What To Look For In Your Corporate Event Venue

As you plan your event, it is essential to find a corporate event venue that can accommodate your unique needs. Whether it’s an employee conference, company culture training, a holiday party, or anything in between, each corporate event is different. So, how can you find a space with a design to fit your unique needs? We are giving our best actional advice here. 

A Wonderful Location

“Location, location, location!” doesn’t only apply to real estate. The location of your event can make or break your entire experience. First, you want it to be in a reasonably central location for your guests, and second, it needs to be able to handle your special event.

Let’s say you are looking for an event space in San Diego County. If some of your attendees will be in North County, and others are located Downtown, a central location like Escondido would be the perfect option. But, within that location, you need to think about a few things. Does the venue have the capabilities that you need? Is it the best event space in San Diego for you? The following tips will help us figure that out.

Plenty Of Parking

Few things irk guests more than not being able to find a parking space. The event can be dazzling inside with beautiful food and fun entertainment, but if your guest had to park blocks away and spend several minutes looking for a spot, it could spoil their entire experience. So, look for a space that has parking for all of your guests. At The Centre, we have an entire parking garage conveniently located by the entrance to our event venues for that purpose.

Some spaces will not have parking at all. This is when you ask the venue manager if there is a parking garage nearby to rent out. Often, the venue will have relationships with folks around them to get you a garage for a reasonable price. But, this is an added expense. It is best to find a place that can include it for you in the venue rental. 

Minimums That Make Sense For You

For events to take place at any given venue, minimums are typically required. This helps ensure that the staff and team can be paid throughout your event and helps with the space’s upkeep (amongst many other things). So, the venue might have minimums—either guest count, food and beverage cost, etc.—you may need to reach.

Typically these are relatively easy to hit based on your event, but it is essential to ask these questions in your initial corporate event planning calls. If your budget is $20,000 and the minimum is $25,000, it is probably not the best place for you to sign a contract. Vintana Wine + Dine located at the Centre has affordable minimums for all types of events.

Maximums That Fit Your Guests

Yep, maximums exist as well. If it is your first time planning a corporate event, it is essential to get the maximum number of guests from your client or executives. With many corporate events—whether seminars, culture training events, or corporate holiday parties—your guest count will have a little nuance. Maybe it will be determined by ticket sales or how many employees work at the company at the time of the event. This often means you won’t honestly know your guest count until the numbers are due. So, you have to kind of—guess. Try to establish a max goal or max number from the HR department at your corporation or the executive team. Since there are max capacities at every venue, the last thing you want is to book a place for 150 guests and end up needing a space for 200 by the time your event comes around. 

Keep Accessibility At The Top-Of-Mind

Accommodating accessibility needs should be top-of-mind for any event professional. Every guest at your corporate event should feel special and comfortable. So, have the conversation with your venue up-front. Is there an elevator for guests? Will a wheelchair be able to navigate the space easily? Is there parking available near the entry? All of these things take an event venue from good to great. At The Centre, we have an elevator for your guests, parking, and more to make your guests comfortable. We wanted to create an accessible event space in San Diego County to roll out the red carpet for every single guest that comes through our doors.

Accommodate Catering Needs

As we’ve covered many times before, your catering needs will hinge on your venue. Do you want to bring in your favorite chef to wow your guests, or would you like your venue to offer a menu that you can pick and choose from? Depending on your event, either of these are wonderful options, but most venues provide either/or—in-house catering or the opportunity for you to bring someone in. Few venues, like ours, have the option to choose our catering partner like the award-winning Vintana Wine + Dine or to bring in another option.

If you are looking for a corporate event venue in Escondido, CA, we are here for you. Contact our team today to see how we can create your ideal event.