| Finding a suitable venue for holding an industry | | | | rates for accommodation and venue hire that might |
| conference or convention is a time-consuming task, | | | | not be available to you if you contacted venues |
| and sometimes more difficult than you might think. | | | | directly. This is particularly true of hotel |
| There are a range of factors that need to be borne | | | | accommodation, where venue finding companies |
| in mind when selecting such a venue, and a whole | | | | have longstanding partnership arrangements that can |
| host of issues to be worked over before your | | | | secure significant discounts on accommodation |
| conference can be successfully held. In this article we | | | | packages. In addition, most conference venue finders |
| take a step-by-step approach to putting on major | | | | offer a free service, with their fees recouped from |
| conferences, and look at the ways in which a venue | | | | hotels and conference venues themselves rather |
| finding service can help ease the load a little, should | | | | than from you. The net result is that you will almost |
| you so choose. | | | | certainly be saving money by using such companies. |
| The first thing to do, before going to anyone else, is | | | | The second is expertise. A venue finder company will |
| to consider carefully and thoroughly what your | | | | have an extensive list of potential venues from which |
| requirements and your objectives are going to be. | | | | you can choose, and will be able to advise on the |
| Obviously key factors here will be the size and | | | | best 'fit' for your set of requirements. If you have |
| location of your planned conferences, but there are | | | | specialist needs in terms of access, technical |
| many ancillary considerations to bear in mind. The | | | | requirements or catering, this is the best time to flag |
| level of hospitality that you'll be putting on for your | | | | them up. Venue finding companies will also be able to |
| delegates is one such issue. In some sectors, for | | | | suggest unusual venues that simply might not have |
| example pharmaceutical industry conferences, there | | | | occurred to you as potential sites for an industry |
| are strict rules about the level of hospitality you are | | | | conference. Why should conventions and team |
| permitted to offer attendees and potential clients. In | | | | building exercises always take place in hotels and |
| other fields, conversely, you may be looking to put | | | | conference centres? |
| on as lavish a spread as possible! Clearly, you'll need | | | | Finally, using a venue finder allows you to free up |
| to keep this consideration at the forefront when | | | | your own time for the primary business of preparing |
| selecting the venue for your conference or | | | | the content for your seminars or industry |
| convention, and ensure that your chosen location can | | | | conference, rather than spending many employee |
| deal with you requirements. | | | | hours negotiating with venues over IT arrangements |
| Other issues to consider include the location of your | | | | and room configurations. |
| chosen venue, the different types of conference | | | | Either way, selecting the venue for your industry |
| venues available, and technical or logistical | | | | conference is the start of the process, not the end |
| requirements such as IT facilities, breakout rooms, | | | | point! Once the rates have been agreed and the |
| and any corporate hospitality events you may want | | | | booking made, the details will need to be ironed out. |
| to consider laying on outside the conference venue | | | | These include mundane but important factors such as |
| itself. All of these will affect your choice of venue for | | | | room configuration and the availability of breakout |
| an industry conference or sales convention, and it's | | | | rooms for smaller groups and seminars; your technical |
| important that you are clear on your objectives for | | | | requirements, including audio-visual equipment like |
| the event before you approach anyone to book a | | | | projectors and microphones; catering and |
| venue. | | | | entertainment for your delegates, whether it's just |
| Once your objectives are clear, you have a choice of | | | | coffee and biscuits at a pre-arranged time or a |
| two routes. The first option is to approach potential | | | | full-blown banquet on the evening of the last day (in |
| venues yourself to get an idea of their capacity, | | | | which case you'll need to agree seating charts, |
| catering arrangements, accommodation rates and the | | | | menus, and a host of other issues). |
| like. This has the advantage of putting you in direct | | | | You may also wish to get literature from your |
| control of the process from start to finish; but, on | | | | chosen conference venue to send out to delegates, |
| the other hand, it can be extremely time-consuming. | | | | and organise site visits to ascertain for yourself the |
| The other alternative is to enlist the services of a | | | | suitability of the location you have chosen. Whether |
| venue finding company. This has several potential | | | | you choose to take on these tasks yourself or via |
| advantages. The first is financial. Specialist venue | | | | the services of a conference venue finder, there's a |
| finders have working relationships with venues and | | | | lot more to organising a successful convention or PR |
| hotels and are often able to negotiate discounted | | | | event than simply booking the rooms! |