Industry News

Choosing a Venue

Published: 12 Jun 2018

 

When it comes to planning an event, looking for a suitable venue can feel like looking for a needle in the haystack.

It’s often easier to know what you don’t want than what you do. It can become one of those tasks that feels impossible to begin, despite us all knowing that advance planning is critical to success.
In reality, the choice of venue boils down to 4 key decisions all essentially driven by the needs of your delegates.

Firstly, in the words of Phil and Kirstie it’s location, location, location. You’ve probably already considered this. You might be looking for a venue within a reasonable proximity to attendees’ homes or places of work. If many attendees will be travelling from out of the area, a venue near the airport or hotels will be beneficial. Don’t forget to consider traffic, transportation and parking.

A venue with ample parking is what dreams are made of. If that’s not the case, are there parking lots nearby which attendees can access and use? If there is no parking available, you’ll need to think outside the box:
• Can you reserve nearby parking spaces for attendees and include the cost in the ticket price?
• Provide a way for attendees to share taxis or car share. It might not be the Peter Kay experience, but it could be your solution.

Decision 2 is around capacity. Ensure you have adequate capacity and that the food and drink minimum orders will work for you. Be sure not to go overboard – there is nothing worse than a half empty room. Remember larger venues can often section up rooms and be flexible. Speak to the venue event manager and look for solutions even when the size advertised doesn’t seem to fit.

Next is the layout and atmosphere. Can you achieve the format you need? Round tables, classroom style, board room? Again, bigger venues are likely to have more flexible options and may also be able to offer guidance if you’re unsure what will work. Remember, this is their bread and butter.

And finally, a date! And therefore, it is best not to put off the planning. The best venues will get booked up earlier, simple. If you’re able to be flexible on dates, offering up a choice, then you may find you have greater ability to negotiate on price and make use of quieter dates. Forget the worm, the early bird can catch the best date as well as the best price.

The H Suite is a large, flexible venue in central Birmingham. With a capacity of up to 600 and with 150 on site car parking spaces we could be the answer to your event needs. Our team are always available to advise, offer you a tour and work with you to bring your event vision to life.

To get in touch, phone 0121 456 4545, email us at info@thehsuite.co.uk or visit www.thehsuite.co.uk




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