Find the perfect venue in a flash!

How do you typically find a venue?

Like a lot of planners, you may start with a online search. From there, you create a spreadsheet, start to identify criteria, send a few emails, call a few locations, and come up with a solid list of potential venue options.

But how long does that take you? You can lose hours searching event spaces, browsing hotel websites, or calling venues you've worked with before. None of these tactics are efficient nor do they make it easy to compare venues, send RFPs, or review bids side-by-side.

It shouldn't surprise you by now, that the answer to this cumbersome process is simple – event technology.

Venue Sourcing Simplified

Venue sourcing tools make everything so much easier. They provide a searchable database of venues, enable you to compare venues across the same criteria, allow you to easily send out RFPs, and get you set up to do the only thing you can't do with event technology – go on site visits. Though with the help of VR technology, you might be able to do that someday soon too!

We've broken down the entire process of venue sourcing into a few simple steps, that - when using a great venue sourcing tool like Cvent Supplier Network - will take the headache out of finding the perfect place to host your next event.

Check out the Cvent Supplier Network

Step 1

Find Venues
- Know your meeting objectives and requirements. You need to start strong and by determining these at the outset, you’ll decrease the search process.
- Take into account feedback from attendees. If it’s an annual event, see how attendees ranked the venue from the previous year. Look at the feedback to pick a venue that will resonate better.
- Reach out to your team, or others that have a stake in the event to brainstorm what factors are most important.
Step 2

Write the Perfect RFP
- Define your purpose! Make it clear what your event requires and hopes to achieve.
- Get detailed! Give as much information about the event as you can.
- Share your budget requirements. The venue is one of the largest costs of an event and can make or break your budget.
- Make your deadlines clear. Give a date and time that provide venues enough time to respond.
- Don’t start from scratch. Pull a template from online.
- Be ready to answer any questions venues may have about the proposal or the event.
Step 3

Evaluate Proposals
- Create a spreadsheet to assess proposals
- Create a list of any factors that are less concrete – your qualitative factors
- Pay close attention to meeting rooms – do the sizes and layouts make sense for your event?
- Compare how responsive and helpful the venues are to help figure out how helpful they’ll be if you choose them.