Conferences are important events that put you, or your company, in the spotlight. As well as getting more attention, hosting or sponsoring a conference is a great way to establish yourselves as being on top of modern developments in your industry, and to showcase your knowledge.
When it comes to organising a conference, venue is going to be vital to how well the event is received. Here’s a step by step guide to choosing the right venue.
1. Choose your location
To find out the necessary information you need to make your final decision, you will need to contact all the possible venues. This means that the first thing to think about is the location.
Choose your location based upon what the conference will offer and to whom. How far will your potential attendees be prepared to travel? Is the nature of your conference location specific? After narrowing down your choices to a certain area, contact all the possible venues nearby to obtain information about pricing, facilities, accessibility and travel.
2. Narrow your options down by price
Work out your budget. Exclude all the venues that are too expensive. How much a venue costs to hire will dictate the price you have to charge people to attend. It is therefore important that you choose a venue that not only fits your budget, but also allows you to charge a ticket price that your target market can afford.
3. Find a venue with the right facilities
With a selection of possible venues, you need to think about the facilities that they can provide. Make a list of the kind of technology, space and requirements that your event will need. Compare your list to the list of available resources each venue can offer you, removing any venues that cannot match your requirements. Check to see whether those facilities are included in the basic price or come with an additional charge. This will help you rule out further venues.
4. Consider reputation
After narrowing the possible venues down using location, price and facilities, you can use the reputation of venues to help you make your final choice. The reputation of your venue will affect the way people perceive your conference. If your event is going to have competition, choosing a prestigious venue for being a prime conference venue will help make your event more appealing.
5. Book your venue
Hopefully you will only have one choice left, although you may have two or three that are equally appealing. Use other factors, such as transport links, conversations with the staff, and online recommendations, to narrow choices down further.
Visit your intended venue before booking, to make sure that everything meets your requirements.