If you're in charge of choosing the conference centre for your company's event, product launch or meeting, then you might already know what you need and where you'll choose.
Alternatively, you might not know where to start.
Here's what you need to think about.
1.
You'll want some idea as to whereabouts in the country the event is being held.
Perhaps you have a city in mind, and want somewhere suitable.
You might want somewhere relatively central to make it easy for all delegates to get to, or you might want somewhere near your company.
2.
You'll then need to establish how many people the venue will need to hold.
There's no point in booking a venue that's too big or too small, as your guests won't appreciate it.
3.
You'll need to know when the event will be held, so that you can send out invitations in plenty of time.
In addition, you might need to take the weather into account, if your event is to be held in the midst of summer or the depths of winter.
4.
By being able to book well in advance, you'll have more chance of securing your first choice venue.
Conference centres in popular locations will be in use all year round, and so you'll need to get in early, if your want to get the most appropriate venue to meet the needs of your delegates.
5.
No matter which venue you choose, you'll need to ensure that it has the right facilities, so that your event can go ahead.
Will you need to supply projectors and screens? Will you have to bring your own PA system? What about lighting and microphones too? 6.
If you're holding your event over several days, or if you know that delegates will be travelling from all over the place, then you'll want to make sure that accommodation is offered.
7.
The room layout might be critical to the success of your event.
Will it be better for a portrait or landscape orientation, or will it not make any difference.
Do you need your delegates to be able to see what you're doing, or do they just need to be able to hear you.
8.
It's important that you establish whether refreshments and meals are included in the room hire.
You won't want your delegates to have to pay anything else, if they've had to pay to come to the event.
9.
Depending on the venue, and what sort of event you're holding, you might want sole use of the venue, so that you can be guaranteed that it will be quiet and free from interference and disruptions.
You might want to choose to ensure that you event venue won't be used by others when you're there.
10.
Above all, you'll want value for money, so that your delegates focus on the contents of the event, rather than the fact that they had to pay for food, or that the speakers had to bring their own projectors, and that the room wasn't big enough.
Now you know what you need to look for, you'll be able to book the perfect conference centre.