Venue Team

By Author: Jigsaw Conferences
Total Articles: 223
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You're looking for a venue for an important meeting or conference, and time is short - or you've got to find a Hampshire venue to hold 400 people within the next three days. It's a tough assignment, no doubt about it - but a venue team can help.

Letting you choose from a pre-selected list of suitable conference venues and bringing their expertise to help you find the most appropriate location for your big event, conference, or meeting. Whether you're hosting a major industry conference or just looking for a Christmas party venue, consider employing the services of a specialist venue finder team.

There are a number of considerations to bear in mind when looking for a venue for your corporate event. The first, and most obvious, is geographical location. Sometimes this is easy; you're looking for an Essex venue because all the attendees will be drawn from the surrounding area. Sometimes, however, you will have a wider choice, and this can be surprisingly difficult. Bear in mind the needs of delegates, and travel costs from the various locations they'll be coming from. If attendees are likely to be coming by ...
... public transport, you may wish to hold your event in a large town or city that is well served by rail or air links.

The next major thing to bear in mind when selecting your venue is the size and format of the event you're planning, and the ability of your given hire venue to cope easily with these numbers. If it's a small meeting or gathering that you have in mind, most venues will be able to handle your needs, but ensure that it's not too big a location, or that you couldn't get better value elsewhere. Don't take their word for it when they tell you that the venue can hold 250 people comfortably - it may turn out to be a tight squeeze!

You may have certain requirements in terms of the format of your event. For example, if it's a conference, you'll want to have a large hall or auditorium for plenary sessions, but also side rooms for smaller panel discussions or workshops. These are key requirements, so make sure whatever venue you have in mind can be set up to meet your needs. A conference centre or large hotel probably will be satisfactory; a smaller venue may not. You are also under a duty to ensure that the conference venue is fully accessible to any attendees who may have mobility issues.

Another issue to think about is catering. Some event venues may not be set up to cater for large groups; catering will have to be sourced from elsewhere in these cases. If the venue can cater for your food and entertainment requirements, it is important to agree on these well in advance. This can range from simple tea and biscuits to a full-blown banquet, which will obviously require much more input from you in terms of costs, menu, and other requirements. Attendees have certain expectations as to what level of catering will be provided at your conference or corporate event; if you're not planning to feed and water them lavishly, make sure you've selected a venue with plenty of lunch options nearby.

If you're holding an event that people will be travelling longer distances to attend, you'll need to arrange suitable accommodation. Many conference venues have special arrangements with local hotels, or can recommend nearby accommodation for your delegates. This is one key advantage of using a specialist venue team to arrange your conference; they will usually be able to secure discounted room rates far below the walk-up price you'd be quoted. This in turn allows you to lower costs for delegates and leads to a more productive event. Of course, you could negotiate with local hotels yourself, but it's a time-consuming task, and there's no guarantee you'll get a better rate.

Finally, make sure your selected venue is set up to meet your other needs - in terms of welcome desk and registration facilities, breakout rooms for smaller groups, space for relaxation and coffee breaks, and most crucially your IT needs. Most conference venues have good computer and projection facilities, but don't assume this in advance - and if you require anything out of the ordinary, such as videoconferencing facilities, it's best to flag this up before committing to any particular venue.

Using a venue team has a number of advantages. Because they are specialists, they'll have lists of suitable event venues ordered by location and type - so if you specifically need a Yorkshire venue for your meeting, they'll be able to recommend a whole range of potential locations. They can also source accommodation at the best possible price, negotiate with venues on your behalf, and arrange inspection visits. Since conference venues and hotels pay their fees, it's a cost-effective way of arranging your corporate event and leaving you free to concentrate on the important stuff.