Considering a Conference Venue. Questions, Questions and More Questions

Venue
Written By GoLive

101 Conference Venue Questions

What is a venue? It’s a building, a space, and a meeting point. But with a conference it is so much more. 

The venue sets the scene, the ambiance of the conference. A great venue enhances the conference, adds to the warm fuzzy feeling for delegates. A not so good venue can be hard work, swimming against the tide, leaving delegates feeling disgruntled and disappointed.  

So when we were asked, what makes you choose or recommend a venue to a client for a conference? We started to rattle off our thoughts…. As it turns out there are 101 questions that we consider for a conference venue, prior to providing our recommendation. 

Destination and location

1.    What type of venue do you require? Is it a convention centre, a hotel, hall, or a grass paddock?

2.    Do you need to be based in the city or town centre, or is a more rural setting appealing? 

3.    How will your delegates reach your venue by car, walking, taxi, ride share or public transport? 

4.    Where will delegates park? What are the parking costs? 

5.    How far is the distance of your venue to the airport? 

6.    Does the airport have frequent regular flights? Do they have multiple flights from main centres on the day the conference starts and finishes? 

7.    Is there accommodation attached to the venue? 

8.    If not, are there various accommodation options close by, to suit all budgets and styles? 

9.    Is the venue close to dining, shopping, cultural and entertainment options? 

Spaces

10.   What is the venue hire cost? 

11.   What are the room capacities? 

12.   What is the layout? Would the conference flow effectively within the venue? 

13.   Are there any bottlenecks, where the flow of delegates would have to be managed? 

14.   Are there enough breakout spaces, which could be used concurrently and close to each other and at various sizes? 

15.   Are there plenty of informal networking spaces for delegates? 

16.   Is there a purpose built boardroom for meetings? 

17.   Is there a business centre available for delegates use? 

18.   What direction would the room be facing and is the entrance at the back of the room (or at the front, so late comers don’t disturb the presenter)? 

19.   What is the ceiling height in each of the rooms and public spaces? 

20.   What is the lighting within the venue? 

21.   Are there spaces, which have natural light and lead out to open spaces, as well as rooms, which can be completely blacked out? 

22.   What accessibility options and support services are incorporated into the venue? Wider foyers and doorframes, hearing loops, wheelchair access to all spaces etc. 

23.   What is the timeframe and cost if a room set-up needs to be turned around? 

24.   What are the floor coverings? Is it carpet, concrete or something else? Do you have to pay for additional floor coverings?

25.   Can you view what is happening in the room from outside the room? With a clear panel or keyhole in the door, or static camera? 

26.   How many bathrooms are there located within the venue? 

27.   If using transportation, can buses and shuttles load and unload safely from outside the venue? Is there shelter in case of bad weather?  

28.   Are there any unique spaces, such as a prayer room, parent’s room?

29.   Are there spaces where branding and/or sponsors of the conference can be advertised? 

Multiple clients in the one venue

30.   Are there multiple clients in the one venue? 

31.   If so, does the venue ensure that there are no clashes with clients? Do they moderate timings, to ensure egress for delegates and foyers aren’t congested? 

Food and beverage

32.   Is the catering an in-house service provider or an external company? 

33.   If it’s an external company, how well do they work together? 

34.   What are the costs for catering, and how much flexibility is there in the menu? 

35.   If the conference is more than a year away, how likely is the menu to change and prices increase? 

36.   How do they cater and serve special dietary requirements? 

37.   How innovative and visually appealing is the food when it’s being served? 

38.   What different ways can the food be served? Such as buffet, plated, a la carte, assistance service.

39.   Is there barista coffee? How is this priced and served? 

40.   What happens with the food waste? 

41.   What are the options for beverages? Consumption, corkage or beverage packages? 

42.   What non-alcoholic beverage options are there? 

43.   Is the food and beverage sourced locally? 

Service and Point of contact

44.   What is their level of service? 

45.   How are the staff presented? 

46.   How flexible are the staff with changes? 

47.   How do you contact and communicate with the staff on the day? 

48.   Do you have one point of contact? Both in the lead-up and onsite?  

49.   If there is an issue, who can you report this too, and how will it be resolved?

50.   What are the staffs experience with conferences such as ours? 

51.   Is there processes in place for staffing rosters in separate working bubbles? 

Health and safety

52.   What are the venue protocols on health and safety?

53.   Do they have a health and safety, emergency procedure written out in a format to be read out by the MC and provided to all parties involved?

