Event planning comes with numerous responsibilities. One of the most important and challenging decisions that you need to make is where to host it. Many of your other decisions are affected by your choice of venue. Not only that, but the venue you choose substantially impacts the experience your attendees have.
Choosing your venue is one of the first things you should do as a meeting planner—the earlier in the process, the better. Once your venue is selected, you can more easily organize other essential factors, such as invitations, décor, and catering. How do you know you’ve found the right spot, though? Here are five valuable tips to help you choose the perfect place for your next event.
Consider the Location
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a venue is its location. Even the most popular venue doesn’t mean much if your guests have a hard time getting there.
For a local event, you want to be sure that the place you select is within a reasonable distance from where your attendees live or work. If your attendees will be driving, keep traffic in mind. You should also make sure that there will be plenty of parking available or find out if valet parking is possible.
If you have corporate groups traveling from out of town, the venue shouldn’t be too far from where they’ll be staying. Many venues, like Pursell Farms, also provide on-site lodging, which makes getting to the event much more convenient.
Make Sure the Venue Is Accessible
Guests should be able to enjoy their experience at your event rather than worrying about how to get to where they need to be. Accessibility is vital. Everyone, particularly those with special needs, should be able to get into and around the venue easily. At Pursell Farms, our many meeting rooms and conference spaces can be organized in various ways to help accommodate the needs of all of your attendees.
Ask About Services and Amenities
Events aren’t all about meetings and business. They should also include some fun and relaxation as well.
Venues like Pursell Farms offer a variety of services and amenities on top of providing you with the ideal place to host your event. These factors can assist in the event planning process. For instance, our Barn space features touch-screen A/V controls, plasma screen televisions, laptop connections, and a projection screen. Tables and chairs are provided.
In addition to the technology provided, you should ask about other services and amenities, such as on-site catering and things to do during your free time. Pursell Farms delivers an extensive and delicious menu for you, which features locally grown, seasonal produce and menu options to meet various dietary needs. We also offer activities such as golf, fishing, shooting, and cooking classes, which are perfect for team-building exercises.
Ensure Your Attendees Can Fit Comfortably
You need a venue that will fit all of your attendees. This is important for both the comfort of your guests as well as their safety. You want to ensure that the space is large enough to accommodate everyone but not so large that it feels empty.
When speaking with potential venues, ask about the size of their rooms and how many guests they can fit. At Pursell Farms, we offer multiple meeting spaces, each of which can hold different numbers of attendees. Based on the room and setup, we can accommodate small, intimate groups or gatherings of up to 400.
Pay Attention to Your Experience Before Booking
Your experience with the sales team before you book the venue can tell you a lot about the type of experience you’ll have during your event. Pay attention to how quickly the venue responds to your inquiry and note how they treat you during your conversation.
You should also pay close attention to your experience during your site visit. While a brochure can tell you one thing, what you see with your own eyes may tell an entirely different story. How do the sales team and other staff members greet you? How do they treat you during your tour? Is the venue clean? Are the grounds well-kept? The promises on a website should match what you find during your visit.
Choosing the right place to host your next event is one of the most important decisions a meeting planner has to make. Your venue choice affects many other decisions and can make or break the experience. At Pursell Farms, we strive to help you make your event the best it can be. Our experienced team is here to help you ensure that everything goes the way you want. For more information, contact us today!
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Published
May 19, 2020
Written by
Mikalya
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Digitopia
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Louie Martin
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Tim Spanjer
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