Chennai Spice had its humble beginning as an Indian Restaurant in North London. Over the years we have extended our services into Indian Catering as well as Luxury Banqueting Suites for various functions like Weddings, Birthday Parties, Conference, Corporate Events etc. Having had experience in conducting various events over the course time, our experts are dissecting the factors that you need to consider while choosing a conference venue in this article.

Conferences or Corporate Events:

Corporate Events, also called conferences are hosted by the company for the following two reasons:

• To engage with employees
• To engage with clients and shareholders

Firstly, there are many reasons for organising a corporate event, some of which are listed below:

1. To educate employees, clients and public about the company’s products/services, economic status, share holdings and reports etc.
2. To reward employees for achieving their work targets.
3. To explain about any changes in organisational structure within the company, major change in authoritarian positions, company policies etc.
4. To encourage networking and collaboration within different departments within your organisation.
5. To celebrate company milestones with employees, clients and shareholders.

So now that we have dealt with why conferences or corporate events are held, let us now look at important factors to be considered while choosing a conference venue. Does the venue of a conference play an important role? Most of the time, the answer is “Yes”.

What are the factors to be considered while choosing a venue for a conference or corporate event?

• Seating Capacity:

Firstly, the venue should have all the facilities that your event requires. Importantly, ensure that participants have comfortable seating and space to relax during breaks in all sessions. A setting with theatre-style seating is suitable when the audience only has to listen or view. When the audience is supposed to take notes, it will be best if we give them an arrangement where there is a table or a writing pad available. Similarly, an overly large conference room will make it appear as if half of the attendees did not show up.

•  Budget:

The major factors that are to be considered while looking for a conference venue are, the requirement and the budget. For what purpose is the conference held, how many people will be in attendance, what all facilities needed to be arranged for the conference, as well as on what date you need the venue. Also important is to know what is the amount that we can spend per person. Once we have these fixed, looking for a conference venue will be easier. If you have found the perfect match as per your requirement, try negotiating and also ask for discounts.

• Location:

Location is of prime importance for any event, not only conference or corporate events. Location for conferences and corporate events should be easily accessible. It should also be near public transport stations. It is even better if your venue can have rooms for stay or have nearby hotels providing lodging. It is also best if they have a parking facility available for the guests arriving by car.

• Branding:

Choose a venue that aligns with your brand image. You can promote yourself by advertising in the plasma screens of the venues, having signages and banners and also the decor that matches the elegance of your brand. The venue should speak of your value and purpose so that the importance of the business will be conveyed to your stakeholders, employees and other attendees.

• Amenities:

The venue for the conference should be well equipped with microphone, projector access as well as with the sound and lighting controls. Audio and lighting can create a perfect ambience for the conference or meeting. In addition to these facilities, the venue should also have wheelchair access for differently abled and also other facilities like restrooms, kitchen facilities etc. If the venue provides on-site catering, see if they have the menu options that suit your event and always look for options for vegans and people who have allergic issues.

• Layout of the Venue:

Layout of the venue is different for different types of events. Firstly, a single day conference or meeting requires just a premium banqueting hall along with other required facilities. But if you are planning an event that extends for more than 2 days, you need to plan carefully. Following are some of the factors to be thought of while considering the layout of the venue:

• How will the arrangement function with the expected number of guests?
• How the main venues will appear when they are crammed with your delegates. Then, anticipate any potential roadblocks.
• How the venue will handle check-in and assisting delegates in moving between talks.
• What layout options are available within the venue?
• It’s preferable if you can find a location with a range of meeting rooms, conference spaces, and breakout locations so you can put on the finest conference possible.
• If the rooms can be configured in a variety of ways, such as theatre or cabaret style.
• Although the venue may not be able to set up the various layouts on demand, you should be able to view photographs of past arrangements.

• Technological Facilities:

Make sure the venue has adequate wi-fi and other high-tech features. As a result of the Covid-19 restrictions and protocols many events now include a new modern hybrid component that will allow conferences to accommodate both those who can and those who do not choose to attend in person. If video conferencing and recording capabilities are important to you, you should think about them. There should also be adequate audiovisual and lighting.

• Venue Staff Support:

Choose a location with a good level of customer service. Look for an in-house event planning staff that is willing to collaborate with you at every level of the planning process. The ideal venue should assist you with needs such as room specifications or custom menu preparation. Moreover, search for a venue that is accommodating and enthusiastic, as well as a workforce that is skilled, professional, and efficient. In other words, it will be best if you can have a venue coordinator who can oversee the events and make sure everything is perfect. In addition to the venue coordinator, you will also require waitstaffs, concierges, cooks and security.

Concluding Thoughts:

In conclusion, we have numerous factors to consider while  planning a conference. Finding the ideal site for your next conference can be difficult, and you need to carefully assess the benefits and drawbacks of each venue before deciding where to spend your venue budget. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of helpful hints above to assist you in selecting a conference site.