Exploring New and Unique Venues: A Personal Journey
When it comes to venue finding on behalf of my clients, I’m often asked whether I can recommend somewhere ‘new’ or suggest somewhere a little different to where they may have used before. It’s always good to have new ideas up my sleeve and so keeping up to date with new venue openings and those that have been refurbished in the UK and abroad is a vital part of my job and one which I absolutely love! Whether it’s a brand, shiny venue that is new to the market or a trusty faithful that has seen some major investment, it’s great to see our industry constantly evolving, enabling me to suggest a wide range of exciting options to my clients.
Highlights from the CHS Show: The Latest Venue Investments
I recently led some sessions in the PA Lounge at the CHS show in Birmingham where I spoke about some of those companies who are currently investing, refurbing and looking to open new properties in the next 12 months. The likes of Center Parcs and Down Hall in the UK have both seen major investment in their properties plus The Peninsula, Raffles London and Ocean Diva have all recently opened their doors for the first time in our capital. When it comes to overseas investment, Hyatt has 13 new openings worldwide between now and 2025 – an impressive addition to their already impressive portfolio!
The Challenge of International Venue Scouting
Whilst I try and visit as many new and refurbished venues in the UK as I can, it’s simply not as easy when it comes to checking out overseas properties. As much as I would like to be able to hop on a plane and visit far-flung locations; this simply isn’t feasible or practical and so this is where representation companies and DMCs (Destination Management Companies) come in. Whilst representation companies tend to act as middlemen, connecting you to venues you might not even know existed, a DMC is a one-stop-shop for organizing events in foreign locations and can handle pretty much everything from transportation to sourcing local suppliers. They have their feet on the ground (literally) and can be an invaluable font of all local knowledge which we all know is essential when it comes to planning events!
Navigating Venue Renovations and Event Planning
So what do you do if you are informed that an unexpected refurbishment is due to take place at the same time as your event? Unfortunately, this can, and does happen in our industry as there really is no ‘right’ time for a venue to complete renovations or undergo a makeover. A clear understanding of potential cancellation charges and your rights are an essential part of the event planning process, as is good communication with the venue to ascertain just exactly what the refurbishments mean in terms of noise levels, disruption, access etc. I would also recommend considering taking out event insurance as this can be an absolute life-saver when it comes to the unexpected. As a seasoned event planner, my advice would be to stay informed, be adaptable, and where possible, always have a plan B!
Get Inspired for Your Next Event in 2024 and Beyond
If you’re looking to plan an event in 2024 and beyond and would like some new venue inspiration or advice then please drop me a line and I would be more than happy to help.