Top 5 Tips for Choosing a Great Conference Venue

If you’re an event planner or a business manager, you must know how daunting it can be to organize a conference. There are so many things that go into planning and organizing a successful conference. There’s a never-ending to-do list as you need to define your vision, find speakers, and secure the sponsors. However, of all the tasks, selecting the venue is perhaps the most challenging aspects of planning a meeting, conference or event.

Usually, event planners incur around 38% of their conference budget on the venue. Considering this, selecting the right event venue becomes one of the most important and challenging aspect of the planning process. Ideally, you should first determine your budget, space requirements, and the size of your event. Once you figure out these factors, you should begin searching for a conference venue.

There are some peak seasons of the year when most of the best venues are already booked. So, to avoid the last minute hassle, you need to begin your search for the perfect conference venue months before. Whether you’re hosting a corporate event, conference or a trade-show, here are some pro tips for choosing the perfect venue that will resonate with your vision.

1. Find an Accessible Venue

One of the most important factors is the location of the event venue that can minimize or maximize event attendance. You may choose a lavish venue with state-of-the-art facilities but it isn’t of much use if delegates have to travel for hours to get there. You should choose a location that has transportation readily available so that attendees can easily arrive by air, rail or automobile. In addition to this, the venue must also have sufficient parking or valet services for attendees who chose to drive to the venue.

2. Catering Services

No matter what type of event you’re hosting, food and beverages are a must. When it comes to catering, most venues provide onsite food and beverage facilities. The best event venues offer a wide menu with ample options for beverages. You should keep your delegates in mind and make sure that the venue can accommodate special diets and manage additional last-minute attendee requests.

3. Consider Technical Requirements

Unlike other event, conferences and trade shows have different requirements. Depending on your specific needs, make sure the venue has proper audiovisual equipment, projector, stages, and microphones. Moreover, every decent venue offers charging stations and Wi-Fi facility for attendees.

4. Lodging Accommodations

If your attendees are going to stay, you must check the lodging facilities also. If your venue is not located within a hotel, make sure the accommodation is within a reasonable distance. In case the accommodation is not available nearby, the hotel should provide a shuttle service.

5. Cost-Effective Venue

If you’re lucky enough, you may find a great venue for your conference on the chosen dates and for an affordable price. However, if you can’t find the right venue, you either need to remain flexible with dates or stretch your budget a bit. It is noteworthy here that you don’t need to pay extra for features and facilities that are of no use for your event. A sensible manager will always set a realistic budget, remembering that the final costs may exceed estimates in certain areas. To find the perfect venue in your budget, some event planners establish a multi-year contract with a venue host to avail discounts. Also, you can always negotiate the price and try to book in advance.