Whatever kind of event or party you’re planning, the venue is probably the most important factor to consider. The planning process of any event starts with setting out the goals and budget, but the venue should be one of the first things you decide on as it will affect so many other aspects of the event.
The right venue can make a huge difference to how successful an event is, and the wrong venue could spell disaster for your party. In this article, we’ll look at what you should consider when looking for private venue hire London and how to get started in the planning process.
Starting with Your Budget
Hosting a party isn’t free and while you don’t have to break the bank, you will need to set a budget before you can go any further in making plans. The amount you can spend will impact the type of venues you can consider, so it makes sense to get this outlined at the very beginning of your planning process. If this is a personal event, you might have to sort all the funding yourself, or get friends to chip in. However, if it’s for a work event or as part of a social club, there should be a fund already allocated for this sort of thing.
Once you’ve set out your budget, you can begin looking at options for the venue. Bear in mind that some venues will offer an all-inclusive price that accounts for food, drinks and possible equipment. On the other hand, others might require self-catering. This is something to consider, as although an all-inclusive venue might be more expensive, it could work out cheaper than supplying your own food and drinks.
Your Guest List
Without guests, there’s no party, so it’s very important that you consider them when choosing a venue. You should think about how many guests are likely to attend, as well as what their expectations and preferences are. You should always plan an event around your guests, considering what’s convenient and best for them.
Draw up your guest list of people you plan to invite, and be sure to consider them when planning the rest of the event. Make sure that any venue you choose has the right capacity to cater to everyone and that it’s in a good location that means people won’t have to travel far to attend. Lastly, make sure that the venue is fully accessible to all the people you invite. If some of your guests have accessibility issues, you need to check for things like step free access.
Services and Staff
When you’re hosting a big event, you need all the help you can get to ensure that things go smoothly. Many venues are more than just a room that you can hire. Quite often, they’ll offer additional services including parking, security, photographers, audio/visual displays and more. Don’t overlook the value of these services, especially when arranging them yourself can work out costly and create more hassle.
Although additional services can make a venue more expensive, they’ll be far easier to set up compared to doing it yourself. A good example of this is security. If you’re holding an exclusive event, you want to make sure it’s only accessible to people on the guest list. Hiring your own security can be a challenge, but most venues will be able to carry this service out for an extra charge. A lot of venues have the existing staff and knowledge to ensure your event is a success. Always make the most of this when you can, as their experience can provide invaluable.