Venue
The venue can really make or break an event and it’s important to make sure your venue is suitable for the event you are trying to host. There is a big difference in the type of venue needed for a product launch and the kind of venue needed for a wedding.
You will probably be the best person to judge the best location for your event, and most likely will have a few in mind. The following are things to consider when making your decision and are worth checking with the venue beforehand. A lot of them are covered in the whole aspect of event planning but a few are venue specific.
Permits
Check with your venue to make sure they are able to host the kind of event you want to put on. Do they have a licence to serve alcohol? What times are they allowed to operate between? Do they have a licence to play music? Talk these through with someone at the venue beforehand.
Audio Visual
How well equipped are they to deal with your audio visual needs. Are you going to be having a live band or DJ? Are there going to be conference like presentations which will require a projector and panel?
Seating
There will be different seating arrangements for different types of events. Have an idea of the sort of seating you are looking for and check to see if the venue is able to accommodate these.
Capacity
A lot of places, especially nightclubs, will have a maximum capacity. Make sure you know roughly how many guests you are expecting and plan accordingly.
Access
While most places nowadays have disabled access it is an important one and should not be overlooked. If any of your guests have specific needs you will need a venue that can cater for this.
Facilities
You will need to make sure there are appropriate facilities and these are readily available for your guests. Obvious things like cloakrooms, toilets and bar should all be covered whilst not overlooking event specific needs such as changing rooms or smoking areas.
Catering
You need to make sure that both your venue and your catering are compatible. We have a whole page dedicated to catering.
Insurance
This is another general point from the event planning page but a very important one. You need to check with the venue what sort of insurance they provide and what aspects of your event it covers. Generally venues will include their own insurance but this will be something else to consider if you are self hosting on private land or a similar location you may not be covered.
Promotion
Will the venue include any sort of promotion services for your event? Depending on your event this may not be necessary but if you are opening it up to the public every little helps. Check to see what the venue can do for you. You can often gain valuable exposure if the venue has a mailing list or newsletter.
Tickets
Depending on the size of the event, the venues are sometimes set up to provide their own ticketing system. This may help you save on costs and is worth checking.
Location
Another key point to consider is the venue’s location. This is covered in the general points on the event planning page.
Transport
Again, this is covered on the events planning page, but an important one to consider.
