How much time does a venue finder save you?

How long does venue finding take? Er, the short answer, longer than you think! Earlier this week, a long-standing client asked us to jot down how many hours she saves using our free venue finding and broker service. Her new boss wished to explore bringing it in-house and assess the overall value of using an agency. The question sparked our cogs and made us ponder the answer.

So here goes… Naturally, to work out the tasks and times, we needed to start with a ‘typical event’ brief. Once again, we were scratching our heads. As all seasoned event profs know, there is nothing standard about events. After 15 years in the industry, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected. That said, we needed a rough estimation, for instance, a full-day event for 100 delegates. Next, we listed all the actions involved in sourcing, researching, booking and hosting an event. Then, the tricky part, allocating hours to each task. In truth, it was a finger in the air time! Although, it’s worth saying we’re trained venue finders with access to all the latest, up-to-date information, venue knowledge, a network of contacts, in-house search tools and templates. So, perhaps we’re speedier.

?  Draw up a brief of requirements containing dates, locations, event style, budget, rough timings, number of guests, presentation requirements, break-out details, catering preferences, past experiences, aims and aspirations – 1 hour

?  Research options for consideration that meet the brief either by location, size, style, star rating, layout – 3 hours

?  Shortlist options, narrow down to say top eight to ten choices and source contact details – 2 hours

?  Contact each venue with enquiry to check availability and costs – 2 hours

?  Chase replies. We love venue sales teams, but the truth is they are swamped and sometimes short-staffed. Consequently, it can be a tick, tock waiting, waiting and waiting some more scenario – 3 hours

?  Query options, the inevitable back and forth to check understanding – 1 hour

?  Collate all quotes into one master proposal. Are you comparing apples with apples with no rogue pineapple thrown in to confuse matters – 2 hours

?  Shortlist options, evaluate all the possibilities and whittle the list down to a handful of favourites – 1 hour

?  Arrange site visits, juggling everyone’s diaries and venue availability, planning your route and transport too – 2 hours

?  Conduct site visit realistically, it’s often a full day out of the office or a couple of half days to get a good feel for each property – 8 hours

?  Select preferred venue, sometimes it’s a no-brainer but often plenty of ruminating is required – 1 hour

?  Arrange contracting with the venue, negotiating the final cost, finalising the details, setting up credit agreements – 2 hours

?  Release all other venues, often forgotten or overlooked but an essential part of maintaining relationships with venues – 1 hour

?  Liaise with the venue before event which can be the most complex parts to estimate with so many unknowns and variables, including catering, scheduling, access before and after the event, parking, accommodation and much more – 8 hours 

?  Finalise final master bill with the venue and give feedback – 1 hour

?  Total 38 hours

And that’s before you’ve booked speakers, arranged presentations, sourced entertainment, sent invitations, managed registrations, and organised marketing. Phew, we’re exhausted just reading it!

Furthermore, to help our client explain to her boss the value of venue finders, we gave her some anecdotal support.

1. Better use of your time. Work smarter, not harder

Managing an event is all-encompassing. Not only does it take all this time, but you also need bucket loads of organisation, multi-tasking to the extreme, abundant patience and mental flexibility.

2. Save you money and broker deals

Due to our considerable buying power and industry network, we can often broker exclusive discounts on your behalf. Importantly, our free finding service covers all event sizes, types, budgets, and locations, with no minimum spend

3. Extensive network and insider knowledge

Eventify is a London-based event management agency with first-hand insider knowledge of the capital’s best event venues and suppliers. Our trusty ‘little black book’ is packed with tried and tested contacts. Over the years, as our client base has grown, so has our expertise and professional network, extending across the UK and many international destinations.

4. Your best interests at heart

We’re entirely independent and not biased or tied to any hospitality groups, hotels chains, or venues. Therefore, you’re our number one priority. We search for the best venue options based on your brief and negotiate packages and costs to suit your budget.

5. Easy to read proposals

Our detailed and illustrated venue proposals offer you a range of venue ideas to best suit your needs and budget. All the information you need will be in one handy document to save you bags of precious time. We will even organise and come along to venue visits with you, as these will be invaluable when choosing the right venue for your event.

6. It’s free!

So how is our comprehensive service free to event planners? It’s simple if you book a venue through us, we claim a commission fee from the venue. Your final venue bill is precisely the same if you book through us or directly—no hidden charges. However, by booking through Eventify, we do all of the research for you. We listen carefully to your needs and introduce you to a range of venues, perhaps a few new ones you haven’t seen before. Best of all, we do the leg work for you.

Whether you decide to book your venue through us or not, our service remains free of charge.

After all that, are you wondering what our client’s boss said upon reading all the above? “No brainer, keep using Eventify!”

So if you know any time-poor fellow event organisers, please share the love and let them see how Eventify can help lighten their load.

Diary of a Party Girl

Want to be in the know? Sign up to Eventify’s mailing list by emailing enquiries@eventifyuk.com to stay updated with everything new, hot & trending in the world of events!