When it comes to planning a business event, many leaders take the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” attitude. And they assume that because everyone hosts their events at the same places every week / month / year, that’s where they should host theirs.
But if everyone were jumping off a cliff, would you jump too?
The venue you choose for your event is just as important as your speaker, the food / beverage selections, and the entertainment. What works for one business, may not work for yours. Similarly, what works for one type of event, does not work for them all.
The right venue is critical to the your business event’s success
When it comes to business events, your goal should be to make an impression. And nothing helps you do that better than finding the right venue.
Venues offer more than four walls, a door, and tables to host your event. They have their own style, aesthetic, and perception. And, when paired appropriately, they can elevate your event from a whitewashed, boring presentation to an exclusive and memorable seminar.
You can intentionally pick a smaller, more intimate venue to promote the feelings of exclusivity and foster connections between people. Up the ante with a luxury venue or make your event seem more approachable by hosting it in a familiar and comforting location.
Would you rather attend an event in a conference room with plastic chairs or river-side with live music?
How to choose the best venue for business events?
There are no perfect answers when it comes to finding a venue for your next event, but there are plenty of wrong ones. If the venue sets the wrong tone from the moment your guests pull up, your event is dead in the water before it even starts. So how do you identify the red flags in event venues?
Red flag #1: It has no personality
Think conference rooms in a stereotypical office building. 200 - 500 square feet of stock photography, plastic chairs spaced around many rectangular tables, and a whole wall of cabinets. It’s boring and stale. And that feeling is going to affect your attendees. They’ll be complacent, inattentive, and unfocused throughout your event no matter how engaging your presentation.
Red flag #2: It has the wrong personality
The only thing worse than having no personality is if it has the wrong personality. If your brand is approachable, funny, and down to earth, it wouldn’t make sense to host your event at an upscale restaurant. And if you sell luxury goods or services to high income earners, a 70s themed club would be confusing. In both scenarios, the venue’s aesthetic is in direct opposition to the brand’s and would give your guests whiplash.
Red flag #3: It’s the wrong size
Size is just as important as aesthetic for an event venue, and can be used to create a perception about your event. Small venues with conversational seating provide feelings of exclusivity and give your guests ample opportunities to network and build relationships with one another. Large venues can take the pressure off guests who aren’t as comfortable in social settings by allowing them to fade into the background or participate in activities throughout the night.
Red flag #4: It’s in the wrong location
Your venue has to be easy to get to and to access. While it’s not flashy, making sure there are disability access points, easy to maneuver parking lots, and within 25 miles of your prospective guests means you're likely to see a larger number of attendees.
Red flag #5: It doesn’t work for your event type
Just because a venue looks cool, doesn’t mean it is the best place to host your event. Space planning is a key part of finding the right venue for your business event. If you’re hosting a seminar, you need places for people to sit and, in an ideal world, a stage and sound system so your attendees can easily see and hear your presenter. If you’re hosting a networking event, you can’t have too many choke points that would make it hard for attendees to easily move from one conversation to another.
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The two most overrated venues for business events
Some venues have just been used to death. They may have been new or cool at one point, but now there’s nothing to be excited about. Attendees have grown nose blind to the environment because it’s accommodated so many other kinds of business events. And, often, because they’re used so frequently, they’ve become cost-prohibitive for small businesses looking to host an event for their customers or prospects. These are my top two overrated venues to avoid at all costs:
Bars & Restaurants
The caveat to this category is a brand new venue that’s still got a shiny hue to it. Speakeasies and some rooftop bars fall into this caveat because they stand out and (typically) aren’t overutilized.
That said, the private room in a bar / restaurant needs to go the way of the dinosaur. They often have extremely high room rentals with food / beverage minimums tacked on top. But the real kicker with these venues is they intentionally design their spaces to accommodate a bunch of different types of events. And that means they often don’t have a personality in and of themselves, making it hard to make a lasting impression on your guests.
Wedding & event centers
If we’re going to talk about cost-prohibitive spaces, we have to talk about venues that rely solely on third-party event contracts. Wedding and event centers are some of the most notorious price gougers on the market, with rental fees upwards of $3,000 for four hours. Not only are these venues expensive, but they’re often just shells and require even more investment from you to build a brand personality into the space through lighting, staging, sound, and color.
The cost-benefit analysis just doesn’t make sense to me if you’re planning a business event. They’re often too expensive, too large, and too cumbersome to create a moment-in-time feeling that your guests will remember and tell their friends about.
The two most underrated venues for business events
A great venue for your event passes the red flag test and also has a dash of the unexpected. Intrigue is one of the best ways to motivate prospective guests to attend your event, so look for new, unique, or overlooked venues for your business event. As an added bonus, my two most underrated venues also take one aspect of the event planning process off your plate.
Concert venues
Concert venues have great atmospheres and all the logistical components you need to pull off a killer business event. They typically have stages that make presentations and panels easy. They also have the lighting and audio equipment you need, so you don’t have to rent anything or worry about it. And if you’re hosting a networking event, they should also have a bar and bartenders that come as part of your service. Perfect for a happy hour or evening networking or customer appreciation event.
The best part? They often don’t have food or beverage minimums. Instead, they’ll charge you a flat rate based on the day, time, and duration of your event. And if you’re looking for a day other than Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, you’re likely to see really competitive rates.
Bakeries & Coffee Shops
I love these venues for morning or day-time business events. They’re physical spaces are specifically designed to be inviting and comfortable. And they also tend to have decent rates. Tack on that there is usually a bakery or coffee shop on every corner with a different gimmick or aesthetic and finding one that fits your brand style shouldn’t be difficult.
The key here is to go local. Attendees who are already supporting local businesses will be attracted to the fact that you are too. And you get to boost your local economy at the same time.
Start planning your next business event today!
I’ll help you find the perfect venue that balances your style and the logistical needs of your business event to create an experience your guests won’t soon forget.
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