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aving laid out the framework of your event vision and knowing all your function space requirements—including supplier move in, setup, rehearsal, day of, teardown and move out space needs and what to look for—fi nding the perfect event venue is much easier. You will feel a strong emotional connection when locale is exactly the right fi t. It will come across as an inner, intuitive knowing that grows with experience that you have found what you were looking for. As soon as you walk into the indoor or outdoor site you’re exploring for your event, you will be able to rule out venues that will compromise your event vision. Such venues won’t feel right.By creating a strong event vision, laying out your event grid (which will serve as a blueprint for you to build your event from), becoming deeply familiar with your space, event and supplier requirements before you start to look for a venue, you have ensured that what is best for you meets your list of event must-haves fi rmly imprinted in your mind. It will not matter to you how wonderful the architecture of the building may be, how charming a balcony may be or how great a group picture could look posing by that column if the rest of the elements that you have identifi ed as event must-haves are not in place.
Site Selection
As they say in real estate, location is everything. Th e selection of the site where you will be holding your event is of primary importance; it can make or break your event.
Consider an exhibition for seniors that was being held in a large convention center that has two separate areas—a north wing and a south wing. Th e north wing is older but has good access to the ballroom.
Parking is conveniently close by. Th e south wing is newer but is more than a 20-minute walk from the parking area. In this particular case, the south wing was chosen as the site of the exhibition, but considering the targeted audience—seniors—the north wing would have been better.
Th e south wing was also the site for a large garden show, where guests could purchase plants of all sizes. Again, it wasn’t the most convenient choice for the guests and exhibitors, who had to walk from the parking area to the ballroom and back again carrying heavy purchases or boxes, especially since a convention center does not off er bellman assistance with boxes like a hotel does. Th e lesson can be physically exhausting to both attendees and exhibitors, as well as costly to exhibitors. It resulted in low attendance and in this case low sales of plants because they were too heavy for most guests to trek back to their cars with no help. Make sure that you match your site to type of event. Look for ways to make it as accessible as possible for your guests.
There is one large specialty show that comes to Toronto twice a year. It is extremely well attended. The location of the show offers underground parking—those attending can leave their coats in the car, take the escalator up and be right at the site. The show organizers provide carts to make shopping easier. Aisles are wide and there is room to maneuver between them. Purchases can be dropped off at a parcel-pickup area located by the main doors if your cart or your hands become too full. Assistance is provided if you require help getting your purchases to the car. There is plenty of scattered
seating. There are also several refreshment areas, right down to water stations, catering to different budgets. The venue also offers excellent washroom facilities and a diaper-changing room complete with supplies, and the building is handicapped accessible. It has everything for a comfortable experience and people eagerly anticipate going to the show, knowing they will have a stress-free experience, with all their needs attended to.
You are not limited to hotels, convention centers or restaurants when it comes to site selection. Chic boutiques will allow you to take over their facilities for a private cocktail reception and dinner, followed by a fashion show introducing their new lineup of clothes. Some even have cooking facilities attached to the store, making it easy for caterers to set up and serve. You can take over yachts, roller-skating rinks, airport hangars or hold a gala in an armory, museum or art gallery. You can tent a parking lot or do a catered aff air on a covered tennis court or even on a hotel rooftop. Private clubs, restaurants or empty warehouse space can be taken over and completely transformed.
You are limited only by your imagination and your budget. You may have to pay a premium or surcharge to have the venue closed to the public, and you must take this into account when you are considering your site options. You may decide that it is cost prohibitive and instead look for a venue that has a private room that will accommodate your guests, as opposed to taking over a facility exclusively. What is most important is fi nding the right fi t. For example, one restaurant that can be taken over exclusively off ers spectacular 30-foot ceilings and four massive fi replaces as the perfect site for a candlelit winter or festive Christmas- themed wedding, where the service can be conducted in the mezzanine overlooking the dining area.
Skilled event planners can develop a sixth sense when it comes to knowing they have found the right location, one that radiates the event energy they are looking for and meets all of their event elements’
needs and logistical requirements. Th ey can see it, feel it and visualize
it as soon as they step into the space. Th ere is a sense of inner knowing that they have found the perfect fi t—it feels, as Goldilocks once said,
“just right.” She didn’t settle for second best; she wanted what was just right for her. And that is what you must look for when you plan your special events.
Whenever and wherever possible, try to get out of the ballroom. When it was decided to hold Disney’s worldwide theatrical opening gala for Beauty and the Beast at one of Toronto’s most popular restaurants, Mövenpick Marché, the Marché had never closed to the public before.
