Logistics

When choosing a venue, especially for an event with a large number of guests, there are several logistical considerations, to ensure that you pick the perfect place for your event:

• Accessibility; it is essential to ensure that your venue is accessible to all of the guests, invitees, staff and other people attending or involved in your event. That may mean choosing a venue with a wheelchair ramp or perhaps with unisex or accommodating washrooms. This can make or break it for guests,, but is something which can be easily overlooked by hosts and organisers.
• Space considerations; maybe you found the perfect venue, and you love the decor, ambience, the natural light, the tall ceilings or any combination of the above, but before getting, or being, too excited and deeming it the perfect place, consider the space itself. Is there room for all the guests comfortably? Is the space too big and going to make guests feel the event is cold or unwelcoming? Is there room for speakers and will the sound be ok (if applicable)? Is there anything which will block the guests’ view if they need to see a stage, podium or screen?
• Security; depending on the time of the event, you may want to inquire about how secure the facility is. Is there somewhere guests can put valuables if need be? Will you be the only ones on site that day? What is the venue’s policy in terms of security and insurance?
• Parking; many events have guests travelling from both locally, and out of town, and as such, often, these guests, if not at least some of them, will be arriving by car and will, therefore, need somewhere to put their car. Make sure there is parking, and know what the parking restrictions and fees are.
• Light and sound; consider the time of day that your event will take place, to try and ensure there is adequate natural lighting, and discuss things such as glare from the sun when guests are required to look at a screen or stage. Also, make sure that there is adequate sound, so guests can hear what is happening from wherever they are seated or placed in a room.
• Guest list; one obvious consideration is the number of guests, making sure that they all fit, and that there are room and space for guests of all shapes and sizes.