Assessing the Venue Space
When it comes to planning a corporate event, meticulous attention to detail can make all the difference. One aspect that should never be overlooked is the importance of visiting potential venues in person before making a booking decision. Here’s why assessing the venue space first hand is crucial for event planning success.
Physical Layout:
Nothing beats experiencing a venue first hand in order to truly grasp its physical layout. From the size of the rooms to the flow of the space, being there in person provides planners with invaluable insights. This allows you to envision how the event will flow and ensures that the venue’s capacity meets the needs of the event. Whether it’s arranging seating for a conference or planning networking areas for a trade show, understanding the space is paramount for creating the optimal attendee experience.
Accessibility:
While venue descriptions and photos can provide some insight, appraising accessibility for guests with disabilities often requires a hands-on approach. Visiting the venue allows planners to evaluate factors such as wheelchair access, restroom facilities, and parking options. Ensuring that the venue is fully accessible not only demonstrates inclusivity but also enhances the overall experience for all attendees.
For those planning a corporate event, conducting venue visits before booking is essential for effective event planning. By gaining a firsthand understanding of the venue’s physical layout and accessibility features, planners can ensure a seamless and successful event that caters to the needs of all attendees.
Make Sure to Check the Facilities and Amenities
When planning a corporate event, ensuring that the chosen venue offers adequate facilities and amenities is essential for a successful gathering. Here’s why it’s crucial for event planners to personally inspect the venue’s tech capabilities, catering facilities, and other services before making a booking decision.
Tech Capabilities:
A seamless corporate event often hinges on the availability of necessary technical equipment. While venue descriptions might tout modern amenities, it’s imperative for planners to verify this firsthand.
While technical specs and details help, visiting the venue in person to assess the quality and functionality of audiovisual equipment, lighting systems, and Wi-Fi connectivity gives a much better impression of the capabilities of the venue.
This stage of planning a corporate event ensures that the venue can support presentations, video conferencing, and other tech-dependent activities without a hitch, guaranteeing a smooth and professional event experience.
Catering and Other Services:
The catering and additional services provided by the venue can significantly influence the overall success of a corporate event.
Visiting the venue in person makes it far easier to evaluate the quality of catering facilities, sample menu options, and discuss specific requirements with the venue staff. This ensures that the catering and other services not only meet but exceed the event’s standards, leaving a lasting impression on attendees and enhancing the overall event experience.
Understanding the Atmosphere of the Venue
As you’re planning a corporate event, selecting a venue with the right atmosphere is crucial for setting the tone and ensuring a memorable experience for attendees. Here’s why personally visiting the venue is essential for event planners to gauge the ambiance and identify branding opportunities.
Ambiance:
The ambiance of a venue plays a significant role in shaping the overall experience of an event. While descriptions and photos can provide some insight, nothing compares to experiencing the venue in person.
During a physical visit, planners can assess factors such as lighting, décor, and layout, which contribute to the venue’s atmosphere. Whether it’s a sleek and modern space or a historic building with character, understanding the ambiance allows planners to choose a venue that aligns with the desired tone of the corporate event, whether it’s formal, casual, or somewhere in between.
Branding Opportunities:
Opportunities for branding and customization are invaluable when you’re planning a corporate event, and selecting a venue that allows for such possibilities is essential. During a venue visit, planners can identify potential areas for branding, such as signage, banners, and digital displays.
You can also assess the venue’s flexibility in accommodating corporate colours, logos, and other branding elements – often a lost opportunity for many in the event planning process. By aligning the venue with the corporate image and event theme, planners can create a cohesive and immersive experience for attendees, reinforcing brand identity and leaving a lasting impression.
Build Relationships with Staff
Establishing strong relationships with the venue staff can significantly contribute to the success of your gathering. Here’s why meeting the staff in person during a venue visit when planning a corporate event is essential.
Meeting the Staff:
Meeting the venue staff face-to-face provides an invaluable opportunity to build rapport and establish a collaborative working relationship. During a venue visit, planners can interact with event coordinators, technical support teams, and other staff members responsible for executing the event.
This allows planners to gauge the level of service provided and ensure that the venue staff are capable of meeting the specific needs of your corporate event. Building a strong relationship with the staff fosters open communication, trust, and mutual understanding, all of which are essential for seamless event execution.
Planning Multiple Events:
For planners responsible for organising multiple events, building relationships with venue staff is particularly advantageous. Establishing a good rapport during the initial venue visit can streamline the planning process for future events.
Strong relationships with the staff can lead to smoother communication, expedited responses to inquiries, and even priority booking for preferred dates. By investing time in building relationships with venue staff, planners can ensure that future events run more efficiently and effectively, saving time and reducing stress in the long run.
Meeting the venue staff in person during a venue visit is essential for building relationships and facilitating smooth event execution. By establishing rapport with the staff and fostering open communication, planners can ensure a successful event, pave the way for future collaborations, and make for easier event planning in the future.
Wrapping up
Conducting venue visits during the planning stage is an indispensable aspect of corporate event planning. From assessing the physical layout and accessibility features to inspecting tech capabilities and catering facilities, each aspect contributes to the seamless execution of your event. Additionally, understanding the venue’s atmosphere and identifying branding opportunities ensures that the chosen space aligns with the event’s objectives and corporate image.
Moreover, building relationships with venue staff during these visits fosters the collaboration, trust, and effective communication, essential for event success. These relationships not only enhance the planning process but also pave the way for smoother execution and better events and collaborations in the future.
If visiting before booking a venue isn’t possible, you can always trust in VenueScanner’s concierge service. VenueScanner’s team have all of the knowledge and expertise when it comes to booking a venue. Get in touch to see how we can help today.
