Sizing up your space

Ever try fitting a square peg into a round hole? If so, you know it doesn't fit. The same can be said for some event spaces in relation to your overall meeting specifications. We come across this fairly frequently at The Event Planning Group, LLC where clients may have secured a venue but it doesn't quite work well for their event.

For instance, if a building is a secure building where people are restricted to bring in food and beverage, or they can only access the building at certain times, or they do not have a full suite of needed equipment, then that most likely will not be the right space for you. But for various reasons, we've seen these type of spaces booked for select programs.

If it doesn't fit, then please omit. This way, your meeting or event won't be impacted by such restrictions. Some questions to consider when looking for your next venue:

• How much is the rental fee?
• What time will you have access to the building?
• Are there any restrictions on bringing in equipment or other materials?
• Who will be the main contact from the venue?
• What is the overall room capacity?
• What type of room setups will be possible?
• What is the process on catering?
• What are the building's security procedures?
• What is the process on shipping materials to the venue?
• Can signage be placed inside the building? If so, where are the approved places?
• Where do shuttle buses or other ground transport drop attendees?

These questions are by no means an exhaustive list. There will be many more questions that arise from the answers to these. But the key is to probe to ensure the venue will work for you instead of trying to fit that square peg into a round hole.