Selecting Your Ideal Venue

From board rooms to ballrooms, event venues set an attendee’s expectations about what is about to happen and how they are expected to act within the framework of an event. This means that selecting a venue is a meaningful step forward in ensuring your organization achieves its event goals. Whether you consistently meet in the same city or venue each year, or rotate between a number of options, here are some considerations for selecting the city or venue that is best for your event.

Which city should host your event? 

• Where is your organization located? 

• Are all of your stakeholders (staff, board members, donors) located in or near this city?

  • If no, does the event budget include funds to cover transportation and travel?

• What is the weather like during the time of year you will be visiting? 

  • Will you potentially run into adverse weather? (i.e. snow in Wisconsin in February or hurricanes in Florida in September?)

• Do your stakeholders prefer consistency? Or novelty? 

Which venue should host your event?

• Is the venue easily accessible? 

  • Can individuals with disabilities easily access and navigate the space?  

  • Is public transportation available? 

  • Is the venue easily accessible by car? 

  • How many parking spaces are available? What does it cost?

• Does the venue have enough space to accommodate all of your guests? 

  • Does the venue have too much space and will make your guest count seem underwhelming as a result?

• Is this venue in budget? 

  • Are there any items that are included in the cost of the venue rental?

  • Does the venue have catering menus available? What is the proposed food & beverage minimum for your event?

An RFP that includes your event needs and specifications will allow the cities and venues you are interested in to provide the remaining information you need to select the location that is best for your event. With those responses you can compile an evaluation matrix that prioritizes the considerations that mean most to your organization. When deciding where to send your RFP, be sure that the city or venue meets your baseline requirements around proximity to your attendees and the expected service level to avoid being inundated with too many responses. 

We’ve attached TBA’s venue evaluation matrix for you as a starting point. What other considerations do you include when evaluating potential venues?