AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE PERFECT VENUE

We can all agree that a venue can make or mar your event. An awesome venue lends a certain finesse to your event while a bad venue oh well…. Today we’ll be sharing a few tips to help you in choosing the perfect venue for whatever event you are planning.

Budget

Ahh! In this recession! Money has to be the first factor to be considered. There are numerous venues out there that can cater to any budget you have. Use an online tool such as Venuehero.co to help you find which venue is right for you. Being flexible on the date can also be a great negotiating tool as certain days of the week tend to cost less.

Location

A convenient location for all attendees is very important. While you can’t please everybody, accessibility should be key! If majority of your attendees are coming from outside the city, a venue within a reasonable distance from their hotels would make sense. If it’s a wedding, a venue close to the church would work best. Providing directions on the invitation card or message would also be immensely helpful.

Ambience

Personally this is the most important factor. Even with a mediocre hall, beautiful decorations and good lighting can make all the difference in choosing the perfect venue. For we IG and Snapchat lovers, ambience is all that matters. Take note of the venues interior decor and architecture, depending on the type of event you are planning.

Services and Amenities

These days a lot of venues come with special services and amenities. These are a few questions to ask:

• Do they have their own kitchen and catering service?: Depending on the event type and venue, you might need to use their catering service. Figure out how this fits into your budget and if their services are worth it. Most hotels would give a discount for this.
• Are there tables, chairs and linens you can use? You would be surprised at the number of venues that provide you with an empty hall.
• Is there a clean-up crew available? If this isnt available, you would have to figure it out. How does this affect your budget?
• Does it have AV capabilities? Some venues have a built in audio-visual equipment for you to use, and others will require you to bring that in yourself.

Capacity

This should be right after you’ve figured out your budget. Of course you know how many people are attending your event or have a rough estimate. Venuehero.co can help you filter out and choose a venue based on your seating capacity.

Parking

Oh Lord! The struggle to find decent parking space whenever attending an event is out of this world.A venue with a big parking lot is what dreams are made of. If that’s not the case, are there parking lots nearby which attendees can access and use?

Acoustics

Ever attended an event where the music was so loud, you couldn’t hear yourself? Or the speakers’ words kept echoing and bouncing round the room. Trust me, it’s not a very good experience. Check and double check and then triple check to make sure you have no acoustics problems, especially if you are going to be using electronic equipment.

Edit: I’m very sure I didnt exhaust all the tips to choosing the perfect venue for your event. Feel free to drop your comments if you have any more tips 😉