Event planning may seem like a relatively straightforward task, however to create a truly successful event with purpose takes careful and strategic planning. Corporate event planners will know this all too well, as they are often coordinating multiple events at once over different venues across the UK or even worldwide. If you are new to planning a corporate event or looking for some pointers in the right direction, we’ve made this handy checklist for you to refer to when selecting and booking your venue of choice.
Capacity Questions
The best place to start when planning a corporate event is to establish how many delegates will be attending. If your event is taking place over a number of days with interchanging delegate numbers, ensure you know what these numbers are per day to be able to accurately ask venues for what you need.
Once you have nailed down how many guests will be attending, you’ll need to factor this in when choosing venues. There may be venues who are automatically too small for your numbers, or perhaps some venues who can accommodate your event but may not have enough bedrooms so you’d need to source bedrooms offsite and any transport required to ferry guests back and forth. If your event is particularly large, venues may suggest erecting a marquee if they have the grounds to do so, so you’ll need to be open to potential suggestions that could arise.
It’s also worth noting here that if your set up from day to night for example are changing, you might be required to change rooms. An event space for 40 boardroom is going to look different to 40 for a banqueting dinner.
Tech / AV Requirements
Next on the checklist is your tech / AV requirements. If all you need is a projector and screen than pretty much every venue should be able to provide this to you. However, if you have more specific requirements then you will need to consider a number of factors.
Firstly, do your AV requirements impact your capacity? If you need a large stage set and repeater screens then this equipment will encroach on the available space in the room, therefore reducing your capacity, so you might need to hire a larger space. Secondly, do you need to hire equipment from an external supplier and if so, does your company have an AV supplier you already have a working relationship with, or could your venue recommend someone? Note, if you choose to bring in your own supplier to a venue, the venue will require a copy of your supplier’s PAT testing certificate and PLI. Lastly, do your team have the technical know-how to operate the equipment or will you need AV support for the duration of your event? Again, the venue might be able to advise here, but it’s always a good idea if you’ve got lots going on; visuals, sound, etc, then it’s worth investing in tech support to ensure your event runs smoothly.
Catering
Let’s not lie, food is always a top priority.
When booking a venue, make sure you know what type of catering you want and ensure the venue you are choosing can meet (or ideally exceed!) your expectations. For example, if you’re hosting a summer event and looking to have a BBQ outdoors, don’t book a venue that has limited outdoor space. Similarly if you need specific dietary requirements met, ensure the venue can accommodate these professionally and accurately.
If you are considering incorporating bespoke catering, for example themed food menus or branded cocktails, always mention this to the venue before signing your contract to ensure they can actually deliver this for you. The worst predicament you could find yourself in is really wanting something bespoke and the venue turning round and saying they can’t achieve it after you’ve contracted your event with them. 9/10 times the venue will always try to accommodate, but if this is integral to the success of your event, then definitely speak to the venue at enquiry stage.
Accessibility
One key requirement you cannot overlook when event planning is accessibility. This factor is multi-faceted. On the one hand, do any of your delegates have accessibility needs and if so do the venues you are considering meet their requirements? This could be as simple as ensuring the event space is on the ground floor or accessible via a lift if it isn’t, or even does the venue have accessible bedrooms?
Another accessibility consideration is, is the event space accessible for equipment / product / décor? Are there any procedures you need to put in place for ease? If you have a lot of heavy equipment, is there a loading bay that you can drive into close to the event space?
If you are looking for a venue, we’d love to show you round The Jazz Cafe! We are perfect for annual company dinners, awards nights, corporate celebrations and fundraising events. Please drop us an email to info@thejazzcafe.co.uk.
