Your venue is a make-or-break part of your event. If your venue selection isn鈥檛 just right 鈥� in terms of price, location, capacity, logistics, and vibe 鈥� it could be the factor that makes event-goers decide not to attend.
With so many factors to consider, scouting venues can be overwhelming. When you do conduct site visits and compare offers, which factors are most important? And which wishlist items can you let go of?
To find out which venue criteria are non-negotiable and which deserve a little more flex, we asked over 600 event professionals in Australia and New Zealand to prioritise what they consider when selecting a venue for an event. Here are the nine top criteria you should use to select the best venue for your event.
About the survey
91制片厂鈥檚 2019 Pulse Report surveyed more than 600 event professionals* in Australia and New Zealand across a variety of event types and sizes. 77% of participants surveyed said that choosing event venue was one of the biggest aspects of their job
*91制片厂 surveyed over 4,000 people working inside the events industry worldwide 鈥� including professional event organisers, vendors and suppliers. In Australia and New Zealand, over 600 individuals participated in the survey; of those, we qualified 486 individuals (n = 486).
THE EVENT VENUE CRITERIA YOU CANNOT COMPROMISE ON
Your venue has to be affordable. It has to be convenient. It has to hold the right number of people. And it has to allow for flexible space configuration. These basic logistics are the most critical for event creators.
鈥� 01
LOCATION
say it鈥檚 very important
Would Coachella be the epicentre of trendsetting if it weren鈥檛 conveniently close to LA鈥檚 celebrity scene? Could become an Instagram sensation outside of a colourful urban landscape?
Whether a destination festival or a downtown affair, location is a critical venue consideration. If it鈥檚 tough for people to get there 鈥� even if it鈥檚 in an unfamiliar neighbourhood 鈥� you sabotage yourself. A cheaper venue is worthless if people don鈥檛 show up.
What to look for:
Consider the demographics of the audience you expect to attend. If they鈥檙e local, is public transportation a factor? If they鈥檙e travelling, are there nearby hotels?
鈥� 02
COST
say it鈥檚 very important
If a venue doesn鈥檛 align with your budget, you simply can鈥檛 make it work. Consider that:
鈥� 28% of event creators anticipate facility rentals increasing in 2019
鈥� 70% don鈥檛 expect their budget to increase to offset that cost
With the competition for venue spaces trending upward, and budgets staying in place, the pressure to find affordable venues is on.
What to look for:
With the competition for venue spaces trending upward, and budgets staying in place, the pressure to find affordable venues is on. Vital financial questions before signing on the dotted line. It鈥檚 a bonus if the venue offers flexible payment terms: Nearly 10% of event creators would consider this a major perk if a venue offered it.
鈥� 03
CAPACITY
say it鈥檚 very important
There鈥檚 a real Goldilocks conundrum at play in choosing venue capacity. Too big, and you risk the room lacking energy if you can鈥檛 fill it up. Too small, and you leave money on the table in terms of unfulfilled ticket sales. Just remember: Bigger is not always better, especially if your brand is built on cozy, intimate experiences.
What to look for:
Use data from past and similar events to gauge how many people you can count on. If you鈥檙e not sure, consider launching early bird ticket sales before you鈥檝e selected your venue. (If you use 91制片厂, you can save your venue as 鈥淭o be announced鈥� and update the information later). Use the demand for your early bird sales as a way to estimate total attendance.
THE VENUE CRITERIA THAT ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK
Your major logistical considerations out of the way, there are more factors you shouldn鈥檛 forget about when choosing your event venue 鈥� though you can be a little more flexible.
鈥� 04
FLEXIBILITY
say it鈥檚 very important
The ability to transform a space into an experience can mean the difference between a 鈥渕eh鈥� event and a showstopper. The more flexible the space, the more possibility a venue holds.
That鈥檚 what Google had in mind when it moved its flagship event, from a traditional convention centre to an outdoor amphitheatre, transforming the traditional indoor developer conference into a festival-worthy celebration of creativity and innovation.
What to look for:
Non-traditional venues can be very flexible. With big, open spaces like airport hangars and warehouses, you have more room to bring your vision to life.
鈥� 05
ACCESSIBILITY
say it鈥檚 very important
One in five Australian adults live with a disability, according to the The also reports that people with disability are three times as likely to avoid an organisation and twice as likely to dissuade others because of a negative diversity reputation.
