A Handy Checklist For Planning A Corporate Event or Meeting

As you begin to plan out your corporate event, the task of finding that venue will arise. Where you host your event affects the execution of your event and can create a relaxing atmosphere for your attendees if chosen right. This process can take time and will use up the majority of your budget, but it’s by far the most important aspect of your event. If you’re having trouble figuring out how to pick a venue, these tips may help.

Get To Know The Space

When you make your visits to different venues, the first thing you should do is take note of the space and layout of the room. Make sure it has plenty of space to hold your guests along with the layout you need for the different sessions you may be doing. One big question to ask the manager is if you can move around the tables and chairs. Some venues may only allow one set up in their space. If you plan on doing activities for training, this may be something to take note of.

Location Is Key

Another big thing to consider is the location of the venue. If you’re hosting an event for your employees, maybe consider something near your office. However, if you’re hosting a large event with clients and executives from out of town, finding a venue near a hotel is a good idea. Both of these will make it easier for your attendees to find the venue and you will have less stress worrying about people getting lost trying to find it. One other thing to consider with location is the parking. Is there proper parking for all of your attendees? Maybe ask the manager if there are additional parking lots nearby if needed.

Supportive Staff

When you’re visiting the venue, take note of the staff and managers around you. Are they actively working on keeping the venue clean and helping other guests? A good question to ask the manager is who will be working with me throughout this process and on the day of the event. To make this easier on you, you want a staff that’s actively involved throughout the entire process and will be there on the day of your event to help you keep things flowing smoothly. You want to surround yourself with people who can guide you through this process with some more knowledge than you might have.

Get The Food And Beverage Menus

Before you visit potential venues, we recommend that you put together a meal plan based on your schedule. This meal plan should include the type of meals and different beverages needed. That way when you have those long conversations about the food and beverages you can simply hand them your meal plan to go off of. Keep in mind that corporate events tend to take place in the morning therefore your food choices should be based around meals like deluxe or buffet breakfasts. Odds are, not every venue will be able to accommodate, but it’s important to get an understanding of what they do and don’t offer.

Don’t Overlook The WiFi

If you plan on using the internet to do training seminars or different presentations, it would be a good idea to ask about the WiFi before booking. While it may seem like this is generally a given (I know we do!), some venues either don’t have WiFi or charge you for it. Another big question to ask is how strong is the signal. The last thing you want is for your computer to be slow due to the WiFi connection. Don’t overlook this when you meet with potential venues.

Finding that perfect venue will take time, but in the end, will be worth it when your attendees are impressed with the atmosphere of the space. These few tips should help make the process a little easier when you meet with potential venues. Always ask those questions.