KEY FEATURES WHILE HIRING AN EVENT VENUE
WHEN TO START LOOKING FOR A VENUE:
ONCE YOU HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS, YOU ARE FAIR ENOUGH TO START A SEARCH FOR A VENUE: AVAILABILITY, SPACE REQUIREMENTS, BUDGET AND LOCATION.
BOOK A VENUE ONCE THE DATE IS FINALIZED SO THAT YOU WILL GET ENOUGH TIME TO PLAN ABOUT OTHER CRITICAL THINGS SUCH AS PREPARING GUEST LIST, FINDING A PROPER CATERER, PLANING THE DECORATIONS AND ALSO MANY OTHER THINGS. NOWADAYS, AFTER SELECTING A DATE, EVERYONE’S CONCERN IS ABOUT GETTING A PROPER VENUE. HENCE THE FOLLOWING THINGS MUST BE KEPT IN MIND BEFORE SELECTING AN EVENT VENUE:
TYPE OF EVENT:
WHEN YOU ARE CONDUCTING AN EVENT, MAKE SURE WHAT IT IS ABOUT. EVERY VENUE HAS ITS OWN STANDARD AND TERMS. IF IT’S ABOUT WEDDING THEN FEW VENUES HAVE SOME CONDITIONS THAT FIRE OR HAWAN CANNOT BE DONE OVER THERE, WHERE AS YOU CAN OPT THAT VENUE FOR YOUR GET TOGETHER, FAMILY FUNCTIONS, SOCIAL EVENTS OR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. APART FROM SOCIAL EVENTS, IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF CORPORATE GATHERINGS OR COCKTAIL NIGHT THEN ALSO FEW VENUES DON’T HAVE THE LICENSE OF LIQUOR ARRANGEMENTS. SO THIS HAS TO BE FIRST AND FOREMOST OPTION BEFORE CHOOSING AN APPROPRIATE VENUE.
LOCATION:
WHEN YOU ARE ALMOST SURE ABOUT THE DATE, YOU CAN SEARCH ABOUT THE VENUE OPTIONS IN YOUR PREFERRED LOCATION. LOCATION IS AN IMPORTANT CONCERN BECAUSE IT CAN INFLUENCE WHO ATTENDS YOUR EVENT. IF YOUR VENUE IS IN AN UNDESIRABLE LOCATION OR TOO FAR FROM TRANSPORTS, YOUR NUMBER OF INVITEES WILL BE LIMITED. THE VENUE LOCATION SHOULD BE EASY TO FIND SO THAT EVERYONE COULD EASILY LOCATE THE VENUE.
COST:
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE EVERYTHING COMES DOWN TO COST, SO WE HAVE PUT IT INTO OUR CONSIDERATION. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT THAT ACCORDING TO THE SIZE OF YOUR GUEST COUNT AND YOUR PREFERENCE YOU WOULD HAVE TO SELECT THE VENUE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR INDOOR OPTION THEN THE PRICE MIGHT BE LESS BECAUSE NOWADAYS EVERYONE IS IN NEED OF OPEN AIR. BUT YES, THE COST IS BASICALLY DEPENDING UPON THE TYPE OF VENUE ALSO. IF YOUR GUEST COUNT IS BIGGER IN NUMBER, YOU SHALL NEED SOMETHING WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE THE NUMBER.
AVAILABILITY:
SO WHEN YOU ARE FIXED WITH YOUR LOCATION AND PREFERENCE OF THE TYPE OF VENUE WHETHER YOU WANT TO TAKE INDOOR OR OUTDOOR PORTION, THIS IS THE HIGH TIME TO KNOW ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF THE VENUE. IN THAT CASE YOU CAN SELECT 2-3 DATES SO THAT YOU COULD GET THE VENUE IN ANY ONE OF THE DATES. YOU CAN ALSO CHOOSE THE VENUE ACCORDING TO THE FLEXIBILITY OF TIME SLOT LIKE IF YOU WANT TO SETTLE YOUR FUNCTION IN DAY TIME / NIGHT TIME, FOR THAT ALSO YOU NEED TO CHECK THE VENUE.
