Eventful Ideas

Site Selection: Factors to consider

Choosing a great location will go a long way to making your event successful and memorable. But site selection can be more complex than it sounds. It can be compared with the real estate sector because whether buying a home or choosing a venue, the number one criteria is ‘location, location, location’.

There is no end to the list of places where you can hold events from the obvious: hotels, community halls
and parks, to less obvious places
such as historic houses, restaurants
or lounges, art galleries, museums, warehouses, factories, or automobile showrooms.

Think about your event and how you can create the wow factor for your guests by choosing a venue that enhances your theme. You will be amazed at what you can come up with if you are willing to look at different twists on the traditional and can remain flexible.

Of course your site must first be able to meet your basic requirements for size, image, number of guests, required logistical elements and of course budget.

Consider the following when choosing a location for your particular event:

What type of ambiance do you want to create?
What is the purpose, formality, theme and the image you wish to convey?
Will it be indoor or outdoor?
If outdoor, is there indoor space available close by in case of inclement weather?
What is the demographic of your audience and how many do you anticipate?
What type of seating arrangement will work best for your event?
What furniture, linen and décor choices can the facility provide?
Are there restrictions on decorating?
Are all areas clean and atheistically pleasing?
What type of food and beverage will you serve?
Can you bring your own caterer or refreshments?
Will you serve guests or will they need to serve themselves?
What will traffic flow be like to get to refreshments?
Will music or other entertainment be provided?
Is extra lighting or power required?
Is the venue easy to get to and from?
What are parking facilities like?
Is the venue a smoking or non-smoking facility?
Will you be required to provide special permits, liquor licenses or insurance for your event?
Is it safe? Do you need security in the buildings and/or parking lot?
What are the move-in, move-out and clean-up policies and who is responsible for what?

Event planners must also be aware that there may be
other events going on at the same time or at the same
facility that are in conflict with the event planned and take these into consideration.

Once all the possibilities have been explored, complete an
on-site inspection of your venue of choice and confirm that the site is available on your chosen date. Then you need to put everything in writing. To book your venue, write a letter
outlining all the things that you have discussed and agreed upon, sign a contract with the facility and leave a deposit.
Inquire about restrictions, minimum numbers, cancellation policies, plate count guarantee deadlines and anything that you think may affect your budget in the way of additional charges. You don’t want any surprises when you get your final bill.

If one considers all of these criteria in selecting the
perfect site, your event will be a celebration of which you will be proud and the return on investment from the actual attendance at the event will justify the budget.