When hosting a private event, one of the major things to consider is where you are going to host it. Choosing the right venue is critical in ensuring that your event is going to be a successful one.
Securing the ideal venue for your function should be top of your list, regardless of whether you are organizing a conference, wedding, or fundraiser.
In this article, we will take you through the seven key factors to consider when choosing a private event venue. Read on to find out more.
1. Know Your Target Audience
The first thing you need to think about when choosing your event space is catering to the interests and requirements of your demographic and audience. Ask yourself what they want out of an event and the space on offer.
You need to ensure that your space fits the requirements of the people attending and what you will be doing at the event. For example, if you are hosting a wedding, is there interesting and unique places for the wedding party to have photos?
If you are wanting to host a large conference, is there appropriate IT and sound equipment for speakers?
Make sure to focus on the type of event you are hosting and check whether your event space is compatible with those needs.
2. Set Your Budget
When deciding on your ideal event space, you need to make sure it is in line with your overall budget. If you don’t keep a firm hold on your budget, you can quickly have your costs spiral and become unmanageable.
It can be handy to keep a running spreadsheet of your costs and divide these into sections. You usually want to work out a rough estimate for things such as venue hire, food, entertainment, equipment hire, themed decorations, and staff. This is of course dependent on the kind of event you are hosting.
3. Venue Hire and Amenities
When you have found your events space, it is best to check out if they have any equipment or designated items already on site which can be used for your event. This can be a lot easier to organize than having these all delivered on the day and will add to your budget.
Things like chairs and tables can be really useful if you are setting up for a wedding, party, or fundraiser, especially if the venue is able to set these out for you on the day.
It means that there is less coordination and stress for you on the actual day, which can be difficult if you are trying to sort out multiple deliveries.
4. Hiring Staff and Helpers
With large events that cater to a lot of people, you will often need a team of helpers or staff to make sure the event runs smoothly. Sometimes with events spaces, the venue can provide staff that is already attached to their venue so they will have good knowledge of the procedures and where everything is kept.
Work out exactly what you require from your helpers or staff. It’s likely that you will need them a couple of hours before for the setup and an hour or so after for the cleanup.
Make sure to factor these timescales into your budget and that you have enough staff on hand to support all of your guests. This is especially key if you are having a sit-down dinner or canapes and drinks reception.
5. Work Out Your Floor Plan
Making the most out of your events space is the key to hosting a successful event. It can be handy to visit your venue a couple of times before the day and take photos so you can visualize the space.
If you can get a detailed floorplan this can also be handy to map out exactly where all your equipment, tables, and any decorations are going. If you are having a seating plan, this will need to be carefully thought about and managed.
If you have a good idea of your guests and their relationships, this might be a relatively easy job. However, if you don’t have much knowledge of your guest, you can consult someone who does and get their advice on who should sit with who.
6. Pick a Suitable Theme
An event can often benefit from a cohesive theme or dress code to drum up interest in the event, especially if it is ticketed. This theme can be carried through to decorations, dress code and even the food or drinks served.
Coming up with interesting and fun theme ideas can take a bit of research and thought. You want to ensure you are catering to everyone who is coming to the event and that it is something they can easily access.
7. Make a Checklist
On the day of the event, you don’t want to miss or forget anything. Make yourself a checklist and tick off everything you need to do as you go. It can be useful to make a rough time estimation of when certain jobs need to be done.
This is to ensure that everything is on track and you can keep an eye on the finer details. Once you have ticked off all your checklist it’s time to sit back and enjoy yourself.
Choosing a Private Event Venue: Where Can I Find Out More?
We hope this article on the seven factors to consider when choosing a private event venue to hire for an event has been useful.
Whatever your private event is, choosing the right event space is essential in making sure your function is a roaring success.
If you have any further questions or queries about hiring out our venue for private hire, contact us directly! We can accommodate a range of requests, occasions, and ideas!
