When you are planning an event for your association, it’s good to know the importance of site visits.
Familiarising yourself with the space available to you for your event is important and it’s not always easy to understand the space through pictures and floorplans. Site visits are a great way to be able to walk around the venue with your venue contacts and get to know the space, to discover and utilise everything that will be available to you on your conference or event day.
Not only can you check out the venue, but you can also visit the surrounding areas. This could include local hotels, restaurants or activities for your delegates to take part in out with your conference. A site visit is particularly great if you’re not fully familiar with the location or if you are going somewhere that you’ve never been before.
Site visits at venues
Your venue partners can give you a guided tour of the rooms that you are using, plus explanations of other rooms available for your use should you need them. It’s also great to be able to chat to the venue about the different ideas you have for your conference, or any activities you have planned, as they might be able to help organise rooms which are suitable for use or suggest some different areas or activities that you could do with your delegates. While visiting your venue it’s a great opportunity to meet your key contacts i.e. catering partners, AV team etc.
It’s good to see the exhibition space and identify where the power supply is and if there are any unexpected features of the space like pillars or a lower ceiling which may have an effect on your exhibitors. Seeing this space can greatly help your sales team organise the floor plan for your conference.
It can be hard to envision what your event will look like but by speaking with the venue, they will be able to advise on all aspects, from room space to décor. Some venues, like the ACC, in Liverpool, have the ability to project things to the wall, this could be a social media feed or your event logo. These little things can really help bring your event to life on the day.
Site Visits at Hotels
You can also do site visits at the hotels that you, your conference organisers, and trustees may be staying at. This is a great opportunity to look at some recommended hotels and see which hotels are most suitable nearby. You can carry out site visits to these hotels, where they will show you the rooms available, as well as the different options for dining and anything else that may be appropriate for your delegates.
Additionally, if you’re thinking of holding a social event or a gala dinner for your delegates, this is an ideal time to check out your venue options.
While traveling to your site visit, it also gives you a good idea of how long it will take delegates to get there. If you travel by car, you will gain an insight into the route and parking options, while if you travel by train, you can find out about the proximity of the train station to your venue and hotels.
When you’re planning your conference, keep in mind the importance of site visits, they will help inspire you in the overall organisation of your event. Find out more about events Fitwise have run through our case studies.
If you want some inspiration on where to host your next event, check out hosting your association event in Scotland.