What is venue finding?
Venue finding is a professional practice of finding and getting an appropriate venue to conduct an event which could be a conference, training day, meeting, awards dinner or away-day. The process of venue finding is not just about picking a place, effective venue finding entails balancing the brief, date, delegate number, budget and required amenities with the best space. The focus is on professional assistance, time-saving and individual recommendations, as observed in the competitor services.
The relevance of professional venue finding
The venue is not merely a backdrop when planning an event, it creates the tone, it affects the logistics (travel, accommodation, technology), and it is a representation of your brand or purpose. Professional venue finding will assist you:
- Explain your short and concise requirements (dates, figures, budget).
- Gain access to exclusive or less-obvious spaces (stadiums, museums, rooftops) which might not be apparent in fundamental search results.
- Bring to the table, deal with contracts and organise with vendors.
- Spend less time and do not be stressed because of searching through various incompatible choices.
The most critical phases of the venue finding process
Brief & budget
You should start with outlining your goals: what it is (conference, training, product launch and so on), how many delegates, how many bedrooms are needed, where it should be located, and what kind of style it should be. Then set a realistic budget.
Research & shortlisting
Secondly, locations of research that pass the test. Engage specialist tools or venue finding agencies which in most cases have good relations with various venue suppliers. According to the competitor site, every week, five suppliers pay a visit to us in our offices and the members of each team visit at least 1 venue every month.
Site visits & evaluation
Where feasible, go to shortlisted venues to check the fit: layout, technical facilities, access, accommodation, ambience and add-ons (catering, breakout rooms).
Negotiation & contracting
Make sure that the terms are made according to your needs: date, capacity, cancellation policy, and value-adds. The venue finder will secure good deals and secure an exclusive space.
Pre-event planning & post-event analysis.
Coordinate logistics, make venue to meet expectations and review what worked (and what did not) after the event to improve on the same.
What you need to put in your venue-finding brief
The successful venue finding exercise is backed by a strong brief. Key elements to include:
- Date(s) of the event (flexibility aids).
- Number of delegates (and bedrooms where it may be needed).
- Kind of occasion and ambience sought (formal, relaxed, themed).
- Preference toward location (city centre, country retreat, reachable by transport).
- Technical requirements: AV, broadband, staging, and lighting.
- Hospitality and Catering requirements.
- Budget range (venue, accommodation, food and beverage).
- Special considerations: sustainability, accessibility, branding opportunities.
The evaluation of possible venues
Questions to consider when evaluating venues include:
- Is the space appropriate in size and nature of the event?
- Does it have breakout spaces and ancillary rooms?
- Is the venue available (transport connections, parking, accommodation)?
- Does the location convey your tone and branding of the event?
- Do the technical facilities and infrastructure have proper strength and competence?
- Do the terms of the contract make sense and are they favourable?
- Is the supplier recognised and has experience with the type of event?
The value addition of the professional venue finder is the personalised advice, powerful negotiation and professional assistance.
Venue-finding pitfalls and ways to avoid them
Underestimation of the number of delegates.
You may book 100 delegates and only realise that the room is only comfortable to 80. Always build in a buffer.
Excessive attention to aesthetics, as opposed to logistics.
The beautiful building can be challenging to access, does not have parking, or is not technologically supported.
Ignoring hidden costs
Venue cost may not include catering, dressing, breakout rooms, or charge exorbitant AV rates. These can be revealed with the help of a professional venue finder.
Over-committing early
Booking a venue when the numbers, contents and catering are not secured can cause significant alterations in the future. Be flexible where it is feasible.
Failure to match the brand and purpose to the venue.
The venue must also support and not harm your message and results by being an inappropriate type or quality.
Advantages of having a specialist venue-finding service
A specialised venue-finding service has a number of advantages:
- They save you the time of doing the research and short-listing. Inquiring about the perfect venue is time-consuming, as the competitor says: Looking for the perfect venue takes time… lots of time.
- Invitations to private parties or offers not announced.
- Professional negotiation, which usually achieves better conditions, value-adds and better cancellation policy.
- It is a single contact point in the process and ensures uniformity and clarity.
- Post-event analysis and possible lessons about future events.
Trends in venue finding in the UK
The UK market in terms of Venue Finding is being influenced by a number of trends:
- An increase in the use of non-conventional spaces (art galleries, rooftop spaces, outdoor spaces) to provide a memorable experience.
- Greater value is placed on sustainability and ESG of venues (e.g., green energy, less waste).
- Hybrid event conditions: a combination of physical and virtual attendees implies that venues have to be equipped with high technical equipment.
- Accommodation and venue integration: more and more events have to have hotels or group rooms connected with the venue, making it more complicated.
- Access and inclusivity: the venues need to accommodate different delegates, both physically and technologically.
Concluding remarks
This is largely due to a systematic way of finding a venue, as you are more likely to find a venue that can not only meet your logistical needs, but can also make your event purposeful and make a mark. It could be a board meeting, a conference, a training day or an awards dinner, but the correct venue partner will change everything. In case you have limited time and/or are dealing with more than one event variable, you could think of hiring a professional venue-finding company that could do the job on your behalf and ensure that you are well-informed and economical. The right venue is not merely a space itself, but the building block of the success of your event.
