Location, location, location: why the location of your networking/event can make or break its success

(Posted on 17/06/24)

When planning an event, whether it’s a training session for your staff, corporate hospitality for your clients or a celebration of any kind for your business, there are so many factors to consider. What’s the format? Who to invite? When would be the best time of year to hold it? What would be the preferred time of day? One of the most important factors to consider is, of course, the location. In fact, this might be the most significant choice you make for the event.

 

Convenience of location

The initial search for suitable venues for your event will throw up a bewildering array of choices. Hotels, conference centres, theme parks, the list can seem endless. It’s important not to get carried away. You may fall in love with the idea of holding your event at a fairytale castle, reached only by boat and then only at high tide, but this is probably not the most practical choice. You want your guests to have a day to remember, but for all the right reasons. Your venue needs to be both straightforward to reach, and easy to find.

 

Sustainable choice of venue

Many of your delegates may prefer to travel to your event by car, in which case car sharing should be encouraged, for economic and environmental reasons. However, where possible, ease of public transport connections should be prioritised too. Venues close to main railway hubs may not always be the most attractive, but visitors will appreciate having the option of stepping off a train and just finding their destination a short stroll away. If your event is due to last a full day, the proximity of a station will also encourage them to stay for the duration too. If your guests know they have a choice of trains to get home this will remove their fear of getting stuck in rush hour traffic and their desire to get away by mid-afternoon at the latest, which may lead to them feeling a little ‘twitchy’ from lunch time onwards.

 

Environmental standards

With ‘green’ issues very much front of mind, we should all be taking environmental credentials very seriously. The hospitality sector generates 920,000 tonnes of food waste each year, with carbon emissions of more than eight million tonnes (Source: British Business Bank). Keep an eye out for venues that source food locally and seasonally to reduce their carbon footprint. Many venues now use smart technology to cut down on lighting and air conditioning, as well as taking steps to reduce water usage and eliminate single use plastics altogether. Many of your guests, particularly younger generations, will be more inclined to attend the event if you can demonstrate the efforts you are making to decrease its environmental impact.

 

What else is in the area?

Getting away from it all for an event may sometimes be a good way to focus minds, but choosing a location that means a very early start from home or a very late return at night is unlikely to be appreciated by all your attendees. If you are planning an all-day event, your guests will appreciate having the option of coming up the night before and/ or staying over the following night. This means it is worth thinking about your location in terms of availability of overnight accommodation nearby. If the venue itself does not offer overnight hospitality, is there a good range of hotels in the immediate area to suit a variety of budgets? Providing details of hotels to be found close by, within your invitation, is always helpful.

 

If you are planning an event, get in touch with our experienced team to see how we can help you with event management. From sourcing the right venue for you, to attending on the day, we can take care of all the details.