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EVENTS, TRAVEL AND HOLIDAYS IN UK

Business Events

Planning Business Events in the UK: Venues, Costs and Checklists

Organizing business events is diverse and complex. For example, a conference for 300 people and a product launch for 40 people cannot be treated the same way, and a networking event in which people converse with a drink cannot be regarded as similar either. This guide attempts to outline the details that are important for business events in general, and the details that require different event planning.

What type of event is it?

Knowing the answer to this question allows you to make the majority of planning decisions, especially the venue booking.

Conferences and seminars are content driven events where the audience participates in the talks and workshops. Therefore, venues need audio visual elements, breakout spaces as well as optimal locations for the audience to be able to view and hear the speakers.

Product launches need to leave an impressive impact. The venue needs to be the correct size and dimensions to accommodate the attendees and attract the media as well. Networking events are different because they center around fluid movement and conversation. The venue would need excellent acoustics and enough space so that people are not crowded.

Award ceremonies and gala dinners are very similar to weddings in terms of what they demand from a venue. They require staging, a full dinner service, and enough polish to make it feel like an occasion, as opposed to a corporate meeting with good lighting.

Venue basics that apply across most business events

There are a handful of things that are worth checking regardless of event type.

  • How many people does it actually fit given your preferred layout? (Theatre style seating accommodates more people, but is not conducive for a dinner setting, hence a more corporate type of event).
  • Do they have AV? Or do you have to bring it?
  • Do they have adequate private or breakout meeting rooms?
  • Is it accessible for your presenters?
  • Is parking and adequate transport available?

Catering and AV: the two big variable costs

Catering and AV often dictate the budget more than the room hire. Catering especially is extremely variable. A lunch buffet and a three-course dinner are completely different costs, as are drinks that are either capped or unplanned.

You should consult an external AV supplier − assuming a venue’s in-house provision will suffice is a mistake. A standard seminar may only require a projector with an accompanying microphone. However, a product launch that includes video and requires multiple displays demands a specialist AV supplier who should be contracted well in advance, not brought in two weeks before the event as an afterthought.

Choosing a Location: London, Birmingham, and Wales

London

With a large number of international guests, the choice for the most accessible location is of course, London. Due to the high volume of demand, you may need to book venues for your preferred date well in advance as London is the most costly and most booked location. Caterers will need to be contracted alongside the venue hire.

Birmingham

Birmingham is a great central location that offers a wide range of conference and exhibition venues (larger venues that are still reasonably priced compared with London) for events with a large number of attendees from the Midlands and North. Birmingham also offers great transport links to the city centre.

Wales

Cardiff has a large range of venue options that can accommodate the needs of most large scale business events. However, outside Cardiff, options for large scale, formal business events cease to exist. Therefore, anything beyond a small regional gathering is likely better placed in the capital.

A convenient seasonal calendar

Some months book out fast for specific reasons:

  • Autumn (September to November) is busy for conferences and awards to avoid the summer holiday and the Christmas party rush in December.
  • Venues for December events book out fast, as Christmas parties and gala dinners fill all the conference-standard bookings.
  • January and February typically have more venue availability and better rates, especially if your date is flexible.

Plan ahead

This is all simple knowledge, but many business events go wrong for the simple reason of not planning the basics. AV is forgotten and booked last minute, catering is planned and booked without considering dietary requirements, and there is a venue that looks perfect, but doesn’t have the necessary breakout space when the agenda is altered.

The following location guides have a breakdown of venues as well as avialablility and pricing in London, Birmingham, and Wales. This will allow you to create a short list of venues specific to the type of event you’re planning, rather than a generic short list.