Planning an Event: How to Choose a London Events Venue

Many businesses, including those from outside of London, choose to hold events in the capital but can find the logistics daunting. How do you get all of the right people in the right place at the right time?

As a London venue, 20 Bedford Way has hosted many types of events including AGMs, conferences, award ceremonies and seminars from companies based in and outside of London. Drawing upon our extensive experience, we have compiled some tips on how to choose the ideal London events venue.

 

Planning an Event

 

The two most important questions when organising an event in London are ‘What is the purpose of the event?’ and ‘Who is it the event aimed at?’ When you know the answers then you are in a position to start organising the event in earnest.

When you have decided upon the type of event, you’ve chosen your speakers and you’ve even got a date in mind, your next decision is the venue.

Getting the people you want attending your event is all-important so identifying any obstacles that could prevent their attendance and overcoming them is an important part of the event planning process, especially when it comes to a venue. Read on to discover our venue-related event planning tips:

 

Location

When organising a London event, you have countless options in terms of location. Some London venues may have the ‘right’ postcode but are in fact difficult to access. When narrowing down the location, you should consider the following:

–  Which locations would your guests most like to attend an event?
–  What is the most convenient location for the majority of your guests to get to?
–  Are there several alternative ways to reach the venue? (after all, you don’t want your event to be ruined by a strike or delays!)

 

 

In order to determine this, think about:

–  How far will the majority of delegates travel from?
–  How will they be arriving – by Tube, train, car, bus?
–  Is there enough cost effective accommodation near by, if required 

 

Venue Capacity

How many people do you want to attend your event? Once you have that magic figure in mind, you can then start to narrow down your venue options further but don’t choose a room that is just big enough- always allow enough space for last minute, un-announced delegate arrivals!

 

Choosing an Event Venue

Once you have a shortlist of London events venues that meet your basic criteria, arrange to see as many potential venues as possible. The quality of the venue and the level of professionalism with which it is run will impact upon the success of your event and in turn your organisation.

When you are visiting each venue make sure you cover off everything you need to know – take a list of questions or have a checklist with you so that you have all the details you need to make your decision.

 

These questions should cover the following points:

 

Accessibility

Ensure that the venue is accessible for all guests – is the venue fully accessible for those with restricted mobility?

 

Layout

It is important to visualise your event and determine how you will utilise the event space. Walk the route your guests will take, consider if you need directional signage and any other dressings.

Ask yourself:

–  Do I need breakout spaces and are they located close to the main room?
–  Do I have the freedom and space to adjust the room layout on the day if need be?
–  Will I have VIP speakers or performers? Will they need a Green Room?
–  Do I need cloak room facilities?
–  How will I display any signage, banners, running orders, promotional boards?

 

Equipment

Ensuring that you have the necessary equipment, the people to operate it and ensure it is fully working on the day is essential. Make a list of required equipment, cross-reference it with what the venue provides and look into hiring anything that is missing. Allow sufficient time to set-up and carry out tests before the event and dismantle after the event. Consider:

 

 

–  Do any of the speakers/performers require specialist equipment?

–  Will I need to hire someone to operate the equipment?

–  What microphones will work best?

–  Is there Wi-Fi that can be accessed by all delegates and is it free?

–  Will guests have access to power sockets?

 

 

 

 

Event Catering

Food and drinks are very important when it comes to putting on a successful event. People that are hungry and thirsty are not happy!

–  How much time is available for breaks and how many people do I have to serve in that time?

–  What format will the breaks take: just re-fuelling or a chance to network?

–  What is the best catering provision for the event and how innovative are the solutions offered to me by the venue?

–  Do any of the guests have specialist dietary requirements and how well can the venue meet these?

 

 

Character

Memorable events often come from picking a unique venue, a place with genuine character or one that allows you to stamp your own identity on it. There are dozens of unique London venues available to hire and the chance to “get behind the scenes” of a venue not usually open to the public can be a real draw for your event.

 

Event Budget

Keeping on budget is always a challenge when it comes to event organising. It is therefore vitally important to keep a full and comprehensive list of all expenses. Closely monitoring expenditure is essential for any event so ensure you know all of the costs associated with your event and the venue in particular. These may include:

–  Additional staffing costs, especially “out of hours” costs
–  Speakers’ Fees
–  Equipment Hire
–  Catering Costs
–  Linen and glassware hire
–  Additional security costs

 

20 Bedford Way Events

 

20 Bedford is the perfect London venue, fulfilling all of the criteria:

 

Location – 20 Bedford Way is located just 10 minutes walk from Kings Cross, Euston, and St Pancras stations, making it ideal for people travelling into London. It is also located very close to Russell Square, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street tube stations.

 

Capacity – Our Logan Hall can seat up to 910 people with the Crush Hall available as a break out space. We have a range of smaller halls and rooms to suit all event sizes.

 

Accessibility – 20 Bedford Way is fully accessible to visitors with restricted mobility, including wheelchair users.

 

Layout – We pride ourselves on being a flexible and blank-canvas venue, happy to work with you to produce exactly the event that you want.

 

Character – 20 Bedford Way is a grade 2* listed building, a proud example of Brutalist architecture and our iconic venue is located in the historic Bloomsbury district of in Central London, famous for its academic, cultural and literary heritage.

 

Equipment – We have all the a/v equipment you will need to run most events with professional, full time technicians to support you.

 

Catering – At 20 Bedford Way, we offer a full range of catering options – from working lunches to buffets. 

 

Budget – We are an affordable venue, offering excellent value for money. Call us on 020 7612 6143 to discuss our rates.

 

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