It is one thing to feed 1,000 customers over the course of the day and another to feed 1,000 guests arriving en masse, but Mövenpick Marché felt “ just right” for this event. So many elements from the stage pro- duction were already there, such as the fountain and the enchanted forest, which was enhanced for the evening, and the market village scene, where the food stations were renamed after the various char- acters from the play: Lumiere’s Flaming Grill, Mrs. Pott’s Tea & Coff ee Bar, Le Fou’s Tossed Salads, the Silly Girl’s Sushi Bar, Gaston’s Bar, Cogsworth’s Seafood Buff et, Marie’s Baguettes, Babette’s Desserts and Madame de la Grande Bouche’s Rosti & Pasta. It was a perfect fi t. Of course, it could have been re-created in a ballroom, but why go to that considerable expense when something wonderful already exists and can be turned into something memorable and magical with a little event planning innovation and creativity.
Not only did having the event at Mövenpick Marché add a much more exclusive feel than having it in a ballroom, but holding it there was doing something that had not been done before—another fi rst.
In many parts of the world it is common practice for top restaurants to close for private events, but some restaurants are still not open to the idea, and you could run into resistance. Th e restaurants’ greatest fears
are that guests once turned away will never return. Th e following are suggestions that could help overcome any concerns. Th ese are areas of negotiation with the restaurant, as there are costs involved. Th e restaurant may pick up some of the charges and you may be responsible for others.
You need to fi nd out in advance what will be covered, have it listed in the contract and add to your cost sheet the costs for which you will be responsible.
Post signs announcing the closing well in advance.
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Have reminder table toppers during the week of the event.
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Post “Private Party” signs on the day of the event.
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Advise the concierges at local hotels that the restaurant will be closed
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for the day.
Hand out coupons for complimentary beverages or appetizers
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to any turned-away walk-in customers as a thank-you for their understanding.
Advise neighboring restaurants so that they can be prepared to han-
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dle additional walk-in customers.
Set up a transportation shuttle to another restaurant.
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Have staff positioned at underground parking to advise guests before
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they park that the restaurant is closed.
Aside from these courtesies and goodwill gestures, there are many other things that have to be taken care of in planning an event in a restaurant:
If the restaurant is in a mall, make sure that you obtain permission
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from mall management and fi nd out what restrictions could apply regarding your event. A number of malls operate on a percentage rent basis where they receive a percentage of what the store takes in, and an event could provide them with extra revenue if you are holding your event on a night that is traditionally quiet. If your event will have a high profi le in the media, it could bring the mall added publicity. As a gesture of goodwill, invite top mall offi cials to the party if agreeable to your client.
Inform the mall tenants that a special event will be taking place so
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that they can plan accordingly. You will fi nd most quite understand- ing as this is an opportunity for them to bask in the refl ected glow of the publicity. Also, the location is being introduced to clientele who may not have visited it before.
If the restaurant is freestanding, check with local fi re and police au-
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thorities to see what concerns they may have and legal issues you need to be aware of. If the location is in a mall, check with the management of both the mall and the restaurant so that you are not violating any lease agreements or fi re and safety rules and regulations.
If you have negotiated for the restaurant to close after breakfast or
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lunch, have staff on-site well before this to make sure that this is car- ried out. Don’t allow late arrivals to be seated and have their service rushed as you begin setup. Th ey will be unhappy, and so will you.
Th is also applies when you are closing down a single section for your guests. Always be ready well in advance, and be very clear with man- agement about what time you will require the room or section closed.
Guests are usually understanding and amenable to being reseated when off ered an explanation and a complimentary beverage.
Always know specifi cally what is taking place before your event.
Make sure that the contracted access time for setup and decor is clear and that you have it in writing. For example, there is a fabulous venue that is often used for special events. It is also very popular for weddings.
You need to know what is scheduled to go on before your move in and make sure that there is an adequate time buff er built in. Here, you could run into a wedding rehearsal scheduled to take place just before your move in. Wedding rehearsals are notorious for not beginning on time and/or running late, resulting in time delays. You want to be aware of this in advance and you want to ensure that the wedding party is well aware of the time of your move in so that there are no misunderstandings. Th ey must know the importance of keeping to a schedule so that they can do their rehearsal without being rushed at the end.
It is always worth the eff ort to take the time to fi nd what would be just right for your event and to do everything possible to make sure the experience is fl awless. If you are doing an outdoor event, investigate and know when the sun will be setting, and time the cocktails appropriately.
