
About the Author:
In Any Event UK is able to offer assistance for all types of venues, large or small, as well as online registration systems and full event management services.
