A lot of work goes into planning for a conference. You need to plan for a specific theme, look for available vendors and a particular date to hold your conference. More importantly, choosing the appropriate venue is paramount to the success of your conference event. However, it can be easy to get caught up in the minor details and complicated logistics when you are busy scouting for the ideal conference location that meets all of your criteria. When this occurs, you might overlook something that could be pivotal to your conference's success. This is all the truer if you are a novice in planning a conference for your company or are simply not too familiar with how venue sourcing works. Whichever it may be, selecting and booking a conference venue requires a concrete plan in place.
Prior to making arrangements, prepare a list of requirements that would guarantee that you would ask the important questions whenever you visit a venue. This will enable you to make comparisons easily and more effectively. Whether you are looking for an ideal MICE hotel or simply an appropriate conference venue, here are some of the questions you should take note of:
1.) Would the venue be available on your selected dates?
Ideally, the planning preparation of an event would take you somewhere from six months to a year. This is to ensure that all the aspects and elements you would require for your conference would all be available on the same date—most especially your venue. When it comes to selecting a date, remember that the date you have initially chosen would possibly not be available for an event which is why it would be foolish not to have backup dates in mind. Choose a variety of dates falling on different months of the year and ask if the venue is available. Additionally, find out whether the venue can provide you with AV equipment, rooms and everything else you would need during your event and on the same date.
2.) What's the venue's accessibility like? Is it within the proximity of highways, the airport or the public transit?
A venue's accessibility is an integral factor in deciding whether you should book a particular place or not. Consider who your attendees will be and how they will be arriving at your conference venue. If they are from out of town and would most likely need to fly-in and fly-out, having the venue near to the airport would be favorable to them. Additionally, if most of your attendees would be arriving from the airport, ask if the venue can provide a shuttle service. Lastly, scout the parking area and see if there is ample parking space for everyone who would be attending.
3.) Is the venue big enough for your event?
Prior to booking a venue, it is important to ascertain how many attendees you would wish to attend your event and look for a site suitable for the number of participants you will be having. Make sure there is enough legroom and that your attendees would not be cramped in a tight space with you trying to make the most out of a small room. Seats should be comfortable enough for all sessions—especially for events that would last for a whole day. Consequently, there should be sufficient space for attendees to relax in between sessions.
4.) Would you be able to afford the venue?
Ideally, you should have a rough draft of what your budget when you are still drawing up the plans for your conference event. If you plan on charging attendees for your event to defray some of the costs, then take your door or charging fee into account. In any case, your chosen venue should fall within your budget.
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