The Class Act
Band
The Class Act
Band
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Entertainment
Considerations
· Lighting (rentals & purchase) · Staging (rentals & purchase) · Electrical services (rental) · Audio (rentals & purchase)
· Event services & considerations
(Tips & Considerations)
· Attitudes, mindsets, behaviors · Most important considerations
Event Services Links
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· Beverage stations & machines · Ice Carvings, Sculptures, Designs · Security
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Callanwolde Fine arts Center Atlanta, GA 404-872-5338 (Seating: Up to 175) |
Atlanta Contemporary Art Center Atlanta, GA 404-688-1970 (Seating: 250-2500) |
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High Museum of Art Atlanta, GA 404-733-4536 (Reception Capacity: 500) (Banquet Capacity: 225) |
Gwinnett Fine Arts Center
Duluth GA (770) (Seating up to 400) |
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SciTrek Science Museum Atlanta, GA (404) 522-5500 (Seating: Up to 600) |
Roswell Cultural Arts Center Roswell GA (770) 594-6232 (Seating up to 400) |
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Woodruff Arts Center Atlanta, GA (404) 733-4200 (Seating: Up to 1000) |
World of Coke Museum Atlanta GA (404) 676-5151 (Seating up to 150)
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The King Plow Arts Center Atlanta, GA 404-815-1178 (Reception Capacity: 800) (Banquet Capacity: 400) |
How to choose a venue or an event site
In understanding how to go about looking for, interviewing and choosing a venue, event site or facility of your choice that best suits your needs please refer to and click on the following page:
To have a better understanding of the types of event, event considerations and components click on and read the following web page articles:
These articles can assist you in having a better understanding so as to make more effective event decisions. An informed buyer is a better buyer.
Venue, Facilities, Event sites
Choosing the proper and correct venue for your particular event can be fun and exciting. However, it can be very time consuming and an overwhelming endeavor also. Too add to the scenario making the wrong choice may cause your stress level and possibly your budget, to be operating in the red zone as well as reducing the overall successfulness of what you expected your event to be.
The proper choice and fit of a venue for your particular event will be one of the best choices you will make. The improper selection of a venue that doesn't fit your overall event scheme or have the standards you expect will wreak with disaster and may cause the unraveling of your event. It is extremely important to have a venue that is compatible with the type of event you are planning and compatible with the sum of it's components. The basic rule of venue choice is does form (the venue spacing, suitability, service, policies, rules, stipulations and ambiance) follow the function (the overall event scheme, event components, event activities and events services you desire for your event).
Though most event venues strive to do a great job, not all venues are the same. Some venues lack professionalism. Thus, the venue may the lack professional standards, policies, procedures, and staffing. This could ultimately places a naïve, unexpected buyer and their event at great risk of disappointment or total failure on their event day.
For many, the venue of choice is based on emotional trappings, rather than on logistical operational function. The question for venue choice is: "Does Form (the venue site itself it's limits, services and policies of operations) follow Function (your expectations, goals, event scheme, components and desires for your event). Will the two coexist happily together? Or, will the two be in conflict?"
Inappropriate venue selection, no matter how good the intention if it does not meet the particular requirements, or specific needs for your individual event. It is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. It just doesn't fit and it won't work.
Before you sign the dotted line, get the fully disclosed picture
· The venue selection will typically be one of the biggest decisions, and financial costs
of hosting an event, especially if the venue also provides catering or food services.
· One should pay EXTREMELY close attention to the written service agreement.
Interviewing, asking questions, and getting an exact list of the services promised
and the services that will be provided, is a MUST.
· Comparing and scrutinizing the service agreement of one venue to another is
highly recommended.
· Reading the written agreement, and checking that agreement, is crucial.
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Does it cover the areas of scheduling, timing, and all services that the sales person orally agreed to perform for the particulars of your event? |
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Are any items, time commitments such as set up times, services discussed and agreed upon, missing or left out of the written agreement? |
Take the agreement offered to you home and read over the agreement in the privacy of your own home. Make sure every issue is addressed. Then, if necessary, discuss and negotiate the agreement with the management of the venue, to properly reflect your event requirements and design needs for your particular event.
