Venue sourcing and selection is one of the biggest decisions an event organiser can make with regard to the success of their event. Almost every industry has some type of ‘deal breakers’ – those tell-tale signs that make you run away from a particular product, service or vendor.
The events industry is no different. In fact, choosing a venue is so important that no amount of amazing content, catering or entertainment can make up for a poor venue choice.
Our venue finds commence with extensive venue research whereby we draw up a list of potential venues, based on the criteria in the detailed brief we discuss with you. Once the list is built it’s time to connect, assess information and negotiate.
This article details a couple of hints and tips we use for spotting the red flags to weed out inappropriate event spaces and find the perfect venue for your event.
1. Keep an eye out for negative reviews
At Hippo Events our combined venue finding experience is in the decades, so we generally know what hotels provide good service and those that have reoccurring negative feedback. When we’re unsure, or a new venue pops up or we haven’t working with a particular venue in a while we investigate further.
Speaking to industry colleagues is key – what were their experiences and how did they find the hotel both in the pre-event and on-site stages. However, we also look at online reviews. Media sites can provide a biased negative view, with only 1.5% of people providing online feedback, so it’s important to look for middle-of-the-road reviews (which tend to be more measured and accurate) and read their comments for any specific details. Notably, is the hotel looking tired, was the service terrible etc. Most venue managers are smart enough to know that a few bad reviews in the wrong places can damage their business, so pay attention if the venue responds to bad reviews and, if so, what their tone and approach is like.
2. Fact check
Almost all venues list their offerings on their own website or on online directories. Always check this information against what they present to you. Any venue that stretches the truth too much might be prone to mislead you later on if you decide to hire them.
For example, if the room they are proposing is stated as a max capacity of 100 on their website they they’re proposing you can fit 120 for your event in there, ask why there is the difference. Is 120 going to be extremely tight?
3. What their response times are like and how their communication is in the initial stages
When sending an event brief to a venue we endeavour to place is in a simple to read format that clearly details what information we need to know for our client proposals. If the venue does not provide this information, or does not provide it in the style we request then it raises red flags. Is this a ‘I can’t be bothered’ approach or a ‘Im too busy so will do the bear minimum’ attitude? Neither is great. We always say to venues that if they can’t turn our RFP around quickly at least send us a quick 1 liner stating that you’ve received it and an indication of when you expect you’ll be able to reply.
4. Trust your first impressions
First impressions are everything. If your first experience with the venue staff isn’t stellar or if they wait three days before responding to you, you have to wonder if they really do want your business, or if they don’t bother to train their front-facing staff properly.
Providing attentive customer service is a basic of hospitality – after all, that’s the industry we’re in. So, whether your first call is with the venue GM, the event/catering manager or an admin, you are looking for attentiveness, tactfulness, quick comprehension and a desire to assist. The individual doesn’t need to have all the answers on your first call, but they do need to know where they can find them and have a passion for helping you achieve your goals.
5. Collect References for Confidence
Any venue that has been in business for longer than a few months has already served customers who should be able to speak of the quality of their service and their event space. Ask for a list of past customers who you can call on for references. If they try to avoid giving you information then this may highlight an ongoing issue they have. Most venues should have at-the-ready a list of happy customers you can call.
6. Be Observant on site visits
Look deeper than just your event room or bedroom. Are there cracks in the walls, water stains on the ceilings, unpainted doors, lightbulbs that need replacing or dirty or frayed carpets? Check the bathrooms also.
None of this says to potential clients “we’re a quality venue who look after our clients needs.” If you see it the chances are your attendees will see it too, and as we always say at Hippo; the venue is a reflection of your company.
7. Pay attention to tone and flexibility
As you speak with the staff about venue policies and start negotiating with the venue, listen to their language and tone to gauge if they will work with you to achieve your goals or if they won’t budge from their stated policies and pricing.
These early discussions can point to either a good working relationship that allows for give-and-take on each side or they can be a forefront of a one-sided, inflexible arrangement where you feel you are always the one making concessions.
8. Initiative
Indeed the ‘I’ in Hippo does actually stand for ‘Initiative’ (Hippo: Honest, Initiative, Personal, Proactive and On-target). We sing it from the rooftops. Is the venue using their initiative to work out solutions, solve problems, think outside the box or going that extra mile? If so then you’re onto a winner. Often venues will come back to us and say ‘we can’t do this, but we could do that’, which is a positive sign that a) the venue wants your business b) they’re levels of customer service and c) they’ll be good to work with. If the answer is simply ‘no’ with no initiative taken to provide or think of an alternative, then red flags are raised.
At Hippo our motto is “The answers ‘yes’, what’s the question?”. If we can’t find exactly what you’re looking for we’ll talk it through with out and find alternative solutions that can work.
9. Poor location and accessibility
Is the venues’ location on a super busy street or corner? Is it hard to find or difficult get to? If so, you may want to think twice about booking a venue with potential accessibility issues. If you experience them on your site visit then chances are all your attendees will too.
Inadequate, distant or overpriced parking can also be a deal breaker. Any parking setup that is located more than a few blocks away from the venue may quickly snowball into a major source of discontent for attendees. If any of your guests will be using public transportation to travel to the venue, you should look into nearby bus stops, taxi/Lyft/Uber drop-off points, train stations and airports to assess how easy or difficult the commute would be.
Finally, you should consider any special needs or requirements your audience may have regarding location, because if your guests are elderly or are persons with physical disabilities, then location and accessibility immediately become top-of-list criteria.
10. Test the Wifi and mobile signals
Imagine your guests battling their mobiles phones, trying unsuccessfully to make calls, read emails and use apps. Nowadays, good WiFi and mobile signal should be a given, but don’t ever forget to check.
Many venues provide a basic WiFi service that is included in the venue rental cost, and many also offer WiFi bandwidth upgrades if you anticipate excessive usage among your attendees. You should anticipate how much your attendees will be using their devices and talk with the venue about what they can offer with regard to WiFi.
Hippo offer Event Project Management and Global Venue Finding services. Contact us today on 01372 460 100 or events@hippoevents.co.uk to see how we can assist.