Floating structures serve as extraordinary venues for corporate events. They can be breathtaking and exciting, offering experiences that are a complete change of pace for most of your guests. Click To Tweet When it comes to having an event on the open sea, lake, or river, here are six critical factors to take into account for planning a floating venue:
1) Size Matters
Make sure to match the size of the group to the right boat. Having a firm handle on the guest count as early as possible is essential. Yachts and boats are not the best venue options for groups that have the potential to fluctuate a good deal in size. Unlike land options, where you can get some extra space for overflow, there are no options for extra space on a yacht or other smaller vessels.
“When it comes to large boats, I have a yacht to learn.” ? Ken Poirot
2) Know Your Guests
Boats are wonderful event spaces…for the right kinds of guests. If your guests include young children, attendees who may be on call and have to leave, like emergency personnel and doctors, or guests who have mobility challenges, a boat might not be the best venue. You must know that your guests are perfectly fine with being afloat for several hours.
3) Arrival Window is Crucial
You must be very careful with your timing and leave yourself some wiggle room before your sail time. You don’t want to have anyone miss the boat…literally. One solution to this is to consider having a dockside pre-party where guests congregate on the dock for cocktails or light hors d’oeuvres, allowing everyone to arrive before the boat sets sail.
4) Factor in Parking
Also, make sure you still have enough parking for your guests. Cruise ships are prepared for large parking requirements, but for smaller boats and barges, for example, there may not be enough parking around the dock for your attendees. So make sure you provide a shuttle service or another way for guests to find a nearby place to park. More on arranging parking for your guests here.
5) Take Care with Vendor Selection
Choose vendors with experience on boats. Prepping for an event on a boat is usually done in tight (and often swaying) spaces. Make sure you select vendors with prior experience on floating vessels. Also, set your client’s expectations up front about what can and can’t be done and served on a boat. For example, an orchestra and all its heavy equipment (think timpanis and tubas) may not be the way to go, but a string quartet is a nice, space-efficient alternative.
6) Check for Restrictions
Private boats and yachts provide more flexibility when it comes to bringing in your own catering, as well as an overall style and vibe you create. However, many of the larger boats require that you use their on-boat catering and bar service, which could limit your ability to be creative with your budget.
Understand the pros and cons between private and large boats for your floating event! Tweet this Quote
This is part one of a two part blog. Part two will cover the “WOW” factor and potential issues to hosting corporate events on cruise ships, yachts and barges and how to make them a most memorable experience for all.
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