You must get in writing what a sales person has offered and discussed with you. It is very pertinent for holding a venue to their word. Something what happens, with far too much regularity, is that the sales person or persons, managing group or entity that you initially interviewed with to engage the venue for your event is no longer there. Many times the building or company has been sold to a completely different managing group or new owner. New on the horizon. One question that is more frequently asked from the public, since the recent fall of several corporations, is that many clients are demanding that their event dollars are put into separate escrow account to assure against bankruptcies, buy outs and management changes. Some refer to this as fire sale protection or bankruptcy protection clause. Thus, without a written agreement containing a grandfather clause that protects you from management changes, new owner changes, buy outs or bankruptcies you may find yourself unable to get a venue to honor their promises and contractual commitments they have made to you on the date of your event.
A written agreement should be written including worst case scenario's such as; contingency plans, buy outs and change of management clauses is a must for you to properly secure and protect your event investment. For the most part the overall special event venues do an excellent service to protect their clients and their investments. It is those few unprofessionals that are driven solely by the-bottom-line rather than a professional commitment to do the right thing.
Primary aspects or considerations of venues or event sites
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Location, Location, Location (Access & Suitability) |
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Function and form compatibility (Suitability & Logistics) |
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Special or all inclusive Services (Customer services) |
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Tables, chairs, linens, etc. (Rentals) |
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Space and Size (Accommodations) |
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Architecture (Ambiance or feel of the space) |
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Policies, procedures, and restrictions of operations (Hidden Agendas) |
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Parking and Handicap and special needs access and services (Hospitality) |
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Extra or Hidden costs (Full discloser) |
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Properly trained, experienced and adequate staff (Staffing) |
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Catering, Food and menu choices (Food Services) |
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Bar and Beverages (Beverage Services) |
Other equally important aspects venue selections are the accessories, amenities or other services missing or provided by the venue. Such as:
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Overall neatness & cleanliness (Sanitation) |
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Loading area & dock access and availability (Accessibility) |
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Friendliness, courteous and helpful staff (Hospitality) |
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Room or site set up for guest comfort and convenience (Logistics) |
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The surrounding traffic and it's affect on travel to the site (Transportation) |
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Proper time requirements for pre-event, event, and post-event operations (Time) |
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Attention to details for your particular event requirements (Caring) |
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Parking, valet services, elevators, restrooms, handicap ramps (Accessibility) |
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Proper coordinating of outside services to properly perform services (Service) |
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Audio-Visual Services (Technical Support) |
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Staging, Lighting, props, Decor (Production services) |
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Rooms or overnight accommodations (Accommodations) |
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Logistical considerations pertaining to compatibility of the event. (Logistics) |
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Venue selection is for the most part built on trust. But, that trust should not be blind, nor without a written contractual agreement. Blindly signing an agreement with a venue, without properly interviewing, obtaining a full written disclosure, and fully reading over the agreement is very risky and a recipe for disappointment. Venue consideration should be primarily selected upon the location of the site, suitability with regards to the function and form of the event you are planning, the professionalism and connivance of services to support your event, the value added amenities or accessories at no extra cost to buyer and the actual rental cost.
However, many buyers make the vital mistake of contracting a venue site based on the emotional trappings of the fancy paint job and decor rather than on the logical requirements of the function of the event. Finding out later as they progress in their planning to their own dismay
that the venue doesn't work as they have initially thought due to fact of the venue's limitations, size, policies, procedures or restrictions. It is unfortunate that many individuals won't take the time to research and interview options that best fit their event needs.
Some also have found out that they have overspent on a venue selection and have come to the conclusion that the services that they real desired to have at their event they either can't afford or are now totally out of the range of what is left in their budget. These individuals did not properly prioritize their event desires and requirements and have to now be content with less then the best in the remaining service selection for their event.
