Tag – Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Venue
If you have a big event to book, perhaps a wedding or a corporate affair, it may seem at first you’ll never find the perfect venue to hire.
After all, there are so many different aspects to think about: from price to capacity, whether it’s easily accessible and if it falls in line with your chosen theme.
Don’t panic; asking the venue the right questions before confirming your booking will help you get all the information you need and minimise the risk of any issues cropping up later.
Once you’ve found your perfect venue that ticks all the boxes, it can be tempting to sign up immediately. But before you go ahead and sign on the dotted line, ask these 4 questions:
1. What’s Included in the Price and How Will it be Paid?
Before you sign, you need to know how much it’s going to cost. A lot of the time, you’ll have a budget in place you want to follow.
And it’s also a good idea to get a breakdown of the price so you can see exactly what’s included. It’s easy to assume that certain things, like water, will be free of charge whilst you’re there, but always double check to avoid any surprises.
Secondly, it may be worthwhile asking the cost difference if you were to hire on a weekday as opposed to a weekend; many are cheaper to book during the week.
Once you’ve cleared these details, you’ll want to ask about the deposit and payment schedule too. Most venues will require a deposit at the time of booking and then request final payments a few weeks, or even days, before the big day.
2. What is the Cancellation Policy?
Even when you’ve planned everything down the T, unexpected issues can arise and cause events to be cancelled – COVID-19 is the biggest example!
Keep in mind that not all venues will have the same cancellation policies as they vary enormously – even with prominent hotel brands.
In some instances, cancellation fees can be as much as 100% and up to 60 days ahead of the event, so you’ll want to check how much it will cost you to cancel.
Along with this, you could check if there would still be a cancellation fee if you’re able to resell your event date and whether you are entitled to gain anything back if successfully done – if so, make sure this is stated in your contract.
3. What Amenities Are There?
The features of the venue is another important aspect to consider.
Of course it will depend on the type of event you’re hosting. For instance, if it’s a business event, you may want to check if the venue has wifi and if so, if there’s any charges for using it.
Plus, knowing what kind of amenities are there will affect how comfortable your guests are, such as how many restrooms are there and where are they located?
In addition, your event may require you to use audio-visual equipment and other technology. The equipment you need will depend on your event, but check to see what’s included in your hire, e.g. speakers, projectors, screens etc.
Lastly, do not assume that parking is free – many people have found themselves with a large bill after an event because they thought it was included.
In some cases, venue’s may ask to note down registration plates of everyone attending to stop non-guests from parking at the venue. You may want to also check how many parking spaces there are available as not all of your guests may be guaranteed a spot.
4. Can You Bring Outside Suppliers?
Generally speaking, the norm is venues will not allow outside suppliers because they prefer their guests to use their in-house caterers and staff.
On some occasions, they may suggest to you their preferred list of suppliers they are happy to work with.
This is especially important to ask if you had specific suppliers in mind you wished to use, so it’s worth asking if you can bring your own as some venues can be lenient.
If the idea of bringing outside suppliers does get rejected, you can ask the venue how flexible their caterers are in terms of dietary requirements, i.e. no nuts, kosher, halal, gluten free, vegan etc.
On the same note, alcohol is a good topic to discuss. Some venues may have corkage fees if guests want to use their own alcohol suppliers and can even disallow outside staff from working the event, like bartenders for example.
Wrapping Up
With so much detail you need to cover when planning an event, it can be easy to forget about the finer details that come with hiring a venue. But knowing everything will determine how smoothly things will run on your big day – the last thing you want is any unexpected costs!
So before signing any contract, make sure to ask these important questions above and always read the fine print!
Want to know more? Get in touch today.
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