All events start with a vision and purpose, and your venue is where you’ll set the stage and turn your ideas into reality. Choosing a venue is a decision that will impact your logistics, branding, and overall guest experience. Everything from the event date to suppliers and guest attendance significantly depends on your selected venue and location.
To help streamline your decision-making and planning checklist, here are considerations and tips on how to find a venue for an event. For assistance in transforming your event venue into a unique setting, our Desert River team will be thrilled to coordinate and provide you with elegant furniture and lighting rentals.
7 Key Considerations When Choosing an Event Venue for Hire
1. Date and Weather
The availability of your event venue will determine your final date, while the weather conditions will be a good basis for picking between indoor and outdoor options. When inquiring about renting an event venue, it would help to have your preferred date in mind and a few more close alternatives. The choice to opt for either an indoor or outdoor venue should ideally cater to the comfort, personality, and convenience of your guests.
To ensure the availability of your event venue, we advise you to search for and canvass possible options as soon as you have your ideal date and time. One big bonus in booking indoor events is that you’ll more likely have climate control of the room’s temperature. On the other hand, outdoor event venues will allow you to appreciate beautiful views and fresh air; just be sure to provide shaded lounge areas for weather protection, like tents or parasols, plus commercial cooling fans.
2. Location
The location of your event venue should be the appropriate, relevant, and practical setting for your theme and purpose. Factor in the event suppliers and vendors in the area, such as catering, furniture rentals, and AV technology. Also, consider your event venue’s accessibility and parking for suppliers and guests. It should be easy to locate and go to via different modes of transportation.
When finding an event venue, check out the nearby establishments to see which could be potential suppliers or landmarks. If you’re organising a multi-day event like a conference or retreat, consider the accommodations and restaurants in the area.
3. Minimum and Maximum Capacity
Your event venue must comfortably accommodate your intended number of guests and crew, as well as the dimensions of your furniture. There should be enough space to move around and clear pathways to facilitate foot traffic. However, it must not be too big that it looks empty.
Finding out your event venue's minimum and maximum capacity enables you to design an engaging and effective layout for your space. Our pro tip for event styling is to create zones for dining, mingling, and lounging. Also, comply with the limitations of local regulations, like the fire code for fireworks, to ensure everyone’s safety in your event venue.
4. Aesthetic and Layout
Consider your event venue's flexibility in terms of layout or how you’ll position furniture and lighting to achieve your aesthetic. It must be able to add to its visual appeal, solidify your theme, align with your event programme and activities, and direct the gaze and attention of your guests. For instance, you can orient furniture to surround a stage or face a view.
In any event, you’ll benefit from looking into neutral and modular furniture, like sectional sofas, which can easily complement any aesthetic and layout. Also, see if you can maximise natural lighting or optimise functional and decorative task lighting like table lamps.
5. Ambiance and Atmosphere
Successful events are all about creating a cohesive look and feel. If aesthetics and layout are about the look of your event venue, then the ambiance and atmosphere describe how guests feel. Your choice of furniture and lighting will also influence how comfortable, engaged, and secure guests are in the venue.
For example, an event venue with a garden setup could provide the ambiance and atmosphere for a rustic and boho wedding. If you’re going for modern elegance in an exclusive venue, consider booking hotels, conference halls, and lit furniture that can be colour-coordinated to sync with your event theme or branding.
6. Amenities and Services
The amenities and services you need will depend on the type of your event. Perhaps you’re planning a pool party. You’ll obviously need an event venue with a pool and shower rooms. On the other hand, if you’re inviting people to a formal or corporate event, you may need a lobby to register or receive guests, a function room or hall, and lounge areas.
It is always a good practice to inquire about the inclusions and packages of your event venue. In most cases, you can reduce costs and simplify event coordination when you find a venue that includes catering services, production equipment, or a security team, among other things. In the same way, it could be convenient to hire event furniture and lighting from the same provider.
7. AV Technology and Acoustics
All events require particular audiovisual technology. Ensure that your event venue can support the connectivity needs of your event and your attendees. Most events need a stable Wi-Fi signal for live streams, interactive experiences, and social media engagement. You’ll also need projectors, screens, and speakers for digital presentations or performances. That said, the event venue must also have the electric capability to power light and sound equipment.
In relation to AV technology is the acoustics or how sound travels in your event venue. Acoustics would affect how easily guests can listen or hear each other. For instance, enclosed venues with absorptive padded or textured walls would have favourable acoustics if you want to minimise sound distortion and eliminate external noise. However, an open space would be ideal to disperse sound if guests would be talking or mingling most of the time.
Tips on How to Find a Venue For an Event
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Create a Checklist of Event Requirements
To ensure you remember and consider all your event requirements, list down your priorities and criteria for the venue.
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Mind Your Event Budget and Cost
Establishing a budget range for your event venue can help narrow your options. The cost of renting a venue varies depending on the size, location, and inclusions.
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Research Possible Event Venues
Research all possible event venues and book the one that ticks most, if not all, the boxes on your checklist without going over budget.
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Visit and Assess the Event Venue
Visiting and assessing the event venues in person will give you a better understanding of their actual capacity and limitations.
Takeaways on How to Find a Venue For an Event
Finding the best venue for an event is all about choosing a space and location that matches your preferences, needs, priorities, and budget. Identifying and ranking a list of your negotiable and non-negotiable criteria can help filter out your possible options.
To make your event venue spectacular with high-quality furniture and lighting rentals in the UAE, please contact us at Desert River. Our events team will go the extra mile to visit your venue and match your event requirements with appropriate options. You’re also welcome to check out our showroom.