What to look for:
1. Choose a venue that鈥檚 already compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act
2. Conduct a walkthrough to check for appropriate signage at the right height for those in a wheelchair
3. Make sure the venue can be set up with clear pathways and a layout that allows for wheelchairs and other assisting devices
Get more tips on making sure your event is accessible in
鈥� 06
RESPONSIVENESS OF STAFF
say it鈥檚 very important
Unless you鈥檙e supplying the entire staff for your event including box office, food and drink workers, and security, you鈥檒l be working closely with the venue鈥檚 own staff. Those staff members will be temporary representatives of your event brand, so they matter.
What to look for:
Interview potential venues around their staffing and make sure:
1. They鈥檒l provide the number of staff you expect with the skills you need
2. They have solid systems and management techniques in place to properly train and oversee staff
3.They also have protocols in place if something goes wrong 鈥� someone calls in sick the day of your event, or there鈥檚 an uncomfortable exchange with an attendee
鈥� 07
BRAND FIT
say it鈥檚 very important
A room is not just a room. The demand for cool, unique events is powered by millennials鈥� desire for richer experience 鈥� and the pressures of social media to document everything. Your venue is a critical part of the experience your attendees will be eager (or not) to share.
What to look for:
Find a venue that fits your brand vibe. A hotel ballroom might be the right size for your yoga conference, but is it the right feel and flavour? A better brand fit might be a more unique or photogenic space.
鈥� 08
PARKING
say it鈥檚 very important
Parking is closely tied to location. A remote festival should have ample parking, organised efficiently to allow for a fluid traffic flow. But a business conference in the CBD? You鈥檒l probably see a mix of attendees taking public transportation and those who just prefer to drive. Make sure the venue you choose accommodates both.
What to look for:
Whether you鈥檙e reasonably sure how many drivers you鈥檒l be hosting, or have absolutely no idea, it鈥檚 a good idea to check that a venue either:
1. Offers parking for potentially every attendee or
2. Has relationships with nearby parking garages and lots
If you found your dream venue but the parking situation is less than ideal, consider facilitating carpooling among attendees or partnering with a ridesharing service to offer discounts to event-goers.
鈥� 09
CATERING
say it鈥檚 very important
Millennials and Gen Z have driven an important shift in Australia鈥檚 food culture. It鈥檚 not just that we talk about (and snap pictures of) food more often. Young Aussies are also leading the way in consuming healthier food, with showing that Millennials are the largest healthy eating consumer group in Australia (32%).
Our attachment to convenient pre-packaged foods has been broken with consumers embracing fresh, local, and whole food choices. Providing the right food for your audience can be a challenge at events, with many venues locked into rigid catering contracts.
What to look for:
When looking at venues, enquire about catering options and whether you can supply your own food vendors. If you need to use the venue鈥檚 catering, ask about creating a menu that suits the needs of your attendees and provides fresh-food options.
Not satisfied? Look to blank-canvas venues to create a more bespoke event offering. Creator of The Wellness Festival, Lauren Pell, did this to ensure the values of her event were matched by the right food vendors. 鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges we faced was in-house catering at venues. Most venues are contracted to large catering companies, which didn鈥檛 allow us to have any control over the food and produce on offer. We made the decision to book a warehouse and build our event from the ground up, giving us full control over the environment we created and food available. It was a more costly exercise, but completely worth it to build a truly bespoke event鈥� explains Pell.
What factors didn鈥檛 make the cut?
These nine considerations above are what respondents called critical for choosing venues. But there are others you may care about as well, including:
Available public transportation
Flexible room formats
Reliable Wifi
Recommendation by a trusted source
Uniqueness of space
Sustainability
YOUR VENUE ISN鈥橳 THE ONLY BACKBONE OF YOUR EVENT
Your event venue plays a pivotal role in if attendees will come to your event 鈥� but it鈥檚 just one of several elements that are make-or-break to your business.
If the experience buying tickets or registering for your event isn鈥檛 as easy as possible, interested event-goers won鈥檛 become attendees in the first place. Don鈥檛 let that happen. Instead, get started with your next event on 91制片厂 to better plan, market, and execute your events.
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*Based on more than 700,000 event creators in 2017