Venue

Securing a suitable venue is one of the most critical aspects of an event and can make the difference between a good and an excellent event. It is also (typically) the most expensive line in your Budget.

You can have a look in more detail at various venue requirements you should consider in the venue requirements template document and adjust it based on your own capacity and programme needs. Remember that venues may not meet all of your ideal requirements and you will have to prioritise what is a must, what would really help and what is optional for your particular event. 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 sufficient to comfortably fit the number of delegates, and there should be enough rooms and spaces to support different event requirements

• Areas that support additional event requirements

  • Registration, main plenary room, breakout rooms, communal/break space, poster/sponsor exhibition, storage, quiet space, workspace, video and photography, prayer room, etc.

• Location

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

• Infrastructure

  • WiFi, A/V, video streaming/recording, power points 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, childcare on-site (or nearby nursery), proximity to prayer rooms (if none available on site)

• Accessibility

  • Accessibility 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 (guests can be encouraged to label and reuse their cups throughout the day if disposable), consider serving only vegetarian food or having guests opt-in for meat options, what happens to the leftover food?
  • Minimise printed materials e.g. make slides available digitally

• Conference dinner hosting

  • The possibility of hosting the conference dinner at the venue