With so many corporate venue options available worldwide, narrowing down the ideal choice can quickly become overwhelming. But the good news is that by employing a simple but detailed checklist in your planning process, you can make your final decision far less stressful.
From ensuring your venue can safely accommodate your attendees and their various accessibility needs to providing plenty of opportunities for successful networking and team-building opportunities, selecting the perfect conference venue is the first step in ensuring a memorable and productive cooperative event. Don’t forget to pack your capsule coffee machines, providing the perfect way to start any busy day.
Define Your Needs
Before beginning your venue scouting efforts, it is vital to draw up a clear outline of your needs and objectives. Having a clear vision helps you understand precisely what you are looking for, keeping your search on track.
It will also allow you to allocate your resources more realistically and sustainably. These resources extend beyond your budget and include the time, energy, and attention needed to achieve manageable and measurable goals.
Finally, having a blueprint in your planning process allows you to present a concise and detailed plan to stakeholders or investors. This can help you align your interests and expectations in a collective direction, aiding in making informed and productive decisions from start to finish.
Establish a Budget
By understanding your venue needs, the duration of your event, and possible additional activities and team-building exercises you hope to include, you will be able to establish a clear idea of how to allocate your budget. A clear and well-defined budget is imperative to prevent you from overreaching when visiting potential options and help you narrow down your choices to a more manageable number.
If your dates are flexible, you are booking well in advance, or you require multiple different dates to be reserved, it is worth consulting for a better price. Many venues often lower their prices for off-peak bookings or multiple event bookings, which could free up money for other expenses.
The Perfect Location
The location of your venue can make or break your entire event. Your ultimate goal is to make it as easy as possible for your attendees to reach the venue. In order to make an informed decision, consider a selection of factors that will largely influence your final decision and could help to boost your attendance numbers.
These factors include assessing where most of your attendees are coming from, whether they will be utilizing public transport to get there, how long it will take to travel, whether anybody will require safe and secure parking, how your international attendees will reach your venue, and whether there are hotels and eateries close to your venue for those who may be traveling from out of town.
Capacity
One of the most important considerations when selecting your perfect conference venue is ensuring it is the right size and capacity for the event you hope to hold. Before making any formal bookings, confirm the number of attendees. While this number may fluctuate somewhat on the day, having a rough estimate will help you better gauge the space and facilities needed.
The venue’s capacity should accommodate your delegates, staff members, additional crew members, and catering space. Additionally, based on the nature of your event, additional smaller rooms or meeting spaces may be required for smaller groups to gather.
Facilities
Adequate and varied facilities in your venue of choice can significantly influence the engagement and overall satisfaction of your guests and attendees. This extends past ensuring there are sufficient seating areas and well-maintained restroom facilities. It also includes aspects like charging stations, proper lighting, technician support, Wi-Fi connectivity, and break-out areas where networking and relaxation can comfortably take place.
Furthermore, you need to consider the catering facilities of your chosen venue. Whether you decide to serve a sit-down meal or keep things casual with a light self-service lunch, your attendees are going to expect food to be served in some capacity, especially considering that good catering services create a more engaged and attentive audience.
Accessibility
As the event planner for any large corporate event, it is crucial to guarantee that everyone who is due to attend can comfortably and confidently access the venue. This means that catering to those who may require extra assistance needs to be at the forefront of your decision-making.
These additional considerations include evaluating access points and indoor mobility, ensuring that any attendee using wheelchairs and walking aids is not hindered when moving around the venue, providing practical and effective solutions for those who are visually or hearing impaired, reviewing accessibility guidelines, and reaching out to your delegates to ensure their needs are appropriately met on the day.
Equipment & Layout
Knowing your venue’s capacity is crucial, but understanding its layout is equally important. During your initial visit, it is essential to note the delegates’ entry point, seating arrangements, and the main room’s setup. Understanding the layout will help you pinpoint the best spot for various activities throughout the event, ensuring your conference flows smoothly.
When selecting your ideal conference venue, evaluate whether the location already has the equipment you need or if you need to source it yourself. This can include things like a presenting stage, lighting AV, rigging, screens, chairs, and tables. Many popular venues typically offer an in-house conference equipment hire scheme, easing the entire organization process as they handle the hiring themselves.