Choose the Meeting Venue with Confidence

Whether the event is across town or across the nation, knowing how to choose the right venue is a process that can be broken down into manageable tasks. Ask a lot of questions to make sure the perfect facility is found.

Know what you don’t want
Taking into account the attendees, their locations, the budget and the required facilities, the first step is to eliminate, eliminate, eliminate. This step will narrow the options down significantly.

Eliminate any venues that fail to meet your needs for:

seating capacity in both the auditorium and break-out rooms
services and amenities such as refreshments and audio-visual equipment
dates and times that are appropriate to your timing needs
costs that fit your budget

Once you get through that process, you’ll have a much more manageable set of venues. With those you have left, you’ll want to check for the following:

Location. Specifically, is the location convenient for everyone? Are there easy air, rail and road travel options? If it is a multi-day event, are hotels close by?

Suitability. Does the venue fit the company’s image? Does it give the right impression for the purpose of the event? For example, a cost-slashing budget meeting probably shouldn’t take place in a lavish setting. Will it appeal to the attendees?

Experience. Make sure the venue coordinator and staff have the experience necessary to make the event run smoothly and contribute in a positive way. The coordinator should have a portfolio of similar events and be able to explain how he or she effectively managed those events.

Finally, you’ll want to examine a few other things, such as:

Is there adequate parking?
Is the venue handicap accessible?
Is there adequate Internet access?

Feel free to add to this list. But if you’ve come this far, you’re well on your way to finalizing your decision. Congratulations!

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