Things to consider before booking a venue for hire

Here are 5 things to consider before booking a venue for hire

Booking a venue for hire can be one of the most exciting parts of the event planning process; finding a venue perfectly suited to your unique requirements, discovering it’s free on the exact date(s) you need it, and securing it before anyone else does – quite the excitement. 

But, as with so many aspects of event planning – whether ongoing or one-off, booking the ideal venue for hire can sometimes be complex or, with so much choice available, it can simply feel difficult to choose the right one. 

So, to help you secure the ideal venue for your club, group, or next meeting or event as easily as possible, we’ve put together the following tips: 5 things to consider before booking a venue for hire (and how the team at Schoolhire Solutions Ltd. can help!)

5 things to consider before booking a venue for hire

1. Is the venue large enough? Whether you’re planning to lead a regular class to 30 people or host a charity dinner for 200 people, size matters! Ensuring a venue for hire is the right size for your needs – and can comfortably accommodate the amount of people you need or are expecting to attend is extremely important to the venue hire/event planning process. Always look for maximum or minimum capacities, pictures of the venue undressed and dressed, and – if you’re unsure of the size of the venue – get in touch! 
2. Is there [enough] parking? Parking is something we write about often here at Schoolhire Solutions Ltd., because it’s an element of venue hire that’s simply so important. Always check in an available venue’s description and/or notes whether there is parking available at the site or close to it. Not all venues have parking on site but, if they don’t, they often have on-street parking available or there will be parking available at a site close to the venue in question; which is all important information to know and to pass on to your attendees. One wonderful thing about school facilities for hire is that schools often boast on-site parking which can be made available for events. 
3. Does the venue already have all the equipment you need? Different events require different set ups and, as such, it’s good practice to check what the venue for hire already has available to any hirers, and therefore what you may need to provide/bring yourself. Not all venues, for example, will have kitchen equipment or spare tables & chairs, but most will have some kind of set up for AV. Another great aspect of school lettings is that schools are equipped for a multitude of different learning styles and educational events such as whole school assemblies and theatre performances, and therefore often possess stages, chairs, tables and basic AV equipment. 
4. Is the venue popular? Although it may not be the most obvious of questions to ask before booking a venue for hire, understanding whether a venue is particularly popular is going to provide you with an understanding of how booked up it gets, and therefore how far in advance you need to book in order to secure your desired date. As such, choosing the date(s) of your event(s) is one of the first things you’ll need to do; followed by matching those dates up with venues you’re interested in. The earlier you can secure a date in the diary of the venue you want, the better! 
5. How easy is the venue to get to? If the venue you’re interested in is easy to get to – by driving and by public transport – it’s more likely to attract more attendees. Always check local bus routes and check out the distance between your potential venue and any train stations. Another fantastic element of school hiring is that schools are very often located close to bus routes and train stations, making them easy for everyone to get to! 

And, once you’ve found your ideal venue for hire that ticks all of these boxes, contact the team at Schoolhire Solutions Ltd. to book your date(s).

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