5 Steps To Choosing The Perfect Event Location

By Ross | 1 Entertainment on Jun 10 2020

Whether you are organising a rustic wedding reception for friends or a corporate event for work colleagues, choosing the right event location is crucial.

The ideal location will make you attendees feel comfortable and relaxed. It will also have all of the necessary facilities that your event requires and will be reasonably priced.

In this post, we’ll be sharing a simple 5 stage process which makes finding the right venue easy.

1. Consider Your Venue Requirements

Start by defining the essential characteristics and features of your ideal venue. You can then refer to these core requirements as you assess and compare venues. Common event venue requirements include:

• Location
Do you have a specific location in mind already? Should the venue be close to certain transportation or accommodation options? How convenient is the location?

• Venue availability
When do you need the venue to be available? Are you flexible on the date?

• Venue capacity
How many guests will be attending? Will you need the ability to move to a larger room if additional guests arrive?

• Guest’s preferences
Do your guests expect a certain type of venue? Attendees at a professional business conference may expect a very different environment than guests at a small wedding. Attendees may also find it easier to enjoy themselves if the venue aligns with their expectations.

• What ammenities are essential?
Depending on the nature of the event and the guests that are coming, you may also require certain ammenities at the venue. This might include a PA system, seating, audio/visual equipment, changing rooms, parking, restaurant facilities and so on.

• Venue layout
Your event may have certain requirements in terms of venue. For example, you may need room to have dinner tables or meeting tables placed in a certain arrangement.

• Ambience
Will the event have a specific design aesthetic or theme which necessitates the venue have a certain ambience?Does it need to be cozy and rustic or glamorous and sophisticated?

• Accessibility
Will any guests be using wheelchairs or other mobility devices? Are some guests older or unwell and unable to walk over rough terrain to reach a venue?

• Acoustics
The acoustics of a building will affect how easily people can communicate with one another. It can also affect the quality of audio generated by a PA system.

• Cost
What is your allotted budget for the venue? Is the venue willing to be flexible on price if you specify 2 or 3 possible dates for the event?

2. Develop A Clear Vision For Your Venue Location
Once you have gathered the requirements for your event venue, think about the ‘type’ of venue that would meet that criteria.

Let’s say you are looking for a venue for a country-themed wedding. You need somewhere cosy, warm, rustic, and capable of holding 100 people. It may need a kitchen, toilets, and a PA system.

Based on this list of requirements, a small country church or a renovated country barn may be the perfect location. This gives you an excellent starting point when searching for a venue.

On the other hand, a modern hotel may be a better option if you need a professional setting for a business conference.

3. Search For Venues
Long gone are the days where you need to scan a telephone book and call venues to book an inspection. There are now several excellent online platforms which share images of venues and list all of their features. This makes locating potential venues simple. Some of the best options include:

• HeadBox
Specialises in meeting rooms, conference venues, party venues, and wedding venues within the UK.

• VenueScanner
A large web platform featuring thousands of venues across the UK.

• VenueSearch
Another large venue directory website cover UK venues.

• EventInc
A free venue directory which indexes many types of event spaces including conference, meeting, party, wedding, and dinner events.

Another great technique for finding venues is to see where other event organisers are holding events. If you have seen many corporate events being held at a particular hotel in the middle of the city, that location must have all of the necessary ammenities to run a successful corporate event.

4. Research Candidate Venues

After identifying several potential venues, spend some time researching their suitability. Start by viewing images of the venue online and checking out the location on Google maps. This will help you understand if the aesthetic and location of the venue are right for your event.

Next, read some reviews of the venue on Yelp and Google MyBusiness. This will help you determine if the venue works well for your event type and if the managers of the venue are accommodating.

You can also join LinkedIn or Facebook groups for event planners. The members of these groups will have extensive knowledge of the venues available in different parts of the UK. They will be able to give you a realistic and honest review of any venue you are considering.

Finally, contact the venue and ask for a walk-through. This will give you a sense of the space and the ammenities that are available. Be prepared to ask questions during your walkthrough about availability, inclusions, capacity, and so on.

5. Check With Stakeholders

Once you have narrowed down the list of potential venues to a handful, share them with all stakeholders. Depending on the nature of the event, this may include your employer, friends, relatives, the event management team, and your catering company. They will help you determine if the venue is appropriate for your event.

I hope you found this article useful. For more tips on choosing an event location, contact us on 0207 193 8029 or via email at info@1entertainment.co.uk.