And it is even more unfortunate that probability right around the corner from where they have contracted is a venue that would have been the better choice at a lesser cost. Has it happen before? You better believe it has. The question is will it happen to you. Getting informed and understanding your options is the key to proper venue selection and event compatibility.
False assumptions of some venues
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That the interests of clients are always first. |
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That the venue's personnel care as much about your event as you do. |
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That the contractual agreement you sign will have everything on it that you discussed with the sales person. |
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That the logistical consideration of the event area, pertaining to setup, is always setup according the event goals pertaining to proper event function, event scheme, guests comfort, people flow and social interaction. |
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That the safety of the client and guests are always a primary consideration (For example: Fire alarms, sprinklers, escape routes, handicap ramps, proper parking lot lighting, security guards, etc..) |
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That adequate time, and proper scheduling, is always provided according to the particular needs of your event and the outside services you have contracted. |
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That there will be enough time allowed for the pre-event setup and post-event clean up and clear-out, especially if other events are being held at the same venue on the same day. |
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That the venue will have all the necessary event supportive accessories such as linens, glass wares, chair covers, dance floor, staging, piano, candles, lighting, adequate electrical hook ups and an electrician, AV services and equipment, etc. |
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That you will not be affected by another event happening at the same venue at the same time as your event only perhaps next door to your event. |
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That the sales person that you originally contracted with and went over all the specific details of your event with will actually be there the date and time of your event. |
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That only full-time professionally trained staff is used at these events. |
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That adequate staffing is always used and that there are no staff shortages. |
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That friendly courteous and helpful professional staff is employed. |
Full service, Partial service or No service facility?
What are your expectations and requirements of the venue?
What services do you need them to provide?
Legal, Financial and Liability concerns of venues
(Get it in writing or it doesn't exist, no matter what a sales person says)
Get an exact, itemized list of services that will be provided from the venue, along with the cost and fees for each item and/or service offered from the venue. Always get a written estimate of all services and fees. When contracting get a signed, written, itemized list of services and fees associated with those services.
In areas such as bar tab or food cost, get a minimum and maximum cost guarantee that it will not go over this amount. On open items such as bar tabs, direct the manager or sales person not exceed certain costs and to let you know during the event if the bar tab appears to be approaching that predetermined maximum amount. Beware of any open-end cost items on contracts without a ceiling. It can be source of disappointment and dissension.
Ask for a full disclosure at the initial interview. Ask if there are any rules, restrictions, curfews and other costs or concerns that have not been discussed nor disclosed. Ask for a copy of the venue's rules, restrictions, curfews and other costs along with the itemized list of all services and fees. Consumers beware of hidden rules, hidden agendas, hidden restrictions, hidden curfews, and hidden costs that will not be disclosed at the initial interview. A potential source of consumer-venue conflicts or event disaster could occur.
Always receive a copy of the contract agreement and take it home to read and study. There should be a time period of at least 10 days to either accept or reject an agreement from the venue you are considering. Never sign a contract at the initial interviewing phase. During the contracting phase (signing a contract) ask again for a list of all and any rules, restrictions, curfews, other costs or concerns that have not been discussed or disclosed during the interview phase. Do not sign the contract immediately at the venue. Take the contract home and read over it and discuss it with your family. Make sure the contract has some statement in it that indicates that "this contract is all inclusive and no other oral or written contract exists between the two parties stated in this agreement."
If one's cost are higher than what was originally discussed and contracted, or the integrity of the event or some aspect of it that is planned for will be compromised due to the venue not giving full disclosure of costs, hidden rules, restrictions, curfews, changes or other legitimate concerns one has legal recourse against the venue.
Your event date and services should be guaranteed so make sure there is a grandfather-clause in the written agreement that states that all services promised will be guaranteed as written even due to new changes of ownership or new management. Thus you have a legal paper trail assisting you in a binding agreement with the present management or owner to render that venue and services as legally promised the date you contracted.
Questions, Concerns & information gathering
What is the cost or fee of the room or facility rental? Does this figure include gratuity and tax?
