5 Essential Questions to Ask During a Site Visit

Venue sourcing is the most crucial part of planning an event. But how will you know if a certain venue is right for your needs? Don't worry! The team of our venue expert at Best Venues New York has compiled a handy cheat sheet to take it with you with our 5 essential event planning questions to ask during your site visit!

1. Catering & Bar Package

No event is really complete without refreshments. A lot of venues have excellent in-house catering options, and for larger events like weddings or galas, a tasting will be included free of charge so you can select your menu. We cannot stress this enough, if any of your guests have dietary restrictions that the venue's in-house team may not be able to accommodate, you could be better off with an outside vendor. Can your kitchen handle kosher options? Vegetarian or vegan ones? And if they don't, what are their policies regarding outside catering services? Also, if your event is on the budget and your guests are not big drinkers, you might opt for a wine/beer bar package instead of an open bar or ask if the venue can provide a bar on the consumption package. Bear in mind that a lot of luxury venues don't offer a cash bar as an option.

2.A/V Capability

Are you planning on having a work training? Or are you having a product launch? Either way, you'll need a venue with A/V capabilities and a team on-site to wrangle sound systems and projector screens. Make sure to double-check about the venue's current capabilities, will you have to bring in an outside vendor for A/V or the venue has exclusive AV vendor or build in system? And is there an extra fee associated with that? If you are planning an all-day conference, you should also look into WiFi, certain venues will include it in your package. But others may charge you per guest for the internet.

If you're planning to use an in house team, have them walk you through what their system can do. As the team at Ziegfeld Ballroom, for example, their A/V system is absolutely state of the art and their experienced team is more than willing to help execute your vision. At Ziegfeld, if you can dream it, their team can pretty much make it happen for your event.

3. Inclusivity

This is an important one to consider as events are often places for learning and networking, and more and more events are being held in non-traditional spaces like rooftops or historic landmarks. A space like a rooftop terrace at Carnegie Hall both a lovely, landmark venue and accessible for all your guests.

Remember to ask, is the space ADA compliant? Are there elevators or lifts for those attendees who could have trouble taking stairs?

4. Decor

Last but not least, decor! When you go on a site visit, you'll basically be seeing your venue as a blank canvas. It'll be up to you to envision how it'll look on the big day. Make sure to ask if your venue has certain exclusive vendors that you'll be required to work with for your event or if you can choose your own. For example, if you're having a seated function, will the venue provide tables and chairs or will you have to rent them yourself? A lot of venues have standard table linens and furniture that they can provide, but they might not necessarily go with the theme of your event.

After you've decided on your tables and linens, don't forget to find out how much time do you have for the setup and break down for your event so you can communicate that with your vendors.

5. Parking

It doesn't matter if your venue is the glamorous Lotte New York Palace if all your guests can think about is how far away they had to park. Does your venue offer parking? If they don't, is there abundant street parking nearby? Or if that's not an option, is there a local parking garage that they can recommend for your guests who are driving?

The venue you pick can really make or break your event. The team at Best Venues New York is more than prepared to find you a beautiful venue, whether it's a historic landmark event space or a versatile raw venue, that's perfectly suited for your next event.