As one of the UK’s leading conference spaces, we know a few tricks for the best way to book a conference venue. From your technical requirements to capacity, there’s a lot to consider. But fear not. At the National Conference Centre, we’re here to share our expertise and provide all the details you need to book the perfect venue for your next conference.
First up, let’s establish the most important elements to decide on before you book a conference venue.
What is Important When Choosing a Conference Venue?
Budget, location and capacity should be at the top of your list of considerations when you book a conference venue, but there are other factors too. Think about the technical equipment available, the layout of the spaces and where guests can stay if the conference lasts a couple of days.
These factors are easy to overlook until it’s too late, but that’s where our experience comes in. We’ve done the thinking, so you don’t have to!
Here’s our ultimate guide to the vital elements to consider before you book a conference venue.
1. What’s the Budget for Your Conference Venue?
Establishing your budget and asking how much you’ve got to spend is one of the most essential questions to ask when booking a conference venue. Only when you know how much you’ve got to spend can you start the hunt to book a conference venue.
To make your money stretch further, it’s worth looking at different dates if you’re flexible on when your conference is. Some days can cost more than others, so enquire about all prices.
2. Where do you Want to Host Your Conference?
For some people, the location is obvious. If everyone is travelling from the same area, you can keep your conference local. However, sometimes it isn’t this obvious.
If you have attendees travelling from all over the UK, or even from other countries, it’s essential to book a conference venue with convenient transport links. The National Conference Centre is ideally located in Birmingham, just off the M42 and a mere 5-minute car or taxi ride away from Birmingham International Airport and train station.
Our central location makes us the perfect conference venue for anyone to easily access, ensuring maximum attendance at your event.
3. How Many People are Going to Your Conference?
How many attendees do you have? It’s another one of our top questions to ask when booking a conference venue. You need to ensure everyone has adequate space, not just for sitting but also for using laptops, dining and having a chance to network.
If you need different break-out rooms, look for a venue with more than one space. At the National Conference Centre, our interactive room finder gives you all the details on our 13 flexible spaces at a glance.
With 49,000sqft of flexible indoor space, plus 204,000sqft of outdoor space, we can help you to find the perfect venue for your conference.
4. What Car Parking Does the Conference Venue Have?
If you’ve got people travelling by car, make sure there’s ample parking available. There’s nothing more stressful than wasting time driving around a strange place trying to find somewhere to park.
At the National Conference Centre, we have over 1,000 free spaces onsite, including free electric charging points. That should help with a smooth arrival and remove one big stress from your guests before the event starts.
5. What Facilities Does Your Conference Need?
The facilities you need are often overlooked when people book a conference venue. We’re talking about more than your standard tea and coffee stations (although we do offer a superb range of those!) and about the extra facilities that ensure your event runs smoothly.
For example, the National Conference Centre has jumbo lifts and vehicular access directly from the car park into the main venue rooms, upstairs and downstairs. It makes unloading and setting up an absolute breeze.
Thinking about the comfort of your guests, you should find out what table and chair arrangements are available, any outdoor space for team-building activities, and the technical equipment on offer.
6. Do you Need Technical Support?
Discovering what technical equipment is available is often one of the first questions to ask when booking a conference venue. You may need projectors, audio-visual (AV) equipment and sound systems. Of course, fast Wifi is a must, and it’s worth finding out what backup systems are in place.
At the National Conference Centre, we’re pleased to offer:
- Superfast 200MBps Wifi
- Power continuity whatever happens thanks to 2 Rolls Royce aero engines
- Top spec audio visual (AV) equipment
- Recording options
- Bespoke set design
- Rigging services
7. What About Other Support?
If you’re looking to book a conference venue for a large event, chances are you’ll want some extra support in the run-up to the conference and on the day itself.
Finding a venue with a dedicated events planner will help to alleviate some of the planning stress. Meanwhile, operational support on the day can be the difference between your event running smoothly and successfully vs a day to forget. It’s also a great chance to discuss your branding needs to personalise your event to your business.
We assign a dedicated events planner the moment you book your conference with the NCC.
What are the characteristics of the best conference venue?
The best conference venue offers:
- A convenient location
- Budgets to suit a range of events
- A mix of room sizes to suit different capacities
- The chance to personalise your branding
- Free car parking for your guests
- Extra facilities including food and refreshments, goods lifts and set design
- Excellent technical equipment and support
- Enough staffing to ensure your event goes off without a hitch
We hope we’ve covered the best questions to ask when booking a conference venue, but if there’s anything else you want to ask, get in touch today. Our friendly and experienced team is here to help you book a conference venue with a difference.