You may not realize it, but a lot of work goes into planning an event, no matter the size: be it birthday party or wedding weekend. Amidst the flurry of excitement and anticipation, there’s a crucial player who works their magic behind the scenes – your venue coordinator. While an event planner focuses on executing your overall event vision, including aesthetics and timing of event activities, a venue coordinator specializes in managing logistics specific to the venue, ensuring that in-house elements like catering, staffing, and bar packages align seamlessly with your plans.
The most common mistake clients can make is assuming that certain tasks, especially those related to the setup of rental items from external vendors, will be automatically handled by the venue coordinator without explicit communication or inclusion in the contract.
Ensuring effective communication with your venue coordinator is paramount to guaranteeing a seamlessly executed event. From the subtlest nuances to the grandest aspirations, here are ten vital things you should communicate to your venue coordinator to ensure your occasion flourishes in the ambiance you’ve always imagined.
1. Guest Count
Supplying an accurate guest count to your venue ensures a seamless event by guaranteeing ample food and drink quantities while preventing unnecessary expenses for absent guests, creating a win-win scenario for both hosts and venue coordinators.
2. Space Requirements
Ensure smooth event logistics by clearly communicating space requirements to the venue, such as staging areas for caterers, space for large decor items, and specific areas for additions like photo booths, while also considering height and accessibility for seamless setup.
3. Layout and Setup Preferences
Provide your venue with your floor plan layout to guide how you’d like to arrange the venue’s furniture. In addition, sharing your layout will help determine the compatibility of outside rentals, such as tables and chairs, ensuring everything fits seamlessly within the space. The venue’s expertise will help optimize the layout, taking into consideration potential obstacles like beams, columns, railings, and paths of travel.
4. Timeline and Schedule
While the event planner/day-of-coordinator takes charge of executing the overall timeline of activities, it remains crucial to communicate this timeline directly to the venue as well. Share the arrival times of vendors, allowing the venue to assign a team member to guide them to the right location and assist if the vendor needs access to the venue’s elevators or lifts. Clearly convey when you’d like specific venue services to be conducted, such as the initiation of drink service or food serving times, ensuring the staff is prepared to meet these expectations seamlessly. Sharing the timeline with the venue is also instrumental in preventing interruptions during pivotal moments, such as speeches or ceremony times during a wedding.
5. Event Vision & Theme
Inquiring about your event vision and theme with the venue is crucial as it allows them to recommend the most suitable space for your needs. With multiple event spaces available, aligning your vision with the appropriate setting ensures a personalized experience tailored to your preferences. By sharing your concept, the venue can provide valuable insights and recommendations, ensuring your event exceeds expectations and leaves a lasting impression.
6. Decor and Aesthetics
While venues typically don’t handle decor setup, it’s still crucial to communicate your aesthetic vision to ensure it complies with any decoration restrictions. This includes limitations on candles per table or space considerations for large decor pieces. By working closely with the venue, you can ensure your vision comes to life safely and seamlessly.
When discussing decor with the venue, clarify if they offer decor services or in-house items. Understanding their offerings allows you to supplement as needed, ensuring seamless integration with the venue’s aesthetic. Additionally, inquire about signage provision to effectively communicate with guests.
7. Food & Beverage Preferences
It’s essential to communicate your food and beverage preferences clearly to the venue when planning your event. If there’s a specific drink that is a must-have for you or your guests, don’t assume the venue carries it. Be sure to clarify exactly what is included in the drink package and inquire if the venue can order the specific drink for your event. Additionally, it’s crucial to communicate any dietary needs and restrictions well in advance to ensure that the venue can accommodate all guests.
8. Special Requirements and Needs
Effective communication of special requests and needs to the venue is pivotal for a seamless event. Here a few examples:
- Arranging for guests requiring access to lifts and elevators for mobility assistance.
- Coordinating the setup of unique features like a champagne wall or live music performances.
- Specifying requirements for particular rental items that only designated vendors can handle (for example, a pipe & drape backdrop!)
- If your venue is open to the public (like ours), providing a password for guest access
- Dressing up signature drinks are served with unique straws/garnishes/customized napkins.
Sharing these details empowers the venue to make necessary arrangements, ensuring a memorable and successful occasion for all.
9. Contact Information
Make sure the venue has the contact information of your event planner or designated point person. While the planner usually coordinates with rental vendors, providing their details to the venue ensures smooth communication. Also, ensure the venue has the contact information of any rental vendors involved in your event for seamless coordination and troubleshooting if needed.
10. *Weather Contingencies
When renting an outdoor space for your event, it’s imperative to communicate your rain plan with the venue. In the face of unpredictable weather, having a contingency plan ensures that the venue can respond effectively to any inclement conditions. Whether it involves moving the event indoors, securing tents, or implementing alternative arrangements, informing the venue of your rain plan allows them to make necessary preparations and adjustments. By proactively addressing potential weather concerns, you can ensure that your event proceeds smoothly and that both you and the venue are prepared to adapt to changing conditions as needed.
In conclusion, orchestrating a memorable event involves a myriad of details, and effective communication with your venue coordinator is paramount to its success. While event planners focus on realizing your overall vision, venue coordinators specialize in managing the logistics specific to the venue, ensuring seamless alignment between your plans and the venue’s capabilities. Avoiding assumptions and clearly articulating your needs ensures that every aspect, from guest accommodations to decor preferences, is meticulously addressed. By fostering open dialogue and collaboration, you can ensure that your event flourishes in the ambiance you’ve always imagined, leaving a lasting impression on all who attend.
Furthermore, ensuring that the venue is well-informed of all event details and information empowers them to assist and field any vendor questions that may arise. Collaboration is key in orchestrating a successful event, and when all stakeholders are on the same page, it fosters a sense of teamwork and cohesion. By equipping the venue with comprehensive knowledge, they can act as a central point of contact, facilitating seamless communication and problem-solving between vendors and event organizers. This proactive approach minimizes the likelihood of issues arising and ensures that any challenges that do occur can be swiftly addressed with efficiency and professionalism, ultimately contributing to the overall success of the event.
210 Events | Ann Arbor | Event Venues & Weddings 