Imagine this…You’ve planned a great event where the guests are having fun, the band is live and everyone is on the dance floor. Suddenly a circuit breaker pops and the power goes off, something that wouldn’t have happened if a thorough site inspection had taken place.
Make sure the venue will meet all of the requirements necessary to reach your client’s goals.
What exactly should you be paying attention to during a site inspection?
Here are 11 questions to ask yourself to ensure that the chosen venue can fulfill your event’s goals:
1. What are the measurements of the doors? You must know how wide and tall your doorways are to ensure you can fit all your décor and special equipment into the space.
2. If you have an outdoor venue, is there an option for a plan B? Is there an indoor space or enough room to set up a tent? Know what to look for when choosing a tent here.
3. What are the room dimensions? This includes the floor space and the ceiling height. Never eyeball this! You need to make sure that you can fit everything into the space including a dance floor, stage, adequate seating, etc.
4. How are the room’s acoustics? Soft floors, walls and ceilings make for better acoustics if you need that.
5. Is the electrical power sufficient for your needs? To avoid power outages, knowing whether or not you’ll need to bring a backup generator is imperative.
6. Is there enough parking for a number of guests coming? If not, do you have a backup plan like a shuttle bus?
7. Is there a kitchen or will the caterers need to bring their own? Also important to note, is the water potable?
8. Will you have to use elevators? If you need to bring large equipment in and out of the site it will have to fit into the elevators. Ensure that they’re big enough for your event’s needs.
9. Are there issues with plumbing? Nothing ruins a beautiful evening quite like a flood or lack of restrooms. Make sure everything is in good working order before the event.
10. Is the surrounding area safe at night? Having to bring in security to watch over the event or parked vehicles can really dampen the happy mood of the event.
11. Will there be any special events nearby that could disrupt your own? It’s important to know what is happening in the area so you can plan ahead for any traffic snarls or other issues.
Note that once you’ve determined that your event venue is right for your goals, the fire marshal may want to conduct his own thorough inspection to ensure the safety of the venue.
When you take the time to make these thorough inspections you’ll be on the road to a successful event.
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