How to Choose a Corporate Event Venue

5 Things to Check Before You Book

Choosing a venue is one of the earliest decisions in planning a corporate event — and one of the easiest places to create expensive problems later.

A venue can look perfect during a site visit but become much less suitable when you discover restricted access, insufficient power, poor sightlines, limited rigging options or inadequate space for the production you actually want to deliver.

After more than 40 years producing conferences, awards ceremonies, product launches and live events, Comtec has worked in everything from purpose-built conference venues to historic buildings, industrial sites and locations that were never designed to host an event at all.

Here are five things we’d recommend checking before signing the venue contract.

  1. Start With the Event — Not the Venue

Before looking at venues, define what the event actually needs to achieve.

Is it a conference?

An awards ceremony?

A product launch?

An AGM?

An exhibition?

A hybrid event connecting remote delegates?

A venue that works beautifully for a 300-person conference may be completely wrong for a 300-person awards dinner.

Consider:

  • Expected audience numbers
  • Seating style
  • Stage and presentation requirements
  • Breakout rooms
  • Catering
  • Networking areas
  • Entertainment
  • Exhibition space
  • Hybrid or streaming requirements
  • Accessibility

The venue should support the event — the event shouldn’t have to be redesigned simply to fit the venue.

  1. Check the Production Access Before You Book

This is one of the things that can easily be overlooked.

Delegates may enter through an impressive reception area.

The production team probably won’t.

Before committing to a venue, establish:

  • Where does production equipment enter?
  • Is there loading-bay access?
  • How close can vehicles get?
  • Are there goods lifts?
  • What are the door and lift dimensions?
  • Are there stairs or restricted corridors?
  • When can production crews gain access?
  • When must everything be removed?

A beautiful venue with poor production access can add hours of labour and unnecessary cost.

Sometimes the most important door in the building isn’t the front one.

  1. Don’t Assume the Room Can Support Your Production

Look beyond the décor.

Ask what can actually be installed.

For technical production, important considerations can include:

  • Ceiling height
  • Rigging points and permitted loads
  • Stage dimensions
  • Projection distances
  • LED-screen positioning
  • Audience sightlines
  • Lighting positions
  • Available electrical power
  • Sound restrictions
  • Fire and evacuation routes
  • Internet connectivity
  • Backstage and technical-control areas

Historic or unusual venues can produce spectacular events, but they often require more creative engineering.

For Birmingham City Council’s Chamberlain Awards, for example, Comtec had to design the production around the architecture of Birmingham Town Hall rather than treating it like a conventional conference venue.

The venue became part of the production design.

  1. Check the Technology — Especially Wi-Fi and Connectivity

Modern events increasingly depend on connectivity.

Even a completely live, in-person conference may need internet access for presentations, audience interaction, registration systems, production communications or content delivery.

For hybrid and streamed events, connectivity becomes mission-critical.

Don’t simply ask:

“Does the venue have Wi-Fi?”

Ask:

  • What bandwidth is actually available?
  • Is there a dedicated wired connection?
  • Can production have its own network?
  • What happens when hundreds of delegates connect simultaneously?
  • Is there a backup connection?
  • Where are the connection points relative to production?

A Wi-Fi symbol on a venue brochure doesn’t tell a production company very much.

  1. Understand the Real Cost — Not Just the Room Hire

A venue that initially appears inexpensive can become expensive once the production requirements are understood.

Look carefully at:

  • Room hire
  • Catering
  • Furniture
  • Power
  • Internet
  • Rigging charges
  • Venue technicians
  • Security
  • Parking
  • Loading/access charges
  • Early access
  • Late working
  • Overtime
  • Accommodation
  • Mandatory in-house suppliers

One particularly important question is:

Can you bring your own production company?

Some venues have preferred or exclusive technical suppliers.

That isn’t necessarily a problem, but you should understand the arrangement before signing the contract.

If external production companies are permitted, establish whether additional charges, supervision or restrictions apply.

The cheapest room isn’t always the venue that produces the lowest total event cost.

Bonus Tip: Take Your Production Company to the Site Visit

If the event is technically significant, involve your production team before committing to the venue.

An experienced event producer will look at the building differently.

While you are considering bedrooms, catering, location and how the room feels, we’re also looking at:

  • How do we get the equipment in?
  • Where does the stage go?
  • Where can screens be positioned?
  • Can everybody see them?
  • Where does production control go?
  • Can we rig lighting?
  • Is there enough power?
  • Where do the cables run safely?
  • How long will installation actually take?

Identifying those things before signing a venue contract can prevent compromises and unexpected costs later.

Venue Sourcing

Frequently Asked Questions About Corporate Event Venues

How far in advance should I book a corporate event venue?

For larger conferences, awards ceremonies and popular dates, begin the venue search as early as practical. Availability varies enormously by location, season and event size, and leaving venue selection late can restrict both your choice and your negotiating position.

What size venue do I need for a corporate event?

Delegate numbers are only the starting point. The required space also depends on seating layout, staging, screens, catering, breakout rooms, exhibition areas, networking and production infrastructure.

A room advertised for 500 people may not comfortably accommodate 500 people plus the event you intend to put in it.

What should I ask a venue about AV?

Ask about external production-company access, rigging, power, internet connectivity, sound restrictions, loading arrangements, installation times and any mandatory in-house technical services.

Can Comtec help us choose a venue?

Yes.

Comtec can become involved before the venue is selected, helping clients assess whether a location is technically and practically suitable for the event they are planning.

We can also liaise with the venue during production planning so that access, staging, sound, lighting, video, power and other technical requirements are considered before show day.

Planning a Corporate Event?

Finding an impressive venue is important.

Finding a venue that allows you to deliver an impressive event is even more important.

Comtec provides complete technical production for conferences, awards ceremonies, product launches, hybrid events and other live corporate events across the UK.

If you’re still looking for a venue, involve us early.

We’d rather identify a problem during a site visit than discover it during the build.

Talk to Comtec about your next event.