SPACE SPECIFICATIONS:
ACCORDING TO YOUR EVENT, VERY PRECISELY YOU NEED TO CHECK THE ENTIRE SPACE AT FIRST. IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY KIND OF SOCIAL EVENTS, THEN YOU SHOULD ASSUME ABOUT THE GATHERINGS OF YOUR EVENT. IF YOU ARE PLANNING FOR ANY CORPORATE FUNCTION THEN YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE TECHNICAL AMENITIES AND A LOBBY OR EXHIBITOR SPACE MUST BE THERE. A THEATRE STYLE HALL WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THAT TYPE OF EVENT WHERE AT A TIME GUESTS COULD SIT DOWN TILL THE FUNCTION. FOR SOCIAL PART YOU NEED TO CHECK THE SPACE WHETHER IT HAS ROOMS OR NOT AND IF IT HAS OUTDOOR THEN HOW SMOOTH THE BASE IS. YOU ALSO NEED TO CHECK THE KITCHEN SPACE, WASHROOMS AND AMENITIES OF THAT TOO.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
NOT ONLY DOES THE VENUE NEED TO BE RESPONSIVE TO YOUR NEEDS PRIOR TO THE EVENT BUT IT ALSO NEEDS TO HAVE ADEQUATE STAFF SUPPORT DURING THE EVENT TO RESPOND THE NEEDS AND REQUEST OF YOU AND YOUR ATTENDEES. SO THIS CHECK MUST BE A VITAL POINT TO CONSIDER A VENUE THAT IT HAS ANY STAFF BACK UP OR NOT. FROM THE VERY STARTING OF YOUR EVENT, YOUR DUTY IS TO GUIDE THE VENUE STAFF ENTIRELY ABOUT YOUR FUNCTION.
AMBIANCE:
THIS MUST BE AN IMPORTANT ASPECT WHILE CONSIDERING A VENUE, HOW WELL IT MATCHES THE MOOD OR AMBIANCE YOU WISH TO ESTABLISH. IF YOU ARE HOSTING A GALA NIGHT , YOU PROBABLY WANT A VENUE THAT HAS AN EXTRAVAGANTLY FANCY FEEL OR IF YOU ARE THROWING A FAMILY GET TOGETHER OR SOCIAL EVENTS, THEN IT SHOULD BE LESS FORMAL OR MORE FUN INTO IT.
NUMBER OF GUESTS:
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS WHO WILL ATTEND IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU WHILE CHOOSING A VENUE. A PARTY WITH 40 GUESTS REQUIRES A LOT LESS THAN A WEDDING OF 350 GUESTS. IT WOULD ALWAYS BE BETTER TO COMPILE A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL ATTEND YOUR EVENT AND ACCORDING TO THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE THE VENUE TO ITS MAXIMUM CAPACITY. SOME HOSTS ASSUME THAT FEW GUESTS WON’T ATTEND YOUR EVENT AND INVITE MORE PEOPLE THAN THE VENUE CAN ACCOMMODATE. IF EVERYONE ACCEPTS YOUR INVITATION AND ARRIVE AT THE VENUE, YOU WILL RISK THE SAFETY OF YOUR GUESTS AS VENUE CAPACITIES ARE BASED ON FIRE AND SAFETY CODES.
OTHER SERVICES:
BEFORE HIRING A VENUE, YOU SHOULD CHECK FEW THINGS LIKE WHAT THEY ARE PROVIDING DURING YOUR EVENT. THERE IS NO USE OF GETTING ONLY VENUE, AS YOU NEED EVERY OTHER SERVICE RELATED TO YOUR EVENT. SO THIS WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT WHILE CONSIDERING A SPACE.
A. FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS:
EVERY EVENT OR FUNCTION NEEDS DECORATION. ACCORDING TO THE EVENT, DECORATION EXAGGERATION NEEDED. SO YOU NEED TO FIND OUT DOES THE VENUE HAS ANY FLORIST OR NOT. IF NOT THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND AND FOR A HOST THIS WOULD BECOME REALLY HECTIC. SO FIND A VENUE WHO ALREADY HAS THEIR EMPANELLED VENDORS.
