Regardless of the type and size of event you’re planning, you’re bound to go through various decision-making processes to pull off a successful event. One of the crucial decisions is choosing the event venue.
For most event coordinators and planners, selecting an event venue isn’t always easy, considering that many others are also looking for their event venues. Statistics show that 48% of event planners start planning at least 6 to 12 months in advance to ensure they have more time to look for the right venue and reserve it.
But before you book the first venue that you find, there are several factors you’ll have to consider to ensure you choose the most suitable venue for your event. So, whether you’re hosting a corporate event, birthday party, wedding, or other special events, here are a few considerations to remember when choosing an event venue.
- Location and accessibility
First, you need to consider the location of where you’re planning to host the event. Preferably, choose a venue that’s accessible to all your guests. For example, suppose you’re planning a corporate event for your employees, most of whom are based in Texas. In that case, you may rent event space in Dallas, such as a hotel meeting space or a showroom space where you can have enough room to accommodate the attendees and equipment you’ll need for the event.
If you’re expecting guests coming from different states or countries for your upcoming event, it may be preferable to choose a hotel as a venue. In fact, 73% of event planners also tend to select hotels as venues. Besides having spacious venues for events, hotels have rooms in which you can pre-arrange accommodations for your traveling guests to ensure they have a convenient and comfortable experience throughout the event.
Additionally, visit the venue in person and inspect the overall accessibility of the place. Is the event venue at the center of a busy street with heavy traffic? Or is the road to the venue too dark with a gravel road? Proper inspection of the place will help you avoid any accessibility and location issues during the event.
- Availability of parking space
Another essential factor event planners need to pay attention to is the parking space. Even if you have the most spacious venue for the event, if your guests can’t find any space to park their vehicles, there’s a high chance that they’ll be stressed on the event day from looking for the nearest parking space available. Or worse, some of them may decide to cancel attending your event at the last minute simply because they can’t risk leaving their vehicles at a random, unsecured parking lot away from the venue.
So, to avoid these issues, check if your chosen venue has an available parking space for all the guests. You can ask your guests who’ll be bringing their own vehicles in advance so that you can prepare accordingly. If you’re expecting some VIPs to attend your special event, valet parking may be necessary.
- Capacity and size of the space
It’s easier to determine the size and capacity you need for your event venue when you know how many guests to expect. So, before you finalize your reservation for that venue, see that the venue can comfortably accommodate all your guests. Suppose you can’t check the venue’s capacity in person. In that case, you may use a space calculator or utilize virtual site inspection as 76% of event venues now offer virtual inspections for their clients.
- Services and amenities
Besides the parking area, accessibility, and space, another important consideration you mustn’t miss would be the services and amenities offered by the venue. It’s a massive plus for the guests when the event venue has everything that they may need during the event. Here are a few essential services and amenities your chosen venue must have for the event:
- Audio and video systems
- Projector setup
- Comfort rooms
- Strong Wi-Fi connection
- Comfortable chairs and tables with linens for all the guests
- Baby chairs
- Coffee and water stations
Additionally, you can ask if the venue provides a cleaning crew to keep the place clean before and after the event. If you wish to provide snacks or meals for your guests, ask if the venue offers catering services or if they have a kitchen area where you can prepare food. More importantly, ask if they can station security staff at the venue during the event.
- Layout and ambiance
Every event will require a different layout depending on how you utilize the venue. So, finalize the event’s program flow and use this to visualize the final layout of the venue. Ensure that the venue has ample space for people to walk from the entrance to their designated chairs. Also, take note of the electrical sockets available in the venue so that you’ll know in which areas to position your equipment or entertainment booths.
Finally, don’t forget to consider the venue’s ambiance and see if it suits the event’s theme. If you’re using the venue for a corporate event, choose a venue that conveys a professional atmosphere.
For less formal parties like birthday parties or baby showers, you can select any closed or open venues as long as they fit in with the criteria mentioned above.
Wrapping Up
There you have it! Choosing an event venue is easy when you know which factors to consider and when you understand what you’re looking for. So, take note of the mentioned considerations and always remember to conduct ocular inspections before finalizing your venue reservations.
Last Updated on by Laveleena Sharma
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