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How to pick the perfect venue
Whether you’re planning an intimate business lunch or a stylish conference for hundreds of delegates, your main objective will always be to impress your guests – and the key factor in achieving this goal is your venue. Insight offers advice on what to consider when picking a venue.
Cost The most important thing to keep in mind is your budget. By keeping the cost of the venue down, you’ll have more room in your budget to consider refreshments and entertainment. Being flexible with your date can
be a great negotiating tool, as certain days of the week can cost less overall. Be sure to find out exactly what is included in the venue fee and if taxes are included.
Location It’s all very well renting a lavish country mansion if none of your guests can reach it easily, so it’s important to keep practicality, as well as making a good impression, in mind.
Consider how far your guests
have to travel and ensure there is adequate parking and good public transport links nearby, as well as easy access and facilities for those with disabilities. If your event is due to run late into the night, check if the venue offers accommodation or if are there
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hotels nearby. If your venue does offer accommodation, it is always worth trying to negotiate the cost of rooms into your overall events package.
Space You need to ensure your venue can comfortably hold all of your guests, but do you want to limit your networking space to one room? Will you need additional room for demonstrations or team building activities? It’s important to ensure your
guests are comfortable and can move freely – however, while you don’t want to be cramped, it’s important not to get too carried away and hire a venue that is far too large for your means. Inviting a handful of associates to join you in a grand ballroom can at best seem a bit intimidating and at worst make you look like a poor planner.
Wining & dining If you wish to serve food and drink at your event, you must first check what your chosen venue can
accommodate. Ideally, the best choice is a venue that can offer high quality catering for a competitive price – but of course, not every venue has the facilities to serve food, meaning you will also have to factor in the cost of an outside caterer. Serving alcohol too could be a potential issue – does your venue have a bar and a license to serve alcohol, or will you have to hire a bar and staff? When it comes to
accommodating any dietary requirements, do not take anything to chance – talk to the venue’s caterers well in advance and make sure all of your guests can enjoy the refreshments.
Services & amenities Most venues, especially conference centres, will be able to provide tables and chairs, but what about linens, dining utensils and table decorations? Will you need to hire
HOTELS & EVENT VENUES
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