In today’s society hosting an event includes making sure your guests walk away at the end of the event with the “WOW” factor … What does that mean? It means that all of the elements of the event leave the guests feeling sensational, wanting more and gives them something to talk about for years. It’s leaving them with wonderful memories of all the details of the event that captured their attention. From the venue, to the menu, to the program and entertainment it is actually the venue that sets the stage! The venue is the first element that will be seen and experienced by the guests prior to the event truly starting.
Source: Traci L. Hatchett, Hatchett Event Planning & Design Group
There are so many options to choose from for unique venues, from country barns to historic mansions to museums and estates. But then there are the untouched and what I like to call “diamonds in the ruff” that we come across that not many have heard about. These are my favorite! For example …Theatre’s, romantic B&B’s, yachts, mountain tops to name a few!
Now don’t get me wrong, the “normal” venues such as hotel ballrooms, banquet halls and restaurants are great, they certainly serve their purpose in the events world too. As a guest it makes it more intriguing to walk into a venue that is completely outside of the box.
The venue is THE most important aspect of hosting an event. Think about it … all of the other key components of the event revolve around the venue selection … location, date, time of day for the event, the size/capacity and the catering. In some cases, even the time of year the event will be held can be based on the type of venue if it is (outdoors) the weather can be an impacted by the venues local.
Searching for unique venues can be quite a daunting task for some. To save yourself some time all the while keeping your sanity, engaging an experienced event planner who has the knowledge and in most cases the contacts to recommend and/or assist in this area is highly recommended. An experienced event planner will also know the right questions to ask about the venue as it relates to safety regulations, capacity and logistical type questions.
One of the key services that our firms offers to our clients is researching and/or referrals to unique locations to hold your event. Whether it be a wedding, corporate event, social event, corporate meeting or retreat, we will find the perfect setting for you and your guests to thoroughly enjoy yourselves no matter the occasion. We will refer you to unique locations that are just right for the event.
Keys to our success in finding the right location on behalf of our clients include:
– Meeting with the client to learn the specifics of their event (size, time of day, geographic locations), what is the purpose, what type of environment are they looking for (relaxed, casual, upscale and elegant or something in between)?
– Determining if this is a themed based event. If this is the case, we base our search for unique venues around the theme.
– We utilize various avenues when searching for venues, the internet, local convention bureau, word of mouth from other vendors/event planners.
– Once we’ve narrowed down the search to two to three strong contenders, we will do a physical walk-thru of the venue to ensure that it meets all of the requirements/desires and needs of our clients.
Something else to think about with unique venues is that depending on the type of venue, you may not have to decorate, as the décor with the venue’s uniqueness may already be in place.
There is something about hosting your event at a unique, out of the box location that makes people say “WOW!”
Happy planning!