Page 3 - PA Life UK Venues Guide 2015-16

WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER
PAUL ROWNEY, PUBLISHER
Selecting a venue for your next event is a major decision involving many thousands of pounds. Here are some suggestions for making that choice easier
and ensuring on the day it runs according to plan.
before the event with someone who has not been included in the discussions beforehand (your Boss), can lead to many last-minute amendments and changes to the itinerary. This cannot only affect the smooth running of your event, but make the final invoice a lot higher.
When visiting the venue make sure you see all the meeting rooms then ask to see their best and their worst bedrooms. Ascertain when the bedrooms were last updated and if only some of the rooms have been renovated, make sure your guests get the new rooms. Also ask if they are planning any further renovations
or building works while your event is taking place. Many a conference has been ruined by the sound of builders working next door!
Sample the food and have a look round the kitchens to make sure they are of a standard you would expect. Check on how they deal with any special dietary requests, and how much notice they need to process them.
Ask to meet the person you will be dealing with on the day-and they will be there when you arrive. Frequently, if your event sets up on a Sunday, you may find on arrival you are dealing with a junior banqueting executive who knows little about your requirements.
When you arrive make sure you and your contact run through the whole itinerary to ensure that everything you asked for is on their operations sheet. This will allow you to make any last minute alterations and check that any recent changes have been updated by the hotel.
Check with your banqueting executive how you can contact them during the day. In large hotels it can sometimes be extremely difficult to find someone quickly when a problem occurs. Get their mobile number!
Signing off on bar bills etc. Venues can
be very quick to demand the organiser’s signature on a bar or banqueting bill. Never sign these before carefully checking them through. Occasionally extra costs, even someone else’s bill, can get included and once you have signed, it can be difficult to get it corrected.
If you are a first-time user of the hotel they may well ask for all the expected revenue upfront. Try to avoid paying this as it leaves you no leverage if any problems occur. Even 10% held back gives you some bargaining power to right any wrongs.
Now, browse through the 58 venues in this guide and start making that shortlist!
The starting point in selecting any venue is, once you
have made a ‘long list’, is to create an RFP (request for proposal) or an RFQ (request for quote) for each one. Many venue websites will have a blank one of these for you to fill
in so they can provide you with an accurate price for your proposed event. It’s crucial you provide the venue with as much information as possible to ensure you get a realistic idea of all the costs.
Having narrowed down your choice based on the RFPs:
What ever you do, a personal visit is a must, along with anyone else in the decision- making process. Arriving at the hotel the day
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