There are several types of corporate events. The range may go from the traditional refresher training to the most “frivolous” public celebrations, by way of conferences, lectures, and conventions. The size and the opulence of each event depend on at least two factors: the size of the company that is organizing the event; and the strategic importance of the event itself in a hypothetical corporate palimpsest (which probably includes a series of similar – bigger or smaller – events).
For each corporate event, the first – and often most important – challenge consists in choosing the right location. As we said before, those events are anything but similar to each other, so picking the right venue is crucial for a successful outcome. That’s why many societies specialized in finding and setting up the right place for each type of occasion. For example, in terms of corporate event venues, London is a sort of promised land, for a series of reasons. First of all, in the British capital, there is the largest number of big companies and corporations’ headquarters, and many of them have provided themselves with their own private venues, which are consequently customized exactly to their needs. Secondly, London is a very “worldly” city, that overflows with events (both public and private), so finding a venue that fits with a company’s needs should be, in the majority of the cases, relatively simple. And eventually, London is the homeland of pop-up events and pop-up venues, locations used to host totally different activities that are temporarily reconfigured for that specific purpose: for instance, the shopping centers (part of them, obviously) scattered around the city center can often be used in that sense. Nevertheless, over the years, many temporary venues have popped up in the suburban areas as well.
If London seems to offer a huge variety of solutions for every kind of corporate event, how to deal with all the problems implied in this kind of task when the venue has to be located in a less “equipped” and/or developed city? How to detect the right location? May it stay hidden in an apparently “unexpected”, or even “unfit” place? How to recognize it? Here are a few tips that should guide you on the right track.
Trust the public administrations/institutions. From the municipality to all the city councillorships, they can often direct you to the best places, or at least they can give you some precious advice. Some municipalities – in particular in Germany, France, and Italy – even have a specific department whose main task is helping all the private organizations find a public venue for their events.
Verify the venue’s size, the number of seats, and all the accessory features. All the activities scheduled inside the event must be hosted in an appropriate place, large enough to allow the performers (will they be simple lecturers or performing artists) to express themselves safely and the audience to attend the event in the most comfortable manner. Remember that nobody is willing to spend a long period of time in an uncomfortable situation, therefore even the smallest trifles must be verified. For example: is the heating system working? Are the room’s lights adapted to the event’s requirements? Are the access routes easily identifiable, or do they need specific signage? Are the sanitary facilities clean and properly working?
Verify the presence of any necessary technical equipment. Sometimes an event needs a venue with special features: a wall audio system fit for music performances, or a screen and a hi-res video projector that allow the lecturers to show videos, pictures, graphics, and slides. Microphones and other acoustic instruments must be checked in advance like it was an actual soundcheck. Be sure that all the electronic devices are provided with the right cables, especially if they must be plugged into a video projector and/or a sound system.
Check the mobility and the presence of public transport nearby. Whether it be located in the city center or in the suburbs, a venue must be reachable in a quite easy way, both by private and public means of transportation. Be sure that the location you’re about to choose is well linked to the main railway, underground, and bus stations inside the urban fabric. Nobody will attend an event located in a place that takes hours to be reached.
