Whether you’re hosting and planning your own event or for someone else it’s a huge responsibility. From inviting guests to booking entertainment, catering and the all-important venue, the smooth running of the event lies with you! If the whole idea of planning an event is daunting to you, don’t panic as you’ll find a lot of the time the venue has everything you need under one roof. This is why choosing the venue is the most important part of event planning. So, there’s lots to consider when it comes to choosing the perfect venue so we’ve made your job easier by putting together a venue checklist.
Remember, the earlier you book the venue the more chance you have of securing your favourite venue that has everything you need for the event.
1. Location
When choosing a venue the most important thing to consider is will your guests be able to attend, so it’s important to host your event in a location that is reasonably accessible to everyone. Consider transport links and hotels for those guests who are traveling further which particularly applies to big events such as weddings. If it’s for a small gathering or a birthday party you might want to keep the event local.
If you’re one for wowing your guests and you like to go all out to impress them, then there are certain locations that can help with this. London has some spectacular party venues as well as fantastic attractions, whilst scotland has stunning buildings like Hilton Dunkeld House Hotel (pictured above) located in magical grounds which is perfect for weddings.
2. Number of guests
Secondly, you’ll need to consider how many guests you have coming to your event so you can choose a venue that caters for the size of your event. Maybe you’ve found your dream venue but it does not have the capacity to cater for all your guests, however, some venues have many rooms that cater for lots of different sizes making them the ideal venue choice. Park Plaza Victoria London has fantastic flexible capacity as it’s able to cater for small gatherings as well as large events.
3. Services and Amenities
We’re sure there’s not many people who like going to a party that doesn’t have food and drink available, so make sure both are on your list when planning an event. Many of our venues have an on site catering service with restaurant and bar so you don’t have to worry about sourcing your catering elsewhere. For meetings and conferences there may be other services and amenities required for the smooth running of your event including free wifi. Try Manchester Conference Centre which is purpose-built for corporate events and offers free wifi and modern AV technology feature throughout.
4. Atmosphere and Ambiance
Lastly, the atmosphere of a venue is everything as you want to ensure that your guests are comfortable and are enjoying the event. If you’re hosting a birthday party, consider whether your choice of venue has a lively, party atmosphere. Likewise, if you’re hosting a wedding you may want your venue to have a romantic ambiance. This all comes down to the decor and the vibe that the venue has. Seckford Hall in Suffolk has a charming and romantic atmosphere which is perfect for weddings.
Your venue checklist is complete!
There is lots to consider when hosting an event but if you get the venue right your whole event will certainly go to plan. Keeping these points in mind and ticking off our venue checklist will ensure that you get the best venue for your event. All of our venues cover these points so to make your job even easier simply browse our selection of venues that are waiting to be snapped up by you!
