How Do We Pick A Venue For Our Event / Activity?

You need to make sure you’re selecting a venue that’s appropriate for your activity and creates the best experience for the money your guests are paying. This includes physical facilities of the venue as well as its cost and location.

VENUE FACILITIES

Of course, the easiest way to rule out a venue is whether it can physically provide what you need! If you are a dance group, you probably do not want a space with a carpeted floor. If you are holding a guest speaker event, you probably need a facility that already has chairs and can provide teas and coffees. If hosting an event in winter, is there adequate heating?

You also need to think about accessibility: Are there stairs or alternatively a lift? Where are the toilets located in relation to the activity you are hosting? 

COST

For some activities, university spaces may be able to be used and best of all, they are often free of charge for student groups! You will need to check the rules of the space as there are strict rules around food and drinks in some buildings. For the rules of food and drink in SU spaces, please see this article.

External venues often come with either room hire charges for the space, or a cost per person for attendees (normally if there is food/drink or a service for each attendee provided by the venue). Depending on your activity, you will need to weigh up your options and select a venue within your budget. Find out more about creating a budget in our article: How Do We Budget For An Event And Set Our Ticket Prices?

MINIMUM CONTRACT NUMBERS / PRICE

For balls and similar events, venue hires often have minimum contract numbers for their spaces – being realistic about the number of attendees may shortlist some of your venue options. There’s no use holding an event at Lumley Castle with a minimum contract number of 100 guests, if you’ve only got 20 members! 

Don't be afraid to ask if they're willing to lower the minimum before sending us the contract to sign; you may be able to negotiate the minimum contract number of 100 to something in the region of 75-80, and at £30 per person, that could save you £600 if the event is not as popular as you imagined. 

REMEMBER
The SU must sign all contracts as we are the legal entity entering into the deal. If you sign the contract, YOU personally are liable for any shortfall in payment, any cancellation charges or penalties / extra charges - not the SU. 

LOCATION

The venue’s proximity to Durham is also something to think about as venues further away means you need to add transportation. Paying £1000 for coaches to get your 100 guests to Beamish Hall and back adds an extra £10 per person onto your ticket prices. You should also think about how could you upgrade a package at a venue in the centre of Durham for the same money. You might just end up with a better event, more attendees and an easier set-up and pack down experience too!

The ASK Team has links with lots of local venues, so feel free to ask if you need any help deciding on the best option for your event.

For any issues relating to accessing the links above, please get in touch here.