Make Finding Your Next Venue As Easy As A Summer Breeze

Make Finding Your Next Venue As Easy As A Summer Breeze

It's that wonderful time of year again where people are swapping their boots for their sandals, their winter soups for their summer cocktails and stepping out in style to events and parties. Yep, the summer sun is shining and it's glorious!

If you're hosting an event or party yourself though, you might find that the task of selecting a location to host it is supremely frustrating. This is especially true if you're in a capital city, as there's almost too much choice and once you have narrowed down a few options, booking openings can be far and few between.

Thankfully it's the 21st century and it has never been easier to find and book things online. Having said that, there are still a number of things you can do to make the task of finding your next venue even easier. Here's how:

Create a plan

You can't just guesstimate the number of guests and book any old venue based on only that (well, you can but your event probably won't go too well!). Your best bet is to create a plan, which will help you discover what you need and why. It will also help you keep track of everything that you need to do or have already done. Your plan could include:

 A list of objectives detailing what the event is for (e.g., maybe you're hosting a conference to gain investors for your new business idea. Another example could be hosting your brother's 21st birthday party).

 If you have desired outcomes, list those too (e.g., using the above examples, your outcome would be successfully gaining enough investors to adequately finance your business. For the birthday party, the desired outcome would be that your brother enjoys himself)

 Determine your budget

 Decide on the best location for your event

 Decide on a date and time for the event (and perhaps have a couple of backup dates/times)

 Figure out how many people will be attending and how much room or seating you'll require

 Determine what amenities you'll need

 Determine whether you'll need things like catering or alcohol service

As you complete each step, tick them off the list.

Find the ideal venue

Did you know there are services that charge hundreds of dollars to find venues for you? You just tell them what you need and they'll curate a list for you to choose from. In this day and age though, why on Earth would you pay money for that? There are some amazing online services that do exactly the same thing FOR FREE! One of the best we've found is Australian Venue Co. who have a network of over 150 venues across Australia that you can search for using their website or app, making it super-easy to find and book a venue to suit your needs.

They also give you $10 credit just for signing up and whenever you buy from their listed venues or via their great app, you'll then get points that you can exchange for credit vouchers. Too easy!

Inspect the venue (if needed)

Once you've jumped online and narrowed down your potential venue list, you can go and check a couple out. Obviously, you can skip this step of you're just choosing a venue for a small gathering or Friday night drinks. Here are a few things to consider when checking out your potential venue, but you can add more to suit your needs:

 Location

o Is the area safe?
o Is the location easy to find and access?
o Is there easy car parking / public transport?
o Is there accommodation nearby?

 The Venue

o Is there easy access for everyone?
o Is there a well-lit meeting area?
o Is the venue safe?
o Is there internet access?
o Is there seating or similar?
o What equipment is available (sound systems, PA etc)? o Is there menu options that suit everyone?
o Do they serve alcohol?

You can very likely discover most of this information online, as well as look at images, but it doesn't hurt to call the venue or drop around for a look if you're not satisfied.

Select and book your venue

Once you've chosen the best venue, you can book it in (which you can do easily with the Australian Venue Co, they even have an app) and then it's time to figure out the logistics, such as menu choices, seating arrangements, equipment etc. and discuss them with your venue.

Success!
Yep, the best part of all this planning is the end result – you now get to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Whether it's a party, a conference, a wedding or a dinner, these tips will hopefully make it much easier for you to find and book a venue.