Venue

Securing a good venue is one of the most important aspects of the event and can really make a difference between a good and an excellent event. It is also the most expensive line in your Budget.

You can have a look in more detail at various venue requirements you should consider in our example venue requirements template document and adjust it based on your own capacity and programme needs. Remember that not a single venue will satisfy all your needs and you will have to prioritise your requirements in terms what is a must, what would really help and what is optional for your particular event instance. Here we outline various aspects of venue requirements which you should consider and prioritise for an event.

• Capacity

  • the main plenary room’s capacity should be double the number of delegates for comfortable fit, there should be enough rooms and spaces to support different event requirements

• Spaces that support different event requirements

  • registration, main plenary room, breakout rooms, communal/break space, poster/sponsor exhibition, storage, quiet space, work space, photo taking, prayer room, etc.

• Location

  • ideally located in a place with some wow factor and easily accessible by public transport (ideally with some nearby parking too)

• Infrastructure

  • WiFi, A/V, video streaming/recording, power points, sound and portable microphones

• Catering at the main event

  • catering for people with different dietary needs and food allergies, clear labelling of food

• Facilities

  • storage, toilets, fridge for medication/milk, water points, printing, children on site (or nearby nursery), proximity to prayer rooms (if none available on site)

• Accessibility

  • of the venue by public transport and within the venue (location of disabled toilets, accessibility of various rooms, signposting for ease of orientation)

• Environment sustainability considerations

  • the use of plastic vs sustainable cutlery and crockery for serving food, what happens to the leftover food

• Conference dinner hosting

  • the possibility of hosting the conference dinner at the venue