4 Strategies to Consider When Choosing a Venue for your Event

Planning an event is like a symphony—every element must harmonize to create a memorable experience. And choosing a venue for your event is probably one of the biggest calls you’ll make. No pressure.  

The proper venue can enhance your guests’ experience, support your event goals, and create lasting memories. But with so many options available, how do you choose the perfect spot? 

In this blog, we’ll guide you through the process of choosing a venue that checks all the right boxes. From understanding your requirements to negotiating like a pro, you’ll be well on your way to creating an unforgettable live event experience.

Let’s dive into the secrets of venue negotiation and make your event planning a breeze.

Photo by Andre Benz on Unsplash

1. Understanding Your Event Needs

The first step in choosing the right venue is to understand your event inside and out. Different types of events have varying requirements, so it’s essential to define your event’s purpose, goals, and audience.

Event Type and Goals

Every event is unique, so it’s crucial to start by understanding what you’re aiming for. Whether it’s a head-banging rock concert or a soulful acoustic set, your event type and goals will shape your venue needs. 

Don’t forget about your audience! Knowing their size and preferences will help you find a venue that’s the perfect fit. Consider it practically and get to know your target demographic on a deeper level. What do they love and what do they hate? 

Now you know what to layer up on and what to avoid. 

2. Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Venue

It is hugely helpful to ensure that your venue is easily accessible. Think about huge festivals like Coachella or Lollapalooza. There’s always ample parking at Coachella and other events, but with limited parking options, it’s best to load up on public transportation options. 

If your attendees are traveling, consider venues near hotels or other accommodations. And hey, if there are cool attractions nearby, that’s a bonus. Why not consider collaborating with nearby hotel or motel owners to offer discounted bookings to ticket holders?

Other factors to consider might be venue dimensions, amenities, and cost. 

Size and Layout

Don’t cram your guests into a sardine can or lose them in a cavernous space. Choose a venue that comfortably accommodates your expected crowd. It’s helpful to search for spaces with adjustable layouts that suit different event formats.

Amenities and Services

Check for essential tech equipment, such as audio-visual gear and Wi-Fi. If you’re serving food and drinks, ensure the venue has a kitchen or catering options available. The grub options can help make or break an event, just look at the food scene at Outside Lands.

Additionally, don’t forget about unique features like outdoor spaces. If your venue is outside, consider where you will place the porta-johns. Because when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Cost

Budgeting for your event is crucial to ensure you make the most of your resources. But there are ways and means to get it right. 

Set a realistic budget and understand what’s included in the venue fee. Be aware of hidden costs, such as service charges and cancellation policies. Remember, value for money is key.

However, if you utilize the TickPick Organizer Platform, you can help offset some of the costs associated with ticketing. Our app provides customers with significant savings and saves organizers more than 50% on ticketing fees. Leaving more room in the budget for future venue negotiations.

3. Negotiating the Perfect Venue

So, now you’ve found your perfect spot – you can picture your epic event taking place there and can practically smell the hot dogs cooking while the acts play. 

But before you make that dream a reality, you need to secure the spot. Time to don your Shark Tank hat and get ready for some ninja-level venue negotiating. When trying to bag a deal on your ideal venue, it pays to prepare correctly and get some strategies up your sleeve. 

Research and Preparation

Do your homework! Gather information on venue pricing to understand the market rate for your desired venue size and location. 

This will give you a benchmark to work with when negotiating. It also helps to go in knowing the peak and off-peak seasons for the venue. You may have more negotiating power during slower periods. Avoid times when you know venues are in high demand and fully booked. 

Negotiation Strategies

When it comes to getting the best price for your venue, it’s not enough to simply know the venue inside and out. Negotiation is a key area to getting the venue of your choice. Get some of these negotiating tricks up your sleeve too: 

• Package Deals: Request bundled services to save on costs. For example, negotiate a package that includes venue rental, catering, and tech equipment. 
• Flexible Dates: Have a perfect world scenario. But also be open to adjusting your event dates if it means getting a better deal.
• Inclusions and Extras: Don’t hesitate to ask for perks like complimentary parking, Wi-Fi, or extra setup time. You miss 100% of the chances you don’t take. 

Photo by Headway on Unsplash

4. Building Long-Term Relationships with Venue Providers

Establishing a good relationship with venue providers can have long-term benefits for your event planning. 

Maintaining clear and open communication about your needs and expectations is crucial in building a positive relationship. After the event, provide constructive feedback and follow up to express gratitude. This can also be an opportunity to offer a recap of the event, including what went well and areas for improvement. 

Positive relationships with venue providers can be crucial to securing repeat business and referrals to other clients or preferred vendor lists. Also, it should go without saying, but it’s essential to treat venue staff with respect and maintain professionalism in all interactions. 

Remember to instill this same value into your employees, artists, or performers. It’s super important to handle any issues calmly and cooperatively to maintain a positive relationship.

Conclusion

Choosing the perfect venue for your event is crucial to its success. By understanding your event needs, considering key factors, and negotiating effectively, you can find the perfect space for your next gig or concert. 

But when you’ve found the perfect venue and secured it at a great rate, the next step in the process is to fill it with customers. That’s where we can help. The TickPick Organizer Platforms puts the power and brilliance of events back in the organizers’ hands by simplifying ticket sales, offering key customer insights, reducing your running costs, and taking your customers from revelers to event ambassadors.