The three As of choosing the best corporate venue: What you should know

If you are on a quest to find the best venue for your next corporate event, then you probably already know what to look for – you know that the venue needs to be accessible to your guests, it needs to have the right size to accommodate all your attendees (comfortably, at that), and it needs to provide you with some critical amenities and facilities, such as a possible kitchen, tables and chairs, and perhaps even a setup crew.

But apart from this, you should consider other important elements as well – and this includes the three As. What are the three As you should look for when choosing a corporate venue, then? Let’s find out.

The first A: Ambience

If you have already narrowed down your list of venues and are in the process of checking each one out and doing an ocular inspection, you can't just consider the size of the venue and its capacity to accommodate your guests. You also have to consider the venue's ambience. When you are visiting the venue, pay particular attention to its décor – especially if you are visiting when there is another event which will take place.Take a close look at the venue's architecture as well as its interior – does it seem to be the proper fit for the event you are planning? For example, if you are planning a formal event, you may want to go for a venue such as a manor house or an elegant hall with a vineyard. Whilst you can always do a search using the phrase ‘event venues near me’- don't forget to think about the suitability of the venue based on the type of event you will have. Remember this when thinking about the ambience: even if the site is affordable and is a good fit for your budget, the less it coincides with the feeling you want for your event, the more you have to make up for it in terms of décor and amenities, which may make you spend more in the end.

The second A: Accessibility

The venue's accessibility is another important matter. You want a venue that your guests can easily and conveniently access, especially if they are taking public transport or are flying in. But other than this, you also have to think about access for those who have special needs – you want attendees with special needs to have no problems or worries accessing the building as well as whatever amenities it has. Of course, prior to this, you should already have an understanding of your attendees and what needs they may have. Here's another thing: if you are having children in your corporate event (it's rare, but it can happen), consider this as well.

The third A: Acoustics

There's nothing worse than attending a gathering or event where the acoustics are horrible. You can't hear anybody speaking, and you have to shout at all your guests just to be heard. Believe it or not, many organisers don't take this into consideration, but it can be quite detrimental to your event if the venue you choose has poor or bad acoustics. Check how the sound will travel through the place by asking the venue's representatives to play music or plug in their AV system. If the site has a low ceiling, it may look nice and cosy, but if the venue is packed, the acoustics can become too loud. On the other hand, if you go for a venue with high ceilings and a warehouse style, this could lead to echoes – so choose wisely.