Venue Booking Process Checklist for Event Planners

The requirements brief is produced before a single venue is contacted. Venues evaluated without defined criteria are evaluated on emotion — which produces inconsistent decisions and missed requirements.

• Define the event date range — preferred dates and flexibility; confirm against speaker availability, competitor events, and key stakeholder calendars
• Define the expected attendance range — minimum and maximum; the venue must comfortably accommodate the maximum
• Define venue location requirements — city, proximity to transport, airport access, and whether accommodation on-site or nearby is required
• Define space requirements — plenary capacity, breakout rooms, exhibition space, registration area, green room, and any other specific space requirements
• Define AV and technical requirements — stage, screens, sound, lighting, streaming capability, and internet bandwidth requirements
• Define catering requirements — meals provided, dietary requirement management, licensing requirements (alcohol), and any preferred supplier arrangements
• Define budget parameters — venue hire budget range; maximum acceptable food and beverage minimum spend
• Define must-have and nice-to-have criteria — prioritised criteria against which all venues will be evaluated consistently
• Identify any specific accessibility requirements — step-free access, hearing loops, accessible toilets, and any attendee-specific requirements
• Confirm approval process for venue selection — who approves the final venue choice before contracting?

• Research potential venues — a longlist of at least eight to ten venues meeting the basic requirements; using venue directories, DMCs, past event knowledge, and peer recommendations
• Issue the RFP — to a minimum of five shortlisted venues; the RFP should specify all key requirements, evaluation criteria, and the response deadline
• Confirm the RFP response deadline — realistic for venues to respond comprehensively; typically five to seven working days
• Evaluate all RFP responses against the defined criteria — a consistent scoring matrix; not a first-impression judgement
• Shortlist to two or three venues for site visits — the shortlist decision is based solely on the RFP response against criteria
• Request provisional holds at shortlisted venues — confirm the dates are provisionally reserved while site visits are conducted

Visit the venue at the same time of day as your event. A venue that feels calm at 10am on a Tuesday may be noisy and crowded at 7pm on a Thursday when adjacent events are running.

• Schedule the site visit at the same time of day as the event — to assess actual lighting, ambient noise, and venue activity at that time
• Bring the right team — AV specialist or production manager; the client (if the venue is for a client event); and the lead event planner
• Test the Wi-Fi performance — not just whether it exists; actual bandwidth available for multiple concurrent connections
• Check sightlines and acoustics — from the back of the room, from the sides, and from any pillar-obstructed seats
• Inspect the load-in access — loading dock location, lift size if applicable, distance from parking to event space, and any restrictions on delivery times
• Confirm adjacency risks — what events are booked adjacent to the space on the event day? Will there be noise, shared facilities, or competing signage?
• Check accessibility — step-free access throughout, accessible toilet provision, hearing loop availability, and disabled parking
• Inspect catering facilities and capabilities — kitchen quality, service layout, and catering team experience with events of the required size
• Review signage opportunities — where branded signage can be displayed; any restrictions on fixtures, floor coverings, or walls
• Take comprehensive notes and photos — for comparison against other shortlisted venues and to brief absent stakeholders on site characteristics

The venue contract is not a standard document. Every clause is negotiable before signing. Nothing is negotiable after.

• Review all costs in full — venue hire fee, food and beverage minimum spend, service charges (confirm exact percentage), Wi-Fi infrastructure, parking, security, and any other mandatory charges
• Review the cancellation policy — what percentage of the contract value is retained at each cancellation trigger date? Confirm this is acceptable before signing
• Review the attrition clause (for events with hotel room blocks) — what is the minimum room pickup commitment? What is the financial penalty for falling short?
• Review exclusivity provisions — on food and beverage, AV suppliers, security, and any other exclusive vendor arrangements; confirm whether approved alternatives are available
• Review vendor access provisions — when can external vendors (AV, production, decoration) access the space? Any restrictions on approved supplier lists?
• Review force majeure provisions — what events trigger force majeure? Who bears financial risk if the event is cancelled due to circumstances beyond control?
• Negotiate key terms before signing — areas for negotiation include room hire fee, minimum spend, complimentary upgrade rooms, Wi-Fi inclusion, and setup time
• Confirm the contract is reviewed by legal counsel for major events — or by the procurement team for corporate events above the procurement policy threshold
• Confirm all agreed terms are reflected in the final contract before signing — verbal negotiations that are not in the written contract are not binding
• Obtain internal approval for the venue commitment before signing

• Sign the contract and pay the deposit — within the venue’s required timeframe to secure the booking
• Confirm your named venue contact — the specific person responsible for your event; confirm contact details and their availability in the run-up to the event
• Set a schedule for regular liaison meetings — at key planning milestones: 12 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 weeks, and 1 week before
• Confirm the detailed planning timeline with the venue — when final numbers are due, when catering menus must be confirmed, when AV briefing happens, and venue access times
• Notify other shortlisted venues that they have not been selected — promptly and professionally; they may be candidates for future events
• Update the event budget with confirmed venue costs — replacing estimates with the actual contracted figures

• Provide the final confirmed attendance numbers — within the venue’s required timeframe (typically 7–10 days before)
• Confirm catering menu and dietary requirements — final menu signed off; dietary data provided to catering
• Confirm AV setup and supplier access — when the AV team arrives, setup schedule, and any specific venue requirements
• Conduct the pre-event walk-through — one to two days before; with the AV team and key event staff; confirm all spaces, signage positions, and logistics
• Confirm day-of contacts at the venue — who is the duty manager on the event day, and what is their direct contact number?
• Provide the run-of-show to the venue — so they understand the event timeline and can anticipate and support key moments