How To Find A Venue For Your Hospital Event

How To Find A Venue For Your Hospital Event

Hospitals, by their nature, have a lot of space, but they often are not the right places for holding events. If you want to generate interest in scientific findings or or bring together the patient community, your best bet is a place that everybody actually wants to visit. Few people actively want to go to a hospital. Art galleries, hotel ballrooms and other such places, are wonderful alternatives for you to look at. This article will help you go through your options and pick the one that is right for you. 

There are all sorts of event types. What works as a venue depends on the kind of healthcare event that is taking place and how big your audience will be. For example, large events such as summits or conferences, demand bigger event venues such as hotel ballrooms, expo centers, conference centres, or large banquet halls. On the other hands, smaller events, such as community gatherings or classes, demand smaller spaces such as wineries, art galleries, meeting rooms, museums, or loft spaces. 

Whatever your event type and audience size, there are certain factors that you will have to consider. 

Is the location easily accessible?

The venue needs to be easily accessible for all the attendees, whether they are driving to it, or using public transit, and of course, there needs to be ample parking space.

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancellation terms depend greatly on the venue, so you have to check what the non-refundable deposit is for the venue. Research by BDRCreveals that the average fee for cancellations of up to 15 days in advance is 82% of the fee for the venue. If your contract varies materially from this average, try and see if you can negotiate better terms. 

What does the price include?

Be clear as to what is included in the price. Do not make the mistake of assuming you know what is free and what is not. Some facilities do not include charges for catering, water, and other services in their fees for the use of their space. The same logic goes for the use of fixtures such as projectors. Sometimes, government taxes and services charges are left unquoted as well. 

Are outside suppliers permitted?

Again, rules vary according to corporate meeting space. Some venues only allow use of in-house or preferred suppliers and where they allow the use of outside suppliers, they may charge a fee for their use. So it is important to familiarize yourself with terms of your contract in order to deliver the production value you want. 

How easy is it to access the venue for set-up?

You need to estimate how much time you need to set-up and prepare for your event. In some cases, you may have to rent the revenue for more than just the day it takes to host the event. Ask for any associated fees to be included in the event proposal. Some event managers will allow you to have a free set-up day and you should try and negotiate terms to allow for that.