What To Consider When You Choose Your Event Venue
Organizing an event can be daunting with the many details and decisions you need to make. One of the more important decisions you must make is which venue to choose to hold it in. This will have the greatest impact on the success of your event. What information should you know in advance while you are deciding on your venue? Here are just a few.
Budget
Your venue will take up the majority of your event's budget. You will most likely not want to spend most of your funds on the venue, so the cost should be an important consideration. You will want to leave room for food, entertainment and even insurance for your event. If you are able to be flexible with the day you host your event, prices tend to go down during the week.
Location
When choosing your location it's best to pick a venue in a convenient location. Depending on the type of event you are hosting, you might want a good choice of restaurants or cafes if your event venue does not offer kitchen facilities. Perhaps the majority of those who attend work locally so you don't want to pick an out-of-town venue. If it's a large event that will attract a large amount of people from all over the country, then a venue near an airport with plenty of hotels and lodging is a definite must.
Services
You should take into consideration the services and amenities the venue offers. For example, does the venue have a kitchen or does it provide catering for your event? Does the venue have a list of preferred vendors they can offer you and can you get a discount for using them? You should check to see if the venue has tables and chairs that you can use or do you have to rent them yourself? It's also a good idea to see if you have to set up your event on your own, or does the venue provide help with set up and break down?
Parking
Does the venue of your choice have adequate parking for your event? Does it offer valet parking? Not all venues offer their own parking lot that is specifically geared to only event goers, as many venues are located within hotels and of course their guests get the preferred spots. If your venue does not have its own parking lot, are there parking lots nearby? It might be possible to rent a nearby parking lot, or at least rent out spaces at neighboring lots.