We all know how hard it can be to find the right venue for your event! The options are endless and, more often than not, the never-ending list can be overwhelming. Possibly the hardest decision of your event-planning, choosing the right venue for your event is one of the most important factors in making your event a hit. You could go on spending a fortune on your event, but if your venue is a poorly-chosen one, the entire success of your event comes crumbling down.
Understanding just how important venue-booking is, we have noted down a list of the best event-planners suggested tips to help you sniff out the wrong venue-option upon for your event-
1. Keep an eye on the online reviews
You saw the pictures of the venue-option online and you were stunned by what you saw. Now, if you plan on booking it by just seeing the pictures, HOLD ON! There are more factors that make a venue suitable for your event other than how it looks. Get your event-planning hats on and go on to search a little more about the venue online, start with the online reviews. See how the people who have visited the venue or hosted an event there experienced, this is important so that you can get an overview about what to & what not to expect on the date of your event. Not just that, it is suggested that you also notice the way your venue-option replies to these reviews, especially negative ones if any, and the tonality of their acknowledgement. This gives you a slight idea about just how humble and cooperative the staff at that venue can be.
Not extensively checking online reviews prior to your booking can sometimes also result in some last-minute surprises and service-related issues as well.
PRO TIP: Instead of reading reviews on the venue’s social media handles or website, choose to check Google Reviews.
2. Preach the Saying- “First Impression is the Last Impression.”
When you are out there looking for the right venue for your event, the best advice would be to trust your instincts. If the first impression you had of the venue wasn’t quite up to the mark, be it either in terms of ambience, food, or even service, the best is to check off that venue-option from your list. The chances of your guests having a similar impression are quite high. While visiting the venue, see the event inclusions mentioned online are being offered or not, be very attentive about cleanliness and other factors that can set up the mood of your guests. See if the staff is cooperative and attentive enough to avoid your guests from leaving your event dissatisfied.
[su_note note_color=”#efefef”]Also read: 11 Best garden wedding arch decoration ideas[/su_note]
3. Be as Attentive as Possible to all the Tiny Details
A small missed out detail while you are on your venue-visit at one of the options could heavily influence the success of your party. There have been incidents when the lack of attentiveness on how clean the venue is, ended up as a major issue during event, namely once when mice were found running around during a corporate event. Unless you want these tiny details to be a major bummer in your event, you should be really attentive to all the details while on your first venue-visit. Keep an eye on everything- if there are cracks on the wall which could possible let down your guests, notice the people in the venue and how satisfied they look, be observant about how good is the service, notice the elements that the venue is providing and see if it matches with your requirements, check if the music played is okay with the theme of your event, if the food tastes up to the mark, the variety, and just about everything. Squeaky doors, stains on the wall, dysfunctional equipment or technology, broken furnishings, cobwebs in corners, greasy kitchen floors, and the list goes on and on!
Avoid throwing a poorly hosted event, people almost never forget it. Keep an eye to the smallest details to make sure your event is executed seamlessly and the guests experience an awesome time.
4. Don’t Let an Inaccessible Location Affect Your Gathering
If your venue is located at some shadowy place where one has to get through the narrow passages across the other end of the city, the best is to move on to another venue-option. The location of your venue plays a massive role in the gathering of your event. If your venue is located in an accessible and convenient location from a majority of your attendees’ address, the gathering is surely going to be higher. However, with a poor location of a venue where one has to make quite an effort to reach your event, be assured that not a lot of people are going to show up. There are certain concerns related to the location, including if the venue is located on a busy street, or if the local area has noise pollution enough to disrupt your event. Before you finalize the venue, ask yourself, is the venue nestled at a convenient location for my attendees? Is the location safe for all? In case the answers to a majority of these questions are “No”, it is for the best that you cut off the option from the list.
[su_note note_color=”#efefef”]Also read: 7 Checklist ideas to plan a perfect birthday party at banquet halls[/su_note]
5. Discuss the Policies and Identify the Areas of Negotiation
Different venues have a different set of guidelines and policies that one needs to adhere while hosting an event there. For instance, certain venues set up their own girl-to-boy ratio if your event requires the venue to serve alcoholic drinks and a lot of venues have strict policies regarding age and other factors like event duration and more. When you are visiting the venue, do not forget to sit with the venue manager and discuss their policies and see if they fit your requirements for your event.
There are many areas of negotiations, based on your needs, may include-
- Outside Vendor Policies of the Venue- Check if the venue allows outside vendors like caterer, decorator, event-planner, and more. Certain venues have a strict no outsider policy and thus provide in-house services upon request.
- Capacity & Guest-Related Concerns- Ask the Venue-Manager if they have a minimum number of guests rule for events, if guests below 18 are allowed, if a certain ratio between males and females is set, and more to get a clarity.
- List of Inclusions- The best way to make sure you aren’t surprised by some last minute additional costs is to discuss the inclusions beforehand. List down your needs and requirements from the venue and talk about which ones are included in the booking amount and which amongst them are to be paid an additional costs
- Budget- See if the venue-option is providing a space and amenities which well-compensates to the booking amount. If the same are overpriced or doesn’t match your needs, move over to the next option.
The most successful of the events are hosted at the right venue. While the struggle of finding the right venue can take you on a toll, the success of your event completely compensates for the effort and more.