54.   Does the venue follow the event sector voluntary code or their own organisations protocols with regards to Covid-19? 

55.   How often is the venue cleaned and tidied (including the bathrooms)?  

Audio visual

56.   What audio visual, lighting, sound and staging is built into the venue? What audio visual equipment is included in the venue hire, what isn’t included and is an additional cost? 

57.   How easily can an audio visual company, pack in and overlay their own equipment and technicians if required? 

58.   What miscellaneous elements does the venue have to make audio visual work successfully within the venue? 

59.   Are there separate dedicated data networks?

60.   Can the venue support a digital or hybrid conference with video streaming? 


Suppliers

61.   What supplier arrangements does the venue have? 

62.   Are there any exclusivity clauses, that certain suppliers must be used? 


Miscellaneous

63.   Are their any inclusions, such as pens, pads and lollies? 

64.   If so, how are they provided and replenished? 

65.   What linen is included in the venue hire? 

66.   If linen needs to be sourced, can this be managed through the venue? 

67.   How is water served to delegates? Water cooler? Glass carafes in the rooms? Catering spaces? 

68.   What glassware is provided with the water? Crockery, glassware, paper or plastic? 

69.   What rubbish bins (Including recycling options) are provided for delegates? 

70.   Are there options for delegates to charge their phones or devices? Or do we have an external supplier provide this? 

71.   What internet options are provided with the venue and is there an additional cost for this? 


Décor

72.   What is the décor / styling of the venue? Is it modern or looking a bit tired? Will it require a lot of theming to make it feel warm and inviting? 

73.   What are the condition, quality and cleanliness of the furniture and equipment? 

74.   What furniture and equipment is included in the venue hire? 

75.   What isn’t included and the cost? 


Wayfinding and storage

76.   How many trolleys are available onsite?

77.   What is the wayfinding in the venue? Is it digital or hard copy? How often is the signage able to be updated?  

78.   Is it easy for delegates to make there way easily around the venue, or do we need to place staff on to direct delegates? 

79.   Is there a suitable registration desk or an area for a registration desk to be built and for delegates to locate easily upon arrival? 

80.   Is there a concierge or help desk for delegates requiring more local knowledge? 

81.   Is there suitable luggage storage or is there a room which luggage can be stored, and how can this be secured as well as easily assessable? 

82.   How is freight and courier packages handled? Are they accurately recorded and the client advised of incoming packages? 

83.   How far in advance can freight and courier packages be delivered to the venue? 

84.   Is there a loading dock? What are the opening hours of the loading dock? 

85.   How far is the loading dock from the conference space? 

86.   How quickly can suppliers pack in and out? 

87.   Where can exhibitors store their equipment and boxes, not required until the end of the conference?

88.   What storage do you have for the secretariat or PCO?  


Security

89.   Is there set times the venue is open? If so, how do we access the venue after-hours and what cost would be associated with this? 

90.   Is security provided with the venue? 

91.   Are there specific functions that require additional security? Such as a gala dinner. 

92.   Is the venue open to the general public? 

93.   If required, is there the ability to lockdown the venue? 

94.   Does the venue have protocols in place to manage a security issue?


Venue hire agreement

95.   Is the venue available on our preferred dates? If not, what other date options are there? 

96.   What terms and conditions are outlined in the venue hire agreement?

97.   What is the payment and deposit schedule, from the time of signing to the conference? 

98.   What is the cancellation policy and impossibility clause? 

99.   What is the minimum food and beverage spend? 

100. What dates do you require the catering numbers?  

101. What insurance is required (or included) with the venue hire?

What do you need in a venue? 

A few of the conference venues we have had the privilege of managing conferences within:

GoLive https://www.golivehq.co
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