As an event planner, choosing the perfect venue for your client is a top priority. After all, without a location, there can’t be an event. Read our top tips on how you can make your clients thrilled with their venue.
As an event planner, finding the PERFECT venue that fulfills your client’s vision AND fits their budget makes you a shining star to your client.
We all want to win the gold star, don’t we? So, how do we find the perfect venue for your clients?
There are several factors that you should take into consideration. These are the TOP 5 factors…
1) Location, location, location
Is the venue easily accessible?
Do your guests need to do more than one airport transit to get to the destination?
Is the venue accessible by public transportation?
Is there any parking available onsite?
The more accessible your venue is, the more likely it is that guests will RSVP “yes” to attend the event.
2) What existing facilities and equipment does the venue fee include?
I had a client who required a multi-media wall for her presentation. I was able to find a venue that had an existing multi-media wall. This venue fee included the use of the wall.
By having the event at this venue, we saved the client at least $30,000 for her AV production costs.
3) Are there any "hidden" fees that the venue applies to the event?
I had a client who wanted to have an outdoor event at the venue she liked. I was ecstatic to find out the space was available. I immediately asked for a contract to book the venue for my client.
When I saw the contract, I couldn’t believe what I saw. The venue charged a fee for the outdoor event space AND for the backup room in case of bad weather. PLUS they charged an outdoor event set up fee.
Not once during the site inspection was I told about these fees.
This experience has taught me to ask venues if there are extra fees that would affect the event’s budget.
4) Are there any other events happening at the venue on the day of your event that may create a conflict?
Once when I was a guest at a wedding, the hotel had two ballrooms separated by a common foyer.
As the bride from our wedding crossed the foyer to walk down the aisle, the bride from the other ballroom crossed the foyer to use the bathroom.
The two brides saw each other and the guests of my wedding party gasped.
That precious moment of all eyes on the bride was broken because now everyone saw TWO brides.
I’m sure the wedding planner got an earful from the bride. She should have made sure there was not another bride in the vicinity during the time of the ceremony.
What about if you’re planning a corporate event?
Let’s say you’re planning a pharmaceutical event for a client. You MUST make sure there are no other pharmaceutical companies in the venue on the same dates as your client’s event. That is a HUGE NO-NO.
5) Does the venue allow you to bring in your own vendors?
I had a client who wanted to do an event at this beautiful venue.
She had a personal relationship with a florist and a band and wanted to bring them on for her event.
Unfortunately, the venue had a preferred vendor list and we could only use the vendors on the list.
The venue did eventually allow us to use our own vendor but my client had to pay them a huge fee to “oversee the load in and load out” process of her vendors.
My client ended up not choosing that venue even though it was perfect for her event.
Conclusion
Choosing the perfect venue for your client’s events doesn’t have to be hard. An Event Planner’s Guide To Venue Planning: Steps To Finding The Perfect Event Venue is a helpful guide for you to read.
There are so many things you as a planner need to consider when choosing the perfect venue for your client.
I’d love it if you leave a comment and let me know if you want to learn more about how to find the perfect venue for your client.
Looking forward to chatting!
May
