1. Ask the Right Questions
Site inspections are about more than just how cool a space looks or how many people it can hold. You also need to consider the infrastructure of the venue and the needs of your particular event. So come armed with a list of questions for the venue manager, advises Fred Seidler, director of sales at Chelsea venue Metropolitan Pavilion. Some of the basic questions: Ask about any additional fees for staffing, equipment, services, cleanup, bar service, catering, and audiovisual production. Find out the size of the facility, including ceiling height and capacities. Ask if outside vendors are allowed, and if an on-site event professional is available to assist with logistics. Make sure bathrooms and storage facilities are adequate. Ask about proper outlets and amperage. Finally, find out if the venue has an open flame permit.
Melissa Stevens, director of events marketing for the Hearst Corporation, always asks managers of large venues like hotels if her group will have the venue exclusively, or if other events will happen at the same time. “We want to be the only one,” she says. “That way all the attention is focused on our group, and there’s no confusion about which conference room our event is in.” Another reason exclusivity is a plus: It impacts load-in and breakdown times. “You don’t want your contract to say you have to be out of a luncheon by 4 PM because they have an evening event coming in.”
2. Bring Your Vendor
Even if you’ve worked with a venue in the past, it’s helpful to go on site inspections with the vendors you’ll be using for an event, says Scharff Weisberg’s Peter Scharff. “I can’t tell you how many times people don’t want to [go on site inspections]. It’s a fight sometimes to get clients to understand how critical it is [to making sure] their expectations are met. There’s nothing like being in the same room at the same time. Sometimes you come up with a great idea together, or they tell you something about the event that they hadn’t before.” In fact, Scharff recommends having production meetings in the venue rather than an office to help facilitate ideas and address issues. “When we do site surveys with clients, problems are minimized considerably.”
3. Power Up
It seems like a no-brainer, but make sure the venue has enough energy to fuel your event. “Always meet with the venue’s technical engineer—or bring your own—to ensure the venue can accommodate your power requirements,” says Alice Turner, executive vice president of event firm the Experiential Agency (XA)/New York. “If not, bring your own generator.” That’s what designer Bronson van Wyck did when working on a reception on a daffodil farm in South Carolina. During the site inspection, the local electrician promised to rewire the tin shed where the event was taking place, but on the morning of the event, van Wyck learned it hadn’t been done. The generator he’d reserved “just in case” ended up powering the band, lanterns, and lighting for the surrounding trees. “You can never have too much power,” he says.
4. Consider All Guests
A crucial question to ask when doing site inspections is whether the venue is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “If even one guest shows up who’s disabled, and the venue is not compliant, you could have a very embarrassing situation on hand and a potential lawsuit,” says Chris Lipari of T & L Event Management LLC. Unfortunately, Lipari saw that issue overlooked at an old job.“At a research conference for a well-known investment bank, a presenter arrived in a wheelchair and was not able to access the stage to conduct his presentation,” he says. “[It was] a very embarrassing situation for all involved.”
5. Always Follow Up
After you’ve completed a preliminary site inspection and had all of your questions answered, follow up to ensure that all elements are indeed covered. “What is promised during walk-throughs or written in contracts means little the day of an event, when certain elements are missing,” says Gustavo Marcus, vice president of Urban Events. “Follow up a few days before to make sure all is in order and up to par.” Such foresight can prevent headaches like the one Turner experienced at a venue she used for an after-party: When she arrived to load in the night before, her crew discovered the venue staff had just painted the floor.“We literally had to watch the paint dry before we could set up,” she says.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
Posted 05.23.05
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2005 issue of the BiZBash Event Style Reporter.
Site inspections are about more than just how cool a space looks or how many people it can hold. You also need to consider the infrastructure of the venue and the needs of your particular event. So come armed with a list of questions for the venue manager, advises Fred Seidler, director of sales at Chelsea venue Metropolitan Pavilion. Some of the basic questions: Ask about any additional fees for staffing, equipment, services, cleanup, bar service, catering, and audiovisual production. Find out the size of the facility, including ceiling height and capacities. Ask if outside vendors are allowed, and if an on-site event professional is available to assist with logistics. Make sure bathrooms and storage facilities are adequate. Ask about proper outlets and amperage. Finally, find out if the venue has an open flame permit.
Melissa Stevens, director of events marketing for the Hearst Corporation, always asks managers of large venues like hotels if her group will have the venue exclusively, or if other events will happen at the same time. “We want to be the only one,” she says. “That way all the attention is focused on our group, and there’s no confusion about which conference room our event is in.” Another reason exclusivity is a plus: It impacts load-in and breakdown times. “You don’t want your contract to say you have to be out of a luncheon by 4 PM because they have an evening event coming in.”
2. Bring Your Vendor
Even if you’ve worked with a venue in the past, it’s helpful to go on site inspections with the vendors you’ll be using for an event, says Scharff Weisberg’s Peter Scharff. “I can’t tell you how many times people don’t want to [go on site inspections]. It’s a fight sometimes to get clients to understand how critical it is [to making sure] their expectations are met. There’s nothing like being in the same room at the same time. Sometimes you come up with a great idea together, or they tell you something about the event that they hadn’t before.” In fact, Scharff recommends having production meetings in the venue rather than an office to help facilitate ideas and address issues. “When we do site surveys with clients, problems are minimized considerably.”
3. Power Up
It seems like a no-brainer, but make sure the venue has enough energy to fuel your event. “Always meet with the venue’s technical engineer—or bring your own—to ensure the venue can accommodate your power requirements,” says Alice Turner, executive vice president of event firm the Experiential Agency (XA)/New York. “If not, bring your own generator.” That’s what designer Bronson van Wyck did when working on a reception on a daffodil farm in South Carolina. During the site inspection, the local electrician promised to rewire the tin shed where the event was taking place, but on the morning of the event, van Wyck learned it hadn’t been done. The generator he’d reserved “just in case” ended up powering the band, lanterns, and lighting for the surrounding trees. “You can never have too much power,” he says.
4. Consider All Guests
A crucial question to ask when doing site inspections is whether the venue is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “If even one guest shows up who’s disabled, and the venue is not compliant, you could have a very embarrassing situation on hand and a potential lawsuit,” says Chris Lipari of T & L Event Management LLC. Unfortunately, Lipari saw that issue overlooked at an old job.“At a research conference for a well-known investment bank, a presenter arrived in a wheelchair and was not able to access the stage to conduct his presentation,” he says. “[It was] a very embarrassing situation for all involved.”
5. Always Follow Up
After you’ve completed a preliminary site inspection and had all of your questions answered, follow up to ensure that all elements are indeed covered. “What is promised during walk-throughs or written in contracts means little the day of an event, when certain elements are missing,” says Gustavo Marcus, vice president of Urban Events. “Follow up a few days before to make sure all is in order and up to par.” Such foresight can prevent headaches like the one Turner experienced at a venue she used for an after-party: When she arrived to load in the night before, her crew discovered the venue staff had just painted the floor.“We literally had to watch the paint dry before we could set up,” she says.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
Posted 05.23.05
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2005 issue of the BiZBash Event Style Reporter.
