Blog: How to find the right venue for your event

The venue is one of the most impactful parts of your event, it will feature in all your social media posts and photos so it is worth taking time to consider this carefully. These are some of the factors we look at when selecting venues or our clients to choose from when planning an event.

Size of your event

All other actors of a venue become pointless if it can not meet the space needed for all your attendees! Although it is difficult to know solid numbers very far in advance it is important to know a rough number of guests that you are booking for. Most event planners will find a venue that is a reasonably close fit for numbers as there are always drop-outs on the day/at short notice and this avoids the client being faced with a sparsely populated room.

Location

This is always one of the first questions we ask clients. While a lot of events we organise are in London, there are many impressive venues elsewhere. These venues can offer more for the same budget and often have good transport links. Especially for outside events, it can be worth thinking outside the box - and the M25!

Type of event

Obviously a roundtable requires a different space to a summer party but you may also want access to a range of areas for your event; a separate networking space after a roundtable or an indoor and outdoor option for a summer party to allow for the great British weather.

Ambience

The ambience of a venue can really set the mood for your event. If you're hosting a social or networking style event, look for rooms with a welcoming, warm feel. For a celebration you may want something grander and more elegant. The lighting, decor, and style of furniture all contribute to the atmosphere. Even a venue's history can help set the mood, adding a touch of excitement, warmth or glamour.

Food and drink

Many venues offer packages (Day Delegate Rates/DDRs) for conferences or panel discussion style events. Some venues will insist on a minimum catering spend which can often cause wastage if you contract on too many attendees. This is one to check the terms of the contract for, something our event planners check automatically for our clients. It is also important to ensure any dietary requirements are collected from your attendees to avoid any issues.

Technology

Most corporate events will require unlimited wifi and sound AV technology. Many venues are happy to provide these for free. However it is worth reading through the proposal carefully as some venues will add a charge for an ‘AV Technician’ to be on site or even ask you to hire your own AV equipment at your cost. For hybrid events you will also need to look at venues that offer streaming capabilities, there are several that include this as standard.

ESG credentials

More and more businesses are looking for suppliers that have good environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials. If sustainability is a significant factor, ask the venue about their efforts in this area, from recycling practices, water and energy conservation. If this is something that matters to you then it is likely your delegates will feel the same, and will appreciate a venue that shares these values.

See It For Yourself

We always recommend visiting at least 2 or 3 venues in person as even if you think you’ve found the right one it’s not until you get there that you could discover it’s not going to be suitable after all. Having your guests sharing a public entrance, being accessed via a dirty alleyway, having major construction next door, being right next to the smoking area - these are just a few examples of issues with a venue that you won’t find via online searches or in the brochure but could negatively impact your event. We are happy to visit venues on our clients’ behalf and are well practised at spotting these types of issues.