Do a quick Google search, and you’ll find that according to various experts and authorities, there are multiple things to do when you’re choosing a venue for a wedding, meeting, or other events.
Selecting a general location, pouring over menu options, and asking how much things costs almost always make the list.
Frankly, those seem pretty obvious.
It seems that what many of those articles overlook is … what people often overlook during the selection process.
So instead of focusing on things you probably already have in mind, here are five things you might forget to ask, or maybe never even thought of.
1. In the era of COVID-19, will they honor your special health and wellness requests?
Even with vaccines being widely distributed, the CDC is telling us not to let our guard down quite yet, especially as new variants emerge. With some states rolling back mask mandates, venues may start allowing their staff to work without them. But if it’s important to you that everyone is masked up, it should be important to the venue, too.
On that note, is the venue you’re considering forthcoming about the protocols in place to keep you and your group safe and healthy?
While issues like frequent hand-washing and social distancing have become of paramount importance during the past year, good hygiene is always good practice.
Does the venue list their health and safety regimen, what they do as a matter of course?
The site’s website, or a venue representative, should tell you what the venue is doing to keep the property clean and sanitized, how it protects its employees, and the steps event attendees can take to safeguard their own health.
2. What’s the venue’s track record on customer service and accessibility?
You want a venue that’s responsive to your questions and concerns before and after you’ve signed your contract.
Even better, you should be working with a venue that’s willing to go above and beyond in this area. If you need advice or recommendations during your planning process, a good venue will provide guidance based on their experience and connections.
As you interview your prospective venues, ask them what their process is for answering questions and providing guidance. Will you have a contact assigned to your event on call for you? What’s the venue’s average response time to emails and voicemails?
It also wouldn’t hurt to do an online search that includes the vendor’s name, “reviews,” and “customer service,” so you can get a feel for the venue’s strength in that regard.
3. Does your venue expect the unexpected?
No matter how thoroughly an event is planned, odds are good that something unexpected will happen.
What have the venues you’re considering done to prepare for those moments, from the arrival of unexpected guests to malfunctioning kitchen equipment?
Do they have “just in case” processes and supplies in place? What are they?
4. Can the venue accommodate your business meeting’s technical and AV needs?
Some of the most common and nerve-wracking complaints that corporate event hosts receive involve sound, visual and technical malfunctions. Mishaps like these detract from the information the event hosts intended to share, and even worse, reflect poorly on the hosts and their company.
You can play a part in preventing tech and AV hiccups during your presentation by holding one or more test runs. Catching and addressing problems in advance and minimizes your risk of a panicked attempt to salvage your PowerPoint presentation in front of your colleagues and clients.
Talk with your venue about this. Will it allow you to hold a presentation rehearsal onsite?
A few other questions to ask:
· Do they offer AV rentals?
· What do they do to ensure reliable Wi-Fi connectivity?
· Will they provide tech support if necessary?
· Do they have any tech or AV equipment policies you should be aware of?
5. What about climate control, aka, what will they do to keep your guests from perspiring before they even hit the dance floor?
No one wants to sit in a meeting or reception and wish they were bundled in a parka or stripped down to their skivvies.
If your guests begin complaining about the room temperature, will there be a staff member you can tell who will have the authority to change the thermostat?
Within reason, your comfort should be at their command.