Is the gratuity a forced or mandatory part of renting your facility and using your staff? Is the gratuity a true freedom of choice option for service well done, or is it a part of the itemized cost to pay your staff?
What is the earliest or latest time when I can reserve this facility or room(s)?
To reserve a site, must I put down a deposit? When is the balance due?
What is their cancellation policy? What is the latest I can cancel? Will I receive full or partial refund of the deposit? How much will that be?
Is the venue that you are hiring a banquet facility or a true event facility specializing in Galas, Balls, Social events etc.. or just banquet facilities that typically serves food for meetings?
Is liability coverage included in the cost of renting the facility? (NOTE: All facilities should have liability coverage.)
Go see the room in action. Always go see the venue when an event is happening. Especially, if you have never been at the facility when an event is going on. This will give you the greatest insight as to whether or not the space is adequate for your particular event. It will also give you insight and be helpful in your planning, particularly in the areas of flow and logistics.
What is the smoking policy? No smoking indoors? Outdoor smoking area provided?
Entertainment, Decor, Production and outside services concerns
(Note: Check with your entertainment regarding their staging, lighting, sound, and electrical requirements. How much time do they require to load-in and setup with a proper sound check? How much time do they require for tear-down and load-out? )
Is there room for the entertainment to adequately set up sound and lighting along with enough dance floor space for dancing?
Will the event site and it's components be set up acoustically for the best sound and entertaining considerations of the entertainment and my guests or is it the management way or no way?
Are there enough electrical outlets on separate circuits designated only for the entertainment so as not to cause a power drain or power outage during a performance?
Will there be an licensed electrical engineer or person on hand for the entertainment, decorating, caterers electrical needs during set up?
Does the venue provide dance flooring and staging if necessary for the event? Is this an extra cost? What is the cost?
Will the venue demand, dictate or insist on the way the site or space will be set up and utilized, even if it conflicts with guests comfort and their enjoyment from being entertained?
Will the venue negate or ignore room acoustics and visual preference for the event that best suits the event for the entertainment that was selected and the guests comfort and enjoyment?
Will the site or venue (depending on the type and size of event) be ready and available for the entertainment load in and set-up time, proper sound check time, lighting and electrical needs at the time they need?
Does the venue possess a loading area that is safe, clean, sanitary and assessable for the entertainment to adequately load-in at the time they require so as to provide the services I have contacted to be on time?
Will the venue have an adequate staging area, electrical hookups and allow the entertainment the staging area they will need to entertain me and my guests at my event?
Does the venue have a noise ordinance in the community or residential area where the facility is located? At what time is it enforced? Example: 10:00PM, 11:00PM.
Could my event be forced to shut down due to a noise ordnance? What time would that be? Have you had noise ordnance problems in the past? That is someone calling the law and the law telling you to turn down or shut down?
Is the facility or room where my event is taking place house other guests not associated with my party or event at the time of my event? And will these non-associative individuals be close enough in proximity of my event that there could there be a possibility that my event will be asked to turn down or shut down altogether after a certain hour because of these other guests trying to sleep?
Is the facility able and willing to go overtime? Until what time? Will this create a noise problem for housing guests or surrounding homes or business in the area? What is there overtime fee?
Is a noise ordnance or restriction been discussed and disclosed in the initial interview and is it in the written contractual agreement being offered to you?
Will your staff help, assist and support the entertainers with the same common courtesy you would assist me and my guests while at your venue so they can perform for me and my guests at their peak level of performance emotionally with much enthusiasm?
Will your staff treat all outside services I have contacted in a courteous manner so that they may be accommodated so as to be on time in their set-up for me and my guests while at my event?
LOGISTICS AND CREATIVITY CONSIDERATIONS
Will the facility demand that the room be set up in a certain fashion such as where the cake, buffet, entertainment, seating, flowers, etc will go or will you have the final input as to what will work with your event and what you are trying to create, design or accomplish at your event.
What is the seating capacity of the venue for full sit down dinners? What is room or venue capacity for buffet or heavy hors d' oeuvres style dinners?
