When you are organizing an event, you are confronted by many important decisions. Choosing a perfect venue is one of those decisions that will have the largest impact on your event. All the other factors, such as catering options, date, number of attendees, and more are affected by the venue.
It sounds a bit intimidating, but you don’t have to feel that way. We have created some guidelines about how to do better, and what to consider when you look for a venue.

When to Start Looking for a Venue

The earlier the better. Once you have a good understanding of the following 3 points, you can begin your search: budget, size and space.

Try to book a venue at least 5 months before the event so that you enough time to plant other things such as event brochures, catering, booking of music and more.

What to Consider When Searching for a Venue

1. Location

Look for a venue according to your event. If it’s a local event, you can look for a venue within a reasonable distance from most attendees’ homes or workplaces. If the attendees are coming from out of town, then you should look for a venue that is near the hotels and airports.

Also, look for what local transportation options are available to reach the venue. Try to find a place is easy to reach using local means of transport such as buses and subways.

Take a look at Taj ll lounge and event space events as an example.

2. Parking

Look for a venue that has a parking lot. If that’s not the case, then look for a venue that parking lots nearby so that attendees can easily park their vehicles. You can book nearby parking lots and include the price in the tickets so that the attendees don’t have to pay extra when they park.

3. Capacity and Minimums

Capacity is the second most important factor in venue selection that you should consider when you look for a venue. If you are hosting a big event, then you should look for a venue that can accommodate 500 to 700 people. For the medium size event, you can book a venue with a maximum capacity of 400. And for small events, a venue with a capacity of 200 people is would be enough.

It totally depends on the type and size of the event and the number of attendees you will be inviting to your event.

4. Services and Amenities

Look services such as kitchen, bartending, waiters, music fest area and more. If the venue has its own kitchen, then it makes your job a little bit easy because you don’t have to look for a catering service. But make sure you taste all the items to ensure the quality of the food.

Also, look for a venue that can provide amenities such as tables, chairs, stage setup and more. Some venues have a pre-build stage for music events and AV capabilities, if you are hosting a music festival, then venue like these are the best options. You can set up your equipment and make some changes as per your requirement.

5. Layout

Even though you will be finding a venue early in the planning process, you still want to have a rough idea of what activities you will be including in your event, the amenities you require and the needs of your team and attendees.

Get an illustrated floor plan of the venue and walk through the venue at least once. Make note of important things such as the power outlets, toilets location, emergency exits and more. The layout of the floor plan will greatly affect many aspects of your event such as:

The flow of the traffic

  • The type of flow you want at each activity.
  • How will you setup your tables and décor.
  • Planning your activities.
  • Placement of the bar

6. Ambiance

Pay close attention to the existing décor of the venue. If you are holding a music festival, then you need a venue that has proper soundproofing, a stage big enough to accommodate the setup and large enough area for the attendees to enjoy.

7. Cost and Flexibility on Event Date

Being flexible on the event date can be a great way to negotiate with venues. Venue owners want to fill their calendar dates as soon as possible. By proving 2-3 date options, you are more likely to get a discounted price.

Finding the event is the most important part of event planning but it also one of the difficult jobs as well. By following these guidelines, you can make your task easier. So, make sure to invest your time in search of a venue that suits the theme of your event.