When planning a successful conference or event, you must make many decisions. But the one that will have the most significant impact on your event’s success is deciding on the right venue and location. Everything about the event, including the date, speaker line-ups, catering options, and participants’ experience, is determined by the venue and location you choose.
Related: The key factors for planning a conference successfully
1. Choose a location that is right for your conference needs
When choosing a spot for your event, it is essential to think about the objective of your meeting. Even if you plan a large conference where everyone will be inside all day, the location is vital, providing it is accessible and has the facilities you need.
Creating a Request for Proposal (RFP) can help you source your venue. Your RFP will act as your briefing document, outlining every detail of your event so that you can easily compare destinations and event venues offering the best deals based on your specific needs.
2. Choose the right venue size
The size of the event venue you will need is based on the number of expected attendees. However, we suggest selecting a location with a range of conference rooms of various sizes that you can use for brainstorming sessions, smaller presentations, or anything else that arises.
If the event takes place on a large campus or institute, maps with pinned locations can help attendees navigate the space effectively.
3. Check accessibility of the venue and location
When selecting the perfect venue for your event, ensure that all participants have easy access to the location. It should be held in a central location that is easily accessible by public transportation and inclusive to those with disabilities. This should include easy wheelchair access to the conference room, accommodation, bars, and other amenities.
4. Evaluate event venue sustainability
When choosing an event venue, the environmental sustainability of the event overall must be considered. People are more aware of their environmental impact than ever, meaning that potential attendees will consider this when choosing event attendance.
Choosing a location with sustainable practices in place will improve your ability to provide an environmentally friendly conference. When reviewing potential venues, consider their energy sources (e.g., is it a renewable source?), the number of windows with natural daylight (e.g., could this be used to reduce energy use by minimising the need for lights?) or the products used in amenities (e.g., are the cups being used reusable or disposable?).
A location with access to public transport will not only aid in accessibility but will also provide an eco-friendly option for attendees who are conscious of their carbon footprint.
Download our whitepaper: Effective Venue Sourcing For Your Next Conference
Are you hosting a hybrid event?
Hybrid events facilitate conference attendance despite travel restrictions and help deliver vanguard information. When hosting a live streaming event, you must choose a suitable platform that offers all the tools your event requires. While most streaming platforms have the same basic features, some are better suited to larger conferences, whilst others are best for small meetings. We recommend finding a platform that supports chat, live polls, Q&A, and uploading slides and pre-recorded content during a presentation.
We always recommend a trial run before the event to familiarise yourself and your team with the platform and check how prompt technical support is. It would help if you also had a strategy for dealing with technical challenges and connection problems. During the practise session, troubleshoot technical issues and have tech help on hand in case of complications.
Read more: How to ensure hybrid conference success
As professional conference organisers, we can support your organisation with all aspects of venue sourcing and help you get the best deals for your conference. Contact our team to discuss your requirements.
Congrex Switzerland is an international operating event agency delivering customised solutions for medical and scientific associations. This encompasses the overall organisation of conferences and meetings as well as the management of associations to help them grow and prosper. Annually Congrex Switzerland organises approximately 45 events with over 70’000 delegates and manages the secretariat of several Swiss and European associations.
