Venue show rounds, or site visits as they’re also commonly known, are an essential pre-requisite to finding and booking the perfect venue for your corporate event. When planning an event, initial research will identify the most suitable options based on factors such as location, capacity, amenities and hire fees. However, show rounds are critical in the shortlisting and final selection process. By immersing yourself in a venue’s unique environment, you can explore the delegate journey firsthand and envisage the event coming to life for your attendees.
The events venue you choose should complement your brand, encourage attendance and help create the desired atmosphere and ambience to elevate the guest experience. You can read more in our blog about how to plan a successful event. Show rounds give you a firsthand understanding of how a potential venue lends itself to your brand and event goals. They also reveal how the physical space can be best utilised to meet audience needs and maximise impact.
This blog is your comprehensive event planning checklist. Drawing on over a century of combined events management experience, our team has covered every question you should ask an events venue before, during and after attending a show round.
Before getting stuck into your initial search, clearly setting out a brief based on some essential criteria will influence where and how you focus your venue finding efforts. This includes:
The following questions will help you assess a venue’s suitability based on your brief:
1. What availability do you have for X date(s)?
Asking this question early on is vital, especially if your event has a fixed date. If your preferred date is available, enquire if you can place it on a provisional hold and if a deposit is required or if there’s a fixed confirmation deadline.
2. What are your capacities for different layouts?
Your venue needs to comfortably and safely accommodate your maximum number of guests. A venue’s website will probably state the maximum capacity for each space, but if your event requires multiple rooms, or a reset from a daytime to evening format, it’s advisable to enquire about specific capacities and layouts.
3. What types of events do you cater to?
Different venues may be best suited to specific event types and styles due to their layout, architecture, features and technological capabilities. If you’re looking to host a multi-faceted event, or have specific or unusual requirements, check that the venue can accommodate every element. It’s important to know early on if your brief can be fully accommodated to avoid disappointment.
4. Can you provide me with details regarding pricing and additional costs?
Venues offer different pricing models depending on the inclusions available in-house. This could be based on an all-inclusive, per head price, or a venue hire fee plus an additional cost for all outsourced elements.
5. Do you provide in-house catering, or allow external catering?
If there isn’t an onsite caterer, many venues have an approved or recommended list to choose from. If bringing your own preferred external caterer in is a deal breaker, you need to know as early on as possible if this is permitted. It’s important to enquire about the inclusive catering options available too, so you can factor in a wide range of dietary restrictions, preferences and specific needs your delegates may have.
6. What audio-visual event tech and support can you provide?
Most venues will have a technical specification list of any lighting, audio and video equipment built-in to the infrastructure of the event spaces or provided in-house. Request this early, so you know what can be sourced through the venue and what needs to be brought in via external suppliers.
7. Are there parking facilities, and what are the nearest transport links?
Understanding how your delegates can conveniently and responsibly travel to the venue and the costs involved are key factors in ensuring accessibility for all. By researching all the nearby public transport links, you can encourage delegates to avoid driving where possible and utilise more environmentally friendly travel options.
8. Do you offer menu tastings?
Whether catering is provided in-house or from an external supplier, food tastings will aid the menu design and selection process. This way you can be assured of the quality of food and service your guests will experience.
Once you’ve used the information provided in the initial venue search stage to narrow down a shortlist, it’s time to book in your site visits. Asking the below questions will make sure you’ve covered all the crucial bases and will help whittle your selection down further in the next phase:
1. What in-house facilities do you have?
Well-located bathrooms, breakout spaces, fire exits, private entrances, dedicated registration and back-of-house areas are important to consider, as well as robust Wi-Fi, furniture, interactive features, AV and temperature control systems.
2. How will delegates flow throughout the event?
Delegate experience is highly impacted by their journey through the event. Is there a smooth flow between entrance, registration, and the main event? Ask your venue representative to give you a walk-through of the route as if you were an attendee at the event.