B. PARKING FACILITY:
EVERY VENUE MUST HAVE AMPLE PARKING SPACE SO THAT YOUR ATTENDEES FEEL COMFORTABLE AND SECURED TOO. IF THEY DON’T HAVE THE SPACE THEN VALET PARKING OPTION CAN ALSO WORK ITSELF OR THEY COULD PROVIDE YOU SUCH INFORMATION WHERE TO PARK THEIR CARS.
C. SECURITY:
DEPENDING ON THE SIZE AND TYPE OF YOUR EVENT, YOU MAY NEED TO HIRE SECURITY. IF THERE IS ANY LARGE SCALE EVENT THEN YOU OFTEN REQUIRED TO HAVE POLICE, FIRE FIGHTERS ON HAND. ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE VENUE SHOULD HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, FIRE ALARMS, FIRST-AID KITS AND POWER BACK-UP.
RESTRICTIONS:
YOU NEED TO FOLLOW SOME KEY POINTS WHILE CHOOSING A VENUE. VENUE OFTEN HAVE UNSTATED RESTRICTIONS THAT INCLUDE DECORATION LIMITATIONS (INQUIRE ABOUT POSTING SOMETHING ON WALL), BRINGING FOOD FROM OUTSIDE OR ALCOHOL SALES. IF ANY OF THESE ARE RELATED TO YOUR EVENT THEN YOU MUST INQUIRE ABOUT THIS BEFORE TAKING ANY STEP.
VENDOR SELECTION:
THERE ARE ALWAYS FEW MAIN FACTORS WHICH YOU SHOULD FOLLOW. WHEN YOU ARE HIRING ANY VENUE, PLEASE GO THROUGH ONLINE AND YOU WILL GET SOME TIPS WHICH WOULD HELP YOU TO PROCEED. EVERY VENUE HAS THEIR OWN EMPANELLED VENDORS, LIKE FLORISTS, DECORATORS, ELECTRICIAN AND FOOD AND BEVERAGES TOO. THIS MEANS WHEN YOU ARE CHOOSING ANY VENUE YOU DON’T NEED TO FIND OTHER SERVICES BY YOUR OWN. NOWADAYS IN EVERY VENUE, THERE ARE SOME FIXED VENDORS WHO WILL BE THE IN-CHARGE FOR YOUR EVENT AND THEY DON’T EVEN ALLOW ANY OUTSIDE VENDORS. SOME VENUES ALSO HAVE TIE-UP WITH FOOD AND BEVERAGES TOO. IF YOU WISH TO HAVE YOUR OWN CATERERS THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PAY THEM SOME SORT OF AMOUNT TO ALLOW OUTSIDE CATERERS. SO YOU MUST NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THIS POINT.
TERMS AND POLICY:
EVERY COMPANY HAS THEIR OWN POLICIES, ALTHOUGH GENERALLY THEY CAN BE FLEXIBLE AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY TO NEGOTIATE. EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT.
ANY COMPANY THAT MANAGES AN EVENT VENUE SHOULD INFORM YOU OF AND HAS IN WRITING THE CANCELLATION POLICY AND THE POLICY IN EVENT OF A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF GUESTS. THESE POLICIES MUST ALSO BE PRESENT IN THE CONTRACT SIGNED WHEN CONFIRMING THE EVENT, BUT SHOULD ALSO BE FACILITATED TOGETHER WITH THE PRIOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE VENUES.
EVERY CASE SHOULD BE STUDIED INDIVIDUALLY AS EVERY COMPANY HAS ITS OWN POLICIES AND SOME CAN BE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN OTHERS. THE SEASON, IN WHICH THE EVENT IS TO BE HELD, CAN ALSO INFLUENCE THE NEGOTIATION GREATLY WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT CANCELLATIONS OR CHANGING DATES.
SUMMARY:
BEFORE CONSIDERING A VENUE, AN INSPECTION IS GENERALLY COMMON SENSE. THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO BE FOCUSED ON. SO IT IS ALWAYS WORTH GOING PREPARED WITH A SET LIST OF COMMON QUESTION, SO YOU DON’T ACCIDENTALLY FORGET SOMETHING CRUCIAL.
