There are fewer things more “human” than people gathering to honour important milestones together. From drum circles way back in The Stone Age, to the first OktoberFest in Gregorian Germany, to parties in the modern day, we’ve been throwing events since we were finger painting on cave walls. Although society has changed a lot since then, our propensity for gathering together has not.
The communal energy emanating from a room full of people with shared common ground is something really special. Whether it’s a celebration, a reflection, or a work function, events come in all shapes and sizes. From birthdays to anniversaries, weddings to networking, we sure do love to get together and celebrate. But lest not forget. Behind every great event is even better event planning. So if you’re reading this, we’ll take a wild guess and say that you’ve got an important event on the horizon that needs organising. Are you looking for a wedding reception venue? Or a space to host your company’s award ceremony? How about a private venue for your upcoming networking event? Or a site to throw your unique private event?
We get it - no matter the occasion there are so many components to consider when event planning. Food. Drinks. Dress code. But perhaps the most important component of them all: selecting your venue. When it comes to event planning, venue hire is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. And when it comes to private hire, there are many things to consider: amenities, size, and availability (to name a few).
The venue sets the tone, determines your guests’ mood, and thus: can make or break your event’s success. Choosing a venue is hard enough, but where the options are seemingly limitless, it can feel overwhelming. We hear you: “What is the best way in selecting a venue for an event?” Ah, decisions, decisions, decisions…Fear not, we at Proud are here to help you. Here’s our take on the best way to select a venue for private hire
Research and Consider Your Private Hire Options
First things first. The initial step in selecting your venue hire is to take a research deep-dive. Look - when it concerns event planning, there’s no such thing as too much research. And of course this rings true when booking a private hire.
We at Proud Group are great lovers of writing things down - it helps bring ideas to life. So when you’re in the initial research stages for private hire, try to make a list of potential venues that catch your eye. Note the location, capacity and seating arrangements, along with the pros and cons of each space. Does it have good, aesthetic interiors fit to host your dream event?
What about nearby parking for your attendees? Is the private hire within your budget? Is there contract flexibility for the venue in case something happens? Does the space have good acoustics for any live music or DJ sets you may want to include in your night? This may seem a bit tedious and unnecessary, but we couldn’t disagree more. You know what they say: failing to prepare means preparing to fail.
Oh - and how could we forget? When it concerns looking into private hire, reviews are your best friend. Make sure to traipse Tripadvisor and Google Reviews when researching a private hire space. This will give real insight into the venue’s reputation and how previous customers found working with the venue.
Evaluate the Private Hire Venue
Step two! Once you have refined your list of potential private venues, it’s time to seriously evaluate each one. We suggest booking visits to take a tour of each venue. Seeing a venue in real life is really the only way to conceptualise what you’re signing up for. Make sure to ask lots of questions about the services and amenities that are offered.
Consider the following: does it have amenities? Is the space ambient and accessible? Does the venue provide food and music? If so, does the menu align with your guests' dietary requirements? What’s the layout like? And is the layout open for reorganisation to fit your event's vision? Does it have the capacity to host your event? Is there available space for your guest to dance and network? Is it in a good location and easily reachable for your guests? And most importantly - does it look like a space where your guests would have an awesome time?
This may seem like a lot. But we’re giving you the 4-1-1 on the best way to select a venue for an event so you don’t have to fret about it in the future.
Check Availability and Book the Private Venue
So you’ve found your dream venue. The next step? Check the availability - and if lo and behold it’s free - book the private hire venue. The venue may be free on the day you want, but it may not have the time slot you were hoping for. So make sure that the venue is free during the time you need, too. This may seem silly, but we’ve lost count of the times we’ve heard of someone booking the right venue at the completely wrong time.
But don’t worry! It’s an honest mistake - and we’re here to remind you of things like this. Once the date and time have been decided, enquire about any additional costs or fees that may be associated with the space. Hidden costs are not the surprise you want when your event is about to kick off! When presented with a contract, make sure to take the time to read it carefully. Like we said before: when it comes to private hire, there’s no such thing as being too thorough. Trust us, you’ll thank us later.
Conclusion
Look, we’re not pretending that choosing a venue for your event isn’t an unnerving task. But with our help, it’s a lot less daunting. Now you’ve got the 4-1-1 on all things to consider when looking into private hire, and the best way in selecting a private venue for your event.
We’ll leave you with one last thing: by organic research and evaluating your options, you can find your perfect venue and bring your dream event to life. Got a wedding, birthday celebration, networking event, anniversary, or otherwise coming up? Now you can book to your heart’s content!