The five questions you should consider when searching for a venue for event...

Choosing the most suitable venue to host your event is never easy and every event planner needs a clear vision and firm plan in place from the get go. Emma Little, Founder and CEO of ExecSpace, one of the UK’s leading venue finding agencies has outlined a number of questions that event planners need to ask themselves before choosing the perfect venue for their occasion:

How many?

Although in the planning stages you won’t have an exact attendee list confirmed, as the event organiser, it’s your responsibility to have a firm handle on the optimal number of guests. Having an approximate figure at the back of your mind will mean that you are able to search for a venue according to capacity and space.

What’s your vision!

Before you even start looking at venues, try to plan out what your ideal event looks like. Draw on inspiration from the past, from those you follow on social media and even create a vision board or Pinterest page. If you capture the event vision in the early planning stages then this will make things much easier when it comes to site visits as you will have a much better sense of what might be feasible and what venue will ultimately work.

It’s all about style!

It is imperative that you decide on what style of event you wish to host, as this will influence your venue booking decision a great deal. Whether traditional, original, modern or historic…narrowing down your style choices from the very beginning will really help you hone in on only the most relevant venues.

What are my tech needs…?

Based on the overall event objectives, take some time to think about what technology you need to effectively support these. It’s important to do this at the very beginning so that you don’t end up setting your heart on a venue that doesn’t have the tech capabilities that you require.

Make sure when you are viewing venues, that you take the time to ask about their technical equipment and more importantly who will be on hand to support with this on the day of your event. Technology can be temperamental at times so it’s really important to ensure that you have the correct support in place.

What do I want guests to remember?

A successful event is one that leaves a lasting memory with your guests. What ever matters most for guests is where budget needs to be invested. For instance, if you want your guests to leave thinking they have sipped the most delicious and unique cocktails, then splash out on the ultimate mixology team and ensure you are able to bring external catering and drinks in. When visiting venues ensure you have whatever matters most at the forefront of your mind because that will enable you to successfully pinpoint find the right venue with the right amenities.