We're running a conference in three months", said the CEO, "Find
me a really good venue and make sure we don't break the bank". So,
in around twenty words, you've been promoted (or demoted) to Event Manager.
You may have little or no experience in this field and training is definitely
on-the-job and it starts now!
Just about everyone with space to rent is into providing a venue for all
types of event. You can choose from purpose built training facilities,
hotels, mansions, castles, conference halls, exhibition centers, art galleries,
museums, universities and colleges. You can be sure that every one will
be different and will have its own particular attributes that will make
it attractive for your event. You can also be sure that the venue that
best meets your needs is also very popular with other users, so early
booking is essential to make sure that you are not scratching around and
compromising with a venue that does not quite meet your needs. The selection
process can be a nightmare because sometimes it is like comparing apples
with oranges. So, before you even look, get out a blank sheet of paper
and write down what your event will demand from a venue to contribute
towards its success.
Here are a few suggestions:
On which dates will you require the venue? Do you need a rehearsal
day as well as the actual event?
How many people do you want to invite? Do the numbers need to be
flexible up and down?
How much parking will your event need?
Should the venue be within a certain distance of your office; say,
a forty minute drive?
Is the image of the venue important? e.g. an inexpensive no-frills
venue will be appropriate for that Cost Cutting Seminar whereas an Executive
Selection Workshop might benefit from an up-market mansion house venue.
How should they be sitting? Lecture style, Conference style, Restaurant
Style? With or without tables? Maybe on bean bags?
Will you have a projection screen? How big will it be?
How will the stage be arranged?
What sound and visual aids will your presenters be using? Will you
provide video, overhead or slide projectors and a sound system or will
you expect the venue to do this?
Will your delegates need overnight accommodation on site or close
by?
Do you need break-out rooms for smaller discussions?
Do you need an assembly area for event registration, an information
exhibition and coffee breaks?
If a meal is included in the event, will it be a buffet or a sit-down
meal?
Do you need early or late access to the venue for preparation, assembly
and dismantling purposes?
How many power points do you need and where in the room should they
be.
Do you need outdoor space for Icebreaker activities? Will the Icebreaker
suppliers require additional facilities?
Do you need refreshments on the delegate tables and do they need
to be refilled at every break?
What cost per delegate must you not exceed?
Some of this information may not be available in detail at an early stage
in the project, however you should make an educated guess and, if anything,
over-specify to ensure that your venue will be more than capable of fulfilling
your needs.
Armed with your detailed specification, you can now do some desk research
using recommendations, Yellow Pages and the internet to draw up a long
list of potential venues. Call each venue by telephone to check that they
meet the basic requirements; they have appropriate rooms available on
the dates you specify, they can provide the additional services and they
are within your cost parameters. These calls will immediately shorten
your list and you may be left with only a handful that you need to visit,
preferably with a colleague, with a view to rating them against your criteria.
Bringing a colleague with you, especially someone who specializes in being
skeptical, will prevent you from being totally consumed by a good sales
pitch and will give you time to look at the small details.
Using this process usually generates a clear winner but if you are fortunate
enough to have two or three venues to choose from, select the venue that
is staffed by a team you believe that will work most effectively with
your own team.
Don't ever be fooled by how simple the CEO makes it sound; venue finding
is a serious and time-consuming business and can mean the difference between
success and failure for your conference, workshop, roadshow or seminar.
With a little thinking time, the right questions and, of course, the right
information you'll feel better equipped and more confident that the venue
you choose really meets the requirements.
Published by My Booking Manager. A convenient, professional,
time saving & cost effective way to accept registrations, bookings
& payments for your next seminar, workshop, trade display or membership event Obtain your free
report "20 Steps to Running Successful Seminars Roadshows Workshops
and Events Report" at http://mybookingmanager.com
