I have always been amazed how often I hear about organisers who do not check the venue they have chosen for their client’s event and just rely on looking at the website and floor plan.  If they don’t check the venue, they are unlikely to have a food or wine tasting.

How will the venue work for you?

How can you get a good perspective on the space available and how best to utilise it?  Where do you set your registration table – by the entrance, further down the hall?  Where are you going to set the podium for the speeches and where will the food stations go?  What about the DJ and the dance floor? If the room splits into different areas or floors, you may lose your guests in different areas of the venue.

Disaster ahead?

A few years ago, I was organising a black tie dinner for 150 guests held in a stunning venue in Manchester.  I had used the venue before so I knew what to expect.  Even so, I still went up for the day (which was a 10 hour round-trip) to have a meeting with the organiser to discuss timings and other aspects of the evening.  A food and wine tasting was also scheduled at the same time.  Don’t just rely on the menu and the tempting description of a dish or canapé.  It needs to look and taste right!  And the same for the wine – will the Malbec suit your food choice better than a Cabernet Sauvignon?

When I arrived, my heart suddenly stopped.  Major excavation and building works were being undertaken in the car park.  It’s not great, I thought, and there were enough parking spaces available elsewhere for the coaches.  What I was not expecting, however, was  to find scaffolding in the room and the main centre piece of the venue going under renovation that was a vital part of the building.  The event was scheduled 2 months later and I knew the work wouldn’t be completed.  No one  had thought of informing me of this and that my event could be compromised.  To remedy the situation, I arranged for fine drapes to cover up the scaffolding; I requested a discount for the venue hire; complimentary silver candelabras, canapés, teas, coffees and petits fours.  All this came to nearly £2,000 worth of discounted/complimentary items.

Now, if I hadn’t gone up and checked, can you imagine the reaction from the guests when they entered the room on the night?  This is what good event management is all about.

Conclusion

Always check and never rely on others perception of what is deemed acceptable!