Behind the Scenes of Venue Selection
Let's talk about venue selection and why it's important for your event, whether you're planning a market or something else entirely.
Finding the right venue is essential for creating a positive experience for your vendors and shoppers. The venue is also one of your top line expenses in your budget - so you want to make sure this cost aligns with what your anticipated revenues are.
To start: it's not just about finding a space; it’s about ensuring the venue aligns with the overall goal and the vibe of your event. For example, a market organizer hosting 80+ vendors needs to consider spaces with ample square footage and the ability to accommodate the logistics of setting up that many booths.
So today, we're giving you a sneak peek into our venue selection process!
Number 1: Access and the amount of time is key to a smooth vendor setup. We want to make sure we’ve had the venue approve the available setup times, understanding the importance of avoiding a tight turnaround. After all, a smooth load-in is crucial for minimizing stress for both the organizing team and the vendors.
Number 2: Know the available space that is available for you for your event. Just because you rent the main space doesn’t mean you have access to everything onsite including furniture. By having a good understanding of this it helps determine if additional furniture rentals are necessary to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for both vendors and guests and importantly comes to no surprise to you.
Number 3: A solid checklist of questions when you do your initial site inspection including knowledge about the sound system, is there WIFI, does the venue only work with certain suppliers that you can hire, what is the lighting setup, where are the power sources, what are the terms and conditions you will be liable for, is there any additional staffing fees that you might incur, waste management, what parking is available to you, and insurance requirements that the venue needs from you.
Number 4: Is the venue open to collaborating? Typically, venue fees are priced high for market organizers to make the numbers work at the full rate and collaborating is a great way to help reduce overhead costs. If the venue does confirm they are able to move on the rental cost than that means that you as the organizer will need to deliver on the expectations that were agreed upon.
Number 5: Finding a venue is very time consuming. I’ve been looking regularly since this time last year and have some warm leads but nothing is confirmed beyond what I have publicly shared at the moment. Something I try and strive for is to host at a venue where other markets are not currently being hosted to avoid confusion to shoppers. This is just my approach, but it's worth considering.
By carefully considering these factors, we go beyond just finding a space. We create a foundation for a successful and memorable Bespoke Market experience.
