An event venue can make or break the look and feel of an event.
While hotel conference centers are easily accessible, they often don’t feel innovative, and they are often expensive unless reserved well in advance.
This article is designed to help event planners identify venues that will inspire event attendees, without breaking the bank.
1) The Innovative Theme
It’s great that you are hoping to provide attendees with a space that inspires innovative thinking. But in order to narrow your search of venues, you should first try to determine what type of feel you are trying to create.
Often this will simply be based on the kind of event you’re planning. A launch event should feel different from an off-site meeting of a Fortune 500 company. Work with key stakeholders to try to identify what they are hoping to achieve with the event.
2) Time & Place
Just like the cost of a hotel room or the price of a plane ticket, event venues will vary in expense depending on when you try to book. The same venue could be had for below market rate if you decide to plan an event during an off-hour.
Of course off-hours will vary depending on location, so it’s important that you think about ways in which you might be able to find an event venue for a bit less by choosing to host the event in a location that is not in demand, or at least not in demand during your event.
If you’re planning an event on a low budget, try to think of a location that won’t be in-demand when you want to host your event, often venue managers will be much more willing to negotiate if you are interested in using the space when it would otherwise go un-used.
3) Mixed Use Venues
Airbnb and Home Away are two popular examples of how mixed use spaces can transform perspectives. Staying in a private apartment rather than a hotel room can provide travelers with a unique perspective.
Similarly, event attendees can find inspiration when going to events hosted in spaces that are outside of the norm. Consider hosting an event in an artist’s studio, a public space, an art gallery, or some other mixed use space that can still provide the logistical support you need.
By choosing to host your event in a mixed use space, you’ll likely save money in comparison to booking a traditional event venue, while also providing attendees with a unique experience.
4) Go Green
Sustainability is a trend that has already permeated the hospitality industry, and it will soon have an impact on the events industry as well. One excellent way to expose event attendees to innovative spaces is by presenting them with a venue that features innovative design in order to overcome environmental challenges.
Conclusion
Searching for and selecting innovative spaces might seem challenging. Finding an affordable space is hard enough afterall.
The famous innovator and leader, Steve Jobs, famously obsessed over the construction of a new headquarters for his company, Pixar. He wanted to build an innovative space that had the ability to encourage people to feel inspired and to collaborate. The result was a revolutionary building the encouraged employees to meet and solve problems.
The example of Steve Jobs highlight how a space can impact people, as an event organizer, your goal should be to find a venue that positively impacts attendees by inspiring them to solve problems together.