Without question, your venue is important. Surroundings are a tremendous part of the attendee experience. If you want them to leave talking about your message, your objective for venue selection should be to find one that truly fits. You know there are tons of questions to ask. Here are five.

1. Is it convenient for my attendees? For a national convention, the city needs an airport with direct flights to and from other large metropolitan areas. In this case, your audience is probably not just coming for your event so a nice balance of “stuff to do” within walking distance of the anchor venue is a big plus. For a local or regional event, ask yourself how easily it is to drive there…and when they get there, is it easy and affordable to park?
2. How’s the weather? Example: Minneapolis is wonderful in July but there’s a good reason such fine space is available so cheap in December.
3. How big is the room for the General Session? Would you prefer standing room only to a bunch of empty seats or do you think you’re better off with some room to spare? If your attendee numbers are variable, are there air walls or other available elements that can help you minimize the empty space?
4. What is the facility’s policy on audio visual? Large variances in what venues consider policy and what is negotiable. Patch fees? Outside vendors? What are the options, the tradeoffs?
5. Is there construction planned on or around the venue at the time of your event? If the answer is, “I don’t know,” your response is, “Where can I find out?” Noise, dirt and traffic are elements that can impact your attendee experience and having you say, “I wish I’d known…”

One way to simplify your workload, especially if you’re looking at Denver, is to call Multimedia Audio Visual first. We know the places and the right answers. If we know your objectives, your audience and your message, we can do more than make recommendations. We’ve encountered the dead spots that affect wireless transmissions and the service hallways that weren’t thought all the way through and we know the workarounds. With 18 years of experience and community involvement, we’re plugged in to every joint in town and we’re happy to play matchmaker.

Do you have a “wish I’d asked,” story? We’d love to hear it.