The OpenWater Blog

Learning Series: Selecting a Venue

Where you hold your awards ceremony is one of the most important decisions you can make. After all, the location affects seating, A/V arrangements, and countless other factors that make up the key ingredients of your program. Moreover, it may either expand or limit the number of options and variations you can introduce to make this year’s event the best event yet.

Below, we discuss four factors you should think about with any venue you consider.

Size

Size matters. You need to be able to fit all of the gala participants in the space comfortably and in a way that facilitates conversation, if that’s a quality that’s important to you. More importantly, the venue must accommodate the stage and be a shape that makes creating a seating chart easier.

Location

You need to hold your event at a location entrants are willing to go to. More importantly, you need to hold it at a location that is easy to find. The last thing you want is to be directing entrants to your event as it’s getting started or have participants who don’t want to attend because they aren’t sure where they’re going.

Amenities

Are there enough parking spaces for all participants? What about restrooms? Is the lighting appropriate and conducive to the event you want to throw?

These are all amenity-related considerations that affect participant experience. And, as you know, participant experience this year greatly affects whether they will attend your event next year as well.

Ambiance

Ambiance isn’t one of the primary considerations that should affect venue choice, but it’s important nonetheless. Everything from the decor to the seat materials, color scheme, and more can affect how your audience perceives and experiences the event.

As such, this should be a final consideration you don’t overlook simply because a venue suits the other categories mentioned above.

What Type of Venue Will Work Best for Your Organization?

No two organizations – or awards programs – are alike. As such, what works for your program may not work for any others. What’s most important is that you take each of these factors into consideration to ensure you aren’t committing any oversights that may negatively impact your program down the road.

Do you want guidance in selecting your venue or other gala-related considerations? If so, download our free companion worksheet from Awards 101: The Missing Manual for Awards Professionals to get the assistance you need!

Ashley Surinak

Ashley Surinak is the resident OpenWater expert on all things content. From the blog to guides and beyond, you'll find her at every turn in your OpenWater journey.

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