A venue can look perfect in photos and still fail your event. The ceiling may be too low for your stage, the loading bay may only open overnight, or the in-house technical team may be the only one allowed to work there. The site visit is where you find this out, before you sign rather than after. This checklist covers what to prepare, what to check on the day and what to confirm afterwards.
Before the visit
A site visit is only as useful as the questions you bring. Prepare three things.
- Your layout needs: guest numbers, the seating style, the stage size, screens, registration, catering stations, any exhibition space and breakout rooms.
- A draft programme: even a rough timeline shows which spaces you need and when, where guests will be at each stage, and how long you need for set-up and breakdown.
- Your technical requirements: sound, lighting, screens, power-hungry equipment, filming or streaming, and anything that needs to hang from the ceiling.
Ask the venue to send its floor plans, capacity charts and technical specification before you go, so you can check them against what you see. Allow enough time for a proper look: ask to see the service corridors, the loading bay and the back-of-house areas, not only the spaces the venue shows first.
If you can, bring the people who will deliver the event, such as your production lead or event manager. They will spot problems that are easy to miss. Try to visit at a similar time of day to your event, so you see the light, the traffic and the noise as your guests will.
What to check on site
Work through the venue methodically. Take photos and measurements, and write down every answer along with who gave it.
Capacity for your layout
A venue's headline capacity usually refers to its most compact arrangement. Ask for the capacity in your layout: theatre-style rows, banquet rounds, or cabaret style, where round tables leave one side open to face the stage. Check that the numbers still work once you add a stage, screens, a technical desk and aisles. Then walk the room and look for pillars, low beams or corners that would block the view of the stage or screens.
Ceiling height and rigging points
Measure the usable ceiling height, not just the highest point. Ask whether there are rigging points for hanging lights, speakers or screens, how much weight they can take, and whether the venue insists on its own approved riggers. If you plan to hang anything, ask what information the venue needs from your production team beforehand, such as drawings or weight calculations.
Power and distribution
Ask how much power is available, where the sockets and distribution boards are, and whether the supply can run staging, lighting, sound and catering at the same time. If you might need more, ask whether a generator is allowed and where it could go. Ask where cables can run and whether they need to be covered where guests walk.
Load-in routes, lifts and loading-bay times
Follow the route your equipment will take from the vehicle to the room. Measure doors, corridors and lifts, and check the lift's weight limit. Ask when the loading bay can be used, whether it is shared with other events or the venue's own deliveries, and whether there are limits on vehicle size. Check where vehicles can wait during set-up without blocking other traffic.
Noise limits and finish times
Ask about any limits on sound levels, the latest time for music or amplified speech, and when guests must leave. Check whether other events will be running next door at the same time, and how well the rooms are separated.
Wi-Fi and mobile signal
Test the Wi-Fi and your phone signal in the room itself, not only in the lobby. Ask whether a dedicated network can be provided for registration, presentations or streaming, and how many devices it can support. Ask whether there is a charge for the network and who to call if it drops during the event.
Air conditioning
In Qatar, air conditioning is not a detail. Ask how the room performs when it is full and the lights are on, how quickly the temperature can be adjusted, and who controls it on the day. Check the areas where guests will queue or wait, not only the main room.
Ask, too, whether it runs during set-up and overnight work, and when it will be switched on to cool the room before guests arrive. Crews working in a hot room are slower, and a room that is still warm when the doors open sets the wrong tone.
Blackout and lighting control
If you are using projection or screens, check that the room can be fully darkened, including skylights and glass doors. Ask who controls the house lights and whether they can be dimmed by zone.
In-house AV and exclusivity
Ask whether the venue has its own audio-visual equipment and whether you are required to use it. Some venues have exclusive suppliers for technical production or other services, or charge a fee when you bring in your own. Find out before you plan the production, not after.
Catering rules and kitchen access
Ask whether catering must come from the venue or whether outside caterers are allowed, and on what terms. If you are bringing in a caterer, look at the kitchen or preparation area they will use and the route from there to the room. Ask where refreshments can be served during breaks, and whether food is allowed in the main room.
Prayer rooms and ablution facilities
Find the nearest prayer rooms for men and women, check how far they are from your event space, and whether ablution facilities are close by. Check that the way to them is clearly signed, or brief your staff to guide guests. For longer events, build prayer times into the programme.
Step-free access and accessible toilets
Check for step-free routes from the drop-off point to the event space, and onto the stage if speakers will need it. If the stage needs a ramp, ask whether the venue has one or whether it must be hired. Find the nearest accessible toilets and confirm they will be open during your event.
Parking, drop-off and valet
Ask how much parking is available, whether it is shared, and whether valet parking can be arranged. Look closely at the drop-off point: whether it is shaded, how many cars can stop at once, and how VIP arrivals would be handled.
Security and screening points
Ask what security the venue provides, where guests would be screened if that is needed, and how screening would affect queues at arrival. If VIPs are attending, discuss arrival routes and holding areas early.
Emergency exits and first aid
Walk the emergency exits and evacuation routes from your event space yourself, and check that your layout keeps them clear. Ask where first aid is available during the event and who provides it.
Backstage, green room and storage
Look for a private area where speakers and performers can wait and prepare, a lockable room for equipment and valuables, and space to store deliveries before the event. Check that the waiting area is close to the stage and has its own route, so speakers do not have to walk through the audience.
Signage rules
Ask what signage is allowed, where it can go and how it can be fixed. Many venues restrict what can be attached to walls or placed in public areas. Ask, too, where directional signs can go outside the building and in the car parks.
What the hire fee includes
Ask for a written list of what the hire includes: furniture, linen, staging, basic lighting, cleaning, security, technical staff, and set-up and breakdown time. Ask what is charged separately, and what happens if you run over time. Ask about the payment schedule and the cancellation terms too, and read them before you commit.
After the visit
Memories fade quickly, and spoken answers are easy to dispute later. Close the loop while the details are fresh.
- Write up your notes the same day, with photos and measurements.
- Send the venue your questions and the answers you were given, and ask them to confirm everything in writing.
- Confirm set-up and breakdown times, including access the day before if you need it and any restrictions on overnight work.
- Ask for floor plans with dimensions, the technical specification and the venue's rules for suppliers.
- Check which permits and approvals apply to your event with the venue and the relevant authorities.
Share everything with your production team, and build the confirmed times into your run of show so that load-in, rehearsals and breakdown fit the venue's rules. Our guide to building a run of show explains how.
Comparing venues
If you are choosing between venues, use the same checklist at each one so you compare like with like. The lowest hire fee is not always the lowest total cost once you add in-house technical charges, a generator, extra crew for a difficult load-in, or overtime for a late finish.
If you would like an experienced team at the site visit, or would rather hand over the venue search altogether, that is part of ARZO's event management service, from choosing the venue to the last guest leaving. You can request a proposal whenever you are ready.
