Most people working in event management live and breathe events - from planning team activity days, to conferences and even Christmas parties. As you can imagine, every event is different and requires a different approach - but they all have one thing in common. Finding the right corporate venues is essential in order to ensure the event fits the brief completely. Finding the right London conference venues to host your next show-stopping corporate event is critical to ensuring your goal for the event is met. However, dealing with an array of venues while you try and find exactly the right one for the job can be difficult, to say the least. This is where the team at Conferences UK come in. Our day to day job is finding venues for corporate event planners just like you, so you could say that we are event venue finding experts. To give you a head start when it comes to hiring the perfect venue for your next event, we have gathered some top tips to keep in mind: #1 Provide a detailed brief The first step is critical, and is often missed. Before you even think about starting to look for a venue you need to have a clear and defined brief written down. Make sure it is detailed and very thorough as this will make it a lot easier to narrow down your list of potential venues. You should include details such as: - Budget - Goals for the event - Capacity required - Accessibility requirements And so on. You should also be clear on those things you will not budge on and things that you would be willing to negotiate. The more detailed your brief is, the easier it will be for your chosen venue to fulfill it. #2 Think outside the box (within reason) Don't always do what you have always done at the same venue you have always used. Look at unusual venues and search online for creative event inspiration to see how you may be able to do something different. Make sure your plans are attainable though, chat thorough your plans with your venue to make sure they are capable of fulfilling your requirements. #3 Ensure you have one point of contact only When you are talking to venues, request that you have one point of contact only as there is nothing more time consuming than having to search through your emails from multiple venue manager from the same place. Having just one point of contact will save you time and you will be able to get the answers to your queries much quicker. #4 Treat your venue like an event partner and not a supplier The inhouse staff at your chosen venue will have a huge knowledge base that you will be able to draw on and so letting them know that you appreciate what they are doing and value their input will go a long way. If they send you information, then read what they have sent and respond to them in a timely manner. Fostering a good relationship with venue staff will mean that they are eager to assist you and so will go above and beyond to ensure your event is a success. #5 Prepare a checklist for your site visit Once you have narrowed down your list of venues to a short list, then you need to make some time for a site visit. To make the most of each visit you should ensure you have a list of what information you need to get from the venue. You want the visit to be a productive one so that you save yourself on any unnecessary costs further down the line. #6 Have an air of urgency Acting as if you are running out of time is a great way to encourage venues to go the extra mile to help you out, especially if you tell them you have another venue on hold. Knowing that they have some competition should push them to do a little more to earn your business - including perhaps offering you more competitive rates. So, there you have it. The Conferences UK team's tips for finding the best venue - whether it be conference centre London or Edinburgh. Keep the tips above in mind next time you have a corporate event to plan and we are certain you will find just the right venue for your needs.