Th ere is no additional charge for a spectacular sunset. And don’t forget to look at the weather history—are you considering holding an outdoor event in the middle of the rainy season?
I can remember going up and down the coast of a Caribbean island in torrential rains one October (even the cows were huddled under the bus shelters) looking for the perfect venue for a farewell gala that would take place in January. I found myself knee deep in water and mud at times.
One word of caution: be wary of dropping by restaurants before they are opened—I was met at one by two very effi cient and eff ective guard dogs.
Local agents had suggested many places, but none of them felt “ just right.” I had a very clear picture of what I was trying to achieve that night. Th is particular island is very dear to my heart as a destination;
it feels like a second home. I have very happy memories of being there both on vacations and for work. I wanted to make sure that the par- ticipants came away experiencing the full beauty of the island and I was not stopping until I found the “ just right” setting.
Th e restaurant selected was exactly right for that event. It was a magical evening—row after row of all-white limousines took guests from their hotel to the site, which was exclusively theirs for the evening.
Th ere they enjoyed cocktails as the sun slipped into the sea, scatter- ing brilliant bands of gold, red and orange across shimmering waters.
Tables were set with white on white, soft candlelight glowed, a private performance was put on by one of the island’s premier performers, and guests danced under a canopy of twinkling stars. It was absolutely picturesque. It was pleasing to the eye. It was a perfect farewell event.
Each season brings with it its own set of considerations and items that should be factored in when considering both your choice of location and your budget. Th e one thing we know for sure is that we cannot predict the weather, but we can be prepared. What is crucial is your guests’
comfort and fi rst impressions.
With meetings in other countries, some of the best values can be in off -season. Before you book, consider the impact the weather will have on your program if it is less than ideal. You don’t want to be in the Caribbean or Florida during the hurricane season or in Arizona when typically there are fl ash fl oods and electrical storms. Check with local tourist boards to fi nd out past weather history—temperature, precipitation and humidity—before you make your fi nal decision. Ask to receive the offi cial weather history statistics—they are available. Do not simply accept a verbal report. And even if it has never rained or snowed before during the time period when you are planning to hold your event, secure weather backup for outdoor events—it has snowed in June in Banff —and be prepared. Weather patterns have changed with global warming and can no longer be predicted as accurately as before. Extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent, and we have witnessed how ill prepared some cities have been when disaster has struck. Make sure you are familiar with your location’s safety and security procedures as well as event cancellation clauses.
Review contract cancellation clauses with a fi ne-tooth comb. Make sure that your clients are aware of all charges that could apply should an event be canceled at the last moment because of an unforeseen circumstance, be it weather or the fear of infectious diseases in the area, e.g., SARS. Today it is of utmost importance that event planners not only be aware of cancellation charges but also be able to anticipate the fi nancial risks that unexpected occurrences represent to their client. Th ey must be able to prepare a thorough risk assessment plan with an appropriate plan of action and provide their clients with event cancellation insurance options.
Ti p
When planning an outdoor event, always make sure that you have weather backup on hold. On the day of the event (or earlier, depending on event setup requirements), if the weather looks uncertain, there will be a time when you will have to make a call on where to commence setup.
Find out at what specifi c time you or your client will have to make a fi nal decision on where to hold your event.
With some destinations, high temperatures are not a problem. In Las Vegas, temperatures can soar to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and not aff ect the program. Guests are picked up in air-conditioned motor coaches or limousines and whisked to their air-conditioned hotels. During the day they are comfortable in their meetings or out by the pool and in the evening the temperature drops, and they can enjoy a very pleasant walk along the Strip. Anyway, the hotels and casinos are all very close together and have been designed to make you want to stay inside. Any excursions are usually just a matter of going from air-conditioned hotel to air-conditioned bus to air-conditioned venue and back again. Th e heat is not a major factor.
When guests are fl ying in winter weather and they need to make connecting fl ights, try to fl y them as far south as possible. For example, if a group is fl ying out of Toronto in winter and have a choice of connecting fl ights through Chicago or Dallas, choose Dallas because the chances of weather delays there would not be as great as in Chicago.
Weather also aff ects water temperatures and what can be found swimming in it. For those planning a program down south during the summer months, in certain areas you may fi nd more jellyfi sh than during the winter season when the waters are a little cooler. For those planning a meeting aboard a cruise ship, fi nd out how weather will aff ect your sailing—is there a time when the seas will be calmer? For day and evening cruises on private yacht charters, fi nd out how much shade and how much shelter the boat provides for guests. Can everyone be comfortably