Location, location, location: The first step in a successful event

Sarah Hazelton
Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012

The venue you choose for your next meeting or event can directly impact the effectiveness and success of the event. Seasoned meeting/event planners will tell you that finding a great venue will go a long way to ensuring the success of your event. Before you book the venue for your next meeting or event, you need to know is what type of event you are planning, approximately how many attendees you expect and what activities need to be accommodated for the event to be successful. While many of those details will be vague as you begin planning your meeting, you need to have some idea of the scope of your meeting or event before you book your venue. These tips from meetings.org and the University Club of Michigan State should get you on the right track:

Suitability/size

• Will the venue comfortably accommodate the number of participants and activities you are planning?
• Is there room for adjustment as the event approaches?
• What is the seating capacity?
• Does the venue fit with your corporate image and/or the purpose of the event?
• How are the meetings rooms laid out? Are there any visual obstructions to consider?

Location

• Is the venue easily accessible to your participants? Will out of town attendees find it easily?
• If hotel accommodations are necessary is the venue conveniently located for participants?

Amenities

• Does the facility have additional rooms available for use if necessary (auditoriums, meeting rooms, etc)?
• Is the necessary audio/visual equipment available? Is there a charge for using the equipment?
• Does the venue offer Internet access? Wi-Fi, etc.
• Is safe parking available? Is there a charge for your attendees?
• Is there adequate accommodations for participants with special needs?
• How is the temperature in the event rooms controlled? Central thermostat? Thermostat in each room?
• Are there additional amenities that participants can utilize? Social gathering areas? Work space? TVs? Walking trails? Photocopying? Faxing? Printing?

Catering

• Is catering available on site?
• Are you required to use the on-site caterer?
• Can accommodations be made for participants’ dietary requirements?
• Can menus be custom tailored to fit the needs of your event?
• What kind of staffing is available for your event, and how are staffing considerations determined?
• What services are provided with the meal or beverage service? Set-up and clean-up? Continuous replenishment of food and beverage?

Cost

• What is the venue's rate structure? What is the cost of the facility or room rental?
• Are there additional cleaning fees?
• Are discounts or package offered?
• Is a deposit required? When is payment expected?
• Are there additional fees for the use of audio/visual equipment or Internet access?
• If catering is used, is that billed separately?
• How will you be billed?
• What is their cancellation policy?

Once you have these details in mind you can determine the best location for your needs.

Sarah Hazelton is a chamber ambassador/staff volunteer at the Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at sarah.hazelton@crossville-chamber.com.