3. What accessibility measures do you have in place?
Your event should cater to the needs of every delegate. Informing guests of any relevant venue-related arrangements, such as alternate accessible entrances and exits, hearing loops, lifts, quiet rooms and more will improve their experience.
4. What branding opportunities are available?
Transforming a venue to represent your brand and maintain continuity from your pre-event marketing is hugely important for impact. Enquire about digital and traditional signage options, as well as additional features that can be utilised to bring your brand to life.
5. What is your contingency and/or cancellation policy?
Unforeseen circumstances are an occupational hazard for event planners. Should the unthinkable happen, you will need to know your venue’s terms and conditions for contingency and/or cancellation.
6. What are your current day delegate rates (DDR) rates and what do they include?
Some venues offer DDR packages that include venue hire, catering and basic AV. Residential venues can also offer 24-hour DDRs to include accommodation.
7. Will a dedicated event manager be allocated to my event?
Having a consistent point of contact supporting you throughout every stage of the event planning and delivery is crucial to building rapport and ensuring you’re focused on the same goals.
8. Do you actively support inclusive events?
For tips on how to make sure your event is truly inclusive, check out our How To Create Inclusive Events: 15 Step Guide.
9. Do you have any noise restrictions?
Unique venues containing precious artefacts, historical buildings and venues in residential areas may have decibel limits to adhere to, sound limiters installed or areas that don’t allow amplified music.
10. Do you have built-in stage lighting?
This could include wash and moving lights, floods, spotlights, strobes, tubes and gobos for branding or pattern projection.
11. Do you have an alcohol license?
Particularly relevant for hospitality events, you will need to know any restrictions on the provision of alcohol as well as what time it can be served until.
12. Where do you operate event tech from?
Your AV team will need to know if there is sufficient space to set-up the production gallery, as this is crucial to seamless delivery and maximising operational efficiency.
13. Do you have accommodation, or can you recommend any nearby hotels?
Non-residential venues may have preferential rates agreed with local properties that your delegates can take advantage of.
If you’re pressed for time, some venues offer virtual site visits which can be used in the first instance. However, the value of walking and talking through every element of your event and all logistical requirements with your support staff and suppliers can’t be underestimated. Return visits can help refine the guest journey, identify new opportunities for branding or maximising engagement and build rapport with the team that will ultimately contribute to your event’s success.
Now you’ve visited your shortlist and narrowed it down to the last few options, ask your venue contacts the following questions before closing the deal:
1. What is your event insurance policy and requirements?
Ask for a copy of the venue’s insurance certificate and any health and safety/risk assessment documentation they have available. You’ll also need to know what level of public liability insurance they require you to have.
2. Are there any additional venue hire costs?
Ask for a full breakdown of what’s included in the price, based on your finalised brief including any added extras or enhancements you may have requested throughout the planning process. Ensure there are no hidden fees, such as Security or post-event cleaning that could blow your budget.
3. Do I need to pay a deposit to secure my date?
Depending on the lead time before your event date, you may need to pay an initial deposit and then agree a payment plan. For very short-lead bookings, the full venue hire fee may be required upfront.
4. What is your final curfew should my event overrun?
Even meticulously planned events can become delayed. Knowing the latest possible time for guest departure and when food and drinks service needs to end will give you added peace of mind.
5. Can you provide a tailored floorplan of my event layout?
Having decided on the configuration of your event and the set-up requirements for catering, production and any other elements, a bespoke floorplan will help you visualise everything within the space. Many venues use a range of software to create tailored plans.
6. Are we permitted to use images and videos for event marketing purposes?
Check who owns copyright for any photos or video content captured at your event and if there are any restrictions on using these assets for your own marketing. If this is allowed, you may need to include a credit whenever using the content.
We hope you enjoyed reading our event planning checklist and feel prepared to source and book the ideal venue for your next event. At Congress Centre, our expert team has been delivering a multitude of different events in our historic venue for over 25 years.
With catering and state-of-the-art AV and event tech available in-house, we will support you every step of the way when planning an event. To book a show round, contact our team today at co*************@tu*.uk or call 0207 467 1318.