Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
WHERE you hold your event is another big factor in the success of your endeavor. The WHERE includes the location and the venue.
Start by making a list of what you want in your ideal location and venue.
When choosing a location, you should consider the following:
- What region, state or city do you want to hold your meeting in?
- Where will attendees be coming from?
- Is there a place that is centrally located for your attendees?
- Will your attendees be flying or driving to the location?
- Are there any local or statewide policies or practices that might make a location a bad choice for your organization?
Remember that attendees may avoid meetings that are difficult to get to. Once you have determined the location, now it’s time to select the site/venue.
Start the venue selection process by creating a RFP (Request for Proposal). Marco Promotional
Products in their article entitled You’ve Been Asked to Plan an Event. Now What??, states that
your RFP should list, in writing, specifically how the venue can assist you in creating a successful
event. A well written RFP should include:
- Requestor’s basic contact information (name, title, organization, address, phone, email, etc.)
- Preferred dates and alternate dates, if applicable
- Name of event
- Meeting goals and objectives
- Copy of agenda
- Expected number of attendees including a description of the average guest
- History or background on this event
- Projected budget
- Room blocks needed (dates and numbers of guest rooms)
- Details regarding food and beverage, audio-visual, sleeping rooms and accessibility requirements
- Proposal due date with a request to hold the space until a specific date
Share your RFP with the selected venue(s).
Be sure to get onsite contact information for each selected property. Note that your RPP can be
shared with multiple venues if you are soliciting information from several sites.
Here are a few more things you need to consider when selecting an event site:
High-end, full service hotel
Hotel with free breakfast and Wi-Fi service
Downtown or suburban property
Food and beverage service
Function space (Meals; general and breakout sessions; office, storage, or registration space)
- Sleeping room rate
- Attrition rate
- Billing/payment options (Credit card; direct bill payment invoiced at the conclusion of the event)
- Services (Parking; audiovisual needs; VIP services)
- Off-site Venues: Will you have events that are held outside of your host hotel? Remember that you may incur additional expenses for transportation and staffing.
Where can you find site selection information?
Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau
Where can you find site selection information?
Local Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVB) can provide a wealth of information and resources. Be
sure to check them out, even for local events.
Here is what you should do once you have selected your location/site:
- Schedule a site visit
- Review and negotiate the venue contract
- The venue will provide you with a set of Banquet Event Orders (BEOs). The Banquet Event Order is a document that outlines all the details of an event. BEOs serve as the venue’s set of directions for the event. You want to be familiar with the BEO’s so you can ensure all the timing, logistics and details provided by the venue are correct.
- Schedule a pre-conference (Pre-Con) meeting
- Have a contingency plan for unexpected complications, i.e., bad weather, global pandemics, etc. Have an alternate location and date ready.
Additional Resources
- MeetingsNet; Your Legal Primer for 2018
- You’ve Been Asked to Plan an Event. Now What??: Step 4 - Selecting the Best Site
(December 2014) Marco Promotional Products -www.marcopromos.com - Meetings and Event Planning Playbook by Debi Schol & Susan Losurdo © 2018 Barrel Maker Publishing, p. 27, 31-32
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