Once you have narrowed down a shortlist of venue options that meet your event criteria and are available on the date of your event, as well as being within your budget range, then it is strongly advisable to do an in person site inspection.
You aren’t just hiring a building and its facilities, but also for the people working there and the service that they provide – looking at web sites on your laptop is all good and well but keep in mind that websites provide you with super glossy images that have been staged to show off the venue to its best.
What are the next steps you need to take?
Set up an appointment
Whatever you do, don’t just turn up at a venue and expect a full show around. It is likely the rooms you need to see will be in use with other functions or your function co-ordinator may not be available, or out with another client.
If you have external suppliers involved, then make the appointment at a convenient time for everyone and the venue, who will also ensure all the relevant staff you need to speak to will be on hand, such as Chef’s or Banqueting Managers.
Usually your inspection appointment will be with the venue’s sales manager or your function co-ordinator or liason. However, for larger or complex events, it’s also advisable to include the operations manager and other relevant venue staff to be there to run through all logistical aspects of your event.
If you are viewing more than one venue on the day, it is beneficial to try to have site inspection appointments as close together as possible to keep a clear image in your mind and make for much easier comparison and contrast between venues.
Do the walk
Take the walk your attendees will take at your event, in other words, pretend you are an attendee on the day. From the parking area, through arrival logistics, to registering for your event and movement around the venue to the restaurant, cloakroom, other rooms, bedrooms etc. you should walk in your attendee’s footsteps to get a feel for what they will experience.
Make a note of any potential bottlenecks, (parking, check-in, lifts, narrow stairs, how many bathroom stalls are there for a mass tea time rush) queues or timings to get from one point to another – ie possibly from the plenary venue to the break away rooms in the allocated time frames with hundreds of others milling about. For larger groups it is suggested to keep large group movement to a minimum, otherwise allocate sufficient time in your agenda for toilet breaks, negotiating maps etc.
Is specific signage required to assist guests with moving around the venue? Ask how many staff will be available at each different point to assist with bottlenecks. Try to meet as many staff as possible on your show round – this will give you a strong indication of the service standards.
Your main venue
The condition and size of the main rooms you are looking to hire are very crucial. They must accommodate your group comfortably in the preferred layout – neither too big nor small for your group.
It is not always possible for the venue to present the room in the full layout you are considering but they are likely to have photos of all layout options from previous events.
Consider if natural daylight is available in the room. Ask for demonstrations of temperature controls, lighting effects, room dividers and relevant AV equipment available in-house.
Take a note of the exact specification of wi-fi connections and any restrictions for your size of group. Try out the chairs for comfort level and look out for any viewing obstacles in the room such as pillars or odd shaped rooms.
Part one of two.
For more articles like this one – visit The Hub
