According to the event planning resource BizBash, some places won't do business with you unless you have the right insurance. Talk to the venue about the type of insurance needed and who is expected to provide it. If you need to provide all or part of the insurance, your general liability agent should be able to help you organize your event. Just make sure to contact him or her as soon as possible.
Location is a major concern because it can influence the people who attend the event (the attendees and the speakers). If the venue is in an unwanted location or is too far from transportation systems (such as airports), you'll limit the number of people who come. On the other hand, a place in the heart of New York City is affordable, but expensive. The location of your place should be easy to find and not difficult to reach.
There should be easily accessible information to help attendees find the venue. If your venue is going to offer food and beverages, ask them about the minimums. In some cases, a venue will charge you for a minimum number of guests, even if you don't invite that many. If, for example, the place offers food (and charges you) to a minimum of 300 people, make sure you invite at least that amount to make your money worth it.
Naturally, choosing the right place is an important decision. It will set the tone for your entire event. If the location is shabby, cheap, or doesn't meet the needs of the event, your reputation will suffer. There's a lot to consider, so take your time and do your due diligence.
It's quite possible that a venue offers a service that you would never have considered, but that would be an excellent addition to your event. Although you'll find your place early in the event planning process, you'll want to have a rough idea of the types of activities you'll include, the services you'll need, and the needs of your team and attendees. In unique situations, some event coordinators offer valet parking to attendees, even if the venue doesn't have one. Everything from the date of the event, the line-up of the speakers, the catering options and the experience of the attendees, depends on the venue of the event and the location you select.
Reserve a place at least 8 months in advance to have enough time to plan other fundamental things, such as getting good speakers, creating a program and website for the event, starting ticket sales, interacting with attendees, and much more. However, if you consider the above when researching, you'll find the perfect venue for your event. Whova won several awards, including the People's Choice Award at the Event Technology Awards (also known as the “Oscars” of event technology). Fortunately, you have some wiggle room when it comes to the costs of hosting your event if you want to be flexible with the date of your event.
When you organize an event, you're faced with a lot of decisions, but choosing the right place and place is the decision that will have the biggest impact on your event.