Will you be the only party to use that venue, room, facility for the day and/or time period you are planning?
What is the policy on down-time in between parties 4, 6, 8 hours or what? Parties that have less than a minimum of 4 hours of down-time between events to breakdown, clean and turn a room as well as allowing adequate time for outside services to arrive, unload and setup may be inadequate in the proper planning time needed for your event.
Without the scheduling of the proper hours of down-time between parties using the same space, room or facility this pre-function time concern can severally restrict certain entertainers, caterers, photographers, decorators, florists, etc. to do a proper and prudent set-up so as to be ready on time for your event. This could severely limit or eliminate your choices of certain professionals that you desire to engage to perform services at your event due to inadequate set-up time requirements.
Another consideration to be aware of is other parties or event going on at the same time as yours. If there is a party in the next room will there be a double wall with dead space in-between the two so as not to get a bleed over of sounds such as music, party noise or announcements from the other event next door.
Will there be anything going on in the room or facility between the time that the one party ends and the other is setting up ready to begin? This time between the two parties is critical to clean up and set-up of the next event.
Will the other professional service providers such as caterers, entertainment, florists, decorators and cake or pastry bakers get into the room at the time they require to be ready and set up so as to perform for my guests and my event?
Will someone be on hand to let the caterer, baker, florist, and entertainment in at the time they need to get in to do a pre-function set-up?
Will the sales person or event person that you have painstakingly gone over many of the details with over the past months of planning and have a rapport with actually be the one there at the event at your event time or will it be someone else that really does not know you and you have had very little or no personal contact with be in charge of your event? Will they leave early before the event is finished?
Will you accommodate and treat the other professionals that I have contacted to serve me and my guests as my guests while at your establishment? Or will you treat them as nuisances and bothersome individuals that are only thought of as getting in your way?
Will you provide a safe, clean and available loading area for professionals I have contracted to safely, conveniently and in a timely manner be able to get into your establishment at the time they need to get in so as to proper set-up and serve me and my guests on time?
Is the facility able and willing to go overtime? Until what time? Will this create a noise problem for housing guests or surrounding homes or business in the area?
Does your venue maintain adequate ventilation? Have you had problems with your air-conditioning unit? When was your last new air-conditioner installed? Will it be cool during hot weather? What is my guarantee?
GUEST COMFORT AND SAFETY CONCERNS
Does this venue carry up to date and adequate liability insurance?
Will the room, space or house hold all my guests with enough elbow room to walk around without bumping into each other ?
If it is raining and everyone came in from the surrounding outside will there still be enough elbowroom to walk around comfortably without bumping into each other or will it pose a problem of wall to wall people?
Does it have adequate parking at the facility or is it away from the facility? Is parking an extra cost? How much?
Does it have handicapped parking? Does your facility have steep or uneven access ramps, which make it a challenge for the elderly or handicap individuals?
Are the restrooms easily accessible to handicap persons especially those in wheel chairs?
Does it have easy and safe access to the facility? Does it have operational elevators if needed to get into your facility?
Is parking safe? Is it a well lit parking lot? Does it need security? Will you provide security or do I need to hire my own? Is there an extra cost for security or is that included? What is the cost for security?
Are there an adequate amount of restrooms in your facility for the number of guests being invited? How many?
Can you provide valet parking, serving attendants, security or bartenders? What is the itemized cost for these?
Are your fire alarms, extinguishers and escape routes or doors working, assessable and free of being block by tables, chairs, etc. or any other debris?
Does the air conditioner work properly? If it doesn’t work what is your emergency repair and backup plan? Will I be compensated if the venues air conditioning is broken the day of my event?
If we have a buffet, will you leave the food out until the end of the night and not try to hurry and clean up during the event?
Will I be responsible for cleanup?
Are guests permitted to throw bird seed, rice or flower petals?
Do they have security for my guests and vehicles in the parking lots?
Will there be a secure place for gifts with someone watching them?
Will there be a coatroom and checker to watch valuable coats, purses or other valuables?
