26 May What to Consider When Choosing Your Conference Space
As conference organisers, there is a lot to consider when planning a large-scale event. Deciding on your conference space is a big decision when working in corporate event management, as the space needs to work for your event brief. Here at Seven Events, we offer conference planning services to make your next venue selection as smooth as possible. Below are 3 top tips to consider when choosing your next conference space.
Location:
Location is essential to get right when choosing your conference space. Conference organisers should ensure the event is held in a city with good transportation links, centrally located, in an accessible building and with plenty of amenities around. Lots to consider! Transportation links are so important; if your event is in a difficult area, it can put guests off from attending or mean you need to add additional conference planning services such as a shuttle bus to collect guests from stations. Ideally, a central train station should be a comfortable walking distance from the venue.
It is also important to have amenities around the conference space, especially if it is running over multiple days. Having coffee shops or bars nearby can allow guests to break off and network. It also provides conference organisers and suppliers opportunities to arrange drinks and meet up away from the main conference space.
Accessibility within the building and in the chosen location is really important. You need to organise the conference to be inclusive and easily accessible for your guests. Some key things to consider might be: Is there a lift to all floors of the venue? Is there good lighting in the meeting spaces for those with sight difficulties? Are disabled toilets easy to reach? All-important elements to consider when selecting a space.
Capacity:
Capacity is as simple as this – do you have enough space for all guests, suppliers, exhibitors and speakers. It might be useful to work out a rough programme or number of streams required for the conference prior to looking into spaces to ensure you have enough room for everything required.
Don’t overlook the breakout spaces – working in corporate event management, we have learnt that breakout spaces are as important as the meeting and exhibition areas. Is there room for a quiet corner to get some refreshments and relax in between sessions? Are you organising other activities in conjunction with the conference, for example, a wellness programme? If so, you need to account for a room to run the activities, such as yoga or meditation. It is important to plan what space you need before picking a conference space to make the event work for you.
Accommodation:
If your conference runs over one day, or if guests are travelling from far and wide, you will need to consider accommodation. As conference organisers, we need to consider the local area price – for example, if you are picking an expensive area, do you have a budget to assist with guests’ accommodation, or would your guests be willing to pay more for accommodation?
Is accommodation plentiful? If the conference venue you pick is in the middle of nowhere, how will guests commute in the morning? Guests would be less likely to attend networking drinks in the evening or early morning activities before the conference if accommodation is further away, so it is really important to pick your conference with plenty of accommodation close by.
When selecting a conference space, location, capacity, and accommodation are the biggest considerations for conference organisers. However, that doesn’t exhaust the list as there is still a lot more to think about. To list a few, you need to consider staffing within the venue. What are the staff like when you view the conference space? Are staff provided in the booking costs? In terms of branding, are there ample opportunities to make the space your own and really showcase your company? What is the venue layout like? Are you able to make changes where necessary and have access to the space early to get everything how you need it to be?
The list is endless, and here at Seven Events we are ready to step in and provide our conference planning services. We understand finding the perfect space for your next conference can be a challenge – that’s why our expert planners are on hand to help you every step of the way. Give us a call at +44 (0) 207 659 4430 or drop us an email at info@sevenevents.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you!