When choosing the right venue for your event, most online help guides often consider the same items like :
- Location
- Food & beverage offerings & services
- Accessibility for your guests
- Ambiance
- Layout
- Decor
- Capacity
- Availability of parking
- Budget
- Availability on the date(s) you require
- Availability of rooms for guests to stay overnight or in close proximity to nearby hotels and guest houses etc.
- Venue relevance to event
In addition to these important items, I believe there are a few others which you should also consider, that I have seen make or break an event.
- How big is the room where you will be hosting your event? If the room is too big your guests will be spread out and the party will look like it's struggling from the beginning. Too small and you'll feel like a herd of sheep in a confinement pen.
- Is the bar situated in the main room or in a separate room or hallway? For parties that will involve a disco, I would always recommend choosing a venue that has the bar within the reception room, otherwise you will find many of your guests splitting off to get drinks reducing numbers on the floor. Maybe not such a big deal for parties with large numbers, but if your party size is small, anything that splits the party will reduce the energy levels.
- Location is often covered in terms of looks and surroundings, but another critical factor is transport option availability to/from your chosen venue. Will your guests be able to get to your venue without having to drive. The importance of this varies between event types. But if you have an idea that you would like to see everyone partying on the dancefloor until the wee hours of the morning, then it's advantageous if your guests can ditch their cars and really let their hair down.
- Accessibility for vendors. How easy will it be for vendors such as entertainers to load/unload their gear and transport their gear to your your chosen room and setup within the timings available. Entertainers may charge an extra fee or blacklist venues that have complicated / time consuming access points. So be prepared for knockbacks from entertainers if you choose a venue that they don't like in terms of these accessibility factors.
- Heating and ventilation. It's essential if you are hosting a summer event that the venue has adequate air conditioning and ventilation. Similarly adequate heating is needed for winter events. I have been to far too many events where either one of these was an issue.